10 Signs It's The Last Week of School

Here in Phoenix school gets out EARLY, at least compared to Elk Grove, where we had our year-round schedule and most kids were at school through June before returning again in late July.

Here it's the real deal: a bona fide almost-3-month-long summer vacation.

And, just like Christmas, the kids are counting down the days. Or I should say, day. Tomorrow is it. Last day ... and a half day at that.

The past couple weeks something has been in the air ... or the water. Coupled with the recent string of 100+degree-days, it's about impossible to miss the signs that the school year is coming to a close.

Things like:

• Schools. Out. For. Sum-muh. Nick gleefully singing Alice Cooper's ode-to-summertime anthem." Zach loves to chime in, too. They both know it well because it's on one of the Guitar Hero games.
  
• The backpack coming home filled with empty folders, binders, rulers, markers and other odds and ends that I have no idea what to do with.
• The evenings feeling more relaxed without the homework ax ready to fall. No. More. Homework.
• The plotting of parties, sleepovers and get-togethers at Extreme, the local computer gaming hangout frequented by tweens.
• Nick counting down the days until their trip to "Cali." This year they're leaving on Saturday for their annual summer trek to torture, I mean spend quality time, with their grandparents.
• Me scrambling to find summer activities and camps for the kids. So far: Beach house rental on the coast for the family for a week, Blake's overnight soccer camp, Blake and Nick's trip to California, swimming lessons and gymnastics for the twins ... still working on something else for Nicky.
• Not noticing (or maybe not minding) that Blake and Nick are going to bed later and later.
• Nick announcing that today's the day "We stack our desks and chairs." And then telling me they "get to" sit on the floor tomorrow. Ouch. But really, it's just a half day and they're having a party ... who needs chairs?
• Nick pulling out his tubs of K'Nex building pieces and has even drawn (on four pieces of paper taped together) a diagram of the elaborate roller coaster he plans on building.
• Me poking around online for a good laptop. These days Zach and Allie are clamoring for computer time and of course Blake and Nick want their gaming and surfing time, too. All the kids home (with one computer-dependent mom) with just one computer isn't gonna cut it.
• And (OK, this is 11 ... oh well) the overall bouncing off the walls.
  

"No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher's dirty looks

Out for summer
Out till fall
We might not go back at all"
~ Alice Cooper