A Look of Disdain

He’s got a withering look nailed down, this cat of mine with a mind of his own.

It’s that point in the summer when the days are perfect and filled with summer goodness here in Northern Minnesota:  berries to pick, friends to spend time with, jam to make, grass that’s still green and lush, a Lake that can be waded in for a few minutes without legs that seize up.  It’s also that point in summer when I start to panic.  How many beautiful days like this do I have left before winter sets in?  How many relaxed and busy days before school starts and all my waking hours turn into a grind of structured work?  How many days do I have left to sleep in until 7:30 a.m.?  Or maybe even 8:30 a.m.?  What about all the things on my list of things to do with my kids this summer?  We haven’t done hardly any of them!

Then I start to get anxious, and being anxious makes me grumpy.

What a waste!  I should just enjoy the beautiful summer days!  What am I worried about winter for?  I LIKE winter and cold weather!  Ice and snow are beautiful.  (The only thing I don’t like is the lack of daylight).  I like that my kids have the privilege to go to school to learn from many great teachers, and this year I’ll even have a few scheduled  hours to work at home without any kids at all when Mr. TOF heads off to preschool, which he is incredibly excited about.  True, I will be rising early and going to bed late, but there are days here and there when I will still be able to sleep in.  It’s true there are many things I’d still like to do with my kidlets this summer, but actually, we HAVE done a lot of really neat things together.  I haven’t been wasting any summer days.

There, now I feel better.  And I’m off to enjoy the rest of my beautiful August.  I used to hate the dry, crackly month of August, but here in Northern Minnesota  it is actually one of the most comfortable months for being outside.  We’ve had a string of days at a perfect 75 degrees for weeks!  The sunshine is plentiful.  The plants are not withering.  The Lake sparkles deep blue.  Ahhhh, yes!  I will be procrastinating school shopping for a few more weeks, friends.