End-of-the-Summer Blues...

I'm officially DONE with summer. There, I said it. The moment arrived today after I waited in line at Panera for 20 minutes (with my three small children) only to leave mid-ordering-at-the-register since my kids ignored my 46th warning that we were going to leave "if they don't stop fighting/whining/complaining"....Yes, that was our spectacle, marching out of the Westlake Panera with three crying children begging for mac-and-cheese and M&M cookies.

I hate to admit this, particularly as I will be kicking myself in a few months when the sun is no longer visible.  In an ideal world, I love EVERYTHING about summer: the warm summer sun, the beginning-of-summer celebratory evening fires, flowers in bloom, the idyllic days at the pool (when kids are enjoying themselves, that is), nature center camps, the oddly-therapeutic sea glass hunts, the carefree days on Lake Erie, the moment swim team actually becomes EXCITING for the kiddos, the front porch margaritas, the MLB games (esp when your kid understands the game enough to appreciate more than the 'treats'), the Little League/T-Ball games (esp when your kid understands the game enough to know which base to run and when), the water-skiing, ice cream on a hot summer day, sailing (passenger of course), bike-rides, beach vacations, fishing, cook-outs, you get the idea....

YET, with all of this frivolous hot summer fun comes an excess of downtime, too-much-together time, and general brain atrophy (despite our attempts to do anything academic) that causes everyone to lose their marbles, literally (why kids can't seem to keep track of anything?) and figuratively, from time to time.  As the summer days become shorter, I am feeling a crescendo of frustration with all of this end-of-summer Tasmanian Devil behavior.  As such, I find myself increasingly impatient, snapping too frequently at my children.  I have become burnt out of the sun-screen battles and hit-or-miss pool days (yes, a very 'privileged' problem).  I have played one-too-many games of UNO, Sorry, Monopoly, and Tea Party.  I have cleaned up one too many aftermath messes of mud-puddles, sprinkler fun, or sidewalk chalk.  I have picked up one-too-many orthodontic-sized rubber bands from the ever-popular Rainbow Loom craze.   I have turned off one-too-many mind-numbing TV shows because my kids needed more 'down-time' or simply an electronic referee to halt their endless fighting.

The sad part is that I fully recognize the sweet/beautiful summer days I am wishing away will soon be replaced with hectic school/extracurricular schedules, piles of homework, carpool lines,  administrative paper-juggling, deadlines, and alarm clocks.  Yet, the reality remains.  My enthusiasm and patience have evaporated as my bucket-of-summer-fun-ideas has gone dry.  I am ready for the next chapter of the year, to get back in the swing, get back to the gym (this is in serious demand due to aforementioned margaritas), get the kids back to their school routines so their intellectual (school work), physical (sports) spiritual (religion class), and social (classmates) needs can be officially met in an organized and structured way....not dependent on this frazzled Mommy to wear all of these hats each day.

Until then, I am making a promise to myself and my kiddos that I will try my best to keep calm, cool, and collected until back-to-school season arrives.  I will try to savor these last few carefree days of summer, remembering that our moments in the sand, sprinkler, sun, and surf are in fact, numbered.  Perhaps we will pick up Panera for one last picnic in the park...in hopes that the sun, fresh air, and warm summer breeze will cure these end-of-the-summer blues...

(OK, I feel better now. Just had to get that off my chest!)

These are moments I WILL miss...