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15 Things I'll Miss When My Children Go Back To School

Over the past few weeks I've seen friends on social media in other parts of the country sending their children back to school. Here in Connecticut school isn't back in session until just before Labor Day and for that I'm grateful. Because there are so many things I'll miss when my children go back to school. I don't want to ship them back to their classrooms until I have to!

After all, I love my children! I love their smiles and their laughter and their screams of delight and their screaming, rage-filled arguments (that I've just completely stopped getting involved with unless I think someone might be bleeding) and the completely adorable way they're always literally underfoot to the point that I've actually tripped over them and then they look at me like I've done something wrong and OMG, seriously, kid, WTF when are you going to go back to school?

Yep, I just love them so much. So much, in fact, that I never want this summer to end. It's been so amazing. So completely amazing. Everything is great here. There have been zero problems whatsoever.

It's difficult to qualify everything I love about having my children living physically up my butt from June to August, but I'll do my best by highlighting those things that I'll miss oh so much in their absence:

Sleeping In

During the school year there are literally five alarms on my phone that I have to live by: the wake up alarm, the "get the boy on the bus" alarm, the "get the girl in the car to take her to school" alarm, the "get in the car to pick the girl up from school" alarm, and the "get the boy off the bus" alarm. These audio reminders are important because, as someone who works from home, I often get wrapped up in what I'm doing and easily lose track of time. Still, there's no small degree of annoyance in living on such a tight schedule, and it starts with the fact that, left to my own devices, 7 :00a.m. is not my preferred wake-up time. During the summer I usually get to sleep until 8:00 a.m., sometimes even later! It's absolutely magical.

Our Summer Routine

I have my work schedule, but once work is done it's pretty flexible, which is amazing and a definite change of pace from the school year. Yesterday, for example, we decided to go to the library and then wander around the downtown shopping area in our town. It was leisurely, spontaneous, and fun. Whee!

Spontaneous Playtime

You haven't lived until you're randomly invited to take a break from work with a quick tea party. The other day I was seated next to a bear, a unicorn, and a dragon named "Bernie." My son poured. My daughter offered me a spare tiara. It was awesome.

Basically Never Getting Dressed

OK, so my son is a little fashion-plate and prefers to get dressed as soon as he gets up every day. My daughter, on the other hand, basically hasn't worn clothing in the house since the end of June. I'm currently in underwear and a bathrobe. I'm not sorry, either, because this is me in my truest form.

So Many Art Projects

What parent doesn't love receiving the gift of art from their children?! Like, the other day my kids gave me about 500 snips of construction paper. Just... like... handfuls of the stuff. It was so great. They're so creative. And it only took me about 20 minutes to sweep up all the pieces.

Working With Two Kids In The House

I don't know about you, but I find I'm at my most concentrated and productive trying to write when there's a 6-year-old talking about the different outfits your character can wear in his favorite video game for 15 straight minutes. Or when there's a 4-year-old insisting you watch the dance routine she "worked so hard on" but is clearly making up on the spot. It just really helps my laser focus.

Kids' Show Theme Songs

Have you ever had a song stuck in your head? Has that song ever been the Doc McStuffins theme song? Have you ever had it stuck in your head for a month and a half, only to be replaced by the Earth to Luna theme song, whose lyrics are 85 percent the words "la la la la la la Luna" over and over again?

That's about where I'm at right now. It's just so great.

Getting Up Every Three Seconds To Get Them Something

I frequently hear people in office jobs complain about sitting at a desk all day. Indeed, doctors and other experts warn that remaining so sedentary is having negative effects on our collective health. Meanwhile, I am #blessed to be so active and have multiple opportunities to get up, get something for my child they're extremely capable of getting themselves, sitting down, then getting back up again to do it all over again until the end of time.

Those poor office schlubs. They don't know what they're missing. I'm so healthy.

Taking Them On All My Errands

Who doesn't love company wherever they go? The grocery store, for example, is just so much more enjoyable when someone (or in my case, two someones) is incessantly asking you for things you don't need that aren't on your list that you know they wouldn't eat even if you bought it. When they're in school I'm in and out in about 30 minutes. Where's the fun in that, I ask you?!

Using Every Cup In The House

Reusing cups is for suckers, and why bother having a set if you're not going to use that whole set? I'd never get through all of them on my own. But when my two kids are home they manage. Bless them and the massive pile of cups they create in my sink every day.

Being Asked When We Get To Go To The Pool, All Day, Until We Go To The Pool

My parents live nearby and have a pool, which is, truly, one of the best parts of summer. But a close second is how my kids constantly ask if we can go to said pool. Even after I've said, "When I'm done working" only to have my children ask, "Are you done working? Can we go now?" over and over again until my head is in danger of exploding.

So fun. How I'll miss that.

Sweltering At The Playground

Personally I think it's a magnificent idea not to have a single tree in sight. New England humidity is best enjoyed while you're also in direct, unrelenting sunlight.

Making Suggestions That Send My Kids Into Screaming Fits

There's nothing like your children telling telling you they're bored and you suggesting they go play outside and them losing their damn minds.

Cleaning Up A Day's Worth Of Toys

It's not that the messes vanish when they go to school, but when they're in school there's a few extra hours of cleanliness (and a few less hours for them to take everything they own out of toy boxes and closets and dump them on my office floor). If you're going to have to help kids clean up a mess, go big or go home, right?

But, Actually, Them

But, actually, it's been a nice if occasionally frustrating summer and I'll miss these little faces... mostly.