Carpe Summer Diem

We were eating dinner around our kitchen table last night.  The amber glow of the sinking sun was highlighting our meal, gently shining on my children's faces, giving their eyes an extra twinkle, and making me want to grab my camera and capture the moment forever.  I fought the temptation, fully aware of the fact that I often forget to enjoy the moment that is happening because I am so busy trying to make it last longer than it naturally does.

Our home was filled with the smells that accompany a home-cooked meal, and the air rang with the laughter of a family that, for the moment at least, was content to just be together.  I watched Porter shake too much pepper on his corn on the cob, Adi eat a serving of cheesy rice without taking a breath, Piper pat Wyatt on his head as he shoved an entire crescent into his toddler mouth.  Orrin was quoting a line from the Princess Bride and I was marveling at the beauty of a laid-back summer night.

"There are only three weeks until school starts again," Adi proclaimed in between monstrous bites of her chicken crescent roll up.

This proclamation snapped me out of me quiet reverie.  "No there's not.  Summer just started," I said as I stood up to check our family calender that hangs loyally on the fridge.

"No, this has to be wrong!" Because arguing with a piece of paper has always worked for me in the past.

Sadly, Adi was right.  Three more weeks.  That's all.  Three more weeks until Adi starts fourth grade, Piper starts third, and my little buddy Porter begins his kindergarten adventure.

Three more weeks of jumping into swimming pools, splotchy sunblock, mid-evening runs to Target, melting Icees from Circle K, chapters of Harry Potter, playing Monopoly till I dream about Chance cards, dancing to Call Me Maybe...

It was too much for my little Mommy heart.

Tears filled my eyes and threatened to overflow.  Piper saw my emotional state and immediately tears began to drip down her red cheeks (no one cries alone when they're with Pipes).  Even Wyatt noticed the shift in the atmosphere and stopped rubbing rice into his hair long enough to stare at me.

I smiled brightly and told them that since it's nearly the end of summer break we had better start living each day to it's fullest.  Piper's face became thoughtful as she named a few things we had to do.  Soon everyone began listing things; some doable, some completely ridiculous that I laughed my loud, Courtney Cackle. 

We softly slipped back into our easy banter and smiling fun.  Yet, something had changed, for me at the very least.  There was now a countdown of these wonderfully long days.

And we are going to enjoy every second of it until the clock reaches 0- when the school reaches it's educational tentacles and wraps them firmly around my children's bodies and pulls them back into seven hour days away from me.

That night we went on a family walk right before bedtime- everyone save Orrin was wearing pajamas.  Porter collected pine cones and Piper talked non-stop about who she hopes will be in her class this year.  Adi walked silently next to me, slipping her tiny hand into mine occasionally, and then quickly pulling it away as she suddenly remembered that she was too old for that.  Oh, how I love moments like these.

And then, just like that, another day ended.