First difference between summer and school:

Summer.  Kids:  “We’re bored.  Amuse us.  Divert us.  Spend money on us.”  Me:  Can’t you go play Legos or find something to do for just a little while?”

School.  Me:  “Kids?  Where are you?  It’s time for school… Kids?”    chirp… chirp…

So school has begun, and I can’t find them anywhere.  Luke’s probably exploding something or splashing water on the wasp’s nest in the back yard.  Gabriel just got into Diary of a Wimpy Kid and won’t put it down.   Except to make a tinfoil spike ball, described in said book.    I remember when Luke read that book, because I just put it together with a sudden appearance of tinfoil-toothpick spike balls that materialized in bulk around our house several years ago.  It all makes sense now.

Actually, as I type, Luke came to show off his latest effort in creativity and political correctness.  It’s snack time, of course.   I’ll give him Fine Arts AND Social Studies credit for it.

I find school motivates them to do more edifying things like reading (fun books, not to be confused with education in any way) or any number of activities that somehow aren’t nearly as interesting during the doldrums of summer when mom is available to provide *quality* entertainment.   I feel so… off the hook in a way.  No one wants to be near me, for fear I’ll grab the spelling book or, upon checking the language exercises, call them over for some one-on-one to discuss dangling modifiers or capitalization.

The hardest part of school starting is being powerful again.  Not the emcee anymore; it’s back to Sergeant you-will-do-EXACTLY-what-I-tell-you.  Ouch.  Can we get back to loving each other at around 2 PM, when I’m done making you do things you hate?  Hope so.

xoxo – Mom