We are on spring break here in the wg house. Which has way less to do with spring or easter or darling buds unfurling in the change of seasons than it has to do with school budget cuts. I can't believe how many days kids get off nowadays! So on the one hand… woohoo! I don't have to get my butt up on those mornings! On the other hand, I gotta imagine that is some serious child care hurt for the people who have elsewhere to go for work everyday.
This week gives me a chance to plan out summer. You know, that season that is two plus months away? Excuse me while I put on this sweater. While I'm looking at the calendar trying to balance social engagements, kid activities, and still try to cram in a spot for some sort of psuedo vacation it dawned on me that just like school schedules are different now, summers have changed a whole lot, too. At least the summers I had. We had long, lazy summers with the understanding that the kids better entertain themselves. I spent a lot of time outside, with friends, and reading books. Remember kicking at weeds first thing on a hot summer morning as you prowled around the neighborhood? Popsicles and car washes? My family might camp once or twice, and we had a yearly out-of-state trip to visit relatives that alternated between the summer or winter. Of course, we didn't have any money so that cut down on the fancy jetsetting. I had to cut out my caviar addiction, too. (Ooh, fish egg withdrawal is bad!) I went to a daycamp once because I think it was one of those discounted county programs. Oh, and we did always have vacation bible school. It was free and chock full of spiritual goodness! I can't remember my parents having a ton of extra social engagements either. Summer in general seemed to be for enjoying the sun.
This summer we've got a wedding (only one!), a cribbage tournament, a conference (mine), and at least one camping trip, not to mention that "vacation" we keep talking about. We also want to see some music concerts. I've got my 40th birthday coming up and there's always a lot of activity around the 4th of July. I'm looking at day camps for Chance and he'll still have his regular activities, which currently are swimming, drums, and OT/Speech. I'm already planning out day trips we can do, park memberships we may need, and playdates we can schedule. Now maybe the difference is that I had siblings (which are great for entertainment whether you are cooperatively playing or teasing mercilessly) and Chance doesn't but this seems a long cry from those lazy days where you got up with nothing planned and luxuriated in it. I'm not sure the change in summers is for the better.
But then again I don't want to be driven crazy by a bored kid. That might cut down on my reading time.
How are the rest of your summers shaping up?
– the weirdgirl
I have had ‘plan for summer’ on my to do list for about two months. Seriously. Every Sunday, I just transfer the plan to the next week’s list and hope that I’ll except reality. Well, reality may have slapped me yesterday when the boys and I got in the car after a baseball game, and they both said, “We think there’s only, like 30-some days of school left, hooray!” I think I did a silent scream, and then I got home and circled ‘plan for summer’ on my to do list, and well, yeah. I’ve got to plan for summer!
I definitely remember those days–three-month summers. I remember popsickles, Vacation Bible School, swimming lessons, fishing trips, etc.
But they became boring after the first few weeks. And when school resumed, I was more than eager to return!
FADKOG – Every time I make a dent in the summer planning, I realize I have more to do. We’re at the point where we’ve mapped it vaguely on a calendar though so that’s an improvement. I wish you luck in your own planning!
Scott – Don’t you miss being “bored” now? I sure do! What I wouldn’t give for being a little bored of swimming and fishing trips!! Damn, now I’m nostalgic.