Schedule Collapse

As white-hot July melts down to hazy August, my carefully constructed summer schedule completely gives way. Gone are the mornings of swim practice, afternoons of baseball and swim team activities. Fading, too, are the summer rules of "no screens until 4pm" and "15 minutes of math every day." School starts for our kids in eight days, so our waking hours have devolved into a free-for-all of school errands, required reading (for the big kids) and last-ditch summer camps for which I alternately curse and bless my ambitious March self.

Aden has driver's ed classes all week, which still shocks me when I write it. My baby is going to drive a car? And share the road with crazies?  I'm not sure how it came to pass that her fifteenth birthday comes in a week and her learner's permit with it.  I don't know which bothers me more, that she's going to drive or that I have to clean up my act when I drive with her so I don't teach her the wrong stuff - i.e. the "California roll" or checking my email at long lights.

Way back in the spring when I ambitiously planned activities for all of the kids I signed William up for a writer's camp this week so that both the older kids would be busy and I could have some free time with Daniel. I neglected to account for the fact that writing camp is at Bookbar in the Highlands, a half-hour drive from our house (without traffic). Loathing the freeway, I decided to spend most of our time downtown within ten minutes of camp. Daniel and I have hit the Colorado History Museum (free for Colorado Day!) and the Children's Museum, as well as scouted out coffee shops and boutiques all along the hip street where Bookbar resides.

Daniel's having  a wonderful time and William doesn't complain too much because he gets to capture all of the Pokemons that live downtown. Today I've called "uncle" on museums and decided to spend time in an air-conditioned movie theater watching "The Secret Life of Pets."  Have to get in one more movie before school starts and we forget there's a world outside of our subdivision. Cheers to the last eight days .....