I looked up, and it was over.
No, not the Colorado Rockies’ postseason chances, although those are gone now, too. I mean, the summer. Technically, we have a few more weeks of it, but the focus has shifted from “when can we go to the pool?” to “which one is the carpool lane at school again?”
In fact, as I drove to work recently wearing shorts, I heard a report from my favorite WFAE reporter, Lisa Miller, that some kids were already back at school. Poor kids. Or, happy parents. Whatever.
(Actually, check out the story … it’s really good).
But without the added drama of baseball playoff dreams and with soccer practice just underway, it’s time to big adieu to summer with another edition of 6 Words.
This project, inspired by Hemingway’s assertion that any story can be told in a six-word sentence, calls upon a trove of parents from the blog world and beyond to sum up an aspect of parenthood in a mere six words.
The prompt this time: Sum up summer vacation with kids in six words.
Understandably, there’s angst, adoration, admonition and one really bad word among the sentences below. I hope you’ll enjoy the collection of perspectives, and visit some of the blog links.
1. Sleeping in. Relaxing. Fighting. GO BACK!!
Teri B., of Snarkfest
2. Seven days of soul-feeding with kids.
Leslie P.
3. Vacation: Never a vacation with kids.
Erica S., of Devin and Erica
4. Finding fun kid things to do!
Lamar H., a youth basketball blogger
5. Fun, energetic, memorable, precious, timeless, priceless.
Andrea P.
6. The most exhausting fun ever had!
Amanda T.
7. Fun, exhausting, exciting, exhausting, magical … exhausting!
Jamie J., of Kreyv
8. Needing a vacation after a vacation.
Heather, of Mommy Only Has 2 Hands
9. Why is the pool closed today?
Lori W., of Loripalooza
10. Summer with kids requires many cocktails!
Molley M., of A Mother Life
11. We skip through twilight and imagine.
Andra W., of The Accidental Cootchie Mama
12. Counting down the days ’til August.
Kimbra T., of Mommy’s Rambles
13. Visiting Texas attractions equals summertime fun!
Jessica D., of The Wondering Brain
14. Summertime swimming, kids running, eating BBQ.
Kimmy K., author of A Mom’s Point of View
15. Must have structure, must see moose.
Tamara B., of Tamara (Like) Camera
16. Driving through Redwood Forest, windows down.
Lisa W., of Planet Weidknecht
17. Relaxing time to travel and reconnect.
Rosie A., of Mail 4 Rosey
18. Grounded or vanished, nothing in between.
Karen, of Baking in a Tornado
19. Sunscreen, laughter and melted ice cream.
Darcy Z., of Tales from the Nursery
20. Sand, water, bubbles – rediscover childhood wonder.
Jenn S., of Jenn’s Midlife Crisis
21. No alarms, ice cream before lunch.
Ilene E., of Fierce Diva Guide to Life
22. Laughter. Spontaneous. Games. Swimming. Enjoyment. EXHAUSTING.
Elena F., of Cropped Stories
23. We prayed it would not rain.
Lillian C., of It’s a Dome Life
24. Creating memories that last a lifetime!
Michelle K., of Domestic Executive Online
25. We’re always searching for missing flip-flops.
Morgan M., of The Inklings of Life
26. Empty wallet, messy house, happy kids.
Sarah N., of The Momisodes
27. Oh, dear God, please help me.
Stacy B., of Stacy Sews and Schools
28. An exhausting discovery of comedic adventures.
Melissa S., of Home On Deranged
29. One car, four kids, too many.
Marcia D., of Menopausal Mother
30. Juggling it all. Exhausting, yet amazing.
Kelly W., of The Centsible Life
31. Oh the packing and the whining!
Katie S., of Sluiter Nation
32. Get prepared to test your patience!
Pamela K., of Renaissance Woman
33. Sun kissed s’mores and “I’m boreds.”
Kateri S., of Just Life: Take Two
34. Sunscreen slathered on bald baby head.
Nicole G., of Work in Sweats Mama
35. Sand in places you never imagined.
Katie H., of Practical Parenting
36. The agony and ecstasy of proximity.
Deb CG, of Urban Moo Cow
37. Abandoned toys; swings, sunshine, and watermelon.
MaryAnne K., of Mama Smiles
38. Fun, exhausting, expensive, and worth it.
Dani, author of Suburbia Interrupted
39. Summer vacation camp keeps me sane.
Jennifer B., of Another Jennifer
40. Requires guerrilla war tactics plus bugspray.
Mary B., of A Teachable Mom
41. I’ll need a vacation after this.
Barbara P., of Barbara’s Beat
42. Time spent learning and discovering together.
Daniella K., author of Smart Allergy Friendly Education
43. Bored? Really? Clean the litter box.
Melissa
44. Babies and balls – base, that is …
Ashley R., of Sorry Kid, Your Mom Doesn’t Play Well With Others
45. Apparently, I’m not the kid anymore.
Jenn G., of That’s a Jenn Story
46. Very chaotic and I need alcohol.
Amber M., of Airing My Dirty Laundry, One Sock at a Time
47. Making memories to last a lifetime.
Staci S., of 7 on a Shoestring
48. Memories are more important than destination!
Kim T., of Day with K.T.
49. Bury my head in sand fun.
Leslie, of Time out for Mom
50. Stay the **** home. I’m serious. 🙂
Stephanie B., of Momma be thy Name
51. Bringing kids? Trip, yes; vacation, no.
52. Realizing how underpaid teachers really are.
Theresa, of Theresa’s Mixed Nuts
53. Sun. Run. Fun. Done. And repeat.
Chris C., of The Mom Cafe
54. Lazy hours pass by too quickly.
Dana H., of Kiss My List
55. Hanging out with family making memories.
Renee K., of My So-Called Mommy Life
56. Canadian summer is not over yet!
Leah D., of Raising Flowers and Skids
57. My early summer memories sustain me.
Laurie S., of The Adventure of Writing
58. This is special, just say yes.
Tricia, of Raising Humans
59. How much longer ’til we’re there?!
Sharon Z., of Mommy Verbs
60. Summer Vacation: There are no rules!
Mariann D., of W.R.I.T.E.R.M.O.M.
61. Change isn’t as good as rest.
Jo M., of Slummy Single Mummy
62. Baseball, barbecue, fishing poles, camp fires.
Eli P., of Coach Daddy
And one more that didn’t fit the 6 Words criteria, but comes from one of the greatest teachers of all time:
Anticipation, vacation, no routine!
Boredom, whining, school bell needs to ring!
Just a dad ... 
Love this! These quotes are so funny. Thanks for sharing with Hump Day Happenings this week.
Thanks for the invite, Jenna – I look forward to reading more of the entries.
Haha! I especially like the “teachers are underpaid” one! I remember my mom would be exhausted taking care of us all summer. But we had the best time! Then she wised up and enrolled us for morning swimming lessons. We were so utterly exhausted after the lesson, we stayed out of her hair the rest of the day. Genius!
Thanks for sharing with Hump Day Happenings : )
Hey Megan. Time spent with two or more children for more than 17 seconds should give us a great appreciation for teachers. Mom was ready to send you back to school by July 4, wasn’t she?
Why do you think summer camp is so popular?
Glad to be part of the Happenings this week. There’s some good stuff out there!
Another great collection of six words.
Thanks my brother. This one kind of started it all.
You’re welcome Mate.