The Summer Challenge

Four hours into Zuki's Kindergarten summer recess and I was already counting the days until September 8 - the first day back to school. The new graduates ran out of the school yard for the last time and as they started to enjoy the first few minutes of summer freedom, I was torn between singing Alice Cooper's School's Out For Summer and Thin Lizzy's Jailbreak.  They ran, scootered and tripped towards the park at top notch speed and I said to myself, Oh yeah...I'm so not ready for the Summer of 2010.

 Okay, so at least I've been working out - it should be no problem going toe to toe with them and be the "bad guy" when they're playing their pseudo tag-Star Wars-Iron Man-zombie game. But the summer homework is another story.

Am I prepared to have a "structured" academic schedule with a five-year-old who just wants to run in the sprinklers all day? There are potential stress factors here. I will have to remind myself that he's still only five. That I have to let go of that perfectionist, obsessive-compulsive standard I hold my own work to and let him hand in a summer reading passport of five books, a writing journal with three or more weekly entries and a published piece the way he wants to. And yes, that's how much homework he has over the summer.

Although, I find it encouraging that the school acts on its concern with keeping up the reading and writing levels - I'm also disturbed that in light of the subject, I don't think I even get that much work done. If I could just finish reading five books over the summer, I'd consider that an accomplishment. But that coupled with a blog entry at least every other day and a polished piece in two months? It sounds like a challenge - Mommy vs. Kindergarten homework.

Today, we're going shopping for his supplies to accomplish the work he needs to get done over the summer. That's when I'll present him with this interesting challenge. He's going to get his work done no matter what but if mommy fails to keep up and homework wins, then he'll earn four movie passes he can redeem on any weekend regardless of any offenses he may have committed.

And if I win? I'll earn four dinner passes that I can redeem on any four nights that I don't feel like cooking dinner.

Now all I can say is, BRING IT ON!