Kid Amnesiac

That’s how long it took for Simon to be over summer, at least in some respects. I haven’t even had a chance to wrap up kindergarten (it’s coming, though), and he’s already missing it. How do I know? He’s told us, directly and indirectly.

Saturday morning, Simon told me that he had awoken from a great dream. “What was it?” I asked, curious to see if what would follow would be a real dream or an invented one that he wishes he’d had. “I dreamed we were out having lunch and Ms. Darlene was there.” That struck me as the real deal.

Then last night, after a full day of Father’s Day festivities, Matt reminded Simon that soccer camp began today. This should have been a source of unbridled joy. Soccer! Three hours of it! But no, his face grew long and he wistfully told Matt, “I wish I were going to school instead of soccer camp.”

Sometimes if Simon is tired, frustrated, or down, he’ll say negative things he doesn’t really mean. But I think this was the honest truth. As much as he loves soccer and will no doubt have a great time at soccer camp, he’d rather be in school.

When I was a kid–an older one than Simon–I can remember sometimes feeling the same way. But that was all about being lonely; there weren’t many kids my age in the neighborhood, my mom was at work at summer and couldn’t haul me around for many play-dates, and camp would only fill two weeks or so. So my days could get really long.

But Simon? Here’s what Simon has done since school let out on Wednesday the 5th:

• Thursday-Friday: Sleepover at Grandma and Papaw’s house and play with friends Taylor and Jimmy;
• Saturday-Sunday: Sleepover at our house with friend Griffen;
• Monday: Hiking and lunch at Bernheim Nature Preserve; afternoon (soccer) ball control clinic;
• Tuesday: Morning tennis clinic; lunch and afternoon with his Bubbie;
• Wednesday: Morning visit with Zadie and Nana; afternoon at pool;
• Thursday: Park play-date with kindergarten friends; afternoon trip to library
• Friday: Return visit to Bernheim;
• Saturday: Baseball game, drum lesson, trip to park to practice batting;
• Sunday: Father’s Day at Grandma and Papaw’s house.

I think I’m leaving things out, too. We were non-stop, and other than a trip to the grocery, it was all fun. He’s had a blast. At the end of each day, he’s been a dirty, sweaty mess. But he misses school.

So I asked him today if he’d like to come home, do some math work-sheets, and then maybe work on a book report for one of the new books we’ve read. I was simultaneously sincere and calling his bluff. His smile was huge. “Oh Mom, I’d love to do that!”

What am I going to do with this kid? We’ve got nine weeks of summer left!