Summer recap

Well, summer vacation is very near the end. School starts next week and we've been making preparations for Jen's return. We've done the back-to-school shopping thing and have been trying to reestablish a school-night bedtime again.

Unfortunately, there were some things I wanted us to do this summer that we didn't get to do! And why didn't we get to do them? Because this summer has just been so crazy. We have been busy-busy-busy!

I wanted to go on vacation this summer. Didn't happen. First because my husband had to work, second because I had a medical situation that lasted for some time, and third because we had to use the money we could have used for vacation on repairs. Sigh!

I wanted to go to the beach. As far as I know, the beach is an hour away. Didn't happen. Oh, well! Just as well, though. I don't exactly have a "bikini figure" (not that I'd wear a bikini, anyway! I'm too modest to wear one) and, besides, Jesse is not yet old enough to enjoy a sandy beach to play at.

I wanted to take a swimming class with Jennifer. I thought THIS would be the year I would finally learn how to swim! And Jennifer can learn, too. Again, didn't happen.

If there's one thing that describes our summer, then, like I said, it's the word "busy."

Still, we did find room to have fun. We went for walks, went to the park, saw movies, played games, read books, danced and sang, and did some crafts here and there. We slept in, ate lots of cold ice cream treats, had barbecues and built "forts" which later had to be taken down (unfortunately for Jennifer).

There is, however, one thing that makes this summer a productive one for my child: Writing. By far, she wrote stories more than she did anything else. I am simply amazed at how much she has written this summer. She has just written and drawn so many stories. I'm in shock!

There were some stories which were entirely in picture, which she narrated to me. And then there were some which had words and pictures. I never corrected her spelling mistakes, either; I didn't think it was something she'd have to worry about at this point in time. I merely enjoyed her stories, spelling mistakes and all, and praised her for her creativity and determination to write a story from beginning to end.

I know we didn't do all of the things this summer which everybody else is usually doing -- going to the beach, going fishing, swimming, going to summer camp (I couldn't find one that accepted children under 7), going camping -- but I'm glad that some good still came out of Jennifer's summer vacation. Instead of telling her teacher about all the stories she read on her summer break, she'll be sharing all of the stories she wrote, instead. And that's not all bad, really. At least she has still been working with words.