The End is in Sight

By my count, there are 15 school days left in our year. 3 full weeks of school then we're out for 81 days. 81 blissful days of sleeping in, wearing pajamas until noon, no homework, cooking for 6 instead of 160, sunshine and heat instead of cold and snow, and a world wide open to possibilities.

Every year I get delusional around this time. Every year I see the summer as a long stretch of euphoria and familial bliss. Every year the second week of Summer break slaps me in the face like a wet rag. The heat is unbearable. The children cannot stand each other's presence. There is no food left in the house 3 days after a grocery trip. The electric bill skyrockets as the AC runs 24/7 in an effort to keep the temperature tolerable. And we all fall apart a little.

But for the moment I am dreaming of afternoons spent in my lounge chair, slathered in sunscreen, wearing a giant hat, fully engrossed in my latest novel while the children play hours of Marco Polo and splash around in the pool. I dream of burgers on the grill, dandelions spotting my yard, and sticky hands grabbing for Pop Ice faster than I can snip the ends off.  I'm dreaming of the buzz of bees in the clover of the hay field, songs of robins waking us up in the pre-dawn moments, and slapping mosquitoes as they land on our legs. I will dream of lightning bugs in mayo jars, roses blooming under my bedroom window, and the scent of honeysuckle wafting up from the creek.

Let me enjoy my dreams for the time being. The harsh reality of humidity, cranky kids, and it being too hot to function will soon break down my door.