The Awful Truth

I know some of you are WAY ahead of me on this.

I'm a little slow.

Or possibly in denial. VERY possibly in denial. I admit it.

But OHMYHEAVENS. . .

Summer is almost over!

Can you believe it? I can't. I'm not done, yet. We have more sleeping in to do. More swimming with cousins and cooking out in the backyard and HELLO. . . sleeping in. And movies to watch and walks to take and GOOD GRIEF, where has the time gone?

We've had fun. Lot's of fun. But in my dream world (where I live when I can't take the real world, anymore) it would be Summer all of the time.

Really.

I know there are two groups of thought on this. Some of you are thinking, GO BACK TO SCHOOL ALREADY SO I CAN DRINK MY COFFEE IN PEACE. I hear you. Really I do.

Problem is, school or Summer, I have yet to actually get to that point, yet. So while I'm at it? I'd rather have. . .

Extra eyes to watch my extremely ornery two-year old.
Sisters for Daughter (#7) to play with all day.
Boys home to mow the yard, take out the trash and lift heavy things.
Afternoons in the POOL.
Built in babysitters for hair cuts and errand running.
Lunch with Granddad at Chick-fil-A.
Did I mention swimming?
Brown little arms and legs and sun-bleached ponytails.
Help in the kitchen (making messes AND making brownies).

Bike rides with cousins.

Playing basketball in the backyard all afternoon.

Etc. Etc.

I'm going to miss it all!

And trade it in for. . .

Early mornings (yawn).
Making 7 lunches before breakfast.
SOCKS (oh how I will miss the flip flops).
Homework and notes to sign.
Jr. High Football and Volleyball games.
Early bedtime and (gasp) baths at night.
Short afternoons and shorter naptimes for Little Man.
Dress Code laundry (shorts take up MUCH less room in the dryer!).

Projects, posters, reading lists, programs. . .

Truth is, even though it's quiet with six of our troops at school. . .  and even though I sometimes actually get the house cleaned up for more than five minutes when they aren't all here. . . I miss them so much!  I miss their hugs and yelling and questions and laughter. . . 

Then, again, what a huge blessing to be sending them off - with their daddy - to the best school there is (I may be slightly partial) with multitudes of cousins, their Papa, their uncle as headmaster and the BEST teachers in the world who love on them and teach them things I'd never get to. And I'm not kidding about those teachers! Amazing!

So for now, I'm going to suck in my bottom lip, get out the school supply lists and go to it.

Here's to Summer. It's the best.

And to a new school year. It's going to be great, too.