I can’t seem to get a certain tune out of my head these days. I’ve just revised the lyrics a little, and it makes me chuckle every time.
😂
And who doesn’t love back-to-school pictures!
Joey on the left & Zeke on the right
It’s that time of year again. We did it! We made it through the chaos of summer break! Let the school year schedule and routine return, and bring along with it my sanity.
I say that with slightly more sincerity than sarcasm. I’ve said it before, my brain doesn’t necessarily thrive in the spontaneous nature of the summer schedule. And if you’re like me…
I do feel like this year was a lot smoother than years past, and I know that is 100% because of the fact that Adam was home with me. Having Dad around during the day gave the kids more opportunities for fun and much needed attention, as well as one-on-one time that is always so coveted.
The help my husband has provided with driving the boys to school in the mornings, and picking them up in the afternoons have given me not only time to get my work done, but a respite from the constant commotion of little boys in a confined space during car rides to and fro. (The tall one is so much more mellow in the car!) I will definitely miss the help when Adam’s back at a full time job…not to mention his company!
One thing I realized Friday morning, my one day of the week to drop the kids off at school, is how much I’ve actually missed it! Yes, the volume can get loud and arguments between brothers is inevitable, but there is so much more than the tiring stuff.
Like when they take turns reading aloud for everyone’s enjoyment, and the daily prayers for family, friends and teachers, and every “Love you, boys. Make good choices at school today!”…It’s like I can see these years of drop-offs sped up in my memory, like I’m watching them grow up right in front of my eyes in the time it takes them to get from the car to the school gates every morning.
Yes, “The days are long but the years are short” and, “They grow up so fast” might be cheesy or cliché, but they are so accurate! Even though I prefer the flow of the school year to summer break, I miss those rascals when they’re gone…(sometimes!😂) I try to embrace all these stages of parenting. I don’t want to miss out because of a skewed perspective stuck on all the hard parts of parenting.
This year is my 13th year of schooltime parenting with first day drop-offs. Watching my fourth child shoo me away at risk of embarrassment now has a much different effect on me than when it was my first saying, “Mom, can you go wait over there and not in line with me?” Ha!
Friday morning Curtis, my youngest, said very matter-of-factly, “You can go wait over there with Mac and Zeke. Bye.” with a nonchalant smile on his face. That little stinker! This time it made me laugh. Ten years ago it felt like a gut punch to my Mommy heart.
I’m glad that our temporary shift in roles and responsibilities in our home has allowed me to appreciate these little moments with an incredibly grateful perspective. I am oh so familiar with the mundane and the repetitive and the discouraging parts of certain responsibilities and routines. I pray that I can appreciate those circumstances even more when they once again become part of my daily norm.
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