A true confession from the Hoop-lah house

Summer is a contradiction that, depending on your age, either means freedom or cruel and unusual punishment.

For kids, they’re suddenly free to do the things on their to-do list:

1. Turn into screaming lunatics.
2. Argue nonstop.
3. Make a lot of noise and a big mess.
4. Whine constantly that there’s nothing to do or nothing to eat.

For parents at home, it creates a kink in the system. When you’re alone nine months of the year, you get used to solitude. It’s lonely, but darn it, you adjust. You talk to yourself or the animals and, strangely enough, no one talks back. You get to pick the TV show you watch during lunch. No one cares when you shower or if you run errands or work in your pajamas. Repeat after me: it’s LOUNGEWEAR people!

Then one day it changes. What seems like a lot of fun slowly evolves into a “how I did get here” situation, for which your life coach advises to just hang on until August. And now it's almost here. So it was with a spring in my step that I mailed registration forms this week. I think I overwhelmed the postman with my enthusiasm; trying to hug him was probably over the top. I paid the $100 enrollment fee, bought $50 worth of school supplies (and counting), and put some money into the online lunch account. I even have my first day of school outfit and agenda planned. I am ready to go.

So when you see those parents with crocodile tears, remember we love our babies, but the first day of school is secretly our favorite holiday.