Summertime Blues

"Sometimes I wonder what I'm a gonna do/ But there ain't no cure for the summertime blues."

Remember when you were a kid and it took forever for summer to arrive, only for it to disappear in a split second? Yeah, summer isn't like that anymore. Now it seems like the heat and humidity attack in full force by May, and the weather doesn't let up until October. Also, there's the business of not having three months off to relax, watch cartoons, and play on the swingset every day. At least I get to live vicariously through the children I take care of.

I am a teacher and nanny for two girls, ages three and five. During the school year, the oldest one goes to school full day, and the younger one goes in the mornings, then afternoons are filled with an abundace of activities that at times make my head spin. But once summer started, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, there are the day camps, swim team, and violin lessons, but for the most part, the kids get to be kids. Yea! When I see the girls swinging on their tire swing, riding their bikes, coloring picture after picture, and reading every book in sight, I flash back to the days when I loved summer and everything it stood for: freedom, relaxation, and fun, fun, fun. What happened to summers like those? I'm glad that they still exist for the kids in my life, even if my carefree summers are over.

Yes, I may have the summertime blues, but thinking about the crisp autumn days that will soon come, crunching leaves beneath my worn tennis shoes, and seeing pumpkin patches on every corner always brings a smile to my face. Anyone up for watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"?