Saturday Six-Pack

If ever there were a Saturday deserving of a six-pack, it's the one before school starts...

One:  It's brisk, baby!  The weather gods decided to help my state of mind by putting in an early order of fall-like temperatures (which does have an R in it, contrary to the pronunciation of our local weather people, who insist on saying "tempachures"--they should visit a "libary" now and then).  It makes it easier to go back, but I'm betting on the return of hot, sunny days just in time to make me glad I don't have windows in my classroom.

Two: I'm never really all the way prepared for school to start.  There just isn't ever enough time to accomplish all that I want during the workdays.  I think that's universal...and don't tell me otherwise.  I console myself with the fact that my room LOOKS like I'm ready, and no one will ever know the difference...until now.

Three: The boy is cursed with a birthday that falls around the start of school.  Actually, I'm the cursed one, because in addition to textbooks, lesson plans, in-services, and scheduling matrices from hell, I also have to plan and execute a party.  Never mind being so tired I can barely stand up, cupcakes have to be made, because store-bought just isn't good enough. The only way to get through it was with a nice glass of Traminette from Barren Ridge Vineyards. Oh, and I may have stolen a cupcake to go with my 2nd glass of "Yahoo, I'm finished!" 

Four:  Parties for kids don't have to be elaborate or expensive.  They'll have fun no matter what.  This year, Andrew asked his grandpop if he could have a pool party, and my dad was thrilled.  Okay, the weather didn't cooperate much, but the kids swam until their teeth chattered, then found other adventures to go on.  My stubborn kid stayed in the water so long he resembled DiCaprio at the end of Titanic, but running around the yard thawed him out quickly.  The game quickly turned to some role play involving "galactic aliens", a math professor, and a principal (all scary things!), and the kids ran around the yard playing Butter Zombie.  Don't ask.  

Five: I don't know what else is going to happen today, yet, but I do know that I will read a book.  I've been woefully disconnected from page-turning this week, and I need to catch up on some quality book time.  Yoga pants, fuzzy slippers, and sipping coffee all day sounds fantastic, but I also feel compelled to get out there and make the most of this last weekend before stuff starts getting hectic. We shall see.  I should also finish my painting project and try to find some curtains, but don't hold your breath for that one.

Six: We found out earlier this week that my sister and her husband are buying a house that's about two minutes from here.  I'm giddy with excitement, and for no good reason!  She doesn't live far away now, we teach at schools in the same "eduplex", and we see them on most weekends.  Secretly, I think what I'm excited about is what that's going to look like in the future--family functions, being "almost neighbors", and then, hopefully, little cousins for Andrew to spend a lot of time with someday.  And I'm happy for them to be moving into a forever home, which just so happens to be located on land that our grandfather once owned and sold to be developed. As she said, "full circle,"...it's meant to be.  As Grandpop would have said, "God bless them!" 

Happy Saturday.