For all intensive purposes, summer is over here at my house. In some ways I’m glad but mostly I’m sad. It didn’t feel like summer, especially considering the weather never really warmed up. This was the coldest summer in the San Francisco Bay Area in the past several decades, I don’t remember exactly how many years, but it’s been a really long time.

Mr. Bubbinsky has been back at work since August 2nd, we didn’t do much for the 3 weeks he was off after summer school ended and before he had to report back to work. Classes started this past Monday, he’s teaching one class in addition to his administrative duties. He’s teaching Spanish 3, which is relatively easier than teaching one of the history classes. He loves being able to stay in the classroom at least one class per year.

Monday was also the first day of Mr. Skinny’s sophomore year. I still have a hard time with the realization that he is 15 years old. I remember the first day of Kindergarten like it was yesterday, but it wasn’t. While at times I get sad at how much time has passed and how grown up he’s getting, I’m excited to see what this year brings, he’s already changed some of his habits from previous years. We’ve had our fair share of struggles with him and school. He doesn’t like school, he hasn’t liked school for a long time. I credit a bad experience with a teacher in 2nd grade with a lot of that. Not completely, but a lot.

I think Mr. Skinny is also having a hard time with transitioning from summer back to the school year. Transitions have always been hard for him, it takes him a little bit to adjust to a new school year. However, since he’s a teenager with crazy, raging hormones anyways, this year he’s acting out a bit more. We’re in a difficult position to maintain balance between staying consistent with consequences for behavior and understanding his difficulties with transition. There are still often many times when I just come to the conclusion that I just don’t know what to do. Parenting a teenager is hard.

Mr. Snugglebunny starts 2nd grade this coming Monday. He’s growing up a lot too. We had more to do to get ready for back to school with him. He’s going to a new school for 2nd grade, we moved a year ago and although we’re not terribly far from his old school the commute this past school year was getting to me. We know the principal at the new school and are in line with his educational philosophy so we know that we won’t have to worry about that at this school. A friend of mine from high school also has 3 kids enrolled so we’ve got some peer parental support also.

I enrolled in classes at the community college that start next week so it’s back to school for me also. I’ve got some online classes so it won’t be too difficult in terms of having to physically go to school. Last semester I was enrolled in two in-person classes and I wasn’t able to complete them due to the physical toll actually driving to school twice a week took. This semester will be better, I’m sure of it.

We did take two weekend trips. They’ll get their own posts.

Are you ready for summer to be over?