It's May 18th...we have 9 1/2 days of school left...9.5 days! We are below the double digits now!!! When school began in August, my kids bounded out of bed on their own at 6:15 a.m. They'd have their hair done, clothes on, shoes on, breakfast eaten, teeth brushed, and were ready for the bus' arrival at 7 a.m. Now, with only 9 1/2 days of school left, they still get up on their own...but are often back sleep on the couch when I come down to make sure they have it all together. They go to school in mismatched clothes and socks. They forget to brush their teeth, and the only one who cares to get hair done these days is my 6 year old daughter. They are often finishing breakfast as they put on their backpacks and shoes are being thrown on as they hop, one footed, towards the bus.
They once bounded home from school with a happy, "We're home!" as they barged through the door. They would eat a snack and then race outside to play. These days, the door opens and they drearily come in. The 6 year old is often whiny, and the older boys act as if it is all they can do to get themselves to the couch or their bed to veg in front of video games, TV or their tablets. It is as if they have lost all enthusiasm in living life. Being in school for 9 months has zapped all of the energy they once had.
But, I can't really blame them because I am in the same boat. Waking up before sunrise has never been easy for me - I am NOT a morning person. And yes, I do oftentimes crawl back in bed after getting them off to school. I once helped my daughter pick out her clothes the night before and hung them neatly on her door. I happily made all three lunches at night. Now, I just find a school outfit that is clean and lay it out for my daughter. Sometimes I lazily lay out 2-3 outfits and let her just pick which day she wants to wear them. Lunches have become torture devices for me, and I procrastinate doing them often until the wee hours of the morning (you see why I am not a morning person). When school began, I made sure to have after school snacks ready and available, but these days, I am more of the idea that they know where the pantry and fridge are - find something! (I don't even care if it's a protein snack or healthy..."Sure, have ice cream!" Just don't come complaining how hungry you are in an hour.)
I am done pulling 20 papers from my kindergartner's folder each night. I am done signing the weekly behavior report for my 3rd grader, and I have remembered his spelling words the last few Fridays...he takes his tests on Fridays. I have even quit asking about homework...at this point, you either do it or you don't, and if you don't, you can suffer the consequences. Who gives homework this late in the game anyways?!
I know I'm not alone...not only are other parents crawling towards that light at the end of the tunnel...but the teachers are right beside us! Our eyes meet and convey the same message as we pass in the hallways - "Hang in there...only 9 1/2 more days!" Those behavior charts are only sometimes filled out. The weekly emails come every other week now - or whenever the poor teacher remembers. Of course they aren't giving homework because they don't want to grade papers any more than the kids want to complete them. I imagine they are trying to coast through with as little work as possible these last 9 1/2 days as well.
And so, here we are...9.5 days away from reaching the light of summer sunshine at the end of a 9 month tunnel of education. We're all crawling towards it - exhausted from the parties, school activities, testing (Oh, the testing!!!)...so close and yet, still over two weeks away! I know that come August I will be ready to send my loud, obnoxious, beautiful children back to school. I will be craving structure in our lives again. I will then be tired from 11 weeks of summer freedom. But, today, I crawl towards the light of summer sunshine!
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