Last Days of Summer

One week until school starts. In order to get the kids in sync for the big day, we began the day with a semi-school day morning. We got up and had breakfast right away. No TV, no video games. The oldest is reading. The youngest is playing with cars and Lego's. The dog is looking from one to the other, wondering why no one is playing with him. The weather is a little dreary. It's supposed to rain all week. It's nice to give the grass a chance to recover some of it's color, but all the same, it would have been good to be able to enjoy the last few days of summer at the pool with friends.

I was somewhat uncertain that I could provide my kids with a summer to remember. This was my first summer home with my two children. I have to admit I was unsure that they wouldn't die of boredom as they simultaneously forgot everything they learned during the school year. We had plans to do math workbooks, read, do a little writing. That all worked out brilliantly. Summer cello lessons are ending on a very positive note. We didn't make any of the little day trips I was hoping to embark upon. No wandering around Harper's Ferry or St. Mary's City. We did go to Mount Vernon. We managed to get one father away from his office for 3 days to go to the mountains. We were very active, going to the pool almost every day. I made it to the gym 2 or 3 times every week. I think it was a good summer.

The tomatoes are beginning to ripen, finally. I'm sure there's some metaphor in there that a more skilled writer would be able to find. I am not that writer. I will take it as a positive sign. I don't look forward to sending my baby off to school next week. I wish I could keep him home forever. Kids grow, leaves fall, tomatoes ripen, time passes and there is nothing we can do to change it. I will keep my camera handy this week so I can capture as many moments of the swindling summer as I can.