Ready

I’m ready for summer to be over already. The long, hot, unscheduled days have begun to blend together in a haze or boredom and complaining children. It must be August.

Every year we wait until the day after Labor Day to begin school and every year the last weeks drag until we are all thrilled by the respite of “something to do!” that September brings.

Which means that we are perfectly on schedule around here. The bored whining has begun which means the excitement over new books can’t be far behind.

They’re already getting excited. The older bouts have started peeking at the bookshelves and trying to figure out whose books are whose. They’ve attempted to peek into the boxes from the curriculum companies when their curiosity gets the best of them. Christmas morning has nothing on the end of August for box rattling and content guessing.

Boredom is the key, I’ve learned, to an enthusiastic start to the school year. Let the heat of August wear them out. Let the boredom of everyone else being back in school sink in. Let them see the boxes and not what’s inside.

And then greet the new school year with all the pent up energy of seven children who can’t go outside because of the extreme hear, and you’ve got enough enthusiasm to carry you all the way to the second week of September. After that, you’re on your own.