The End of Summer

5 things I will not miss about summer

1. Eating a meal without having to get up.  Better yet, I will be required to have a 45 minute duty free lunch.  The thought gets me all giddy.  There is always something interrupting mealtime. It's cleaning up milk, retrieving grapes from milk cup, or getting more food.  Then, it is getting the kiddos clean, because somedays it is a race to see who can eat the fastest, and poor mom hasn't even left the start line because I was still digging grapes out of the milk cup.  Yes, I will not miss my ups and downs during meal time.

2. Garbage day.  With two boys, the garbage truck has the potential to provide us entertainment and pure enjoyment.  Someone forgot to tell the garbage truck driver that it is summer and we are trying to sleep and stay sane all day.  Both the garbage truck and recycling truck come barging through the neighborhood at 6:15.  I think the last time their brakes were checked was before I was born.  The entire house is wide awake at this point, because like I said, the garbage truck is pure enjoyment...for the boys.  The garbage man is my arch nemesis.  

3. The farmers market.  Don't get me wrong.  I love the farmers market.  I enjoy getting fresh produce. I look forward to it.  So why will I not miss it?  It is a money sucking operation.  Every week we head out.  Right away the kids want popcorn from the popcorn guy.  No big deal?  I gave that guy $4 for popcorn.  It's not like it is movie theater popcorn.  Every week we got popcorn.  I won't even add up how much that is a season in freakin popcorn.  Then, of course, there is the "friendly" and "free" balloon  guy.  Free my ass.  I see that gigantic tip bowl.  I see everyone dropping their cash in.  I'm no jerk, I will give you a couple bucks so my kids can have their balloon that they have been talking about all day.  The balloon that I pray doesn't pop before we get home.  The balloon that will be quickly forgot about by tomorrow, but magically remembered by the next week farmer's market.  Don't even get me started on the time spent waiting in line for the balloon.  End of summer means dad can go to the market.  

4. Weirdos touching Colton.  I get it, he's cute.  Blonde hair, blue eyes.  It doesn't seem to matter where we go, Colton ends up having his head petted by some weirdo.  Usually, they say something to me about how cute he is.  I don't think this gives you the right to pet him like a puppy dog. This happens so regularly, that Colton doesn't even react anymore.  When we play at home, Jared might be a waiter, or store clerk, and even he rubs Colton's head.  At least the other 2 year olds at daycare don't rub him like a genie.

5. Being healthy.  Returning to reality means returning to germ infested daycare and school.  How I enjoyed the break from runny noses, puffers, treatments, throwing up, and crankiness.  

5 things I will miss about summer

1. Flexibility. It is hard for some people to understand what it is like to wake up you 4 month old, 1 year old, 4 year old every day at 6:30 in the morning.  Their body is used to being up early.  As a result, they have an early bedtime.  Staying up late is just not an option.  There are a few times we have done it successfully during the school year with Jared, but we always are making sure he isn't sick and has napped well that day.  During the middle of the summer, the kids bodies are starting to adjust to not being woken up.  This allows us to have more flexibility to do more fun things in the evenings.  This is something we have to give up during the school year.  Fortunately, Colton is proving he needs less sleep than Jared did at this age, so perhaps he too will have chances to occasionally stay up later.

2. Nap time.  I myself did not nap during nap time this summer.  I did, however, have time alone.  Alone as in, I could sit in quite and do whatever I wanted.  On average I had about 90 minutes of this blissful time.  Sure, at work I will get a 30 minute plan time. This is plan time and not a break.  I have a clipboard with my "To Do" list.  There is usually at least 10 things on this clip board. Never am I able to do what I actually want to do, like spend 30 minutes on Facebook and Pinterest.

3. Outside time.  We all love being outside.  Not camping/hiking outside, just being outside.  Our play spaces multiply in the summer.  We enjoyed many days at the local pool, various parks, and just playing in our own yard.  Summers over and the pool is closed.  Our main playtime will be after dinner, and after dinner it will be starting to get dark soon.  

4. Colton. I will miss spending my day hearing him laugh.  I will miss all the snuggles he gives.  I will miss reading him the mountain of books everyday.  I will miss hearing him talk more.  I will miss watching him play with his big brother.  I will miss seeing his excitement when we get on his swim trunks.  I will miss feeling his small hand in mine as we run errands throughout the day.  I will miss watching him dance to the bumblebee song, or practice his jumping.  I will miss seeing him filled with joy as I mention the word ice cream.  I will miss spending all day with Colton.

5. Jared. I will miss spending my day watching him learn so much about the world around him.  I will miss his questions inquiring why things work the way they do.  I will miss watching him blissfully eat his bowl of blueberries every morning.  I will miss his music he provides.  I will miss his eagerness to shop.  I will miss watching him include his brother in his play.  I will miss watching him diving in the water and challenging himself to hold his breath longer.  I will miss seeing him make a new creation, and having him taste the cookie dough.  I will miss going on our bike rides.  I will miss the long hugs that he still needs after he wakes up.  I will miss spending all day with Jared.