45 Days

I happened to notice last night, when looking at the school calendar purely for recreation, that we have 45 instructional days left in our school year, counting today.

Okay, technically, it's 46 days, but two of them are early release days, so I combined them. But I want to stress that I'm not counting. I especially did not count twice to make sure.

I can almost taste summer. The freedom, the knowledge that the only children driving me crazy will be my own, the lazy nights in bed after the kids are asleep...it's coming.

Is it crazy that now, as an adult, a teacher, "one of them," I look forward to summer more than I ever did as a child?

Princess and Sven Jr. have new swimsuits. Phase 1 of my post-winter leg-shaving has commenced. The movies have even started...I look at the trailer for "17 Again" and am instantly in the state of total mind numbness that only summer brings.

My vision will blur, so that I can't focus on a book, but somehow I will have no trouble with the print in Entertainment Weekly. I will develop a taste for seafood again. My clothing will become soft, shapeless, and completely dedicated to comfort. I will cut my hair short and never style it.

I will play with my children for hours at a time. I will read books to them, pretending I'm doing it for them, but really doing it because the plot of "Timmy the Tadpole" has taken on new significance to me. I will tell myself I will clean my house.

Bring it on. I am so ready for summer.