Dear reader, do you feel yourself careening toward some sort of invisible finish line? Somehow the last month before school ends always plays out in this sloppy, haphazard way chez Tollipop. I think it is triggered by Daylight Savings Time, that draconian instrument of torture and fatigue from which I suspect we never fully recover.
Beyond that, the weekend volleyball tournaments, excursions, houseguests (love them), music lessons, recitals, end of school projects, orchestra trips, redoing a bedroom to reflect the teen vibe, odds and ends, this and that, have had the effect of piling up on me, if you know what I mean.
Please console me with assurances I'm not the only one rocking this leaky boat.
For the last two evenings we have been hanging out with my father-in-law and his golf buddies from Missouri, which is a worthy impingement upon the sainted schedule if ever there was one. You don't pass up a chance to hang out with fathers-in-law. Nor folks from the Midwest. Because this combination makes for one of the nicest, easiest, most indulgent evenings on record. Also, there are plenty of Canadian jokes to go around. Plenty.
Last night we stopped by after music lessons and Caroline and Izzy brought their instruments inside for an impromptu concert. After Caroline finished her performance, perhaps the saltiest fellow of the bunch said, "Caroline, that was pretty good for a redhead."
To which Caroline exclaimed, "Thank you!" and smiled so wide she nearly swallowed the room. After all, this was a combination of her two favorite compliments (music and hair) and she was genuinely thrilled. The funniest part, of course, was watching what happens when someone's gruff attempt to tease is embraced with the innocence of a child. I do believe he was rendered speechless for possibly the first time in his entire life.
At any rate, we are on some sort of brutal homestretch, some grim war of attrition, some half-hearted fight to the finish. The girls are tired and dragging. The house is in a state of chaos. I make headway when and where possible. I keep a smile on my face. I persuade my troops to rally on a daily basis.
Beyond that, I hope my friend calls me up for a tea party soon, because a coconut muffin is starting to sound pretty good right about now.