Summer Winds Down....

Team WestEnders returned from our Mexican escapade exhausted but content...and also a bit stunned when faced with the inescapable reality of having only one more week left until the end of Summer. Yikes! Seven days to fit in...cool, exciting...stuff...we haven't gotten around to yet! So much to accomplish--where to start? Well, actually we began with the very critical "rest up" portion of our agenda. We took a couple of days to recoup, hanging close to home and attempting nothing more strenuous than refilling the refrigerator, laundering the vacation clothing, watching English-language TV (to the boys' great relief), and catching up on some leisure reading. (Even Husband, who somehow ended up with a nasty cold...that didn't rear its ugly head until he was supposed to return to work...hmmm, suspicious? Whatever--he needed the extra downtime just as much as the rest of us!)

Then...boredom hit. Okay, I admit, it was ME--I only have so much tolerance for "sitting around being unproductive" before I become antsy for a To-Do List to occupy my time and attention. Yeah, yeah, it's a Fatal Character Flaw, but what can you do? Well, I'll tell you: you can drag your sons to lovely Seneca Creek Park and force them to hike with you, that's what. While we take Trail Walks on a regular basis, this time the process required an extra Negotiation Step. It seems everyone was tiiiirrrreeed and concerned that we not traipse too far--you know, while "enjoying the cool, shady woods and the gorgeous weather". I proposed 4 miles; they groaned and pantomimed throwing themselves on the ground in agony; they countered with "3 miles"... and we settled on 3 1/2. (Turns out that traumatic discussion was much more difficult than the actual exercise...)

Next there was Open House at Riley's school, to locate your classroom, meet your teacher, drop off your supplies so your backpack isn't bursting on Day 1...etc. But this event really only served to reinforce the fact that the academic year merry-go-round commences spinning on Monday, so we  did kind of a quick-strike: get in, say "hello", get out. (No students were harmed, so we considered the mission a success.) Later that night, all four of us headed to our very last Cultural Event of the Summer: a free performance of Romeo & Juliet at our local theatre. Now, Derek of course did the expected pre-teen boy thing, and protested vigorously about being commanded against his will to sit through a Shakespearean love story. Riley, on the other hand, was psyched. And both of them ultimately enjoyed the show--perhaps aided by the modernized dress and props...including Mr. Capulet dispersing the party invitations via e-mail on his Blackberry! (I'm not sure if Will would be rolling over in his grave...or tweeting his approval from the Beyond...)

A few scant hours later, after sleeping off the Olde English, Derek and I arose on Saturday morning to attend a volunteer opportunity. (I know, the last Saturday morning before school, and soccer--seems almost like Kiddie Torture, right?) A local Nature Center was sponsoring a session of "invasive plant removal"...yeah, that's right, Weed Pulling 101. Well, sign us right the heck up! When we arrived, we were issued gloves, given an orientation into the harmful flora that was overwhelming the "desirable native species", and instructed to pretty much have at it. I've gotta say, it was strangely satisfying to rip those suckers out, clearing the undergrowth for the preferred plants to take back the woods. The only downside was that on this particular day we were targeting Wineberry, which sounds gentle and picturesque...but happens to be covered from one end to the other in sharp prickles. (I proudly wear my scratches like badges of honor in the War on Bad Bushes!) The two naturalists who manage the program kept up a running commentary about the wildlife and vegetation that they're trying to protect--so it was just heavenly for me: supporting the Great Outdoors, getting some fresh air and exercise, and hearing a free lesson on Environmental Biology on top of it all. Nature Geeks, rejoice! (Oh yeah, and Derek chalked up some SSL hours too...that was the original purpose, after all...)

Finally, one last shebang, to celebrate Riley's special day. What better way to say Happy 9th Birthday and also So Long Summer, than with family, friends...and CAKE? We all agree that this was the fastest school break we've ever experienced. It just flew by, without dragging toward the end the way it usually does--as we increasingly annoy each other and become jaded toward the unstructured lifestyle. Usually, the kids eventually come around to actually anticipate the back-to-school festivities. This year, not so much...which is too bad, since August 27th will arrive (tomorrow!) whether we're mentally prepared or not. Backpacks are loaded, lunches are assembled...so for one more day, let us eat (leftover) cake to commemorate our very last day of freedom!