Five On Friday: Things I Can't Wait to Do Now That They're All in Schoool

Hey, strangers that keep wanting to tell me that I’m going to really miss the kids now that they're back to school: I think I might know me a little better than you do and I can tell you that this is the first summer ever that I’ve actively wished for school to start again. I think I'm going to be all right.

I know, you’re just being kind.  You’re just trying to point out how fast they grow—and that the beginning of each school year signifies another step in the journey of them moving away from me entirely. Believe me, I get how fast they grow, my first born is going to High School this year and my last born is going to Kindergarten.  But could we just lay off the preemptive Mom guilt for, like, five minutes and humor me by letting me luxuriate in the anticipated bliss of running errands alone?

Here are five other things I am actually really truly looking forward to when they all go back to school (getting only a small taste of it this week with the oldest at school and the youngest four having two half days and then Monday off for Labor Day . . . must hold on a little longer . . . )

I can't wait:

1.  To not hear bickering all day long or have to turn off left-on lights, flush un-flushed poop, etc. I'm still going to be doing these things afternoons, evenings and weekends but a day time break is going to be really nice.

2. To take my runs through the park or on the trail instead of these same incessant loops around the neighborhood I've been doing in an attempt to stay close enough that I can quickly run home if they call my cell phone to tell me someone has finally succeeded in lighting the house on fire or something.

3. To get started on my growing to-do list of things I need to do (oil change, dentist), things I want to do (harvesting and saving food, landscaping) and things I'm really excited about starting (a paying job perhaps?).

4. To never again be late for preschool pick-up at 11:30 due to me trying to get way too much done in my measly 2.5 kid-free hours.

5. Lastly, and believe it or not, this ONLY just occurred to me: I could meet a friend for lunch and enjoy her company without being interrupted! Bliss!

 

PS I completely reserve the right to complain about packing lunches, homework and sports/clubs scheduling craziness in another week or two.