What's Your Favorite Season ?

I wondered this question aloud on my drive to work the other morning, not entirely sure who I was asking it to.  Being alone in the car, I figured it best to answer myself, after all, no one wants to give the silent treatment to themselves.

I began by explaining that I was super excited about Fall or Autumn and explaining several reasons why it must be my favorite season.  The nights are getting cooler.  The house doesn't get as hot during the day.  The colors begin to change on leaves in the trees.  Pesky bugs that take over whole sections of the yard begin to hibernate in their miniature caves.  Weeds miraculously stop growing like, well, weeds.  Fall sports begin, including football and basketball, while baseball starts getting serious.  And for those that love clothes, it's time for an all new wardrobe, or as is the case with most common folk, a rediscovery of the wardrobe you stored away for the summer.  Ahhhh yes, Fall is the best ... except ...

Winter is really cool too, no pun intended.  There's just something about the first snow fall that gets me excited about the upcoming end-of-year months.  Then of course there are the holidays where we give thanks, celebrate our Savior's birth, and ring in the new year with fun and frivolity.  Hot cocoa on a chilly morning and wrapping up in blankets and/or cuddling with a loved one to keep warm.  Even seeing your breath in the air as you scrape ice off car windows can be downright delightful.  Yeah, I guess Winter might be my favorite ... however ...

Spring is absolutely amazing!  After the eventual doldrums of a long, hard winter set in, Spring comes roaring in, bringing with it new growth and eternal hope for brighter days.  That first unseasonably warm day when you can travel without a jacket feels like a miracle.  It is impossible not to notice that the days are getting longer and even if you hate cleaning, the 'Spring' kind always feels great to get done.  I really love that first sweep out the garage of each year and the kids love that their bikes are rescued from their hanging hooks above the cars.  Spring sure scores a lot of points ... but ...

That brings us back to Summer, and doggone it if those dog days aren't something spectacular!  Break out the swim gear and the suntan lotion.  Get ready to feel the warmth of the sun on your face as you ride bikes or take leisurely strolls in the late but still lit evening hours.  Simple pleasures like a glass of refreshing ice water or laying in the fresh cut grass of the front lawn remind us that life is just wonderful.  And the backyard grilling of hamburgers and hot dogs coupled with the excitement of fireworks, often all season long, are unmatched.

So, at length, I came to this conclusion:  my favorite season is whatever season we are in OR whatever season is coming up very soon.  In that sense, I may love the changing of seasons more than I enjoy any one particular time of year.


Song Of The Day:
It would be a near-blasphemous error to not feature a song by the Four Seasons in this post, so here is "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" in all it's disco-sounding glory.  I very much dislike disco, but I've heard a few renditions of this tune and just dig every one, disco-themed or not.

...

Are You Ready For This ?

Today marked the last day of school for my kiddos for this school year.  This is an occurrence every year, and usually signals all sorts of upcoming events that I'm very excited about: backyard barbecues, Popsicles on the front lawn, trips to the swimming pool, little mini-vacations, and even working in the yard on family projects together.  Karen even has some great plans for a summer schedule to help keep the kids from either extreme (being sooooo bored or just playing video games and watching movies all day).  All in all, it should be a great summer vacation for everyone in the Case household.

But that's not what has me in a reflective mood.  It is what happens after this summer that has me nearly paralyzed with fears of inadequacy, both my own and that of my children.

Here are the BIG changes coming our way in early August:
- Josh Jr (our oldest) will begin High School.  Not only that, but he will also begin attending early morning seminary which starts before 6:00am.  I am NOT a morning person!  I think he will adjust just fine, but time certainly goes faster once they're labeled by school year names: Freshman.
- Ben (2nd oldest) will be in TWO different advanced classes (8th grade math and Honors English) in only his second year of middle school.  He's plenty smart enough, but I'm running out of things I can help him with when it comes to his homework!
- Brooklyn (our oldest girl) will begin Middle School.  She is ready for this, but I am NOT!  She's still my little girl but 6th grade brings with it the start of becoming a woman and I am NOT ready for her not to be my little girl any more!
- Savannah (our middle child) will now be our oldest, and therefore most relied upon, kid at the elementary school.  She's up to the task but watching out for her and her younger sister(s) (especially that crazy Catalina!) will be a challenging change for her.

Myra, who turns 4 this summer

- Myra (our youngest daughter) will begin attending pre-school.  This would be just exciting except that she is still not 100% potty trained, which always fills parents' heads with trepidation about being judged as horrible parents.

As with anything else, I'll try not to worry too much about the changes until they get here, but the gloomy cloud of possible problems seems just a short ways down the horizon.  Wish us luck!


Song Of The Day:
I heard "The End Of Innocence" by Don Henley on the radio today and it just felt fitting for the post I had in mind.  It's probably more related to my oldest son and oldest daughter switching to completely new schools, but it also seems like the innocence of all my kiddos is disappearing so fast.  I'm really not sure I'm ready for this, but I guess I have to be.