Blips of our last weekend before school starts.

I can't believe school starts tomorrow for Oscar. It will be good, I know it will, even though we are both a bit nervous for the change. It is amazing how even when you know something is inevitable, it can still sneak up and surprise you.

I started out the week wanting to practice getting everyone on the "school schedule." But it seemed that every evening was just to delicious to pass up with an early bed time. So we biked, played in the river, read more books, spent time with our families, went swimming, and just tried to enjoy our last full week of summer to the fullest. School is happening, and along with it the unavoidable schedule. It just seemed silly to me to spend the last week of summer too worried about schedule. Don't get me wrong, routine and schedule are very important...most days of the year.  It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by JM Barrie (the write of Peter Pan) "Little boys should never be sent to bed. They always wake up a day older." I think about that quote often as I tuck my good boys in their beds. Letting them grow up is so beautiful and so painful all at the same time.

We are not going to let summer go without a bit of a fight though, we plan to let her go slowly. We will still bike, and go to the pool, and spend time outside for as long as we can.

Even though Oscar is nervous about the new faces and new experience of kindergarten, he is SO excited to bike to school with his Dad so that, in his words he can "have some more time with him during the day." We all practiced biking to school on Friday morning together, and we will ride together tomorrow.

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Bryan gave Oscar a back to school Father's blessing this afternoon. I know it will help him this school year, but it also gives me peace to know that Heavenly Father is looking out for him as he starts this new chapter without me there.

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Tonight we biked together over to my parents house for a birthday celebration. As we were getting on our bikes, Angus looked at me and said, "Mom you are a sweet girl."  Oscar then retorted, " Mom you are a weird girl." Both are probably true, however the latter more often than the first.

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Last night we enjoyed dinner out as a family with Bryan's mom, Gail (thanks so much Gail!). After we tucked the kids in bed and left them under the care of their Grammie, Bryan and I walked from our house to the Flicks (local movie theater) to catch, well, a flick. Late night summer walks are some of my favorite things to do in the world, and it was so nice to have my favorite person in the world (Yes Bryan that means YOU!) with me. We don't get to go on many walks just together these days, so it is always a treat. The Greenbelt was basically empty on our walk to the theater and on our walk back home. The crickets were loud, the breeze from the river was cool, and the world around us looked soft and hazy. It was a really nice evening.

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I gave the boys "back to school haircuts" yesterday. They look handsome as usual to me. However I was so surprised at how mad at myself I was for cutting their hair. I woke in a worrisome state early this morning about 3 AM. I was nearly beside myself with grief for "cutting the summer out of their hair." I felt so sad about what I had done, I had to wake Bryan (who was not very happy with me) and have him talk me back from my clipper induced ledge. I know I sound crazy and overly emotional, and I probably am. But right now I wish I could glue their summer hair back on. Hopefully we can still spend enough time outside in the sunshine over the last few weeks of summer weather that their "summer hair" will return. So if my kids look shaggy in winter...you'll know why.