Birthdays and Ending Summer Vacation

 Summer vacation has blown through like a vapor in the wind.  This week has been back to school meetings for my job in the cafeteria.   I'm looking forward to seeing all the kiddos and getting those paychecks again.  My kids start school next week.  

As summer vacation winds down we are hit with a few birthdays.  One is my daughter's.   Last Monday she turned 11.  We made no plans for a birthday party with friends and she was bummed about that but we spent the day together as a family getting coffee, hot chocolate and a smoothie at a local coffee shop and when seeing they didn't have any good pastries available went to Dunkin for breakfast.   Spent some time hanging out opening gifts and playing games at home and then heading to the park before dinner at a hibachi grill.  That evening my daughter had a dance class and my son had his high school orientation and then we met back at home again for a chilled evening.   My husband made her a pig cake, her favorite animal, at her request.  

Yesterday we visited my dad for his 75th birthday.   3/4 of a century.  He's been having tough luck lately but I think we brightened his day. 

I've been thinking a lot about what this school year is going to look like and I have no idea what to expect.  The last few years were hard.  Now it seems everything is shifting back to normalcy, which is good, but I'm also preparing myself for whatever unexpectedness may be thrown at us again.  I'm looking forward to getting back to work but with limited staff and extra kids coming into the building it's going to be crazy, at least in the beginning until things get figured out.  My son is going into high school and my daughter is starting middle school and that is going to be an adjustment for them both.  

I've had so much time at home with my kids, which is good, but I think we are all in need of going our separate ways during the day and getting back into a daily routine.  My mood lately has been down and my mind has been discombobulated so I need to get out of the house and back to business.  I'm ready.  I'm also not ready.  Hello, my name is Dawn and I'm the most indecisive person you will ever meet.