Bittersweet Summer's End

Throughout the years, I often feel like 'bittersweet' is the prefect word to describe motherhood. Oh the sweetness of these years, of this journey, is a joy I would not trade for anything...and yet in living it, there's always a tad of 'bitterness' knowing that it's temporary/fleeting - that I'm working myself slowly out of a job.  These precious years are numbered, which both inspires me and pains me as I attempt to live these motherhood years so fully. 

I feel the end of summer and the beginning of the school year is wrapped up in this word, bittersweet, so perfectly. The dictonary defines it as both both pleasant and painful or regretful. That is how I feel. Totally.

In so many ways, I could not have asked for a more perfect summer. We travelled, we tried new things, we laughed, we played, we relaxed and we had a great time.  But honestly, the days I cherish the most in my heart, are the simple ordinary days of our summer. Like today. Of them sleeping in, then watching some Wizards of Waverly Place in their pjs. Of them making pancakes for breakfast (and fighting throughout the process). Of us taking Mike lunch at work, then spending the afternoon painting their nails with 'tiger colors' for the first day of school. Of them playing with their friends in the basement, (Super Mario was a summertime favorite this year). Of family dinner around the table. These are the days I cherish and beg my brain to commit to memory so that I can pull them out and wrap up in them at a future date.

Sarah had her open house tonight. And we already know she has a fabulously, fun teacher this year. You see, we got lucky again, as she was Morgan's teacher two years ago! ! After open house, we finally took the girls to the 'tropical sno' stand that opened this summer in the parking lot of the local grocery store. They'd been asking all summer to go (I think they'd finally given up hope!). It was the perfect conclusion to a beautiful summer.

And tomorrow morning...a new chapter unfolds...and as I wrote on facebook earlier this week...Ready or not, the page is turning, as we venture out to middle school this morning to pick up a class schedule. As I reluctantly turn this page, I do so with hope and anticipation that the values we've placed within her will be her strength and her guide in these transition years to come. And I'm definitely covering her in prayer!