Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Last Night of Summer

It's pitch black outside, and I can still hear my children squealing as they ride their bikes around the circle with the neighbor children. I should call them in and put them to bed, but tonight is the last night of Summer. (Sundays don't count.) Monday morning, Joanne, Lizzy, and Sarah head off to school; the rest of them start Wednesday. Play on, sweet peeps! Play as late as you want tonight. I hate to see Summer end, but I'm torn. The last two weeks, my little girls have lazed around complaining, "There's nothing to do," They avoid all forms of work and have tuned out the sound of my voice completely. Just last week I was complaining that I've had enough of summer. Now that it's really ending . . . I'm sad. I have loved the warm nights and hanging flower pots, hours and hours of play time, and the almost constant baking projects (the inescapable fate of a woman with 7 daughters). My kitchen never rests. Lately, we've had lemon bars and Margarita cupcakes,brownies, Texas sheet cakes (many), cookies of every variety (not always recognizable), and loaves and loaves bread (Sarah's newest venture). Somehow the cooking falls back to me when the sun sets earlier and everyone's in school. David just whistled out the window for everyone to come in. Lizzy yelled back, "But, Dad, we're playing Ghost in the Graveyard." "Okay," he said. I guess we're of one mind tonight.

7 comments:

Amy Martinsen said...

Well...you could move to Arizona and have two more months of Summer. [apparently I'm still hot and bitter] Did you actually say "hanging pots" as in "pots with growing plants in them that hang on one's porch"? Down in these parts we hang 'em up and watch 'em die.
I shouldn't be allowed to comment until mid-October.
Sorry
p.s. And I do understand that by the end of "Summer" you actually mean the beginning of school...it was just such a perfect forum for my ranting...who could resist?

Sally said...

So sorry, Amy, about the blasting, blinding, miserable heat. I don't miss that part. In February, when you're enjoying the scent of orange blossoms, I'll remind you why you live in Arizona!

R said...

Sigh... I could read your writing all day. I want to go back to being a kid and riding my bike around and playing outside all day.

Kathleen said...

I enjoy your blogs, Sally. Enjoy! For too soon the kitchen becomes a quiet place except for your steps and the bicycle stays hung in the garage (until the grandkids come along- Hooray.)

Amy's Paradigm said...

Sally,

I completely agree. I have never been more morose about summer ending. Stephanie left for college tonight (again). Somehow it seemed a little more real. She had planned to not come home until Labor Day (I know, two weeks), but since it is Jeremy's birthday she agreed to come back next week end. So I shouldn't feel like it is real for only five days. I think girls camp is about that long--but it does somehow.

btw-your yard is the perfect picture of summer. Please post a photo of all of your petunias before the frosts come.

Danae said...

That picture is So SWEET! I just love it.

Danae said...

That picture is SO SWEET! I just love it.