Summer is still here

Why oh why is everyone pronouncing summer over already? It certainly isn’t due to a shift in the weather. It’s still hot and sticky as far as I can tell, and our town pool is still open for business. Is it because school is in session? Here in New Jersey, school doesn’t begin until the day after Labor Day, and Levi doesn’t start preschool until the week after that because Jews don’t value education. There are schools across the land that have opened shop already or will do on Monday. We’re still on vacation.

A part of me envies the parents who enjoy a few childless hours once the kids are in school even if those hours involve grocery shopping or doing laundry or taking the older child’s clothes out of storage to pass on to the hand-me-down sibling. There have definitely been moments when I thought I couldn’t take another hour with the kids, but I can’t turn the page on summer just yet. Please don’t make me.

We have a week’s vacation in Northern Michigan still to come where we will do all sorts of summer-type things not to mention the Labor Day Weekend plans. So I’m still wearing white, I’m still working the tan and I’m still shvitzing in unladylike places. So, when you say “I can’t believe summer is over,” I’m saying, “La la la. I can’t hear you! Summer is still here, so hmm! (insert punctuated, staccato head nod to the side)”

I should be packing for our trip right now. We leave at the crack of ass in the morning. Gabriella has already given me that look - that what are you doing on that computer that it is more important than packing right now? look. Before I started jotting down this blog entry, I was catching up on this season’s Project Runway. I have yet to miss a season, and I was woefully behind. “As soon as this episode is over, I’ll get to packing,” I told her. “I’m taking a break after doing umpteen loads of laundry. Can you please cut me some slack? Get it? Project Runway? Cut me some slack?” She was not amused.

Umpteen is my new favorite number.

To be fair, Gabriella does the actual packing. I do the list making and collecting of clothes and toiletries and all miscellaneous items. Packing is not complete until I have covered our bed with piles of stuff. I have, in the past, tried to put said stuff into suitcases myself, but Gabriella is horrified by my lack of Tetris skills and refuses to allow me packing rights. The only downside of relinquishing packing privileges to Gabriella is that she has ultimate say over how much I can bring. I have mentioned in the past that I am only to bring 2 pairs of shoes including the pair I choose to wear en route. That kind of blows, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice so I can focus what the boys and I are going to wear and what accessories we require. I’m the visionary, and Gabriella’s the implementer.

Deborah: Gabriella, I’m describing our packing roles. Are you ok if I refer to myself as the visionary and you as the implementer?

Gabriella: (eye roll) Fine. Why do you even ask me?

D: So readers know that I’ve vetted the description.

G: Are you finished visualizing now?

D: Yup. All set.

G: Great. I’m going to go implement.

4 people. 8 days. Well visualized and expertly implemented.