it's almost time

In tonight's late-night ponderings, I'm thinking over the fact that this summer has really big like one big time of preparation.........and that time is almost over.

Preparing for Mr. L to begin 3rd grade, which brings with it so many new things for him (3 teachers instead of 1, singing in the Chorus, being in the gifted program).

Preparing for the Energizer to enter Kindergarten. Hoping and praying that the teacher and classroom will be the right fit for him, that the medicine will last just long enough each day, that somehow we'll manage to avoid the dreaded "he just bit somebody" phone call.

And just as much, I'm preparing to re-enter school myself, 16 years after my first college graduation and with 14 years of teaching under my belt. This kind of preparation is just as much (or more) mental than it is practical. Ok, yeah......I did go buy a pack of highlighters today, and have rediscovered the joys of Sharpie fine point pens. And the $800 box of textbooks in the back of my van certainly cannot be ignored! But mentally, emotionally, I've had to do a bit of adjustment as you can imagine, and it's still ongoing. To be a student again, a learner; to open myself up to so much new information, new ideas and concepts; to be willing and brave enough to try new things at this point in my life (OMG, learning to play the guitar!)

And the other thing I've tried really, really hard to do is to get my home in some kind of respectable shape before the school year craziness starts. I didn't actually realize along the way that this was what I was doing, but now I see it. I've hung new shelving, gotten Mr. L a new chest of drawers, done insanely thorough vacuuming (including attachments!), had a yard sale, taken baby stuff to sell at the consignment store, worked on the flower beds and the kids' sandbox, and just generally tried to organize and declutter. Still have a long way to go, but it's amazingly better than when I started in May. Put it this way: You can actually see some portions of my kitchen counter now. It's dark green by the way; I'd sort of forgotten.

I think it comes down to this: My life is about to explode into its busiest time of the year. K is in marching band hell, so we basically don't see him from August to November 1. That means I'm mom, chauffeur, homework coach, discipline manager, grocery shopper, chef, maid, reader of Corduroy books and backyard beach volleyball star. Oh, and a full time student and music therapist-in-training too, just in case I won't already be busy enough. But, if on top of all of that, I pick up the boys and arrive home in the afternoon to a horribly messy, chaotic house, I will LOSE IT. Some days it might be 4:30 or even 5 pm before we get home, and I refuse to be greeted by a sink overflowing with dishes or floors covered an inch thick in cat hair and grass clippings. So, unconsciously, I've been cleaning, organizing, preparing for this new phase of life. I just had a strange thought.....it's almost like "nesting", isn't it? You know, the thing that I'm told that pregnant women do when they get close to full term and are nearly ready for baby's arrival? Hyper-focused organization, intense preparation, cleaning like a mad woman? Yep, that about covers it.

But you know what? That nesting time is almost over. Tomorrow, I take the boys to Meet the Teacher day, and on Tuesday they start school. I start the following Monday, August 24, which also happens to be my birthday. What a present, huh? Welcome to 38, here's your student ID card! :)