It couldn't have come at a better time.

At the beginning of every school year we start out with shiny new shoes and haircuts, and are tan, organized and well-rested.  We go to four stores so that we can meticulously check off every random item on the school supply list (I'm looking at you, 3x5x14 pencil box).  The folders are labelled, lunches are packed with fruits and vegetables, and the fridge is stocked with perfectly portioned servings of healthy snacks.  The homework folders have not yet been lost.  This is what the beginning of the school year looks like:

We take pictures, because it doesn't last.  By  the end of the year, we're completely over checking math homework, and not entirely sure whether the history project is due tomorrow.  We've long since given up packing lunches; Taco Tuesday sounds amazing right, boys?!  Even the poor teachers seem to sort of give up the fight a couple of weeks before the end of school (not that we can blame them because good grief, those children are a handful).  Today Brendan is spending exactly 7 minutes in every class,  because they've shortened the schedule to release them at noon.  Other than the speech he gave last week in English class (perfect score, by the way!), I don't think he's actually done much of anything except take standardized tests and watch movies/read during classes.

This is what the end of the year looks like:

Not pictured:  hustling children out of the house 30 minutes late because you had to fill out the forms for the sports physical, Nathan's first shirt, which didn't survive breakfast, violation of rule about not wearing fancy new running shoes to school because the school sneakers are wet from last night's scout meeting,  the cooler from last weekend's soccer tournament that I had to move out of the photo frame, 13 oz. of syrup coating everyone and everything, 90lbs. of papers and books in Bren's backpack that he cleaned out of his locker yesterday, the long-overdue haircut because I haven't had a chance to get his portrait taken for his 9th birthday and he insists that he wants to shave his head, or the homework folder that has been missing since sometime before Spring Break.

Nate was really sad that today is the last day.  He loves all of the summer adventures, but he really misses his friends.  But he's not one to let things keep him down for long.  When I dropped him off this morning he waved cheerfully over his shoulder as he skipped off to put his backpack away.  Especially for Brendan, we don't have a lot of these "last days" left, so I get a little misty.

I promise, teachers, that by next fall we'll be recharged and reorganized and ready to tackle the marshmallow replica of the Washington Monument.  Pinkie swear.