I feel like we’re on an express train hurtling toward the end of the year. End of the year, you say? Yes, well, sort of.

This week is the last week of “Summer Camp” at our kids’ school. Today is the last “splash day” until next year

Of course, every time I try to mention this, there are misunderstandings – Ethan has this memory of when we all stayed HOME together (even daddy, who worked at home in the basement office and popped up for lunch and to witness important feats in block castles) so news of anything school related being “over” instantly translates into not going to school anymore. I try to explain. He gets it. I think I confuse Jocelyn a lot though.

We had our “big” vacation this year in May when we went to Utah to see my family and go camping, but we also planned a wee little getaway for labor day weekend. The kids’ school year (kindergarten & preschool) starts Tuesday after Labor day, and the previous Friday they are closed for a teacher work day, so we took it as an opportunity to take a mini vacation.

I wanted to go camping, especially since we bought stuff in may and hauled it home (mostly I guess it was a tent), but I also didn’t want to go somewhere where we’d be miserable with the heat and humidity. A happy medium was found when we found an almost amusement park type camp ground with water slides, mini golf and… (drum roll) air conditioned cabins. With bathrooms and fridges. So that’s where we’ll be heading that weekend, for what I can’t stop calling our “Camping, but not really camping, trip.”

The other day, Ethan said to me, “Mommy, is it fall yet?”

I looked at him quizzically and said, “No, not yet. A few more weeks. Why?”

I expected him to talk about how he can’t wait to wear long sleeves again, or show his excitement for being a kindergartener, so I was surprised when he answered, “I can’t wait to play soccer again!”

I was quick to point out to Jocelyn that SHE would be playing soccer too, and they both got all excited and wiggly over it. Jocelyn was enamored to hear she would have her VERY OWN shorts and jersey and socks. Now that I think about it.. I wonder if this is why she says “When I turn into a boy…” — maybe because she sees soccer clothes as ‘boy clothes’ and soccer as a ‘boy sport’ (which is crazy because there were tons of girls on ethan’s team in the spring) and since she knows she’s going to play soon, she thinks she’ll turn into a boy.. Hmmm. Will have to ponder this theory.

This express train feeling is all my own doing, really. The kids are kind of getting antsy with school, and I fear it will get worse once summer camp is over and school is only doing general open play for the next 2 weeks w/out any structured activities, but they’ve only fixated on the end of summer and our vacation and the beginning of school/soccer. I think that’s all pretty natural. But I am the big dolt who keeps saying things like, “Maybe for christmas,” when Ethan expresses his wish for a certain toy, and then walking him through the order of everything left in the year, “First our vacation, then school starts, then we have soccer season, and then a few months before Halloween, then Thanksgiving and then Christmas!”

A-duh. If I lay it all out like that, of course I’m going to feel like I’m running a race with the end of the year as the finish line.

So, my goal for the last few weeks of summer.. Live each day. Try to play with the kids more. Try to spend more time with my honey, instead of letting the day-to-day stuff act as “time together.” Let these last few weeks of summer be lazy, no matter what push may be on to get to the end.

And quit laying out the rest of the year like a damn race! 🙂

– amy