Today Is The Last Day Of School

For us here in central Ohio, today is the last day of school. My kids have finished all their work, cleaned out desks and lockers and returned all school belongings, so they have the option of staying home today if they want. All except my oldest who is in trouble at the moment., but that is another post by itself.

My youngest son chose to stay home,but my daughter was excited for her last day party. She was also dying to wear her new dress she received for having perfect grades all year. They will see many of their friends throughout summer. Some of them live in the neighborhood, others are in scouts or at church and some they visit back and forth with anyway.

For me the end of school is bittersweet. No more getting up so early to get them fed,ready and on the bus. No more arguments about homework, behavior and grades. It will be nice to have a break from all that, but I know what is coming next.

The start of summer means bible school, sprinklers, bounce houses and chaos. The kids always want to invite their friends to bounce, swim and play video games and I get left with all the mess. It doesn't matter how hard I try,there is no getting a group of crazy kids to stop in the middle and clean up a little. I will hear several times a day that they are bored, even though they have rooms full of books, games and toys. They will grow tired of parks and swimming and eventually be wishing for school again.

Summer brings picnics and parties, but also bites, stings and bruises. The children sleep in, but then they want to stay up all night. We will have countless sleepovers, where they will insist they need specific snacks, special movies and whatever else they can talk me into. The kids will go to Virginia and allow me at least a week of blissful silence...and probably a little boredom too.