Pre-School Countdown
August 1 Realize July is over. Mourn.
August 2 Emerge from email hibernation. Notice huge number of messages, which require a response. Close computer. Play ping-pong with son.
August 3 Decide one more day of summer is not a bad idea. Deliberately avoid thinking about school.
August 4 Pack all unread books into boxes to prepare to return home.
August 5 Notice one book looks compelling; begin reading it. Read it to the exclusion of all other obligations including feeding pets, child or husband.
August 6 Plan Leadership Retreat; recall first years of headship when this felt like a major accomplishment. Listen to Just Mercy on the five-hour drive home. Get lost slightly on purpose in order to listen longer.
August 7and August 8 Leadership Retreat; feel glad to be reunited with all these smart people. No food in fridge; eat crackers for dinner topped by tiny bits of avocadoes. Pretend to unpack. Pile unread books where fish tank will need to go next week.
August 9 Head back to summer house for last hurrah. Construction on Rte. 80. Of course.
August 10 Get work accomplished on rainy grey day. Daydream about when school started after Labor Day.
August 12 Husband needs 100 AAA batteries to light float for the float carnival that evening. Resist rolling my eyes. Cheerfully acquire batteries. Float, paddled by daughters, with son in leading role, does win a prize.
August 13 Attend first yoga class in too many years taught by my daughter. Re-acquaint myself with muscles long forgotten. Drive back to OH.
August 14 Reel from events in Charlottesville Attempt to welcome faculty and staff back to another year. Worry about the world. Welcome sister in law and niece.
August 15 More meetings. Sister in law and niece drive down to Kenyon College.
August 16 Husband and son return home with fish. Relocate pile of books. NYC Friends spend the night on their way to drive son to college in Colorado.
August 17 Try not to bug son about summer reading. Fail. Forget wedding anniversary. Another fail.
August 18Fall asleep at 9:00 p.m.
August 19 Sleep until 9:00 a.m. After watching soccer game, do nothing productive.
August 20 Spread belongings around myself in family room; focus on the new school year. Restrict constant Facebook checks. Realize we have no eclipse glasses. Avoid doing schoolwork by recollecting the last few weeks.
Headmistress at work--sort of.