Summer

Today is my last homeschool day of this school year. I cannot adequately express with words how I feel when a school year ends. Ecstatic? Is that too strong a word? No- maybe not strong enough. I would blame it on the fact that we homeschool part of the time but really it's not even that. I have always, always loved summer. I thought when I grew up- I would move on to loving more sophisticated, grown-up seasons like fall perhaps. But it didn't happen. I still absolutely love summer.
I read an article about how moms hate summer after the first 2 weeks because they want to be back on a schedule, in a routine. Not me. I actually have discovered after trying to grow up and be a "normal" mom that I do not really like a lot of structure- no matter how hard I try. I love staying up late, putting together puzzles, watching movies. I love not having anywhere to go except the pool or the park. I love being able to pack up and leave town if we feel like it at the last minute. I love the sound of kids running in and out of my house all day (although this is not much different during the school year). I love flip flops and tank tops. And I love the sound of the ice cream churn whirring on the porch. This has always been the signal of the official start of summer- the first batch of homemade ice cream.
The big debate these days in the school world is year-round school. Educators love it, students hate it. I know if we ever make the switch to year round school I may need medication. I think summer should start Memorial Day and end Labor Day. I mean- isn't that what those holidays are really for? To signal the beginning and end of summer? I cannot imagine summer lasting a mere 6 weeks. Year-round school to me is like the death of the summer season. But now with school budget cuts, Cobb county is actually cutting school days- we are up to 5 right now. So for atleast another year- I am saved from the threat of year-round school, but more than that- summer is safe.