As the fields start turning gold, and gardens stop producing vegetables and fruit, it’s clear that after what felt like an incredibly long winter, the summer season is already coming to a close.
Although I remember feeling quite excited while I was a child and in school at this time of the year, I find myself feeling very differently about the end of summer and soon the beginning of fall and a new school year. I always loved back-to-school shopping, and found it somewhat exciting. I also loved September because it’s my birthday month.
Now, birthdays aren’t such a big deal, and back-to-school shopping is another expense on the never-ending list of things to pay for. Although kindergarten was an exciting time for us last year, our oldest son still isn’t sold on the whole idea of going to school every day, and honestly, I kind of feel like school makes life even more chaotic than it normally is.
Of course it’s fun and absolutely amazing to watch Gavin learn, and usually once I get him to school he is happy to be there. But, I truly don’t look forward to the early morning fights of getting him up and ready for school, nor do I look forward to the nights of getting him to bed early.
We have a pretty relaxed life at home. Gavin tends to be a bit of a night owl, which is fine by me since I too often find myself working at the computer until midnight most days, and having a little partner sitting in the other room watching TV or playing on his iPad is comforting.
This week will sort of signal the beginning to trying to get our little guy back into a more normal routine, after nearly two months of pretty much doing whatever he wanted all day. He will have to get up early for tennis camp, and will hopefully start going to bed before 10 p.m. I know there will be some fights, and I know I won’t win every single time.
At the beginning of summer, Gavin asked me if he got every summer off from school, and once I told him that, yes, he did in fact get summer holidays every year, he seemed OK with the idea of having to go back to school eventually. I hope that same mentality prevails on Sept. 3 and that he decides to become a teacher later in life so he can keep getting his summer holidays.
Although we haven’t had an overly exciting summer, it has been a good one. We’ve been able to go camping a couple times, we’ve made the trip to the city a couple times, and we’ve enjoyed each other’s company when we had the chance. Like many people out there, I’m sure I’m not the only one dreading the quick temperature change that will most likely come in the next month and a half.
If anything, our short summers should remind us to appreciate the warm weather while it’s here, and take the opportunity to enjoy a morning coffee on the deck, and evenings of playing outside until the sun goes down.
