The Dog Days (of summer) are *almost* over

Boy, this summer is sure winding down quickly.  I'll be taking the kids back to Maryland in less than 3 weeks, and they'll start school just a mere 10 days later!  The time has flown by again this year.  I've got a list a mile long of things that we need to do before they go back home...doctor appointments, clothes shopping, visits to the library, and hopefully squeezing in a couple or three more beach visits before they leave.  I've started on this list...Karissa wanted these "design your own" Converse All Stars, so they've been ordered.  She's been poring over the Justice for Girls website all summer, carefully selecting all the clothing she *needs* for her first year of middle school.  The boys are SO much easier.  They honestly could care less about clothes and shoes.  However, Nathan has been hovering around the front door all day, waiting for the Fed Ex man to show up with his iPod Touch (his only wish for his birthday...which is August 19th).  Jacob...well...Jacob would be content with some new legos or some sort of action figurine.

I remember when it was back to school time when I was young.  I couldn't wait to pick out my new set of clothes from the JCPenney fall catalog (I'm talking EVEN into my high school years...am I showing my age??).  It might've been 90 degrees on the first day of school, but gosh darn it, I HAD to wear those new jeans and new sweater on the first day!  I got giddy over new pencils, pens and notebooks!  I remember the swarm of people that would flood Peoples Drug and Dart Drug (ok, now I really AM showing my age) to pick up their packets of loose leaf paper, bottles of glue, and 3-ring binders the evening after the first day of school.  One thing that has changed for the better is that schools typically hand out supply lists before school starts, some as early as the last day of school prior to the new school year.  This at least gives parents some time to plan ahead and prepare!

Along with the end of summer also comes the end of my peace and quiet...since school is starting, so will the phone calls riddled with complaints about how "expensive these kids are", "Don't you know how much school supplies cost?", and the "You really need to send me more money, who cares if you pay your child support?"  I usually just chuckle under my breath and say..."Welcome to my World...how does it feel"...etc., etc., etc.

I think the video says it all....love this song by Florence and the Machine.