The Never Ending Summer

Today is August 30th and in a teacher's world that means that there is one more sleep 'til Christmas, er, the start of the school year. The classroom gets set up, there are reorientation meetings, catching up, greetings from the higher ups. Since I am one third teacher and three parts mother, my mind and body still goes into back to school mode at this point of the summer. The cool mornings and evening truly have some mental/chemical effect on me. But this summer, on August 30th, I am not thinking of the first day of school outfit, oh no friends, I'm packing. That's right, packing because we aren't yet done vacationing because this wondering, amazingly sunny and warm summer just won't end. And the school year doesn't start the day after Labor Day, no-no, we have all next week too. Next week when everyone we know is back at school. Well, not everyone, there are those people with whom Natalie goes to school--they will be home, too.

But my mind and my body, they are prepared to go back to school, because it is August 30th.

Back from the Dead

Today, the bro and I were enjoying some silly one-on-one time while Natalie was swept away on a playdate. He and I were tickling each other, and I was enjoying the best little baby boy laugh I know. It doesn't take much with him, and when he really gets going you can't help but laugh with him. And imagine my surprise, when through our laughter, I caught a glimpse of the hermit crab tank and noticed that a shell had a emerged on the left hand side. A shell that had not been there for at least a month. A shell that was buried far under the sand for so long, that the water had evaporated from the dish and assuming Hermie was dead, I never bothered to refill it. Yes, PETA folks, I neglected my hermit crabs...but they made their own graves and I assured myself it was not my fault, their lifespans must be short, and I should have been warned at the start of this very long summer.

(Sidebar: I have these shelled roaches for three more weeks since Natalie doesn't start school until September 13 - that's right 13th!!!!)

I literally gasped at the sight of this shell and all laughter stopped as the Bro and I carefully examined it from our side of the tank. I dared to take the lid off and actually picked up the shell to see if anything was in it. I mean there had to be, how else would the shell have gotten out of the sand, right? So I steeled my will and picked the shell up only to truly understand the term "heebeejeebees." Ew. One might have thought I was in a pit a snake or patch of spiders the way I dropped the shell, shook my entire body, and felt an immediate need to shower. Even the bro shook it off a little, and he eats ants. But I dare to say, I did in fact see a crab. One which I think struggled to dig it's way out of the sand to die, because it was weak and movement was limited.

Three weeks and counting and these heinous, half dead insect/crustaceans will be out of my life for good.

Bleh!

Down the Shore

Highlights:

• the perfect place to wear bright pink toes, made brighter by my ever deepening shade of brown skin
• beautiful weather six out of the seven days we were there
• the perfect backdrop for beautiful pictures of my children
• plenty of adults around so that I was able to go to the bathroom and shower whenever I wanted
• an early morning jog along the ocean's edge
• delicious egg breakfasts that someone else made for me
• butterfly potatoes
• a fresh caught fish dinner making the boys 9 hour absence well worth it
• watching the pure joy and excitement on Natalie's face while riding boardwalk rides
• mini golf

Lowlights:

• Seaside (except for the butterfly potatoes, cheese steak, and orange cream cone)
• Horseflies
• splinters on the deck
• breaking my tooth on a piece of peppermint salt water taffy
• it only lasted a week