Back To School

Backpacks are packed, uniforms are ironed, the summer reading finished (almost), and the lunches are made. My kids are going back to school today.

I know a few parents who have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of that yellow bus at their door...hell...I have a friend who I think has been looking out her door for that bus since the end of June....(ok...ok...since the end of July) but I digress. I am actually a little disappointed that vacation is over and that my kids are going back to school.

Admittedly, I am fortunate. I work from home and I can move my schedule around to accommodate my kids so I am able to enjoy the slower pace of life that summer brings. We did not take a lengthy vacation...and we went to the beach not nearly often enough...but we did enjoy late nights, late mornings, and many, many games of whiffle ball in the backyard.

My kids did demonstrate a bit of back to school anxiety over the last few days...heck I even experienced some of it myself. Yesterday morning I had occasion to be in Cambridge where Harvard's students have returned. I experienced some of that old anxiety I experienced in college just before classes started. So while I had to remind myself that my own school days have long since passed, I had a fresh reminder of what I experienced as I dealt with three jittery kids last night.

So...we are back to school...homework, lunches, schedules, earlier mornings...and no more midday whiffle ball games...I think I am more disappointed than my kids.