summer is here. though as i write here on the front porch and am graced with a cool breeze, i know that summer is not fully here…when it is i will come at at 8 in the morn stunned that the air could already be so hot.
but now my baby sleeps and my big kids are eating cinnamon rolls in front of pbs shows they’ve hardly seen for 9 months (and i think naomi is a little surprised on how bored she is by them…i guess 10 years old and dragon tales is a bit of a gap).
there was a true honoring of the last day of school. i think i am still tired from it.
thanks to a highly motivated friend and my addiction to enthusiasm, we made sidewalk chalk paint, put a real baby in the doll stroller, ran to the store for super soakers, bought flowers for the crossing guards, had 5 boxes of ice cream sandwiches stashed in the freezer for all the kids who walk home, found dixie cups to share the 2 bottles of pbr we had left, and literally ran our hineys all the way to school in time for the bell to ring.
eliza was exhausted (well earned after her amazing antics during the sidewalk chalk paint experience), micah was melting down and naomi started schemeing sleepover plans.
so yes, we have arrived to this new routine…and i meet it with a bit of apprehension. i tend to under-program our kids and then am often left feeling lonely, i resist making a schedule for the day and then am often left feeling irritated, i easily get caught up in creative processes and then hate to clean them up (sorry, jerry).
but yes, i fall gratefully into the knowledge that no one has to get out of bed until they want to (!!!!!), that we can eat when we are hungry, that i can work in the yard every morning, that laundry is more optional, that no one has to wear shoes, that there is time to build family joy.
but wow, as i typed the words “build family joy” the oldest two came to the porch and now they are f.i.g.h.t.i.n.g. over the terminology of blasters vs missles vs pissles (this one does make me laugh) vs pistols.
oh, sweet lord. rain down some relief in every form.
my new summer read, thanks to the preschool board members.
prairie daze 
School is still going for 2 more weeks here in the north woods! (Of course, we go back in September.) But alas, our family will soon be like yours – getting all the sleep our bodies actually need. What a blessing when both mom and dad are teachers and can have organic family time during the summer months.
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i love your description of summer!
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I loved that book, and every Anne Lamotte book. My favorite line of hers – (quoted approximately) “there are basically only two prayers in the world – help me, help me, help me, and thank you, thank you, thank you.” Love her.
I used your water + chalk techniques today at our playday art activity at my school. Went over HUGE. Am definitely doing that from now on. By the end of the day, the brushes were toast, so I just brought out a bucket of water to dip the chalk in, and that was still more fun than just plain old chalk. Thanks for all your wonderful ideas – preschool daze is a great resource.
Have a great summer, be flexible and patient with all the missles and pissles flying around there. :)
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A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!!!!
Cheers to summer, barefeet, sleeping in, and family time!!!!!
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i hear you!
fighting already at 9:00 AM. me overwhelmed by 5 people still at home at 9:00 AM…wanting the computer…”hey wait this is MY computer time?!”
and i don’t want a schedule.
i fight a schedule…then we do nothing and i feel lazy.
we make huge messes and i hate to finish cleaning them.
i finally decide n something to do and we take so long getting to it we miss half our time!
but grateful for sleeping in, warm air, gardening everyday, sprinklers and no shoes.
did you bring beer to the crossing guards?!
or the teachers? :)
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Yay you! Xxx
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It was a great day, and I had fun watching your tail wag!
You forgot to mention that the crossing guard then re-gifted, which was really sweet!
Jen CD
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Oh isn’t summer wonderful?!
This morning everyone in our household slept in until 10:45 a.m. That has NEVER happened… it was a wonderful way to begin the season.
Alas, I don’t have the time off, but it is nice to have *only* the adult schedule to work around in the summer… time for late nights, long baseball games, lazy afternoons.
Thanks for the reminder to make every day special!
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We still have a few weeks left, but the university graduated a few weekends ago, which is the first step to our summer.
I feel like those last days of school with all that energy are some of the days I miss the most about not teaching. My husband is an RN, so there’s really not a specific event that tells us that summer has come. Talk about a major change in my life while growing up with both of my parents be teachers. Sigh.
Ah, this post makes me nastalgic for the good ‘ol growing up days. They will come in a different form again someday.
Happy summer!
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