Summertime, and the living is easy (sort of...)

School is coming to a close.  Danny had his last day today and Sam will finish after a half day tomorrow.  It is time.  The kids are tired of the early morning rush, the homework, the school lunches and the bedtime rules (which are not nearly as strict as they should be).  As a mom, it is always bittersweet, these last days of school.  I am happy for the boys; they work so hard in school and deserve this ten-week hiatus.  For Sam, especially, school is a daunting task.  Everything from the peer relationships to the sitting still is a challenge.  Home is his safe place, where he can be himself and not be reprimanded for every little infraction.  So my heart is happy for them and it is great to put their backpacks away, throw out old school supplies (why exactly did we need to buy so many spiral notebooks anyway?), and toss away the school lunch menus.  We will no longer have to rush inside in the evening to get the bedtime routines started, and there will be time to watch fireflies twinkle in the woods.  We will wear pajamas long into the morning on some days, eat late breakfast, or none at all, and see where the day takes us.  That's the sweet portion; here's the bitter.  What are we going to do all day????  And when am I going to have time to fit in my Target therapy?  Every mom knows the joy of a trip to Target with no kids in tow.  Maybe a stop at the cafe for a diet coke and popcorn (my very own bag!!)  before beginning a leisurely stroll up and down the aisles with no particular destination.  Somehow the cart fills up and while we know we will use everything we are buying, we still feel a bit guilty.  I find myself  wondering what exactly was so fabulous about these new sunglasses and nutmeg candle anyway?  Something about the lighting at the store, or is it the khaki pants and red shirt uniforms that have some sort of hypnotic effect on me?   At least I bought the economy-priced laundry detergent to justify my other splurges.  Summer is a time when mom's vacations end and the work begins.  We wonder how the days ever passed so quickly when the kids were in school because on a summer day we may look at the clock and be shocked (and horrified) that it is only 11 am.  We may get psyched up for a trip to the community pool, pack up the car, and arrive bright and early, only to find out that it is closed due to a toddler diaper leak (seriously, this happens quite often, and I am sure that toddler's mother has her photo posted on the wall of shame at the rec center). Oh, yes, the days are long, and suddenly we become quite envious of our spouse and his departure for work at 7 am, lunch out with colleagues, and damn him, adult conversation!!  We wonder what exactly we were excited about as school drew to a close.  But somehow, the days pass and we find our rhythm.  We won't know exactly what we did for ten weeks when summer ends, but we have to believe that it was exactly what our kids needed.  A respite from tests, assigned reading, and  sleepy bus rides.  Time to watch Spongebob, ride bikes and rest the brain a bit.  I will get my Target time on the weekend and am very grateful, deep down, under all my grumbling, to have these precious days with my children, who are all too quickly growing up.