Sweet Satisfaction...

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You know that feeling? The one where you feel all is right with the world and you are ready to be one with it? After five days of all-out-take-no-prisoners-it's-time-to-be-a-grown-up-I-am-gonna-get-my-stuff-together perseverance, I am so there...

The French have a term for the end of summer/return to scheduled life: la rentree. Loosely translated, it is the return from laid-back-vacation-mode into back-to-school-back-to-work-back-to-life mode. In preparation of my own la rentree, I extended my Labor Day holiday from the typical three day weekend to five days. I'm pretty sure if I could finagle a way to make this into a weekly occurrence coupled with my penchant for extreme cheapness frugality I could give both Obama and Romney a run for their money, but I digress...

Day One: Massive back-to-school shop for three kiddos with nothing to wear. Armed with my trusty coupons and knowledge of 50% off sales at their favorite locations, we hit the ground running military style. Don't feel bad for them, they can handle it and any moment now I anticipate a wing at Aeropostale will be named in my honor in recognition of the ridiculous amount of cash I handed over to them. And can someone please explain to me how the same Converse we wore back in the day for $18.99 a pair now cost $49.99? One would expect a nice dinner and maybe a movie before receiving that type of...well, anyway...

Day Two: Grocery Shopping and School Supply Shopping. With three teens in the house I am not even going to discuss the grocery bill, but honey, please...this school supply nonsense has got...to...stop. If someone can explain to me how dropping $200 at the local Staples is increasing the level of education in America, I'm all ears. After playing this game for over 13 years I still don't get it and the aneurysm I experience every June when most of this stuff comes home unused has become as familiar as the nose on my face. But it is done, kiddos are happy, and with the every last bit of the back-to-school lists complete a future at Harvard is in the bag.

Day Three, Four, and Five: EXTREME CLEANING....even the dog wasn't safe (but he sure smells a whole lot better.) I have filled the freezer with roasted tomato sauce from the garden's bounty, the windows are washed, the floors are sparkling, not one dust bunny made it out alive. I end this holiday weekend with such satisfaction I don't even want to go to sleep...I keep wandering from immaculate room to immaculate room just taking it all in.

Tomorrow my new semester begins, bringing with it a wealth of new knowledge but more importantly, twelve more credits towards my degree. I am ready for it...bring it on....let la rentree begin.