The end of the {school} year push

This time of year is so busy.  Seriously.  Why {in the world} do my kids' schools have so much going on during May and June?  I mean, they do these things every year.  It's not like it's a surprise.  Spread it out a little, will ya?

I've always thought the busy-ness was to distract the kids, keep them engaged, or maybe to use up money that had been budgeted but not yet spent (because you know how budgets work--if you don't use it this year, they're not going to give it to you next year).  But I have a new perspective now thanks to a text conversation I had with a friend yesterday.

She was talking about how she feels about the end of the school year and mentioned that she was "feeling some terror and yet a little relief."  Terror because she knows the endless "I'm bored"s are coming (more about that later).

She didn't say why she was feeling relief, but I know.  I know!  It's because these last few weeks of school are so darn busy, with new demands and required appearances added every day.  For the next three weeks, I have something school related going on at least every other day.  The last week I will be at the school every day, I'm sure.  My son's 5th grade teacher sent out the May newsletter saying that she did not include the dates for June because they're still working out some details.  Woman!  I need to know these things!  At least tell me how many more things you're going to be adding to my schedule.  It's OK if you don't give me the details right now, but for the love of all that's holy, tell me what's coming! 

It's a relief when it's finally over.

And that, my friends, is when it hit me.  Those teachers?  They're brilliant.  They back-load the last month of school with so many activities that we're actually happy for it to be over.  They're distracting us from the fact that we are staring down 13 weeks of sibling squabbles and irrational demands and having to figure out what's for lunch every day and I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, you're-the-mom-so-it's-your-responsibility-to-keep-me-entertained-at-all-times.  As if.

Teachers.  Sneaky.  Brilliant.  Not-paid-nearly-enough.  Love them.