Whatever Happened To The Lazy Days of Summer?

It isn’t even June yet and I already feel like the summer is rushing by. The kids, while happy to be out of school, are scheduled to the hilt; The Girl is attending volleyball camp this week and the Man-Cub starts wrestling camp next week. The Cub also has Boy Scout camp later in June and baseball games every Monday and Friday night throughout the month. The Girl, in a protest against having to attend daycare “like a baby”, has started working at the hardware store in the afternoons following camp.

She’s eleven and she’s making more money than I made at eighteen (oh yeah, I didn't have a job, so um, yeah; never mind). Of course, Hugh plans to split her checks into money which she can spend and money that goes directly into her savings account, but, still; she’s got some responsibility and she’s getting rewarded for doing a good job. Granted, she has only been employed for three whole days but; she appears to enjoy the work and she’s managed to keep from getting underfoot so, fingers crossed. Because, I mean, really; think of the money I’ll save on daycare! And, you know, about how good it is for her to develop a strong work ethic. Yeah, that’s what I meant.

Where was I? Oh, yes, the Incredible Shrinking Summer Season. We do actually want to get in some fun time before the children have to go back to school and it is looking more and more like we will have to schedule that in order for it to happen. Gah. I miss the slow, lazy summers of my childhood and only now realize that they were probably not all that slow and lazy for my parents.

Perspective is such a bitch, as is life, often enough.

Speaking of which, the brother of High School Boyfriend passed away this weekend. He was only 38; too young to die of anything let alone of lung cancer but, there you have it.

I loved High School Boyfriend’s brother like, well, a brother. He taught me how to drive a stick-shift when High School Boyfriend proved too impatient to do it himself and, in reference to a private joke between the two of us; took to calling me Sunshine! everytime he saw me. Every time and always with the exclamation point, always. He knew that it annoyed his brother to no end yet, he never got out of the habit; when I saw him three years ago, he embraced me in a bear hug and hollered Sunshine! You look great! He was sweet and funny and sensitive and I will miss him.

Ironically, I don’t miss High School Boyfriend so; maybe perspective isn’t such a bitch after all.

Sunshine! out.