The Dog Days of Summer-Back to School!

Greetings to you, my fellow BETs!

Today is the last day of summer vacation for me.  Every year, I struggle to understand the way the summer progresses.  It goes fast and it goes slow.  It seems like it will last forever, and then it is gone in the blink of an eye.   As I reflect on these last eight weeks, I can’t help but consider a few very important thoughts.  Like, where did my summer go?! And, why do we have to go back so early?!

Firstly, my summer went exactly where I thought it would go…away.  During the first few weeks, it seems like the summer will last forever.  In the midst of vacation and general loafing, I would stop in to the school, and haphazardly work on some things for the fall.  Going into early July, my frequent visits to the school lessened, and my anticipation for the fall semester grew.  I went in to school yesterday to do some fine tuning to my plans for the fall, and realized that I had made very few plans, and that I had spent most of my time during those visits cleaning and getting my room reorganized.  It smells really nice!

Secondly, we have to return to school so early because…er…um…okay, I don’t know why we have to return to school so early!  When I was growing up, the earliest I ever remember school starting was about August 23^rd or so.  I even remember when we didn’t have to return until after Labor Day!  That’s not the part that is so frustrating.  The frustrating part for me is how we were able to start so late, and still not have to go to school into June.  How does this make any sense?  How does this disparity work out to better education for our kids?  It must be the new math!  I was never good at math.

So, I sit here in my recliner typing and watching golf, wondering where exactly my summer went.  I really don’t think I will ever figure this out.  What I do know, is that although I am wishing there were just a few more days left to not wake up to an alarm, I am equaling excited for what this new school year will bring.  I have missed the kids this summer and I look forward to their stories of conquest and ease, and their general sense of awe in navigating a new stage of the teenage journey.  Just to be a part of that is worth heading back to school in the midst of summer.  And just think; Fall Break is a mere 79 days away!

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Chasing the Ice Cream Truck

As a parent, I think we spend too much time making rules for our kids.  I remember vividly, my dad saying, "You're too old for that!"  That is how we seem to be as a nation.  We can't be the Peter Pan character, so we turn into mean old Captain Hook.

Who can make this repulsive trend turn around?  Maybe we all can, with a little help from our inner child.

Let me ask you a couple of questions to get things started. 

1.  When was the last time you went to the playground to swing?  I get to push kids on swings everyday at my job.  I pull them back and let go with a little push and they are off.  That's all I do.  They giggle and laugh and laugh out loud as their tummy makes that uncomfortable, but pleasurable gentle lift.  It cracks them up and for a small time makes all of the school days problems go away.  When I am stressed out I usually get an aspirin or two and flip the TV on to the Drone channel.  Why don't I go to the park and swing?!

2.  When was the last time you had ice cream.  I don't mean the kind you get, made en mass at the grocery, I'm talking about the individually wrapped kind that you can only find waiting for you on the ice cream truck.  You hear the bells and that familiar jingle, and your kids may make a mention of it.  But why don't you chase that truck?  Remember how good that tasted on a hot summer day?  Remember how it made all the hassles go away?

I think it is up to us as parents to reteach our children on this issue.  When I am 80, would I rather sit around and complain about the old days, or  be seen swinging in the park with ice cream running down my arm?  The choice is easy and obvious.  As for me and my family, we will chase the ice cream truck!

What I did this summer. what did I do this summer?

So, what did I do this summer? Actually, I'm not sure. Let's see, there was my son's graduation from High School, with parties and such. That took a couple of days. I studied for the Praxis test. That took a couple of weeks. We went to the Mall of America. That was a five day trip. We went down to Richmond for the weekend. That was three days. I had a pitch in and meeting at school. That took up half a day. In total, that comes to that comes to 24.5 days. So what did I do with the remaining 49 days? I have no idea!

That's what happens when you do something for a living that you love. It becomes a pleasure and a privilege to be doing it, and the time spent away from it seems less important. Now, I know this is coming off my first year doing this, so many of you think I am in the "honeymoon" stage of this job. You may be right. I will tell you though, that in 30 years of being in the full time workforce, this is the first time this has happened. Better late than never, I guess.

As I stated above, we did have a meeting and pitch in at school last week. It was great to see everybody again. All of teachers were getting their classes in order and a certain excitement was so noticeable. It seems that I am not the only one who has missed the kids this summer. And though I could tell that many of the teachers didn't take the entire summer off, they are just as ready to get back to school as I am. Summer, I bid you farewell. I will notice your absence, but will not long for you as I once did...unless I get to teach summer school!

Hot Summer Day Missing the Kids...

Today I am sitting at home doing nothing.  It seems like such a long time since I have had this opportunity, but today it feels less like an opportunity and more of a chore.  I have talked to several people this week that have commented how fast the summer is going by.  I find it to be the exact opposite for me.  For the first time in my life, I feel like the summer is never going to end!  I think it is mostly because I just miss the kids.  Most of the people I have shared this with assure me that this feeling will pass the more years I spend working with the kids.  I have my doubts.

This is my first summer to experience this.  All those little ones at your feet all day, then BOOM, nobody.  No one to send to the nurse with a scraped knee.  No one to have stand on the wall for disobeying a rule.  No one asking those great questions that we adults love.  You know, the ones that make us feel so smart to that second grader, who looks up with that grin like, "Mr. Ringenberg is soooo smart."  Yeah, I kind of miss all of that.

Registration is only a week away, and then only a couple of weeks until school starts.  I think I can make it.  Maybe I'll read a picture book or work on some fractions.