*My boys exploring our storm-created “pond” in our front yard this summer…
So I will admit that I am feeling a bit bummed as I write this. It is the last night of my summer vacation. I am a teacher, and while I love my job…I love my summers with my boys even more. And this summer has been one for the record books. Just completely awesome… My summer has been full of tons of fun and adventure with my boys…trips to the zoo and the cabin, endless playtime in our yard, and so many sweet moments that can only happen when our schedule slows down the way it does in the summertime.
The weather matches my mood tonight; it is stormy out, complete with lightning and thunder. The thunder is currently keeping my two year old awake. While I am normally irritated when I am “on call” after bedtime has begun (a mom has to have some time to call her own, and that’s normally after the kids’ bedtime), for tonight I am okay that he needs some extra snuggles.
I’m sure that is because I have the nostalgic feeling that comes at the end of a summer vacation, and looking back on all of the fun that we had…and right now I just want to stop and hold my babies. There will be another summer vacation, and another one after that…but not one just like this one. Not one where my boys are two years old and four and a half (that half is very important to my older son!). Next summer they might not delight in the same things…looking for rocks, catching frogs, eating popsicles in the grass…
My older son learned how to snap his fingers this summer. He has also informed me that next summer he won’t need his training wheels any more. He caught his first fish up at the lake. I know that next summer will bring all sorts of exciting “firsts” for both of my boys, but right now I’m completely wrapped up in reflecting on all of the good things that happened this summer.
I know that as soon as the school year begins and I meet my students, this will help to sweep me up in the momentum of another great school year. I hope that everyone who has school age kids are busy preparing them for another great year of learning! But don’t forget, in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the next grade and the next great thing, to stop and look at your kids they way they are now. Next summer they will be different people.
As I rocked my youngest son tonight with the thunder booming in the background, I just stared at his sweet little face and tried to fix his image in my mind. This is one of the faces that filled my summer with joy. Soon my days will be filled with middle school students who will bring a whole different realm of things to my life – sometimes joy, sometimes not-so-much-joy. But I will try and remember that sometime, in the past, someone probably rocked those children on a stormy night and thought about how they didn’t want time to keep going. But it does, and there are always new things to look forward to and enjoy.
I would like to wish everyone a great start to the school year! To my teacher friends…I hope that your summers were sweet enough to carry you into the next school year with energy and enthusiasm. To my parent friends…good luck as you send your babies off to school, be it day care, kindergarten, middle school, or high school!
So long summer – until next year!
This is one of my favorite posts! Great job describing this bittersweet time.
Thanks Amanda! I know that you understand exactly what I am feeling right now. Good luck with your new school year!