School starts tomorrow. If my children will fall asleep before I crash, I'll jump on my bed and do the Happy Dance. I'll even let Steve video it ... maybe. It is 7:53 p.m., and Ainsley has already made her first attempt at convincing us she cannot fall asleep. Ian is tossing and turning. Sugar makes frequent trips upstairs to check on them. I am hiding in the kitchen, hoping no one sees me.
I am not the only mother who is reflecting on the summer and wondering where it went so quickly. What happened to the last five years? The last nine years? It's all speeding by and I feel as if I am moving in slow motion.
We really didn't do much over the last three months. I should have enrolled the kids in more camps and activities ... should have hosted more play dates for them ... should have taken them to see their cousins more ... [sigh]. But I am a junkie for splashing in the pool with my kids, making them gooey peanut butter and honey sandwiches to eat on the patio, and watching them dance in front of the t.v. when Noggin plays a cool video. This summer, I just wanted to enjoy my kids, even if that meant I selfishly kept them with me most of the time.
Now that I think about it though, we all needed a break with limited schedules and few obligations. No, I needed the break. The kids would have been fine either way. In fact, they played together so beautifully the majority of the time, it was fun for me to listen to their laughter as a bystander. They are so creative at times. Yesterday, they started playing Littlest Pet Shop, which blossomed into Little Pets in Space, which later became Darth Vader and the Mutant Pets from Planet Earth. Yes, there was a recurring theme or two; but it was hilarious!
Tomorrow morning I will pack my daughter's first lunch for kindergarten. She is excited and a little apprehensive. She picked out a dress and shoes, selected a spare set of clothes to keep in her locker, and picked a purple towel for rest time. Then together we packed them in her pink and leopard print satchel. It has a matching lunch box with her name on it. She is stylin'.
Ian can't wait to get to school because his teacher promised to tell him a joke first thing. It's only fair - he told her two Star Wars jokes on Friday, so now it's her turn. Ian is also looking forward to sitting next to Tess, one of a handful of girls who rocks his world. I have to admit that it would be cool to see them as prom dates some day. For that to have a chance, however, I will have to keep my mouth shut for the next 8.5 years about anything remotely related to Tess being a really wonderful girl.
It is now 8:20 p.m., and the house is very quiet. I can hear the fish tank bubbling upstairs and the t.v. in our bedroom. Above my head there are deep breaths and sighs. It is the Eve of Everything Back to Normal. I am so ready.
No comments:
Post a Comment