School's Out For the Summer

I get it now.  

I understand why, when the children run with glee from the school to begin summer vacation, parents groan and wring their hands.  Because it hasn't even been 24 hours since Cael's preschool closed for the summer, and he's already driving me crazy.

I swear it was yesterday that I wrote about my apprehension as I prepared Cael for school that September morning.

But if it didn't seem possible then that he was old enough for school, it certainly doesn't seem possible now that he has one whole year under his elastic band belt.

To celebrate, his preschool class met at a large park in town and had a picnic, playtime with friends, and an opportunity for me to see just how he behaves with his classmates.

And a chance for me to contemplate homeschooling.

Not for his sake, of course.  I'd be awful at it.  I lack the patience and self-confidence it would take to impart knowledge upon him other than how to put on his sandals and dominate in Angry Birds.  No, I briefly considered homeschooling for the overwhelming benefit of the other tiny people trying to learn and not growing intellectually by hearing Cael shout loud statements of nonsense like, "You eat a burger!  I'm gonna punch tiny babies!"

That doesn't make anyone smarter.

He knows how to turn it off, of course, and I hope beyond hope that he turned it off this year as his teachers read books and counted, recited the alphabet and sorted shapes.  Because telling a friend, "I'm gonna take you down to Chinatown!" when they knock over your blocks won't raise your IQ. 

At least I don't think it will.  But then again, I'm no teacher.

So kudos to the women that put up with his antics for a year without the reciprocation of wet kisses and nighttime snuggles.  I'll do my best to cherish this summer as time to reconnect with him and prepare him for the year to come and a period of learning. 

{{CRASH}}

Okay, so... I'll do my best to keep him alive.  Wish me luck.