Is It Summer Yet?

We are this much closer to Spring Break and (can you believe it?) summer. On the last day of school, 2014, I took the the kids for a country drive while singing a rebellious Alice Cooper anthem. They were happy, and I was happy . . . anyway, who needs to wake up early and go to bed early and pack lunches and join the car brigade and do all that homework? Not us. Not me. After arriving home, we set up a backyard picnic and donned our bathing suits for a cool swim. The next thing you know it's fall, and all that brash singing is only a echo on drought-tinged Kansas dust particles. Life moves way too fast.

The good times, when summer was all fresh and sparkly.

Now we've somehow gotten ourselves through another winter and again summer looms. I can barely wait because, even though I love having my free time, you know how much I adore having the kids at home. The truth is, a hole grows in my heart and grow and grows, and I miss them and miss them even though I try like crazy to deny it. I actually ache when they are gone. Okay, maybe I love my kids too much. They don't complete me, but damn near.

This year has seen its considerable hardships, including long homework sessions where I was forced to learn fractions and all that stuff so I could become a better teacher. Julia has had a lot of trouble staying focused, and throw in some difficult fourth-grade homework, and we're talking major frustration. Hate to say it, but Common Core is the worst. I know it's supposed to be more effective in the long run, but dang, can't a kid just do one math sheet without 'regroup' instead of 'borrow' and word problems that defy human logic, such as: If Paul has a dog, and that dog eats one bowl of kibble every morning, how many times does Paul wash his socks? 

It's a joke, but not really.

The point is, I am ready for a break and so are the kids. We can go back to pranking each other and playing Minecraft and taking little day trips. It fills my heart with joy. And dread. The kid next door tries my last nerve. The problem with having my kids at home, is having everyone else's kids at home as well. He knocks, he rings, he bangs on the door. If the door's not locked, he walks in and takes food and then walks out and starts the whole process in five minutes. Yes, I have made it clear that his behavior is unacceptable, but still it goes on. I know some folks believe in free-range parenting, but holy hell, why do they always have to next door to me?

But first we must get through these last remaining days of winter, which doesn't look to be that difficult seeing how it's 70 and awesome outside. Now, this is the kind of winter I like! My apologies to any of you out there still dealing with those yucky 'real' winter conditions. That must be awful.

Some pictures from my exciting life . . .

Coco, the royal queen of all cats (according to Julia). Notice she's sitting on one of Julia's math sheets. Good kitty.

More Coco. Because she's cute.

And fluffy.

A very blurry cardinal.

And my beautiful daughter, who is growing up way too fast.