I'm Not Letting Go

Yesterday was the unofficial end of summer. Though if we're going to get all technical and stuff it ended for us on August 9th when Jaidan shrugged on his backpack, grabbed his lunchbox, and headed to kindergarten for the first time. I'm totally kind of anti-Labor-Day-as-the-last-day-of-summer. There's the school thing, for starters. Then the fact that it's going to be hot here for at least the next month but all the pools and splash pads take the Labor Day thing way too seriously and shut down. You know what? Forget Memorial Day and Labor Day. Summer should start on Easter and end in Columbus Day.

We celebrated Labor Day this year like all good Americans: with shopping (and more for stuff that was fundamental as opposed to just plain old fun) and BBQ. Last Labor Day, we splashed in the water off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina and got caught in the remnants of a tropical storm on the way home, driving through some crazy rain and flooding in Birmingham.  This year I'm sad to see summer go, wanting to hold on to it as long as possible, not ready to let go.  Last year, I was more than ready to see it come to an end.  Crazy what a year can do.

Summer 2012 can be summed up in one word: epic.  And in a good way.  Unlike last year with everything in my house falling apart at the same time and my grandfather passing away and just all in all being a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad summer.  This summer, we went coast to coast.  We saw the Washington Monument and the United States capitol.  We splashed in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, hugged Mickey Mouse at Disneyland, and gaped at the beauty of the Grand Canyon.  As much as I love fall and everything it brings along with it -- college football, cooler weather, pumpkin bread and frito chili pies, hoodies, boots, changing leaves.  Ahhhhh.  I love it.  But I'm not ready to leave behind this wonderful summer we've had.

So maybe it's September and maybe summer is unofficially over.  But I'm holding onto it.  Not letting go.  Don't leeeeeave.