Category Archives: In BeTWEEN

It’s midnight. I’m wide awake, but my daughter is sound asleep and most likely dreaming about all of her plans for summer. Thursday is the last day of school and she’s beside herself with excitement and expectation.

Seventh grade has been a great year for her and, thus, a good one for me, too. But she’s got plans. So many, in fact, that there’s no time for reflection or nostalgia. First on the calendar is a splash party to mark middle school’s official halftime.

There will be birthday parties and a New York trip and a summertime ballet program, not to mention miniature golf, afternoons at the pool, lazy hours with friends. She’ll want to go to the mall, and then to Rita’s for a Blendini. She hopes to finally put her babysitting course to good use and make some money to spend at Forever 21 and Aeropostale — and on makeup at CVS. There will be a week at the Jersey shore with family, and other getaways as well. And always plenty of time to read, and experiment with nail polish on her fingers and feet. Until late August, the alarm that rang before 6 a.m. every weekday morning from September through May will remain silent.