Goodbye Summer, Back to School

Editor's Note: This column was originally posted on Acworth Patch by blogger Cindy Butson. If you're interested in blogging about parenting or anything else on your mind click this link to submit a post or email Editor Sydney Busby at sydney.busby@patch.com.

Is it just me or has the summer flown by? I feel like we’re just getting the hang of the lazy days of summer and soon the alarm will sound at 6:15 a.m. every morning calling the kids to rise and shine for school. Although I really do look forward to the structure that the school year will bring to our busy lives, I just want to revel in the lazy days of summer a little longer. The kids are growing up way too fast and realistically I have two more years before my oldest will be graduating from high school. That really makes me want to stop the clock!

We’ve had a pretty great summer. We’ve stayed up late some nights and slept in late some mornings. Our days have been blessed with opportunities to swim, hang out with friends, have sleepovers and indulge in dreamy, creamy ice cream. We’ve enjoyed fireworks and the annual Fourth of July parade. We were even blessed to be able to take a trip to Orlando and visit Disney World.

We’ve had a great summer!

So how will we say goodbye to summer? How will we ever adjust to structure again? Well, like we always do. And I will say that the end of the school year and the beginning of the school year are the times I feel most sad and teary-eyed and happy at the same time.

I love photography and a great way to bid summer adieu is to organize the vacation and summer pictures remembering all the fun you had. I especially love the pictures of firefly catching adventures, basketball or soccer games at dusk and chalk art on the driveway; the pictures that capture my kids just being kids. If you’re crafty, you can create a beautiful scrapbook. If you’re not that crafty, a nice photo album will safely hold your summer memories.

We don’t eat breakfast out very often but we celebrate a few special occasions with breakfast at Waffle House and the end of summer is one of those special occasions. Although we have tried this on the first day of school, it’s usually pretty busy so we go before the first day of school. Waffles make it a little easier to say goodbye.

When the boys were smaller, we began “mommy & me” and “daddy & me” time. We designated this special time together with each child to focus on just that child. It is a time for bonding and doing something special together. There are so many things to choose from including a trip to the bookstore or library, shopping for back-to-school clothes and supplies, having a nice chat over a cool treat or seeing a movie your child has been waiting to see. The possibilities are endless. And these memories last forever even if summer doesn’t. 

A new routine will soon be adopted to get us back in the school year mode; the days of staying up late and sleeping in late are numbered. Soccer and dance will anxiously await our company. Backpacks and lunchboxes will soon be filled and waiting by door. And my heart will be thanking God for every moment.