Measuring Life in Summers

I have a new measuring stick. It’s not a yard stick, or a ruler, or a tape measure. It’s called “summers.” That’s right — I am now measuring life in summers. You see, I just finished the registration process for my eldest child to begin high school. Suddenly, life has flashed before my eyes. All of the things that I’ve wanted to experience with him or show him, they have all come to the forefront of my mind. The countdown is on.

When you have babies and toddlers, time seems to drag. I was there in the trenches with you. My kids were born 17 months apart, and I can honestly say that life was a complete blur for about 2 years. Thank goodness we took loads of photos; otherwise, there would be no history of our life. At all. The days, during those years, were long. I still have such compassion for new moms.

When I look back now, I can understand the old saying “The days are short, but the years are long.” That one resonates with me … except that now, in my case, I feel that the days are short and so are the years!

As I’m pondering the ramifications of taking study hall versus an extra elective, and the psychological consequences of signing my child up for all Advanced Placement courses {and the 5 hours of homework each night}, I find myself sitting at the kitchen table scratching on a separate piece of paper all the things that I want to do with my son during the next four summers:

  • Take a long trip to the beach.
  • Visit Shanghai Disney.
  • Go snow skiing together. 
  • Teach him to type {and write in cursive}.
  • Take a mother/son trip to Kentucky.
  • Teach him how to cook.
  • Show him the ins and outs of laundry.

This is our remaining time as a family of four with none of the adult obligations that come with summers home from college. I know that once the graduation hat hits his head, we will be straight on to internships and all the things that college life brings. 

This realization has caused me to stop in my tracks. Literally. {Pass the wine, please.}

We have done a great job of taking once-a-year vacations, and I realize that is a gift, something that many families don’t have the luxury of doing. However, we’ve not been intentional about it, and I regret that a bit. Now that I have a deadline, I’ve hit a small panic button. I vow to be more intentional about how we approach our family time, especially since we really do enjoy one another’s company!

Moms of older kids, did registering your child for high school prompt you to look at your time differently?

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Stephanie C
Stephanie loves life and living it to the fullest. She always has something new going on, and it is probably the most random thing you’ve ever imagined! A native of Beaver Dam, KY, Stephanie stays busy with her family. She is wife to her hilarious husband Don and is the mother of two tweens – drummer son Avery and dancer daughter Piper. As a family, they enjoy anything fun-in-the-sun and annual trips to Disney World. She lives the good life in the suburbs of Houston and works full-time in the travel industry. A complete social media fanatic, Stephanie is always up on the latest technology. She is a living “Six Degrees of Separation” and seems to have some sort of obscure tie to most anyone you might ask about! Stephanie has been blogging since 2004 at StephanieClick.com. You can also find her @stephanieclick on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.

1 COMMENT

  1. I am really feeling this! This is where I am at right now as well. Hayden enrolled in high school classes before Easter, he graduates 7th grade next week, and I’m scratching my head and saying, “Where has the time gone?” Feels like we have so little time left in the grand scheme of things. I’ve been a weepy-eyed wreck for the last month, and I haven’t even hit the graduation ceremony yet. Today, the school called for a kindergarten pic of him, and I had to open that folder and look at that sweet face, when the future felt so far away. I’ve got such little time left now to get him college-ready and life-ready. (If there is truly such a thing). Every moment seems important right now.

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