End of School Year Mommy Blues

Right about now, I should be singing that Alice Cooper song "School's Out For Summer." But instead I feel like letting out a deep blue sigh.

In a matter of days my first grader will be a rising second grader and that is farther away from kindergarden than I would like. I know that sounds dumb. I should be thrilled. We worked hard this year, we mastered our math fact families and learned about Ancient Rome, read great books and learned so many interesting things. It probably is about time to move on. Yet like a good book that I don't want to end, suddenly I'm realizing it's coming to an end.

This week I sat with another mom over a foo-foo breakfast and we were both joking about how we have to cram everything fun into our last week of freedom. And in some ways, our summer days do get taken over with camps, vacations, family visits and other priorities. But it's more than a schedule change, it's about seeing a chapter come to a close.

These days feel like treasure. That probably sounds corny. But I love, love, love that my son says mom "kiss me before carpool gets here!" Or bounds into the car to tell me all about the special thing that happened today at school. Or beams with pride that he received the "Industriousness Award" at school. (never mind that he can't pronounce it and has no idea what it means, he's still the glowing with joy.)
I adore this time and I don't want it to change. But it will.

Selfishly, I guess I like the certainty of my days with my son. Or perhaps I'm overwhelmed by having to conjur up the same amount of learning opportunities and joy he gets from school. I think it comes down to the fact that he is growing up and the end of the school year is the milestone that says it out loud.

So I let out my deep sigh and I smile with the other parents as we celebrate all that our kids have gathered up this year. And in one moment, the page is turned.