Tears of Joy

Summers are full of conflicting emotions around our house.

I am a summer guy. I absolutely love everything that comes with this time of year. I admit that I may be a bit more exuberant about summer now as a resident of San Diego than I was as a desert rat.

I tend to make a big deal out of all the tell-tale signs that summer approaches. The first day I arrive home from work and it's still light outside. The first trays of blueberries that appear at Costco. And I still cheer and dance around with the kids when school lets out for the summer.

As my excitement rises, a foreboding begins to build within Mindy. Because as a mother of 4 young kids, summer can mean only one thing.

2 1/2 months as camp counselor.

Every day waking up to the same dreaded question: Mom what are we going to do today?

So when the first day of school rolled around last week I had one excited girl - Mindy. The whole family walked to school where we dropped Paige (11) off for 6th Grade, Kate (8) for 3rd Grade and Garrett (5) for Kindergarten.


Garrett was the last to get dropped off. Surrounding us in front of the Kindergarten classrooms were many parents passing through the milestone of their first child entering elementary school. They were nervous, lingering as the kids went into the classroom, and yes several were shedding tears as their little babies marched into Kindergarten.


Mindy consoled a couple of her friends traumatized by leaving their kid. But as we walked back to the house she smiled and said:

Suckers!

Ryan will begin pre-school next week and for 3 days a week Mindy will be a free woman, at least a few hours.

As for me, my tomato plants are all done, it's dark when I wake up to work out, and peach season is ending.

I'm depressed.

Ying and Yang baby.