Although the crazy weather here in the Bay Area would lead one to believe otherwise, summer is just around the corner. Warm weather. Vacations. Swimming. Sunshine, suntans (or sunscreen in my case), and sangria. And the kids being home all day, every day. Cue the panic! Just kidding. Sort of.

Right now, both my kids go to preschool on alternating days. So I am used to having at least one with me all the time, but let me tell you, one is a whole lot easier–and QUIETER–than two.

Not to mention that without the set structure of taking someone to school every day, I know I’m going to be tempted to spend hours on the couch in my pjs or lounging outside reading while the kids ride their bikes. But too many days of that would lead to stacks of dirty dishes, piles of dirty laundry, two dirty and rambunctious children, and a book that never gets finished.

So what’s a mama to do (besides signing the kids up for back-to-back-to-back summer camps)? Well, I’m going to try to maintain the structure of the school year as much as possible. Wake up, eat breakfast, and get dressed by 8…ish. Go grocery shopping and run any other errands in the morning (this ensures I’m actually dressed and also means my mini-me’s will be well-rested and less likely to have any meltdowns). Clean the house after lunch (or more accurately, maybe clean one room of the house). And write/edit in the afternoon (while I may or may not be watching Days of Our Lives).

But summer is supposed to be fun, right? So I’ll fit that in the gaps. No errands that day? We’ll explore a new park, visit the library, or go swimming. House clean already? (Hey, it can happen!) We’ll bust out some board games, get crafty, or do something educational — thankfully my daughters are nerdy like me and think that doing workbooks (where they can practice their letters, numbers, shapes, and more) are fun. And when I’m working on my book or on a short story, I can keep my daughters occupied by having them make their own picture books.

Of course there are days when the schedule is going to go out the window. Like when we go camping or spend a day at the zoo or beach. Or, let’s be real, when it’s 103° out and all I manage to do is feed the kids popsicles while I try not to melt.

Okay, now that I have a (flexible) plan to have fun and stay sane, I’m ready for summer to begin! Pass me a margarita. On the rocks with salt, please.