I suppose I am a strange mother but I was always actually sad when my children had to go back to school. I would never admit it to them because I would also be the first one to tell them to go and be as well educated as possible. My husband also feels the same way about their schooling; it comes from a shared desire to have our children have it better than we did.
"Come one guys it's getting dark," I call out for my children. I actually took them down to Druscilla's Pond for one more night swim before school starts back up in the morning. It has been a very warm Labor Day weekend and I find swimming to be a very calming thing for the children.
"Oh, come on!" Came the cries of all seven of them.
"Just five more minutes?" Erin asked, pleading so pitiful.
"Yeah, mom, please?" Elizabeth asked, following her older sister's lead.
"Just a little while longer," I say, giving in.
"Thanks, mama!" All the kids shouted before they went under again.
The last one to go under was my John-Boy. The last one to go under but the first one to be leaving me. I don't know where the time has gone because it seems just yesterday when he was Elizabeth's age. Elizabeth is giving me grief because her very first day is tomorrow and she will likely be the last to leave me. She came up from the water before anybody and spit out a mouth full of water.
"You all right, honey?" I ask, a little concerned.
"Yeah, mama," she says as she swims away from me again. Yup, she was fine. She is a strong-willed little girl; I find her to be a mix of Mary Ellen and John-Boy, personality wise and a mix of Ben and Erin looks wise.
I see Jim Bob coming up out of the water on Jason's shoulders. Jason spun him around and caused Jim Bob to laugh out loud. It made me smile to see my boys enjoy each other's company. I see Mary Ellen and Ben down at the deep end racing each other back to the shallow end. My two biggest troublemakers in competition with each other; how appropriate! Erin is just soaking up what was left of the sunset while she took her place on a boulder by the shoreline. She looks like the princess she likes to think she is sometimes.
"Ready when you are, mama," John-Boy says out of nowhere.
"Ready now?" I ask not only him but all my children.
"I guess," mumbled most of them as they swam to meet me at the shoreline. I give them each a towel to dry off with and we are ready to head back to the house. I pick up my bundled up Elizabeth while the children follow behind us.
"When we get home, I want all of you to go upstairs and wash up."
"Why?" Jim Bob asks, whining.
"Because y'all aren't going to school dirty tomorrow!"
"All right," he says, giving in.
Sometimes on a hot summer's night or day, the walk to and from Druscilla's Pond can seem endless but not tonight. It felt like we arrived back at the house too soon. I sigh deeply as I put Elizabeth back down and Mary Ellen naturally has to start chaos.
"I get first dibs in the bathroom!" She screams, making a mad dash.
"Not fair!" Erin follows and screams after her. "I've got to wash my hair, too and my hair is just as long as yours!"
"Mine, too, both of you!" said Elizabeth as one by one they entered the house complaining about Mary Ellen being first. I don't think I'm sad anymore about them going back to school.
"This will all be over tomorrow," my husband's voice booms out of nowhere. Turns out he had been sitting on the swing the whole time. I walk over and take a seat next to him.
"I know," I say, giving my husband a kiss and nestling close to him.
"You really wouldn't trade these summers for anything, would ya?"
"Nope."
