Slowing Down Summer

My kids go back to school next Thursday. Exactly one week from today. I am just a little horrified how fast the summer went. Seriously, it seems that we were sitting moments ago at Temera’s 6th grade graduation. Now she is starting junior high. She’s ready. I’m not so much.

Not so much because I know how fast this coming year will go by. And the year after that. And the year after that. As we all get older, the years go by faster. Why is that? The hours, days, weeks, months of complaining about diaper changes, nursing babies and wondering if they’ll ever sleep through the night are long gone. When you are in the midst of the baby craziness you never think it will end. It ends all too quickly.

Next Thursday I’ll be dropping the kids off… Temera to a new school… Amanda and Lauryn to new grades. Come September we’ll start the birthdays up again, the holidays, the homework and the ever-present girl drama of friends, clothes and bad hair days. And before I know it, another year will have completed.

In between I need to fit in figuring out what I’m going to do with my time, my blog, my personal goals. I need to fit in blog conferences and date nights and planning for a bat mitzvah. But right now it’s still summer. The hottest part of the summer here in Southern California. Triple digits. And we have no A/C. What kind of A/C repairman goes to Alaska on vacation during the time when his clients would need him the most? Apparently, that would be our guy.

So back to school shopping, organizing bedroom desks, prepping backpacks and planning school lunches. This will be my week.

One week left of summer.

We went to the pool yesterday with friends and had a wonderful time. Monday we’re planning a beach day. Tonight I’m taking the kids to a movie. I’m suddenly enveloped by the idea that I need to do all the “summer” things with them we haven’t had a chance to do all summer.

I bought ingredients to make s’mores. We’re going out this weekend to buy new boogie boards. The kids want last minute play dates and sleepovers. We need to cram it all in before Thursday.

Because next Thursday I’ll come home to a quiet house. An empty house. At least for a few hours. And then I’ll have to tackle MY issues. I have one more week to focus on THEM and then it will be my turn. And that’s a little scary. So I’m trying to slow down this week, make it last. I know they will be ready for the new school year. They have friends waiting for them, new teachers, new learning opportunities. I’ll have my quiet house and a laptop waiting for me. I’ll have no excuses.