Although the sun is still warm and golden, summer vacation has ended here. The beach crowd is thinning. The middle and high school kids returned to classes yesterday. The college kids have moved back on campus. On Monday, our second son left for a year in Roma to study architecture. I started teaching my composition class at the Navy base last night, and my new class in Nature Writing starts next week.
This shift to another school year has arrived all too soon, and the deluge of paperwork that accompanies back to school season has begun. School registrations, sports sign ups, syllabus sign offs, CRE registration, emergency forms all have to be signed and submitted. New shoes and school supplies have been purchased. I bought some colorful Sharpies for myself to update the calendar, but the idea of color coding kids' schedules has already evaporated.
I have fewer schedules now to coordinate. Three have flown the nest now. Our house has suddenly shifted dynamics from being a "boy house" to being a girl led house. Only one son is left to argue for action movies with his three romance minded sisters. The quantity of meat and milk I will have to buy will decrease.
Even with four still at home, it seems quiet around here. The two high schoolers are playing fall sports, volleyball, and football, and so dinner is late or just a few of us are eating together. One of our bedrooms is now empty of regular occupants; the bunk bed is stripped down, and the mess is finally off the floor - mostly hidden under the bed and in the closet, to be sure, but some of it was actually discarded I feel lonely for the big kids who were good company this summer and handy to have around the house for helping out with chores and babysitting.
Summer's end was marked by the blessing of spending our last full week of vacationtime in Indiana with my folks on their farm, where the summer heat intensified the smell of clover and growing corn. It rained the first half of the week, which delighted the four year old who hasn't ever played in the rain because here in southern California we haven't had enough rain to make puddles since she could walk. She donned oversized rain boots and twirled an umbrella and delighted in the summer showers. The twelve year old played outside a little bit with her and with her best friend who made an extra special trip from Maryland to see us since we were somewhat "close." We had a steady stream of visits from my siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and old friends. One day we spent in Kentucky at my aunt and uncle's beautiful farm, which they are selling because of health concerns that come with age. Life is passing by too quickly. I'm almost tempted to have another baby to stall time. Or perhaps just put on black to mourn the passing of youth and childhood and ideals that have vanished or faded as my children move on into adulthood and my parents' generation slows down in retirement. Tempus fugit.
Captured moments that exist only in the digital world or memory:
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| Big cousins and little cousins |
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| The weekend's entertainment: driving the Polaris |
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| Sunrise |
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| Night visitor |
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| Rain dance |
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| Ice cream for all |
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| College send off |
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| Prayers for students |
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| Double rainbow promise |
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| After the rain |
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| Checking on the cows |
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| Chicken dance |
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| Ironweed - remind me to teach my kids the names of these plants so they aren't nature know nothings like the WSJ points out |
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| Garter snake |
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| Zinnias in bloom |
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| Dying sunflowers |
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| Bittersweet |
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| Sulfur butterflies |
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| The harvest from my pot |
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| Back in CA: passionflower blooming |
