Back to school? Not yet, please

This edition brims with content for back to school but I must confess: I am not ready for it. At press time we still had five weeks left and I am savouring every minute of it.

And so are my kids!

After a busy July of travel — my kids spent got to spend three weeks with their Dad...Boy was I happy to see their little tanned faces! We’ve got a few weeks left of camp, a birthday party, a few weeks at Grandma’s ...there is no way I am giving up on summer just yet...

Summer has allowed all of us to relax and unwind. It has afforded us trips up north, to the cottage, camping, backyard water fights, sleep overs, our vegetable garden, outdoor movies, skimming rocks at the lake... It has been terrific thus far!

There is so much to be grateful for about summer can you blame me for hanging on as long as I can?

Throughout the summer, I have been a bit lax in story time, chores and bedtimes....

Part of me feels summer should be for fun so our trips to the library have been few and far between (that could also be due to the hefty fines I continually incur) and academia seems to have fallen by the wayside in lieu of having fun and chilling out.

I am sure I am not alone in that sentiment and I know there must be some learning involved in it.

While my kids enjoy ample amounts of time in the sun, between The Next Star, Survive This and Wipeout they have had their fill of their favourite summer television programs....
As the season moves on, we’ve also been sleeping in a bit too much this summer. Pressing the snooze button has become routine, despite the sun rising at 5:30 every morning. Time to ease back into regular wake up times.

One of the best things about summer, for me, is not having to prepare two lunches for two picky eaters. I am not eagerly anticipating resuming this task.

With that said, however, there are so many ways to still enjoy the summer, yet keep thoughts of school looming in the back of your mind.

As the school year approaches, both of my children have expressed fear of moving up to Grades One and Three. So many more expectations, more challenges....

My daughter said: “but Mommy I can’t read!” “ That’s not true, you read a card to me just the other night — you read every day...” But she still has trepidation. It will be interesting for them at the end of the school year to look back and realize that their fears were unfounded....they will both do just fine.

Don’t worry I have my own fears. This year my daughter advances to the BIG, unfenced, schoolyard — a milestone I am certainly not ready for. So please let me live in my delusion for a few more weeks...

In addition to the challenges of homework and developmental milestones, my son, too, is interested in walking to school by himself —something I am not sure I will ever be ready for — I need a few more years on that one! Can we please institute a walking caravan? Video cameras and emergency beepers? I know we all used to walk miles to school in the rain and snow, but it’s a new world out there...

Also with that will come two new teachers. While my children attended an excellent school, we were very lucky to have had the teachers we did. Mrs. G and Mrs. V left big shoes to fill. =)

So after all of those confessions, I know it’s time to pull up our bootstraps.....just give me a few more weeks to ease into it, OK?

I hope you and your families are having a wonderful summer and take time each day to truly savour it!