I Think It Might Be True

Summer might really be on it's way out.

These are the mornings that you crawl out of bed, put on a sweatshirt and don't regret it later.

I do sort or regret the whole getting out of bed thing though. I was content with the relative sleeping in of summer. I liked getting a shower in the morning, hanging out with my coffee and paper while the kids zoned.

I'm readjusting. Slowly. I can't seem to get all the way awake these early mornings of the start of the school year.

By Monday, we'll enter the zone. The 3 school age kids will be in 3 different schools. Two of which begin at the same time at opposite ends of town. Nice. The oldest kid starts school a whole hour before the others.

This morning as I was rumbling around getting dressed to take my oldest to his school, I suddenly understood exactly how moms end up driving their kids to school while still in their jammies. I actually thought about it this morning, as if it were a real, plausible option. Me, the chick who prefers to fluff her hair and have her make up on before she comes downstairs in the morning, actually stood in the bathroom and considered driving in my pink fuzzy slippers.

I hear by apologize to all my fellow moms that I've judged inside my mind for driving those kids to school in the morning in their jammies. I get it. I was tired and sleepy and warm and really, really thought about it.

But the end of summer is near. The last one starts school on Monday. I get to drive her. Lucky me. See the thing is, we're not eligible for bus service. Why? It seems that only Head Start kids get to ride the bus, not 4K kids. But isn't Little Miss in Head Start. Why yes, yes she is. The thing is, she can only be transported to or from Head Start. So, Monday through Thursday, she can ride the bus home after Head Start, but the rest of the time, it's 4K time, so I have to drive. Love it. Just love it.

I think even she has finally given in to the idea that summer is done. She just asked me this morning to cut off the final pool pass bracelet. It was with great sadness and not just because it was neon pink. She secretly kept hoping that there would be "just one more hot day" that we could go to the pool. Never mind that the pool closed two weeks ago.

We've actually dug out some coats and seen some leaves changing. The big kids have slipped seamlessly into the school routine. Lunch boxes and home work and after school activities. We'll see how the first spelling test comes out. I'm thinking we didn't study hard enough, but it was only a four day week. Oh well, no excuses.

I've entered a new creative lazy too. You know how it happens. One more extra trip to the store seems like one more too many. You use that rational voice to say, kids, we're just going to eat up a bunch of the stuff from the back of the freezer and the bottom of the pantry. And it's all good and you feel a little smug, right up until the moment you run out of something critical, like the sweet sugary syrup falsely labeled as coffee creamer. Yummy. It's white creamy rich and flavorful chemical goodness fills your cup of coffee with that extra jolt of sugar. I mean, we all know, the caffeine couldn't possibly be enough. Anyway, the thing is, once you're out of it, then you start to scrounge around the kitchen to find a suitable substitute, because really, some milk and sugar just isn't the same.

I'll confess. This morning in the bottom of my cup, I've added chocolate chips and caramels. Stir until melted. (you might have to up the temp of the coffee in the micro for a few seconds to help the melting) Then add a little of the mild from the fridge and ta-da, not quite the crazy yummy of chocolate chip creme brule coffee creamer, but not too bad either.

And yes, if it's wasn't a week day, I have indeed made friends with things like Godiva liquor and Kahlua.

On that note, I have to go explain again, to some little person why she can't wear make up until she's 25.