June 16, 2011
Dear Diary,
Tomorrow is the last day of school! I am so ready for long, lazy days with the kids at the pool, hiking in the mountains, burgers on the grill, watermelon, rainy days with movies and board games. And of course, a week at the beach at the end of August! This is going to be the best summer ever!
June 20
The first day of summer vacation was full of errands, but that's OK. There are a lot more days ahead of us!
June 21
Thing Two asks, "Is today going to be an errand day?" Not on your life! We'll find adventure, but first we need to get organized!
June 29
The pool is great now that the kids are a little older. Don't have to be with them every second, and they can do their own thing with friends. Unfortunately, didn't see friends there today. People must be out of town.
July 4
A classic American Fourth of July! Fun with friends, grilling hot dogs, watching fireworks at The Diamond. Now I feel like the summer is really about to begin!
July 6
Now's the time to kick this summer into gear. And it's all about growth and adventure. Nothing too taxing of course. We're working on Thing Two's multiplication tables, and Thing One's delving into that fifth-grade Battle of Books list.
July 8
At Shenandoah National Park. The hike to Rapidan Camp was spectacular, with stream crossings and a sunlit natural waterfall where the kids took a dip. Later we grabbed a blackberry ice cream cone at the Big Meadows lodge and walked out to the meadow, where dozens of deer grazed just feet away from us. This is what I want from summer. Every day.
July 11
Pool day.
July 12
Pool day. Forgot about "growth time" in the morning.
July 15
Pool day. We'll get back on track with the growth stuff soon.
July 17
The kids start camp tomorrow — and just in time. Those lazy days at the pool are nice, but this summer is about adventure!
July 18
Thing Two got stung by a bee.
July 21
Obviously, we haven't been doing times tables because of camp, and we haven't gotten to the pool either. Brutally hot afternoon. The kids watched TV.
July 26
Today we got a Slurpee.
Aug. 1
Laundry piling up. If we're going on adventures, we're going to need clean underwear.
Aug. 3
Thing One has locked herself in her room because Thing Two won't stop touching her.
Aug. 6
Where is everybody?!!! No one is around for play dates, and my kids are bickering more than the Ropers.
Aug. 12
Look, Diary. Just between us, I have given up on the "growth time" crap. Why does this happen every summer? For all my preparations and good intentions, I've got a house that's a mess, a backlog of work and two kids who can't stand the sight of each other by 2 p.m. Forget growth and adventure. This summer is now about survival.
Aug. 30
What can I say about beach week? Not exactly perfect, but it was just what we needed — lazy days on the beach, nights with board games and ice-cream cones. Laughing about things I've already forgotten. Cuddling through a thunderstorm. We leave tomorrow, and I must get myself into fall and school mode. This is going to be the best school year ever!
