I wish I had something interesting to say.  I've intended to write for a few days but with the hubub of life and the end of school chaos it's slipped by me.   With 7 more school days left I can't decide if I'm glad or sad - on one hand the seemingly endless task of 'make the lunches - sign the forms - check the homework - hurry hurry we'll be late!'  will be over and that part I will definitely not miss.  On the other hand, all of the structureless days spread out before us is a little disconcerting, if not downright terrifying.  Anyone with children knows how the loveliest day of  happy, contented playing can change in an instant.  I'm just not cut out for that - if it was the 1800's I'd simply send the kids off with the governess and lay out on the shaded porch sipping on a tonic for frayed nerves.  Granted, I'd be wearing a corset and a bonnet (or something equally ridiculous) so I suppose there's always a trade-off.

And the weather…. am I allowed to talk about it?  Why the entire city hasn't packed up and moved is beyond me; the past year has been horrible, and the crazy thing is that we're in a little bubble of awfulness that doesn't seem to have gone farther than an hour radius around us!  When you look at one of those maps of North America that have the color gradients (dark blue is freezing, bright red is super hot) it, more often than not, has a little circle in southern Alberta that is completely different than everything around it.  When Iqaluit is consistently warmer than you it messes with your psyche!  Last summer was much cooler than usual, the winter was absolutely freezing with above average snowfall, and spring isn't even worth mentioning.  For an arid climate we certainly have a lot of rain this year, and if the sun would just shine a little perhaps the flowers could actually grow!  My petunias look so sad and pathetic… sob.

Okay, ranting isn't attractive so I'll wrap it up.  The dangling carrot of Italy in August definitely helps - and in the grand scheme of things life is pretty darn good.  When all you have to complain about is incessant rain and your kids fighting over a Barbie purse, then you really can't complain at all.

Proverbial slap on the cheek, shake of the head, and off I go.