Final recitals, final exams, final days of school are all colliding. Weather has finally warmed up and rain soaked lawns have dried out. Summer is upon us with the expectation of new possibilities and adventures all helping to push the pace of these final days until vacation.

Last summer I lamented about the busy schedule that my kids kept with different camps which amounted to a lot of driving to and from places. This summer is sure to be very different. With one child still busy with day camps, the other has two weeks away with the remainder of the summer filled only with evening commitments three times a week and nothing but time during the day. Coming from a family where my parents decided for us that that we would go to sleep away camp all summer long (thankfully we loved it), the idea of staying home with no camps lined up has always been an intriguing thought.  A summer of sleeping in, reading, riding bikes and swimming. Calling each day as it comes. Savoring the moments of summer in a leisurely manner. It sounds really nice to me.

But how will my big camper handle such a summer? Recently I decided to shed light on the fact that I will still have my usual things to do that typically happen sight unseen while the kids are at school or camp. Laundry, groceries, organizing and teaching some classes are still on my plate summer vacation or not. This means some necessary down time and the thought of down time did not sit well with my big camper. A child used to camps with cruise director styled activities with a whole unscheduled summer ahead will have a lot to learn about down time. Yes. This summer will be very different. I can’t wait to see what we all learn.