Part of Slice of Life by Two Writing Teachers
Summer nights come suddenly. I’m just relaxing into the evening with kids, and then BAM! It’s 10:00, and I’ve failed at bedtime — again.
A bad headache equaled a late dinner tonight which made a late bedtime inevitable, so I decided not to care. We sat on the deck, as the light faded, and I just chatted with the kids: Chairs pulled close together, legs resting on laps.
I wanted to see the stars come out, but the clouds were in the way. One big cloud, actually. So, I closed my eyes, pretended my headache was gone, and just listened. We talked about makeup that L wants to try, “just for fun,” and the sphynx documentary the boys had watched earlier, and the smoothie E had just made, “even better than my smoothie from yesterday because instead of two ice cubes, this time I added two extra pieces of frozen mango.”
While we chatted and the wind stirred up, the magic wasn’t lost on me. In the back of my head I was noticing that this… this is what they mean when people tell me I’ll miss these days.
On a Thought 
Aside from the headache it sounds like a perfect night!
This must have been the day for headaches:( It sounds as though you had a wonderful evening with your family!
Your evening sounds like the perfect antidote for a headache. Hope you feel better!
What a delight to close your eyes and just listen on a summer evening. Hope your headache is gone. And no need to worry about bedtime – it’s summertime!