Look, I get it . . . there is a definite period of transition this time of year.
Gone are the laid back mornings of summer, when my only alarm clock was the sweet sound of my two year old singing "I'm Still Standing . . . Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" from his crib.
Gone are the days of just throwing my hair in a ponytail and wearing yoga pants all day, whether I actually made it to the gym or not.
Gone are the days of counting a dip in the pool as a bath for the boys . . . and maybe even for myself.
I get that a change is coming, but here's my problem- when my brain hears "Summer's over," my heart hears "Fun's over," and it is really starting to freak me out!
Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm the only one who starts to panic, trying to cram in as many activities as possible that last week before school starts. Maybe I'm the only one who begins to worry that if I didn't get it done during the summer, now it's a lost cause. Maybe I'm the only one who wants that phrase erased from her vocabulary.
All I know is that every time I've heard those two words lately, I have been overcome with mom guilt that I never found time to take the boys to the bowling alley and now it's too late . . . you know, because the bowling alley isn't open all year long. Yes . . . I know . . . I have issues.
As a teacher, it's also hard to hear people saying "summer's over," but for a different reason. Instead of feeling guilty, I feel frustrated because it's usually said in a ho-hum tone that channels Eeyore, the woe-is-me donkey in Winnie the Pooh. Kind of like, "Oh, you poor kid, summer's over and you have to go back to that dreadful place." Seriously, is it really that bad? Probably not. What kind of message does it send our kids if we equate going back to school with getting a root canal without Novocaine?
I always loved going back to school, the excitement that came with finding out who was in my classes and sporting my new pair of pure white, never-been-stepped-on Keds. And whether you were partial to the Trapper Keeper or Lisa Frank folders, getting new school supplies was absolutely thrilling. (My obsession with school supplies may or may not have single-handedly led me down the road to becoming an educator!)
True, school may not be fun in terms of lying around in pajamas, eating Froot Loops, and watching cartoons all day, but it's not exactly a forced labor camp in Siberia either.
The school year and fun aren't mutually exclusive. We usually have a pajama day at some point during the year. And a lot of schools have fun cereal. I know a certain five year old who eats the wholesome breakfast his mother lovingly fixes him at home, only to stand in the breakfast line when he gets to school to get his daily bowl of Lucky Charms. School definitely has its perks.
Now, not everybody says "Summer's over" from somewhere down in the dumps. Nah, some people are cheering that summer's over, singing, "Hallelujah! Get these kids up outta my house!" I've lived that life too, and I totally get it. No joke, there were a few days this summer when I went to the gym twice a day just so I could use childcare to get a little break from the Jackson Inquisition that started around 6:30 every morning and didn't end until one of us went to sleep.
If I'm honest with myself, I'm actually really lucky to be struggling with this "summer's over" mentality. Plenty of my friends, and probably the majority of the population, work all year long without the luxury of a summer break. They still find time to relax, have fun, and try new things, so I don't really know why I let myself get all worked up in a tizzy. September 22, the true end of summer, doesn't mean fun family outings or lazy Saturday mornings are over. True, it may mean they need to be a little more scheduled, but who am I kidding- I crave a schedule and I find comfort in consistency.
One of my favorite school posters says, "If you fail to plan, plan to fail." As we head back to the hustle and bustle of the school year, I'm going to plan some easy ways to keep the fun coming. I'm talking simple things, like strolling through Soda City on a Saturday morning or eating at Moctezumas Taqueria, two other things I meant to do this summer. And I'm going to remind myself that there isn't a time limit or a cut-off date for doing things I enjoy with people I love.
The great thing about summer being over is that it's time for fall and all of the unique activities that make it special, like football games and the Greek Festival. I think I'll go ahead and get a head start on my Fall Fun List. Now if I could just find my Trapper Keeper for some paper . . . .
