It was one of those delectably lazy summer evenings. After a day spent at the neighborhood pool, topped off with a round of burgers and onion rings from the cabana, my family had biked home and meandered off on our separate ways.
My groom and the boys were shooting hoops in the driveway, playing Horse and Knockout and Hey Quit It It’s My Turn Now.
And my daughter and I were stretched out on the family room couch, silently ogling Ryan Lochte taking in the men’s Olympic Swimming Competition.
Seriously.
As we foamed at the mouth watched, I reflected on what a thoroughly enjoyable summer we had enjoyed so far. I asked Twin A aloud what her favorite part had been to date.
“Right now.” She responded dreamily, without missing a beat or turning her eyes away from the television.
I smiled to myself, touched that she counted this evening of teeny tiny Speedos easy mother-daughter time to be the highlight of her eleventh summer.
“Awwww…thanks, darlin’,” I cooed, basking in the complement. I placed my hand, palm upward, next to hers, anticipating her slim fingers intertwining with mine.
Instead, I felt the cool, smooth, lightweight pressure of glossy paper.
A quick sideways glance unraveled the mystery: In my hand laid a Pottery Barn Teen Catalog.
The Back-to-School Edition.
Seriously??????
The Norman Rockwell moment shattered, I stared, horrified, at the catalog. It was still July, for the love of peace. When had this bit of autumn sensationalism found its way into our mailbox? For me, the first appearances of back-to-school catalogs in the mail and commercials on the television always induce a sense of panic. Though my rational side tells me that we still have almost a month together until I must send The Small One back to elementary school and The Twins off to middle school (gah!), my heart, without fail, begins to race.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ll be ready to boot The Cherubs out the door when the time comes. But I’m not usually in that frame of mind until mid-August.
Damn preppy catalogs. Why must they always rush things?
With these thoughts swirling through my mind, Twin A spoke again.
“I just love this part of summer,” she sighed. ”It’s Cozy-Q-Jack-O-Lantern Time.”
Uhhhh…come again?
Cozy-Q-Jack-O-Lantern Time?
I asked my daughter to elaborate.
“Oh…you know…The part of summer when I get to start thinking about the Labor Day parade, and back to school shopping, and what I want to be for Halloween. It makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. Like I just can’t wait until I can wear a jacket!”
Umm. Alrightythen.
Isn’t it the job of all children to want to squeeze every last drop of summer out of the final month of vacation? To dig in their heels and bemoan the fact that the pool will be closing in a matter of weeks?
Certainly not to embrace the advent of school with wide-eyed glee and weird seasonal nicknames. In July.
But then again, I suppose my Twin A has never been one to follow conventional wisdom.
How about you and yours? Are you anticipating fall with a Cozy-Q-Jack-O-Lantern attitude or with a Janet-Leigh-in-the-Shower one?
Inspired by a prompt from Mama Kat’s Writers’ Workshop: ”Ask your child what their favorite part of summer has been and then blog about it.”
Having homeschooled from K-12 I never had to worry with what most other moms have to face – back to school shopping or at least no on the same scale of things. But, all of our kiddoes looked forward to atumn simply because they hate the summer heat more than anything in the world. They in fact LOVE winter. In all fairness, though by the time the calender rolls over to June I’m begining to think about Christmas. I just don’t know why my brain is triggered like this, but it is. Oh well, I certainly enjoyed your write up – great job!
Just making my daily blog hop rounds. I hope you’ll decide to join in today’s post: Krispy Kreme & Images of a Summer Night Have a good day!
Wow. We are not fans of winter here in Chicagoland. Fall? We can do. Winter? I need to go get a sweater just to think about it.
OMGoodness!!! I love y’all.
My daughters(twins 15 years-old) and I are Cozy Q Jack O Lantern people and we make up terms like that!!!
My twins are grounded so hard right now, but they glimpsed Tom Daley.
And forgot all about 1D. yay.
I love that you used the phrase my daughter coined in a sentence of your own. Next stop…Webster’s Dictionary!
When you work every day, it’s even hard for me to tell what month it is.
And since I didn’t lose the weight like I had wanted, I guess I am looking forward to sweaters.
m.
Fair enough, Mark.
Ah, they surprise you every time, don’t they? I’m glad I’m not alone in my mixed emotions about fall coming – it is my favorite season, but it always seems to rush up so fast!
Exactly… *sigh*
Ok I absolutely love the name she came up with for the anticipation of fall. I have always (even as a kid) been a bigger fan of fall and winter than summer. I would start dreaming about school in July just like your twin. But I never came up with such a cool name for it! I’m totally gonna call it that now. Now, ask her what she calls dreaming about Christmas in October–particularly as soon as Halloween is over. SO I guess that would be November, huh? Anyways, I like the way she thinks
Hey, you! Thanks for stopping by the new(ish) digs. Will drop by this evening after I settle The Cherubs with movie & snacks.
ps – I asked Twin A what she would call premature holiday dreaming. She looked at me like I was nuts. “Mom. You don’t start thinking about Christmas in OCTOBER.” *eye roll*
Shopping and layering outfits? Heck, I wish we had 4 seasons here too!
On the one hand, I don’t know how you do it, Alison.
On the other? Permanent paradise? Me likey the sounda that.
I love how you told this, Sue. I’m with you about the back-to-school stuff. NOT ready yet! I’m squeezing out every last drop of summer!!
P.S. I didn’t even know they had Pottery Barn teen…I’m out of the loop
Ooooh, Jen. Do not let that catalog enter your home. Way cool, but per Pottery Barn rules, over-stinkin-priced.
I am not ready for summer to end. NOT, NOT, NOT! And neither are my girls. Yet. That week or two before it starts can go from “WE LOVE SUMMER” to “GOOD GOD LET IT END” pretty quickly sometimes!
Funny how that all turns on a dime, huh? Me, too, girlfriend.
OMG I love your daughter almost as much as I love you! That’s totally how I felt as a young girl and how I still feel. I crave that autumn feeling when the air turns crisp and the leaves are littering the back yard. And even though I love summer, for some weird reason, I find myself wishing for a snowfall in July. Of course, come three weeks into the winter season I’m wishing for a beach in Hawaii…
I think that’s how you have to be to survive life up in Siberia, Sandra. xo
Can I be both? Mostly, I’m just jealous that your daughter is old enough to be your drooling-over-Ryan Lochte cohort. They will still make athletes this hot in a decade or so, right?? (Just tell me yes, even if it’s not confirmed–this will make me feel better…)
I checked with the 2016 Olympic Committee, and the unanimous answer is YES. So there you go.
It’s not her fault, my friend. It’s Target’s. And Justice’s. And Holister’s. And Old Navy’s. FOR PUTTING UP ALL THOSE CUTE FALL OUTFITS in July! My daughter was ALL about the white jean jacket and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a degree under 98.
We just completed a mini shopping spree today. I’m fairly certain Twin A will have outgrown her new fall outfits by the time it’s actually cool enough to wear them.
I can’t believe it! I’m FINALLY in AUGUST!!!! It’s only taken me 3 HOURS exactly since I got your note. Thankfully I’m a fast reader.
However, I am NEVER truly happy to really be in August. When I was a kid (back in the dark ages) I ALWAYS looked forward to school and fall, but once I had kids of my own I never wanted vacations or summer to end. I really loved having them at home and doing things together. The end of summer was a tough time for me and still is. I like hot weather, steamy humidity and longer days. Completely weird I know!
Anyway, now I’m all caught up and ready for tomorrow!
Abi, I’m so glad to have you and your two cents back in the blogosphere. I’m flattered that you’ve rewound and caught up to this day. I’m sorry for neglecting to inform you when I fired things back up…please don’t be a stranger. xo
I am SO with you. I blogged (last year or the year before??? the booze—it blurs it all!) bc BJ’s (settle down, it’s like Costco) sent me some back to school/fall catalog in July. When you schlep through Northeast or Chicago winters, don’t you want–no deserve—to suck every last drop out of summer?!!!! That Pottery Barn tween catalog should be kindling!!
How-e-ver, your daughter sounds too cute—regardless of whether or not I understand her line of thinking! Perhaps some day she’ll be a forward thinking clothing designer—having to ponder about what will sell months in advance! And you shall reap the benies????
One can only hope, Janet. I like your positive spin on this issue.