This week Son starts Kindergarten and Daughter starts preschool. We’re more than ready. Okay, I’m as excited to get back on a regular schedule as Son is to climb onto that big yellow bus and Daughter is to, well, she’s more excited about her new ballet class than anything.

 

But mixed with the excitement is a slight sadness to see summer go. So here’s my ode to the long lazy days we’ll soon miss.

                                                             

Goodbye hot humid heat

 

Goodbye sandy beach days slathering sunscreen on crinkled noses and swiping for a cheek that quickly turns away

 

Goodbye lazy afternoons on the shady front porch, Daughter sitting on my lap, slurping cantaloupe with dripping hands

 

Goodbye baseball games in the backyard running bases to the chair, slide and rock which don’t matter since Son makes up the rules and rigs it to win every time anyway

 

Goodbye sprinkler baseball in their undies

 

Goodbye wet undies catch

 

Goodbye breakfast, lunch and dinner in their undies

 

Goodbye taking our bikes up the hill to the quiet lane where kids race to the dead end screaming and bothering someone else’s neighbors

 

Goodbye ad hoc field trips to the zoo, playground, museum, New York City and anywhere else we can entertain ourselves for a few hours

 

Goodbye BBQ dinners on the back deck with no mess to clean up in the kitchen

 

Goodbye Son and Daughter’s rock concerts after dinner on the back deck (How did we migrate from The Wiggles to We Will Rock You?)

 

Goodbye licking humongous ice cream cones at the working dairy farm while watching (and smelling) the cows across the street

 

Good Riddance to long lazy days without a schedule where kids don’t get to bed until 9:30 pm and I’ve taken away half their marbles for every imaginable infraction during our interminable, glorious time together.

 

And starting tomorrow…

 

Hello packing lunches every night that won’t be eaten anyway

 

Hello running down the driveway to meet the bus when Son could ride with me to the same school when I take Daughter fifteen minutes later

 

Hello unspeakable new words tried out at home

 

Hello finding and retrieving coats from the lost and found

 

Hello PTO meetings

 

Hello everything for Son as he enters elementary school. Wasn’t school great? The bestest way to spend your days learning life from other kids, the teacher, the system, the books? I can’t wait for him. It all starts tomorrow.