Does anyone else feel like summer gets shorter every year? When my kids were school-aged, summer break seemed to last forever. With four kids, those two months could feel like an eternity! There were definitely days when I was counting down to September, dreaming of school routines, quiet mornings and a little peace and quiet. Now that my four kids are all grown up, summer seems to fly by in the blink of an eye, and before I know it, September is here.

My back-to-school days look a little different now, but oh, do I remember the chaos!

Loading four kids into the truck was less of a morning routine and more like a scene from a PG-13 movie. I’d be standing at the door calling, “Let’s go! We’re late!” One by one, they’d march out like little soldiers toward what I affectionately called the “family room on wheels”.

And just as the LAST child climbed in… “OMG! I forgot something!” Back into the house they’d go.

At that point, I was somewhere between a coffee percolator and a pressure cooker waiting to pop. And, of course, that was precisely when my neighbour, the late Mark Dailey from CityNews, would be walking his dog. He’d stop, watch the morning performance and chuckle.

One morning, I looked at him and said, “Please don’t let me see this on the 11 o’clock news!”

He laughed and told me his morning walks had become part of his daily entertainment.

Thankfully, those chaotic mornings are now some of my favourite memories. The yelling, forgotten homework, missing shoes and mad dashes out the door were exhausting – but they were also the little moments that made family life memorable.

These days, I have a two-year-old grandson, so we’re not quite ready for the full back-to-school circus. We’re in what I call “practice mode”, with morning programs, little backpacks and the ongoing lesson that leaving the house requires shoes – and considerably more time than you think!

The best part? His mom – my daughter – is doing the real work. I get to watch, encourage and enjoy my grandson while quietly sipping my tea.

To all the parents heading into another school year: pack the lunches, find the shoes, take a deep breath and leave time for the inevitable, “I forgot something!”

And to all the grandparents out there – enjoy the view. We’ve done our time.

Happy September! May your coffee be strong and your mornings be only mildly chaotic.