Summer Wrap-up

Tomorrow I go back to work after just a little over two months off. The kids go back to school on Wednesday. Whatever happened to the 3 months of summer vacation from my childhood?

I said before that I wanted this summer to be fun and productive. Just how fun and productive has it been?

I'll start with the fun.

We began our summer with a big road trip. We drove to California, where the kids got to swim in the ocean for the first time. We saw the Sequoia trees, the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest and the Garden of the Gods. Lots of driving. Lots of good times. Lots of pictures. Here are a couple:

The Grand Canyon

The Sequoias

We spent a lot of days sleeping in and being lazy. We played video games and watched movies. Spent some time at the pool, the lake, the sprinkler park. Had some picnics with friends. Spent a couple nights at a cabin, away from TV and computers. Built Lego houses. Celebrated birthdays. Stayed indoors a lot. It was really hot!

How about the productive?

I've done plenty of writing this summer, especially during the month of July. I've kept filling pages in my poetry journal and gotten my latest picture book nearly polished. Corey and I have two new picture books polished up, one drafted, and have done plenty of brainstorming for new ideas.

I also shampooed the family room carpets and did a big art project with the kids. Here's the finished collage:

It was a wonderful summer. Tomorrow, it's back to reality. But reality isn't so bad. I'm sure a lot of great stuff will happen this year.