Summer fun ... too much?

The summer has just flown by way too fast. We spent about 80% of it swimming, 10% eating, and another 10% watching TV. Something about being in the water just calms my nerves and just makes life better. I love the water. I love looking at it, hearing splashing, I love dipping my head under and shooting through the coolness. It's something I can't quite put my finger on, but I just love it. And I'm so glad the kids do, too. Last summer was the first time I put the kids on the swim team. It's a program they'll do until they graduate high school I think. Originally I put them on the team to make them stronger swimmers. I basically teach them to the level of letting play around easily, at least swim across the pool once, but seriously, their fodder for jelly fish. So I thought it'd be a good idea to introduce some friendly competition in the water to them to up their swimming skills. It's worked perfectly. Nothing like some good ol fashioned peer pressure and competition to push my kids. They're nailing their strokes, have beautiful form, and confident about themselves which lends itself over to contentment and all around cheerful attitude. This summer started out full of swim team. At the end of July, my in-laws came for about 10 days and got to see the kids compete in the championship meet. When they left, soccer started. Soccer will last all through fall, come winter I want to enroll them in the basketball program, Spring will be soccer again, then summer ... SWIMMING! My MIL thinks we're too busy and even Matt's wondered if we were, too. I've told both ... "nope! Wouldn't have it any other way!" Here's my take on it all. You can agree or you can disagree. But mind you, I'm pretty confident in my "arguments." (Who argues when they know they're wrong?? HELLO!) 1 family. 7 kids. 1 season. 1 activity. That's it. Sure, it's every season, but my argument is that it's good for the kids, good for the family. I'm totally against the "overscheduled family." I wouldn't support 7 kids going 2,3, 5 different ways. Sports, music, art. That's too crazy. However, this fall, every night, M-Th, something will be going on, so maybe I'm playing right into it? We'll have to see. Anyways, the reason I like the kids to be busy playing sports is this: prepares them for high school. Keeps them in shape. Gets them comfortable with competition. Make good friends. Bottom line, and I know I'm going everywhere with this, is I think a busy teenager is a productive teenager. An idle teenager is headed for trouble. iTouch. iPhone. Computer games. DS. TV. Texting. My gosh, there's so much out there that totally plays to the idle teenager and I really don't want my kids to be this. Already I see my kids with work out schedules taped above their beds. They're forever talking about swimming or soccer or whatever sport they're participating in or getting ready to participate in. When we're in the car, nearing the field, the kids are anxiously getting ready to jump out of the car to make it to practice on time. The other day, however, Ange goes, "Mom, I don't want to go to the pool tomorrow. I just want to stay home." I can appreciate this. With a large family, busy is gonna happen. And in my opinion, brakes aren't just for cars. It's OK to brake every once in a while and simply ... relax. So we did. The boys were mad, told Angela "you ruined our summer!" and of course, they got into trouble. I do think it's wise to stop and let the dust settle every now and then. Just don't stay stopped is all. The next day the boys asked if we were going to the pool and I turned to Angela and asked, "Do you feel up to it?" She answered, "uhhh, yeah I wanna go swimming!" (I wondered if she forgot she had bagged it the day before?) So yes, we went to the pool today, loved it, came home, and relaxed. The kids will play soccer in the fall, but there will be days that we won't show up to practice. Why? Well, simply because I'm a "soccer" mom, not an "Olympian" mom.