Mulligan! I want to re-do my summer . . . .

   As the first emails and flyers start to show up announcing Back to School orientation meetings and school supply lists, it suddenly hits me that in 3 weeks, summer will officially be over for our household.  What the heck happened here?  We haven't even hit the swimming pool or the beach yet!

   What a year it has been.  I had a miscarriage in November.  In the Spring my father in law started to develop severe back pain, and will need to have steel rods placed in August.  He can't even sit in a chair for more than a minute or two.  We have had happy chaos in that we closed on our new home, which we awaited for 3 long years of red tape, at the end of May.  Will the unpacking ever, EVER end??  Just as Dad started to improve, my mom had a stroke last week (on my birthday, no less), and now our family is in upheaval with this new tragedy.

   I sort of feel like we "skipped" summer . . . I am NOT ready for school to start up again so soon!  Back to the daily rush of work, homework, dinner, more homework, Mommy's "homework" (all that junk the school sends home for US to do), laundry, laying out tomorrow's clothes, remembering who's got after-school activities tomorrow . . . yick!  My head is reeling just thinking about it.