Summertime means different things to different families. Some look forward to it as a time of rest and family travel, others dread the extra juggling required to adjust to a school-free existence.

Personally, I’ve often wondered why they are called the “lazy, hazy days of summer.” My summer days are typically jam-packed from dawn to dusk and beyond. All this “down time” tends to leave me in need of a vacation from my daughter’s vacation. With school out, my usual routine gets turned on its head as I try to figure out how to get my work done while keeping her entertained. At our house, summer day camp is the answer, but even that requires a healthy amount of on-going coordination and chauffeuring. (Boy, do I miss the school bus!)

When I was a kid, both my parents worked from home and my sister and I were left to our own devices for big chunks of the day. She and I spent hours playing together (mostly outdoors – those were the days of heading out to play after breakfast and coming in at dinner time) – adventure games, baby dolls, “school,” and “spies.” For the rest of the time, we did stuff with my mom – gardening, marketing, and sometimes craft or cooking projects. We went to the library … a lot. There were play dates and outings – sometimes with my dad, too. My memories are of long days that provided ample opportunity for doing nothing.

I wish I could give my daughter that same summer, but my circumstances are different. I’m a single mom who has to work full-time, so she’s a little girl who has to attend camp full-time. It’s not her favorite thing, but I’ve gone to great lengths to change things up this year – enrolling her in three different camps. So far, my efforts have paid off – she’s really enjoying the new experiences and making new friends, too. It’s been a salve to my mother’s guilt to see her having a good time.

I may not be able stay at home with my daughter full-time, but that will only make the “hooky” days that much better. I can’t wait to surprise her by keeping her out of camp so she and I can enjoy an afternoon at the beach or a special daytrip. She’s going to love that.

So, what’s your summer look like? Do you spend long days with your kids, or hustle back and forth to camp? What’s your favorite part of the summer? How do you make summer memories special?

Scroll below to take our Grapevine “summer sentiment” poll. Let us know how you feel about the season.

Picture Credit: Me. My daughter combining two of her favorite things – dance and the beach. Happy girl.