Hey Neighbors–
I feel like I need to explain something to you.
There’s been a whole lot of noise and chaos and crazy coming out of our house lately, and I’m sorry.
Actually, thereโs always a lot of noise, chaos, and crazy over here, but lately, itโs been doubled.
Or tripled.
So I’m sorry if we woke your baby from her nap or interrupted your peaceful dinner.
Sorry if we scared your preschooler or freaked out your grandmother.
But friends, things get nuts around these places this time of the year.
Itโs the โChange-is-Loomingย Virusโ and we got it bad.
There’s been a ton of yelling. There’s beenย arguing. There’s been weepy walks to school. There’s been solo walks to school. There’s been silent, angry walks to school.
There’s been tear-streaked faces in the carpool. In the back seat and behind the wheel.
There’s been upset under this roof.
It’s been up.
It’s been down.
It’s been ugly.
There’s also been uncontrolledย laughingย over here. ย Followed quickly with wicked, ugly arguments. There’s been quiet conversation on theย trampoline. There’s been singing and dancing on the trampoline.
There’s been backflips in the back yard. Handstands in the living room. Cartwheels in the kitchen.
It’s been up.
It’s been down.
It’s been ugly.
You see, something crazy happens to families at the end of the school year.
For most of us, it’s an unwelcome,ย one-wayย rideย on theย Crazy Train, starting as soon as flowers start blooming until the final school bell rings.
Itโs not brought on by choice or chance but by the natural passing of time.ย By the shifting of the planets, the rotation of the moon.
It’sย happens almost immediately afterย trickyย May’s face appearsย on our calendar. When the pool opens. When we’re finishing spring activities but starting summer swim and dive.
When we’re all trying to wrap our heads around the fact that the end of the school year seems so close. . .
. . . but when we know that summer is still weeks and weeks away.
When we’re all trying to slowly let go of the schedule that we have come to know so well over the last nine months.
When everyone beginsย looking forward to the long, homework-free summer days, still knowingย that any change is hard. Is weird. Takes adjusting.
When we’re feeling ready to move on but still want toย hang out a bit rightย where we are.
When mountains of papers start coming home from school.
When afternoons are spent cleaning out desks and taking down bulletin boards.
When pencil cases filled with crayon bits and tiny, eraser-less pencils clutter kitchen tables.
When name tags are ripped off of folders and desks are cleaned with shaving cream.
When even the most formal of teachers start wearing shorts and tennis shoes to school.
When days are longer. When bedtimeย inches later and later.
When it’s ‘anything goes’ for lunches and every day is a double-dessert day.
When theย houseย is filled with too many shoes and one too many lonelyย flip-flops.
When afternoons smell like sunscreen and counters are freeze-pop sticky.
Whenย we’reย reconnecting with summer pals and and waving good-bye to school year carpools.
When we only know for sure where we’ve been and can’t pinpoint exactly where we’re going.
We only know it’s forward.
And sometimes even though forward is the natural way to go, it’s scary.
And weird.
And hard.
And so?
It’s been up.
It’s been down.
It’s been ugly.
We’reย sorry to drag you along for the ride. Because normally, we think we’re pretty decent neighbors.
Where we may lack in landscaping and lawn-cutting prowess, we feel we totally make up for it in the personality and fun department. ย Basketball hoop and trampoline? Check and check.
And?ย ย Just so you know, when the ugly Change-is-a-Looming Virus hits, the only cure is to let it pass. Slowly but surely it will.
And when it does? The ‘hood will be a bit quieter.
Until those Back to School signs start appearing and the virus hits again.
Cheers–
The Mascott Family
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migraines and kids: managing the ups and downs
