The Last Weekend Before The Last Weekend Before School

The Bear is 8 days away from 2nd grade.

Am I battling a conflict of emotion?  Not really.  I’m battling a fear of mayonnaise.

I’m 8 days away from having to get my ass out of bed before 7am.  8 days away from making lunch before I eat breakfast.  Mayonnaise tastes fine enough when the sun is straight above, but its texture and smell – oh that smell – is way gross when you’re still rubbing sleepies outta your eyes. [please, for heaven's sake, don't even mention Miracle Whip]

The summer was a short one.  We knew this.  The mere 8 weeks didn’t come as a surprise but when you’re down to the final 1 and the reality of a necessary routine sets in, well, it kinda sucks. There’s no cute way to say that.

We had some fun over the last 50 days but this particular fun, most all of it involving extensive travel, prevented us from finding a simple rhythm to our days.  Remember Camp Daddy?  Yeah, that didn’t exactly happen.  Not to the grandiose level which we’d planned anyway.  And even though I know the daily arts&crafts were replaced with cool concerts, moonbounces, paddle boats and swimming pools I still kinda feel like a deadbeat dad.  This even though the girls don’t feel nearly as letdown as I feel a letdown-er.

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The glue sticks, color-coordinated folders, and the rest of the back to school shopping has been completed.  I was about to take the Bear uniform shopping yesterday but before we left I pulled all of last school year’s apparel from her drawers and guess what – it all still fits!  We don’t have to buy a single overpriced thing.  [wipes forehead]  The money we saved was promptly wasted on a mediocre dinner out.  At least there wasn’t any mayo involved.  I’ll be seeing enough of that real soon.