As of noon time Friday summer officially began on the domestic fringe.
School let out with a whoop and a downpour, but the skies cleared and kids filled my house.
Can this really only be the third day of summer vacation? Already I feel dazed and slightly confused. 
I awoke to pokes and the question I will hear no less than 356 times in the next 8 weeks. “What are we gonna do today?”
Apparently we are not going to pack any of the 30 boxes stacked in the living room, we are not going to go grocery shopping although the refrigerator is empty, and we are not going to wash the couch’s slipcovers that are currently covered with an inch of calcium chloride thanks to the dog.
You see I have this rather large basket sitting by the front door to collect ‘stuff’ – umbrellas, old newspapers, a bottle of calcium chloride to melt the ice on the front steps – stuff. Spring has come and gone and I haven’t gotten around to cleaning out the basket and removing the gloves, hats, and the container of ice-melt.
My angelic dog was left alone for one too many minutes on Saturday night and didn’t have me around to answer her “what are we gonna do tonight” question, so she chewed through the container of ice-melt and ground its’ contents into my couch. Thankfully it’s slipcovered and fully washable.
The FringePup is pretty good overall. She just behaves like a two year old and gets into mischief, not unlike FringeKids and friends.
Early Sunday morning FringeMan had the dog in a headlock and called me over to smell her breath. I was happily surprised to receive a minty clean lick that smelled just like Crest toothpaste.
“At least she’s brushing!”
An expression of utter grossness spread across FringeMan’s face and he said, no wonder FringeKid’s tube of toothpaste is always oozing. That’s why FringeMan and I have our own tube hidden high in the medicine cabinet. Even FringeBoy learned to hide a tube, a fact that insulted my daughter to her core.
“I clean my toothpaste tube.” She adamantly insisted.
I hesistated because there are some things parents are better off not knowing about their children, but the question slipped from my lips. “What do you clean the tube with?”
“MY TOOTHBRUSH!” She exclaimed.
And that is why only Fringekid and the dog share a tube of toothpaste.
I’ll be at the beach today and then the park and then playing Monopoly into the wee hours of the evening. After that I may get a chance to pack, do laundry, and grocery shop, but I doubt it.
What’s on your agenda today?
By the way, we are not drunks. We are just surrounded by at least 10 liquor stores that give us free boxes. Free is always good in the FringeFamily’s life.
Is that fringeboy sporting a mohaw?
i currently have 2 kids home for the summer from college and guess what…. they still ask me what we’re doing. not every day, but when they don’t have anything planned. i told them that my years of entertaining them are long gone, pick up a book and read, or i’m sure i can find chores to do if you can’t find anything on your own =)
Well, I am super glad now that I bought several tubes of toothpaste on sale. everyone now gets their own here too!
Love the toothpaste story. My husband is the official toothpaste tube inspector in our house!
p.s. I enjoy your packing boxes too!
Coke Zero almost came out of my nose when I read about cleaning the toothpaste! Great blog! I’m adding you to my Blogroll.
I was going to comment on your Sutter Home Wine boxes, but you beat me to the punch… spoil sport
Cute pictures! Yea, summer!
Those are the best boxes! If you can talk the stores into not cutting off the tops, they work so much better. My day? Ran some new stuff to Primitiques. Tanned. Hit my fav thrift store and got out with 6 clothing items and a big initial for $32. Suweet! Now I’m at work. Full day! ~Mindy
At least she didn’t say she swirled the toothbrush in toilet water. Judging from my boys’ breath, I’m pretty sure that’s their method.
Our summer started last friday too.
We try to keep our summer quite relaxed, interspersed with CSSM (like VBS I think) and other similar activities.
My 11 and 9 year old now enjoy quieter “at home” days as life is so busy during term time.
it’s only been a day and i can’t take it anymore.
how many times can i hear the words “i’m bored…” in one day. boredome has led to the kids wresting and fights…how many days until school starts?
voted!!! and ahh yes summer vacation which is why at the end most parents are doing the happy dance on the first day of school…you know you get so excited the night before you can’t sleep
Well, at least Fringekid knows how to share!