Summer Months

At last I'm back on the air again. I have been trying but each time I tried, I received a message saying that Blogger was down temporarily and should be back soon. Well, welcome back Blogger! Perhaps you were my problem all along and not Granny Apple. We will see how long it takes you to appear on my blog tonight!

Today has been a day for special happenings, I hope for the better. I'm happy that Al-Zarqawa was finally stopped from his terrorizing. Let's all pray that the results of this will begin to make our world a safer place.

Today was also the last day of school for the children. I see much celebration in the expressions and behaviors of the young people, the teachers, and some of the parents. When school was out for my children, I was always as happy as they were. I was excited about having them home with us all day, making plans for vacations, camping, movies, spending days and evenings at our near-by lake house, taking them with me to restaurants and stores with our neighbor friends. Summer vacations were as wonderful for me as a parent as they were for me when I was a child. I recall these days to ponder the position of so many parents today. As a retired teacher and school administrator, I often heard parents gripe and complain about children being home. "I don't think I can stand this for two months", I would hear them say; "What in the world am I going to do with them underfoot all day", they complained; and, worst of all, "I can't wait for school to start back. These kids are driving me crazy!". I think this is awful. How can they feel that way when they are yours? Your responsibility? Your blessings from God? Don't they understand and appreciate parenthood? Perhaps they shouldn't have had children in the first place. Now, I realize it's difficult when both parents work, to place the children somewhere safe. Hubby and I taught in college and we arranged our schedule so that one of us was always with our sweet children. When they were very small, I took off 5 years to stay with them (Yes, they delayed my retirement date; however, if I had it to do over, I would take off more years than that. I regret that I didn't have more time with my 4 sweeties. They grow up so fast and you can miss so much if you're gone from home). I know that most parents today have to work to provide adequately and I feel for them. It is great to take the children somewhere during the summer so they can gain needed social skills. What I'm really referring to is the attitude that these parents often display, as if their children are such a burden to them, not that they place them in daycare. The important thing is to love, love, love them when you can have them with you. Let them know you care, that they are not a burden to you, that you are so proud to be their mom or dad. And, let me personally say to my 4 grown children right here and now (if you are reading this): I love, love, love each of you; I miss you when I don't see or talk with you; and, you have never nor will you ever be a burden to me. I'm proud to be your mom every single day! (Wanna spend the day together?)