Monday, August 13, 2007

I'd be crazy not to be excited for school to start. Right?

Do you know what the number one question moms are asking each other right now? If your answer is, “Are you excited for school to start?” You’d get an A!
The most popular answer is a resounding, “Yes! I am counting the days!”
All the moms I know are already making plans for what they are going to do when the kids are back at school. Spend a day at the spa. Go back to college. Get a part time job. Turn cartwheels. Set of fireworks. What? You don’t set off fireworks? I guess I am alone on that one. I have been known to spin and leap my way across the playground after dropping off my kids on the first day of school. But, this year I feel significantly different. When the number one question is asked of me, I give the canned answer. I wouldn’t want to say no and start a riot or something. After all, I would be crazy not to look forward to my three kiddos going back to school, right? Well, call me crazy. We have had a wonderful summer that is coming to an end all too soon.
My kids are the perfect ages right now. My twin boys are eight and my daughter is six. They are old enough to feed and dress and bathe themselves, but they are still young enough to believe that I know it all. My boys aren’t too old to think they are too cool to play with their little sister and she is old enough to keep up with them. They have played so nice together this summer. I hate to see it come to an end. The end of the summer means the beginning of the school year. The beginning of a new school year means my kids are getting older. Heaven help me, I just want time to stop so I can take a breath before I miss something good.
One of my sons and I had a mommy/son date the other day. He is not too grown up to be embarrassed walking hand in hand through the mall with his mom. I told him I would buy him all the Pokemon cards he wanted if he would stop growing. Although tempted by the offer, he said he didn’t think that was possible.
A couple days later the sands of time stopped just for me. We came home from the pool and all three kids immediately went their separate ways in the house. One went to watch TV, the other to play Game Cube and the other to play on the computer. It wasn’t two minutes later when the electricity went out. The house became dead quiet. Three kids from three corners of the house in unison shouted,
“Mom, what happened?”
When I explained to them that the electricity went out, they said,
“Well, can we watch a DVD?”
“Nope.”
“Can we make some popcorn?”
“Nope.”
“Well, geez, what are we gonna do?”
They started to panic. Admittedly, I did too. So much of what we do everyday requires electricity. How was I supposed to entertain these kids without electricity? (My grandma would be ashamed of what I just said.)
Completely unconvinced that my offer would be accepted, I suggested,
“Hey, how about we read The Mouse and the Motorcycle now?”
“Mom, that’s for bedtime.”
“So, there’s no rule that says we can’t read it now.”
They agreed and we all cozied up together on the couch to read a book.
I got my wish. The hands on the clock stopped moving and I got to hold my three kids and relish in the peaceful, electricity free moment with no interruptions or distractions. That was until twenty-five minutes later when the power came back on. The buzz and blips of their video games lured them away from me and all too quickly they were off again.
What I thought was going to be the longest twenty-five minutes of my summer, turned out to be the very best.

17 comments:

  1. I always have mixed feelings about back to school. When they are fighting, I am more than ready for school to start, but when they are getting along, or we are having a nice family moment I want summer to last forever.

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  2. I'm still waiting for a summer like that. One where I wish they could stay home for just a bit longer. I'm afraid I'm counting down right now...

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  3. I now feel blessed that my kidos have been sick, forcing me and them to cuddle and stay home, just before school begins on THUR!!
    Thanks for the eye opener!

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  4. As a mom with just one left at home (who is 16) time will go whizzing by. I still remember when I gave birth to my son who turned 37 this year (and is the father of 5 kids of his own) and believe me it seems like yesterday!!! Watching them learn and grow become their own person is so wonderful. And knowing that this one who is at home will be graduating in 2 years means we will be home alone!!!

    Enjoy every minute--it goes by way too fast!

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  5. Call me a nerd, but your post made me cry. I just sent my youngest child, Zach, off to start his first day of junior high...a "lovely" school with lots of gang kids, and where nice LDS kids are definitely the minority. He's so kind-hearted, smart, and innocent...I just hope he doesn't get beat up!

    I loved this summer, too! Zach and I got up every day about 5:00 AM and ran 2 miles together, and we worked on lots of his Boy Scout merit badges together. Even though he's 12, he still likes to give me lots of hugs...even in public! Yay, I love it! :D

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  6. I'm very much looking forward to school starting. I love my kids dearly, but this summer has been tumultuous. My baby is going to Kindergarten and I feel a life shift in the works. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm looking forward to some of the things about "me" that I've been neglecting for 10 years.

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  7. Awww :') Sweeeet!
    I am so excited that school is starting in just 3 weeks!
    I'm not looking forward to waking up for early morning seminary, but still, I get to have my "alone" time back.

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  8. Your post made me cry too, tears of "where did she get these perfect children? Mine are absolute chimps!"

    Not really - it was very sweet and your grandmother comment cracked me up.

    I'm not looking forward to early morning Seminary either - I'm hoping we can move next door to the stake center before school starts. :)

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  9. I am amazed at how fast this summer went. It always seems so long when school ends, but before you turn around twice its over. We love when the power goes out. Everyone has to get creative in order to entertain ourselves. We had a great summer that is over too soon. The kids are the ones counting down until school starts!

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  10. I am torn too, about school starting....not because my Angel's are getting along all the time....but because, one will be in all day kindergarten, and the other in preschool, twice a week. I don't know what I am going to be doing on those days....I am excited for them though....because though I am cool and all....I know they need to have other people be in charge sometimes.

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  11. I don't look forward to school starting. It means getting up early, helping with homework, hanging out with a 3 yr old and 18 mth old all day...
    I'm horrible.

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  12. I love when the power goes out.
    I love that you've had a great summer, you deserve it!
    Unlike last year, this year I am (and the kids are) ready to go back to school. They were so bored they wanted to come to the dentist with me today!

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  13. Maybe its time for you to enter into the wonderful world of homeschooling......

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  14. I'm 100% ambivalent about it starting. We've got two more weeks. And you're right. Everyone is asking the question.

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  15. Ok crazy me I am counting down the day's until it starts. I am alway's ready for summer to start, as summer comes. Now I am so ready for school to start. In an effort to be ready for back to school a week early. I thought I would wake them up early. Well, I won't be doing that again until the first day of school.

    OH I love them so much. As summer activities have come to an end. I am so ready for school ones to start.

    Love your blog.

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  16. That was beautiful, Annie. Thank You.









    Shhh..don't tell anyone, but I had a great summer with my girls. It is ending too soon.

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  17. what a sweet story. i'm afraid that i'm the only mom around here who is sad for their kid to go to school in the fall. i'm not ashamed to admit that i love having my kids to myself and the summer world as our oyster. no circus class, no preschool drop off, no playdates. just us, the beach, or nothing at all but hanging out at the house. plus, our school doesn't begin until after labor day. and summers can last till october.

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