Another chapter ends

Well it is truly that time of year again, when the days are getting a bit shorter and the kids a bit antsier. 

That's right, the end of summer is just around the corner. Sprinklers will be jumped through just a few more times, Kool-Aid and lemonade stands will be flipping their closed signs over until next season. Soon the days of sleeping in and staying up late will be over, replaced by frantic mornings rushing out to catch buses and race into school. All over the city parents are checking their back-to-school lists and checking them twice. 

It seems that this summer was on super warp speed for some reason. I think it had something to do with the weather, and summer arriving so late after such a rainy spring. Then when it hit, it hit with a force and it continued on at a frantic pace. About a week ago I was lamenting the fact that I would be sending my kids back to school so soon, and I wasn't ready. 

Then another week went by, and the whining seemed to amp up to an almost unbearable level, and suddenly, school cannot start soon enough! I'm sure I'm not the only parent feeling this way! Kids are tired of the same old same old, and I'm ready for some routine to enter back into our lives. Brains need to be challenged and bedtime routines reestablished once more. Now I would feel so much better if those dang school lists were complete. Can anyone tell me where I can find the elusive skinny dry-erase markers? 

Ah summer, you will be sorely missed. Come back soon, and thanks for all of the wonderful memories.

Refreshed in the North

As the summer slowly slipped from July to August, our family closed

the chapter on yet another week-long family tradition.

We spent the week up at a lake cabin near the Hayward area. While no vacation could ever be "perfect" this was a much-needed escape and came close to reaching this title. We spent the week on a glorious lake with fantastic weather nearly every day. 

Some very close friends of ours were just across the bay with their three kids. Our families are close, and our kids get along swimmingly! They played hide and seek in the dark, sat by a campfire, roasted countless s'mores, fished and swam daily and just generally enjoyed each others' company. 

By having their companions to play with, the adults were able to enjoy some conversation and down time. We didn't solve any critical world issues, but we didn't even try! We too enjoyed our companions and the scenery of the great outdoors. Even our dogs romped with abandon and ran to their hearts' content. 

The only down side was the week came to far too abrupt an end. Why don't these moments stretch on a bit longer? Why does a hot dog taste so much better roasted over an open flame? Why is the sound of your kids' laughter like music as they bounce across the water on an inner tube? Like I said, it wasn't perfect. The gnat bites along my leg are evidence of that, but that was so worth it! So we came back a bit lighter, a bit more refreshed, even if we are scratching and itchy for the next few days! 

So until the great north woods beckons again, we have some wonderful new memories to carry us forward.