Changing of the Tide

With 90 degree days upon us here in Maine once again, we packed up and headed to Crescent Beach seeking relief. Most of the time, the ocean gives us that little cool breeze and the 5 to 10 degree differential that we need. Not today. The only relief we found was as we dove into the crashing surf and waded about in the sea foam. I was fortunate enough today to not only be soaking my feet with Grannie and the girls, but also my neighbor Michelle whom I have not seen all summer. She and her kids had also packed up the boogie boards and buckets and headed for the beach searching for heat abatement. While we caught up a bit, much of our conversation swirled around the changing of the season. All moms and kids are making the shift from leisurely (I use that term loosely) summer days to more regimented school schedules. Michelle and I hashed over all that comes with the ringing of the first bell on the day after labor day. Earlier morning wake ups, buses to catch, homework to complete, after school activities, all of the things that September brings. And yet, we shared a bit about the anxious anticipation of it all. The sort of relief that we find in the school routine.

Apparently, this subtle shift is significant for other moms - besides Michelle and I. As I think about the women I have talked to over the last week almost all of them speak of "being ready for school to start". For all of the build up that spring brought, summer somehow leaves us feeling spent and in need of fall respite. My cell phone rang this evening and I heard the voice of my dear friend Adrianne from Milwaukee. She has already jumped into the organized chaos of school and after school activities. Despite being in her mini van running from one place to the next all while entertaining her 2 year old, she was exclaiming about regaining some time for herself. Apparently the beginning of school resulted in 3 straight days that included visits to the health club for a morning workout. These are the times that fall seems to provide.

For me, I am trying desperately to live out these last days of summer vacation without spending too much time focused on the next season. The change is 7 short days away for us. And before I know it, I will be longing once again for the heavenly craziness of summer. That is just how time seems to fly as I watch my little girls grow up so terribly fast. But the practical side of me has to prepare us a bit for what lies ahead. And so, we made our mad dash to Staples for $40 worth of school supplies last week. The new lunchboxes are on order. And we have selected a few new articles of clothing to kick off the school year.

In an effort to lend a hand to another mom during this preparation period, I delivered a bag of gently used clothes to Michelle for her daughter after we returned and unpacked from the beach outing. While we were wading in the waves Michelle mentioned that both her kids had major growth spurts over the summer. I thought immediately of the bag of clothes that were given to us but did not fit the 3 rights rule (as detailed in this blog) for either Shayla or Kiera. Michelle was thrilled to accept the clothes and thanked us for thinking of them. And with that, my first month of downsizing is complete!

As I close tonight, I think about how tomorrow, September 1, will taste bitter sweet. When June arrived I was chomping at the bit to spend more time with my older daughters. And that we did as we filled our time with beach adventures, camping trips, and long weekend trips to Ellsworth or China lake. The summer has been more fulfilling than I could have imagined and yet, with all of the kids home and the non-stop recreational outings I have begun to tire and long for the comfort of fall routine. No matter what my feelings, this change in season will come and I'll embrace it only to anticipate the next.