It's Been That Kind of Summer

Summer is almost over! How did that happen? I still have a pile of school work from last year to decide what to do with (sadly, I suppose the recycling bin is the option)! Some moments I am excited to see them go: to get into a routine, to have that 2 1/2 hours of child-free time EVERY SINGLE DAY. Then other moments I am sad that it is over - I want them to experience more summer. Some how, even though we seemed busy everyday, I feel like they didn't experience enough. Even though I tried to balance scheduled activities with unscheduled activities, I feel like we didn't have enough of either. Even though it felt like we were running around all summer, I feel like we didn't do enough. Somehow, even though I have piles of beach/pool towels and bathing suits to wash, I feel like we didn't spend enough time at either.

Maybe it's because of my disbelief of how quickly summer ended that I almost forgot to go to my son's preschool orientation day. Maybe it's because my brain has been off all summer that I almost forgot to turn in the preschool paperwork that will give me those 2 1/2 hours every single day. Maybe it's just been that kind of summer. The kind of summer that I triple book myself on a given day and almost forget to do all three things.

Thanks to a Facebook post, I was reminded of the orientation with one hour to spare. Just long enough to beg a neighbor to watch the older kids, send them off on their bikes, shower, scrounge the house for the needed paperwork (birth certificate, utility bill, shot records, physical form, etc), go to the wrong door at the school, and still only be 10 minutes late (that's practically on-time for me). It's been that kind of summer.

And here he is checking out the preschool playground, happy and excited to start school. Note that to prepare him for the day, I threw a collared shirt on top of his bathing suit and tee shirt. He is still wearing miss-matched shoes. It's been that kind of summer:

If Clichés Came In An Adam Levine Package

According to my social media feeds, Maroon 5 was in town this week – stopping at the Children’s Hospital before the concert. Seems like a great time to write the blog that’s been festering in my mind every time I hear a particular Maroon 5 song on Radio Disney.

Every line of the song is a cliché! Here’s the first several:

I know your insides are feeling so hollow

And it's a hard pill for you to swallow, yeah

But if I fall for you, I'll never recover

If I fall for you, I'll never be the same

I really wanna love somebody

I really wanna dance the night away

I know we're only half way there

But you can take me all the way……

Obviously, Adam Levine did not get the memo that there is a literary war against clichés going on? Doesn't he know that any artist worth his salt should avoid clichés? Clearly, he hasn't read my blog on the subject: Cliche Cached Computer. Or maybe he just doesn't care – he is Adam Levine, after all!

Really, what is the big deal about clichés, anyways? If all clichés came wrapped in an Adam Levine package, I’ll take them!

Fine! I am no Adam Levine (or the female equivalent) and UPS will not be delivering an Adam Levine package to me any time soon (maybe FedEx will?). So, I suppose I will continue to avoid clichés in my writing. Pout.