Monday, June 08, 2009

Endings, Beginnings, and the Summer Crazies

So Harper and I were both finished with school last Thursday. The "big kids" (read: not preschoolers) had one more day to go on Friday, but the teacher I was subbing for had to come back for that last day so I bowed out with Harper.

The end of the school year has always felt bitter-sweet to me. I felt it as a student, as a teacher, and now as a parent. I still track life on a school calendar, do non-teacher people do this? Now that Harper has started in school I know that each "last day" is another step toward the end of her childhood. And while I'm having so much fun watching her growing and learning it is sunrise-sunset sad at the same time.

(AND we still have another year before kindergarten for her - which seems not quite right somehow. I don't want to rush her and in my teaching experiences I have NEVER seen a child and thought that a mistake was made in NOT sending them early. I would advise anyone in our same situation to go ahead and wait and give their child time.)

There are lots of things about the summer I'm looking forward to, but I was having a difficult time remembering them this morning when Harper planted herself six inches from my ear and started repeating, "I don't know what to do-oo, I don't know what to do-oo," over and over again. AND THEN proceeded to shoot down every suggestion I had with, "Definitely not that!"

Anyone want to board a bonus four-year-old for a few weeks???

Michael and Harper also have more time to play together now that Harper is finished with school. And by play I mean Harper teases Michael until he hurls himself at her in a screaming open-mouth head-butt/attempt to bite. It is actually, possibly, perhaps just a tiny bit funny to witness, but I sure wish I could press the mute button on that particular pastime because the sound level of that activity is set about thirteen-notches above tolerable.

It's all fun and games until Mommy's ear drums bleed!

So here we were on what is technically the fourth day of summer vacation and I had called my friend Chris by about ten this morning to beg for a play date as someone (me) was surely going to have a psychotic break if we didn't leave the house. She graciously opened her doors to us, the kids played for a while, and then we came home and both of mine took naps, amen.

I've already scheduled another friend for tomorrow. Swimming lessons begin on Thursday. And I am high-tailing it to Chicago for a girls' weekend with one of my best college friends before she gets married in the fall. I think we'll survive the summer, but I don't know, I may not be sorry when those yellow school buses rev up in mid-August...

7 comments:

Hillary or Ryan said...

End of school year....is not bitter sweet. It's more than sweet. Only a few more days away from summer bliss. I can't wait. Maybe this will change once Grady is a bit older and more rowdy. In the meantime, I can't wait to "sleep in" until after 6:00 am. I can't wait to spend time with my little guy. I can't wait to not deal with some of my students. So close....

Anonymous said...

Send her to Wisconsin, she will be kept busy!!

Love,

Grandpa

jill said...

the minute she says the word BORED, give her a chore to do. the next time the word bored shows up, ask her if she wants a chore. if she doesnt, then tell her to find something to do. that DOESNT involve picking on her brother. we were NEVER bored at our house, either that, or everything was all nice and neat all the time, and we had a dusty home, make sense? we figured out to do for ourselves, and the world kept on spinning just fine. in fact, i tend to occupy myself for long stretches without needing much input, which is nice for me with just the baby at home. although she is a good little interrupter.. so needy. ha!

samantha said...

WHEN MIGHT YOU BE COMING TO CHICAGO? Ahem.

Swistle said...

We would so love a third four-year-old at our house. The two we have are bored with each other and have turned to bickering for entertainment.

CARRIE said...

I measure time by school-years too. I suspect anyone who loved school does this.

Although I am glad to not have a routine everyday for summer, I know that it won't be too long before we are tired of the non-routine routine and long for something more concrete.

Mommy Daisy said...

Well, we should definitely get together this summer then. I will be done with my tutoring job in a few weeks, and I know we'll be getting bored being home all the time too. It would be a good distraction for everyone.