Worn out

I read a great quote today - the only things that children wear out faster than their shoes are their parents. How true is that? I don't know where kids get their energy and why they sometimes need to use that energy to do things that drive their parents up a wall. I guess sitting in school all day makes them bottle up all the energy and then, when they get home, they are just ready to unleash it all. Now that it's summer, my kids don't have organized activities every day of the week. They are used to doing stuff that keeps them occupied and when there is nothing that captures their interest, it might mean the end of me. It's so funny how it will take me 20 minutes to set up the table with newspaper and paints and wood and things for them to create and then takes them 2 minutes to finish their projects and be done with it all. My dad says I should just let them be and let them come up with their own fun. That's what we did when we were kids. But it was a different time. Most of my friends didn't have stay-at-home moms. We went out and played all day. I sometimes wish my kids could do the same. When I come home from work, I'm worn out. And then it's not just playing. It's dinner and laundry and dishes and cleaning and fixing and learning. Oh, I'm just like a pair of old shoes - all worn out.