The sound of voices drifts into my room. Stretched out on my back, I’m still enjoying the comforting embrace of our brand new mattress. At some point in the past hour, a cup of coffee appeared on my nightstand.

One thing I love about summer is how Charlie’s and my morning routines get reversed. Every morning during the school year, I get up before the sun to get kids ready. Since I’m up first, I make the coffee and deliver his first cup to him in bed.  But during the summer, the kids and I sleep in. And Charlie ends up being the first person up. Thus, he makes the coffee and delivers to me. It’s glorious, and it’s almost over for this year.

I can’t believe that summer is coming to a close. So much of it was taken up with preparations to move, the move itself, and all the unpacking (which still isn’t done). No time for a family vacation – but then we did move to the lake and get a boat, so… life here is kind of its own vacation. Plus, my sister and her family are coming for a visit in just a few days. We’ll get to enjoy our place with them for a whole week.

And then the kids start school on August 8. Brand new grades and brand new schools. We’re all a little nervous about it, but I’m choosing to believe that their transition will be smooth.

By the time I sit up, my coffee has cooled. So I walk out to the kitchen to microwave it. At the table I find Charlie with his computer, and Hannah with a book and a bunch of torn-up post-it notes. She’s reading aloud – a recipe, it becomes apparent.

“Stir until the sauce reduces by at least half…”

I heat up my coffee and join them. Hannah marks this recipe with a post-it and turns to me. “I’m looking at dinners that I want to try to make with Daddy.”

The season changes, and the kids grow older. Moments together become precious. In ll days, everything will be different. So we’ll savor the time and make memories with the cousins next week.

How about you? Is your summer about to come to a close? Or are you “normal” and have until September before school starts? (I still don’t get why we Southerners start school in the hottest month of the year – in one of the hottest regions of the country.)

Oh, and have you gotten sick of the kids yet? (Most days, I have to CHOOSE to savor the moments. Because what I want to do is banish the hooligans.)

A change is in the air is originally posted at: The Red Clay Diaries - Rambling down the dirt road of life Copyright 2007-2011. Use only with permission. Follow me on Twitter. I'm redclaydiaries