1. No homework: Well, I take that back slightly, because our middle-school-aged son does have summer assignments, but I look forward to not having to monitor/sign homework assignments or bankroll and double-check various projects.
2. Summer Reading: We read all year long, but there is something particularly breezy, leisurely and purposeful about summer reading. We count the number or books, make goals for various summer reading programs, and enjoy going through the piles and piles of books I got at the Book Expo America or the local library.
3. Pool Time: Growing up in Miami, pools were something people had in their backyards, except for the amazing Venetian Pool, but here in DC most people we know (including our own family) belong to a private pool. Our pool offers our kids the opportunity to be part of a summer swim team that provides the kids with their central summer social circle. We spend hours there, and the kids absolutely adore it.
4. Travel: The summer provides 12 weeks of opportunities to travel near and far, and we have several trips lined up this year, including a week-long vacation in Maine that will combine a long weekend at our best friends’ cozy cottage in Wells and three nights at the Maine Huts & Trails; two camping weekends at State Parks; and a business trip for me to the grand opening of Diagon Alley next week!
5. Sleepaway Camp: As I wrote last year, my kids go to summer camp, and the older two are counting down the days until they get to go to sleepaway camp at Camp Conrad Weiser again. This will be their third year there (two weeks!), and both of them love it. I miss the two kids, of course, but I know they’re making memories and friendships that will last them a lifetime, while my husband and I get a week (we send our youngest to my in-laws’ house for one of the two weeks) to be child free.
