1 week til school starts! :'( Long

L D · August 2011

This summer has just flown by! Normally Im ready for fall. It is my most favorite time of the year. Back to school, sports start back up, the crisp smell in the air, the perfect temps (not too hot not too cold..Im in VA) the leaves changing etc.

But for some reason Im on the fence. Im sad my baby girls will be starting Kindergarten. Im excited for them because they have asked when they get to go to Kindy for the past YEAR almost daily! I on the other hand am not ready for them to grow up like I saw ds do within just the 1st 6wks of Kindy. It was a major difference and he really became a big boy. Im not ready for that with my girls. :'(

Also, for some reason I wish I had another month of summer left. We have been on vacation & had a great time, spent many many days at the pool, played with friends, had cookouts, went to VBS etc but I think I just need more time for family before the busy school season starts up. The girls are in dance and cheer, L will be in Boyscouts & play flag football. Add in church in the morning and at night on Sunday we are really only left with Saturday. I was blessed and cursed not to have had a job this summer so once I find a job it will be just crazy busy around here. Not to sound like Im whining because I really do enjoy it. The kids love being active and in sports etc. I think I have gotten really used to being a SAHM which I love but will not be able to continue. It just happened that I havent been able to find a job yet and have been off since April. Once school starts I will be spending most of the day out looking for a job while the kids are in school. If no luck soon I will take a 3wk CNA class and take the first thing I find after that. Im really excited about that.

Just had to vent some of these crazy emotions! lol. Anyone else having mixed feelings about school starting?

neverblushed · August 2011

I hear ya!

People always ask me, "So, what camps are your kids doing this summer?" My answer is always, "MOMMY Camp! It's one of the reasons I became a teacher, so I'd have the summers to do stuff with my kids. It's the only time of year we can really do all the fun activities I want to do."

I always feel very bittersweet and very emotional at this time of year. On one hand, the start of school is such a time of optimism and new beginnings, it's hard not to be excited. It provides a concrete reminder of how much the kids have grown and changed over the past year. But on the other hand, the school year is SO busy for us. I teach. DD is in a competitive g/t magnet and is loaded with homework and projects. The kids take classes and lessons, etc. Summer is the part of the year when I protect their right to unstructured time. I want their summers to be what I remember: a mix of lazy days and exciting adventures.

Every year, at the end of the summer, I want to freeze my kids and say, "Stop. Right there. Just stop growing older. You're absolutely delicious right where you are, and I don't want you to change. THIS is what your dad and I dreamed about when we made you. Parenting can't get any better than this."

I always feel like summer is magic and the spell is broken on "meet the teacher" day. But, truth be told, the school year's not so bad, either! And the next summer is always EVEN better than the last!

Soon2beLindseyT · August 2011

I'm quite the newbie, and have only really been a lurker on this board...I was on the preg. board but I recently miscarried and I find that this board and a few others are actually better than the other was!! (being optimistically honest Big Smile ) But I seriously read your post and thought...this is me!! Except I have 1 daughter and 1 son. But our activities and our thoughts on summer ending etc are exactly alike!! I was laid off last year in April and I got a job Aug 2 of last year so I was experiencing the exact same thing. And I didn't want it to end! This year I'm totally back to looking forward to fall because I still had to work through this summer, and I like the structure and routine since I've been on one all summer (now everyone can join me!!). We all will start back being super busy (DD dance and tumbling, DS is 3 so no activities yet!, school, work, church) but it also means lot's of family time (holiday's from work/school, state fair, fall festivals etc.) Nice to "meet" someone I can relate to! And good luck on the job search!!