Finish Strong!

"Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory." -William Barclay

There are officially 26 days of school left. How do I know this? Because today marks the beginning of the 4th grade ABC countdown. My older children look back to their 4th grade year as the funnest school year ever. My now 4th grader has been anticipating these last 26 days of school for sometime. 

We moms look upon the 4th grade ABC countdown as the moment all learning ceases, thus triggering the onslaught of one big fat party. It is now my job to check the calendar each morning to determine whether my son gets to wear crazy hair to school, bring bubble gum, wear orange, bring an egg covered in bubble wrap for the egg drop contest, bring a picnic lunch, bring a bag of munchies, or wear his pajamas to school for a read-a-thon.

The teachers plan to squeeze in at least four field trips in these last 26 days of school. This means at least four days of leisurely chatting in secluded corners for the teachers, while we volunteer parents spend such days frantically scanning the Dinosaur Park and other fun venues for our child, as well as the three other children placed under our care. I would quit volunteering except that I'm afraid the year that I decide not to chaperone is the year my son drowns in the raging river bordering the park, or at the very least, gets eaten by one of those massive dinosaur statues.(Refer to above photo)

Now all of this would be no big deal, except that I have counted four orchestra concerts, a violin recital, and a piano recital, as well as the 6th grade play and 4th grade program between now and the end of the year. On top of that, we are in the middle of end-of-level testing. So it is "vital" that my children go to bed at 8:00 each night, eat a full breakfast filled with protein, whole grains, and anti-oxidants, as well as bring a backpack to school filled with healthy snacks and peppermint gum for maximum brain function.

Did I mention that we have 2 AP exams coming in the next two weeks? I will be quizzing my daughter nightly on all of this great country's acts, compromises, wars, and treaties. I think there is a school dance in there somewhere, as well as some big symphony audition in Salt Lake at some point.

And all of this craziness would be no problem, except that even though all learning has ceased, the homework has not. Apparently the teachers are trying to maintain some sort of facade that learning is still in full force, if not in the classroom, then at least on the home front. 

I don't know that I projected accurately when Neil and I were, steadily, every two years, bringing these little bundles of happiness into the world. I don't think I quite projected the utter insanity that I was getting myself into. And I don't think I projected how stinkin' fun such insanity could be with this batch of spunky spirits we were giving life to. (I'm speaking of everything but the homework, naturally.)

I tell my burned out teenager to "Finish Strong". The question is whether her burned out mother has the strength to follow her own advice. Oh blessed summer, please hasten your arrival!