MamaKat – Carrie Baughcum

MamaKat has sent out her weekly Almost World Famous Writing Prompts. This week I choose: It’s hot, the kids are home and crazy, our pets are panting, the days are long…share your number one Summer Survival Tip. Of course I went right to work looking for the perfect Mommy Summer Survival Trip. I came across this newspaper want ad {wink, wink}…

I am lucky enough to be a SAHM for three months out of the year. And while I am very aware of it during the months I work, my “Summer Survival Tip” becomes more valuable during June, July and August… TIME!!!

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to sit on the couch, watch TV, Tweet, Facebook, blog read and write the day away or even sit on the porch reading more then a paragraph without being interrupted only to have to reread it because I forgot what it said!

On the days I am able to be fully present, on their level, belly to the floor, knees full of chalk the whine factor (their whining, not my need for it… well that too), need for warnings, limits or consequences significantly lessens.

I would still love to sit on the couch, watch TV, Tweet, Facebook, blog read and write the day away or even sit on the porch reading there are also days where I actually have to do house work, laundry, dishes, make meals (no comment hubs… not the best house keeper, but becoming a better cook).

TIME continues to be my Summer Survival Tip… my secret weapon. A moment in the kitchen table coloring with Francine elbow to elbow, the warmth of a head on my shoulder as I read Junie B. Jones to Olivia, the peek of a smile as I look up with star sun glasses and a hot pink boa on… Time is my Summer Survival Tip and it is absolutely priceless.

Going into fifth grade I was still a thumb sucker. I wasn’t a walking around with my thumb in my mouth thumb sucker. I was at night in bed, sneak and thumb suck, thumb sucker. Summer meant summer camp and I was still a thumb sucker. It was never something that caused me crippling embarrassment, but I was smart enough to know that fifth graders did not freaking suck their thumbs.

First night came. We all did our evening routines. Shower, brush teeth, PJs on and into bed. I had the top bunk. I reminded myself that I would need to be careful. I would need to be careful not to fall out of bed! I would also need to be careful no one saw me getting my fix… my thumb sucking fix. Lights out. Wait for it. It was safe. Thumb in. Oh the guilt, the internal pressure. Would someone see me? Would someone see me or catch me sucking my thumb? What would I do if they caught me?

Morning came and no one was any the wiser. Feeewwwwwffff, addiction fed and no one is on to me. I may have snored that night and may have drooled a bit, but those were minor. I had gotten my thumb sucking in.

Why did I feel so incredibly guilty? Could it be the fact I was in fifth grade and I still sucked my thumb? Possibly I was scared shit-less someone would discover my secret? Maybe it was because this was a church sponsored camp and we were here to work on ourselves? Perhaps it was the sheer fact that I needed to get my ass in gear and STOP SUCKING MY THUMB!

The second and third nights came. I didn’t. I did not put my thumb in my mouth!! The fifth day was my last day at camp. My mom came to pick me up. I was over the moon proud of myself. I had kicked my addiction. Putting my things in the car, the drive home, stopping for lunch, unpacking my duffel bag… I didn’t tell her about my personal victory. I was no longer a thumb sucker and it was my happy secret.

This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Pretty
Much World Famous Writer’s Workshop

Category: MamaKat

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