Summer's End

My whole life, I have squandered my summer, purposefully ignorant of school right around the corner, lounging around, sleeping late, going to the pool, watching crappy movies-- until one day-- poof! Sweaters at the mall, supply lists in the front of Target, and SEPTEMBER looming on my calendar.

This summer, I didn't really lounge, but I did spend most long, hot days all alone with Harry. No sleeping late, but some afternoon naps here and there-- and we definitely went to the pool (although, not so much lately because Harry is absolutely not scared of the water at all, which sounds like a good thing and mostly is, until he's face planted or way over his head).

We have a very quick and efficient morning routine-- linger in bed with coffee and milk, have breakfast, take a walk and call grandma, then nap for him and getting dressed for me. Then we do something (play in his room, go to the mall, make part of dinner, play in his wading pool) until it's lunchtime and something else (play in his room or our room, usually, cook or bake frequently), until it's naptime again, and I work on my dissertation. After nap, though, all routines are off. I try to get the hell out of the house-- go to the pool, Starbuck's, Target, somewhere, anywhere-- and stay gone until right before Ben gets home because even though I cherish these moments (really I do), the lack of adult conversation gets a little overwhelming by 5:00. Don't judge me. How many times can YOU say "Yes, Harry, that's your head. No, don't eat that toilet paper. Yes, the stove sure is hot" ?

In the evenings, we have dinner, take another walk, bathe Harry, and then finally, blissfully at the end of the day, Ben and I get grownup time (time that we use to stare at the TV and doze on the couch until 9-ish when we go to be for real. Hot).

The days have gone quickly like this, but slowly, too, so that I can savor each summer moment and be simultaneously bored out of my mind.

In the fall, we'll get a lot more structure. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'll teach for a couple hours in the afternoon. Tuesday mornings, we'll go to an open gym for babies through the park district. Thursday mornings, we'll have Little Gym, and Thursday afternoons, Harry gets to hang out on campus while I have a colloquium meeting.

I'll look back on our lazy summer and be so mad at myself for feeling bored or the least little bit ungrateful. That's why I am writing this-- because blogs are bgreat for narcissists and also because I want to remember what I did on my summer vacation, how I spent all my nothing time, and how much I loved it.

How could you not love that?