Beauty for Ashes

Today I will be in Skagway, Alaska. While my parents take a 3.5 hour train ride, Michaela and I will be panning for gold, seeing some sled dog puppies, and experiencing what it's like to be in 40 degrees below zero temps - like the mushers and their dogs. Don't worry! From what I could tell when I booked the excursion we'll wear heavy parkas and walk through a big freezer. Ha!

However, next week I'll report back to work and then we'll be on that treadmill called "real life" for another ten months. I'll be learning the ropes as a middle school teacher, and Michaela will start a five-day-a-week preschool program. There will be new challenges and opportunities for us both.

Sometimes at this point in the summer, I start to feel a little apprehensive about the start of the school year. Maybe I'll be having too much fun on our cruise to have those back-to-school nightmares I've had for the last twenty years. I sure hope so!

One of my coping strategies for this hectic time of the year is to think about and plan for some of the fun things we like to do in the fall together. It's good to have some things to look forward to as summer fades away to fall.

Here's what we've got planned so far:

We started going to the Greek Festival when Michaela was just a baby. The food is incredible, and I love the music and watching the dancers. The parishioners at the church where this is held outdo themselves and show great hospitality. I don't feel like it's really Labor Day weekend, unless we've spent an evening at the Greek Festival.

The last two years we have gone out to Irvine Park for their pumpkin patch event. I usually get a Friday afternoon off after a long week of parent conferences, and we use that time to visit the pumpkin patch. We always ride the train, run through the maze, and take lots of pictures. But Mommy buys her pumpkins at Trader Joe's. . .

In November, we usually take advantage of the Veteran's Day holiday to make a three or four day weekend and get away somewhere. However, this year the holiday falls on a Wednesday, and so we will not be going away overnight. That's a big bummer because it's my wedding anniversary, and I like to get away and do something fun with Michaela instead of sitting home and feeling sorry for myself. We'll just have to figure something out to make the day a happy one. Suggestions are welcome. 

How do you cope with the beginning of the school year and all it's demands?