Are YOU ready?

  Interesting day today... Interesting summer these past couple months.  Tonight summed up my reaction to summer while I was walking my kiddos through the school halls for Open House and another mom smiled and asked me "Are YOU ready?"  Of course I knew she was asking if I was more than anxious to have the children back in school and I only briefly hesitated before smiling and answered, "Ya know...it's been a GREAT summer!  It went way too fast!"

  The cool thing about that response... I meant it from the bottom of my heart!

   To be sure- we had our moments: 5 ticks removed from the family as a whole, after our annual trip to Cook Forest- one of those bites ensured a trip to the E.R. due to the pink raised rash indicating Lyme's disease... no worries, antibiotics work wonders!  There was 1 swallowed plastic blow-dart tip.  This caused yet another trip to the E.R.- again, all is well- the digestive tract of a six-year old is miraculously resilient.  We averaged an estimated 20 shoes/flip-flops (per month) chewed just beyond the point of usage by our newest member of the family- MILLIE our five-month old chocolate lab.  We heralded in 2 new scrapes of white vinyl fence tattooed on our van by our 16 year-old, permit-carrying, eldest son.  However these minor set-backs were easily outshone by a zillion fireflies which deserved the countless oohs and ahhh's followed by at least 6 mason jars zinging around the yard in attempt to catch nature's teeny flashlights.  Of course we had the expected countless sibling squabbles.  However, those were quickly squashed by my mantra "When you are nicer to your friends than you are to your brothers and sisters you LOSE your friend privileges."  Amazing how the laughter that rings from inside the pool walls seems to echo louder than the arguments already forgotten as a new cry for "WHIRLPOOL" is hurled and the "sibling-only" masses all head in the same circular direction to create an undertow worthy of calling out the Coast Guard as the same crew now fights the "flow" with the new command, "SWITCH!" 

  My secret to sanity in these summer months?  It was a realization I had years ago while I felt the temptation to throw my hands up in surrender.  I envisioned my children in their weakness...with their ability to throw tantrums and drive me crazy- and it hit me- I am their MOTHER.  Who else could see their beautiful talents and gentle spirits DESPITE the kicking and screaming happening in that moment?  Who else could love them through the bad mood they were exhibiting during any particular hour knowing full well that when the stormy hormones had passed they would curl up in my offered hug and offer an apology... probably as confused by their inability to control their emotions as their willingness to atone for it.  It is MY privilege to get to hang-out and witness, first-hand, the growth that each of these young humans are experiencing on a daily basis.  I GET TO influence and encourage the amazing contribution to the whole society that these children are growing into. And in the same way I am their MOTHER...they are MY people... my PEEPS, my crew, the group I choose to call my own.  They have my back in their tiny (though swiftly growing larger) hands.  I love them- the good and bad.  And they accept me- the good and grouchy.

  And it is with this realization that the days of summer pass swiftly as we expect nothing other than to see where the day at hand will take us.  We keep it simple, give each other a chance at forgiveness- and let the squabbles go.  We have learned to see the beauty in our flowers, the shapes in the clouds, and the joy in living with your best friends.

  Am I ready to see them board the school bus again?  I will miss them.  I will welcome the new joys that come with this season that is inevitable...the season of learning.  Yet, I believe at times- it is I that have the most to learn- from THEM...those that are "my Peeps."