The boys and I are off for 3 weeks! Yes, you heard that right. While most of you out there in the bloggy world were in the middle of your wonderful fun-filled summer, we were back at school here in our year-round school district. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Starting in July means that we get 3 weeks off at the end of September. Completely worth it, in my book.

Anyway, with Aunt Jen (a.k.a. The Amazing Babysitter and SIL) on the horizon and our “Mom and Dad only” Cancun trip just a few days after that, we have had a busy start to break. And boy, have I learned a lot so far.

Without further delay:

What did I learn this week?

1. You can clean the house a week before Aunt Jen comes (meaning, it is possible), but it will be messy again the next day. Might as well wait until the last minute to try that one again.

2. It is possible to get through dentist appointments for both kids and Mom in one day… if you have 2 ipod touches to keep the kids (and almost the whole dental office staff) busy. I bet next week, all the hygienists will have one.

3. You can brush and floss several times a day between dentist visits, but when it is time to get your teeth cleaned the dentist will only focus on the new teeth that you have cracked since your last visit… which will lead you to obsess about how much money it will cost to get said teeth repaired before the next visit.

4. Driving down a small two-lane road in back of a pick-up truck whose owners decided to play Jenga with their belongings is a very. stressful. experience. But it will make the kids laugh a little.

5. No matter how stressed out you are, when your 5 year-old yells from the back seat “Mom, that’s the Cox digibal cable car!,” you will be super-proud to be his Mom, and not stressed out anymore.

6. The dog will jump on top of the coffee table to steal a nail file or two.

7. I will never learn to stop leaving my nail files on top of the coffee table for the dog.

8. The week before a vacation, it is impossible to not repeat this to myself (silently) daily “7 more days to Cancun… 6 more days to Cancun…”

9. I am not above getting my kids to behave in Target by bribing them with a “Double Chocolatly Chip Frappuccino” from Starbucks. Split in two, of course – not that that really matters. Come on. I had to use the dressing room!

10. Michael will be instantly “un-jealous” of Jack getting to stay home and run errands with me while Michael is at school the first day that Michael gets to stay home and run errands with Jack and I.

11. Last but definitely not least, it’s totally worth making your kids brush and floss every day when you hear the dentist say “No cavities for either of them – they have beautiful teeth.”

6 more days to Cancun… 6 more days to Cancun…