It’s the middle of the fifth week of Mommy Summer Camp and by golly, I’m pooped!

Maintaining a set schedule has been great, but on the days when I want to deviate from it (like do more napping than activity), the kids go a bit haywire. They’ve developed an expectation of greatness that sometimes I just don’t have the energy to fulfill. Plus, it’s been about 115-degrees outside lately, so we’re cooped up in the house for a large part of the day. I just can’t stand going outside because it feels like the top layer of my skin will singe off from the radiating heat. (I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to this Phoenix heat…gimme back my S. California coastal breezes please!!)

And, it seems I discovered another flaw in my Mommy Summer Camp plans…I failed to include adequate time for myself (like more than a few moments a day…hey, this is my summer vacation too!). I think every mom does this to some degree — throwing yourself, full-throttle, into your children, your family, your work and everything else, and then doing your best to be happy with the leftovers. But really…it’s not enough.

So this week, I’m taking a mini-vacation and will turn over my responsibilities to my husband for a few days. It’s an act of love, really. If I didn’t take this break, I might have my own break…of a mental kind. So, as I tell my kids who are starting to show signs of separation anxiety, “It’s important for me to take time alone to refresh myself. That way, I can be a great mom.”