Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Sounds of Summer

It's here. After ten months of up at the crack of dawn, running out the door to catch the bus, throwing together lunches in the blink of an eye. Finally... it's summer!

Yes, folks. Tomorrow marks the last day in another year of school, and the beginning of the almighty Summer Vacation. For kids, it's a benchmark. They bear the smiles of their success, the scars of failure and the wisdom of learning to survive one more round of classes. For parents, it's a time of both celebration and sorrow.

I'm thrilled at not having to worry about bed time. About homework or spelling tests. Not having to mark off field trips and play dates. I love having dinner when we're actually hungry, and having them help with chores around the house. But there's another side to summer. A side all parents cringe over.

No more peace...

Yup, I mean it exactly like that. And while I swear they hardly spend any time actually in school, there's now five hours more I'll be required to be on duty. Five more hours as a chauffeur, maid, cook, referee and nurse. Five more hours of trying to steal more than ten minutes at a time to write. Five more hours of not getting my work done.

So I'm raising a toast to summer. To trips to the lake and BBQ's with friends. To staying up late and sleeping in even later. To forgetting all the math and science they spent ten months mastering. To just being kids... doing what nature intended.

Cheers to all those parents shifting gears and learning, once again, the pure pleasure of having children no longer in school.

2 comments:

  1. I remember the summers as a kid when my mom was home and not at work all day. Those were the best summers ever.
    :)
    G.

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  2. Thanks.

    I remember summers as hours in the car going up to our cottage. Rides in the boat, swimming in the lake. Playing hide and seek around the neighbourhood and laying on the driveway trying to warm up after the cold pool.Of course that was before you got summer jobs and the like.
    Here's to summer,
    cheers,
    Kris

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