Richmond Parents Monthly | Family Magazine

the frumpy zone by colleen r. lee

Dock of the Bay, Here I Come!

The favorite time of year for all school-age kids and teachers is upon us— SUMMER VACATION! Of course, the only reason I became a teacher was because of the extensive financial rewards and the additional bonus of getting EVERY SUMMER OFF!!!

(OK, just in case any of my colleagues are reading this… I am in fact being sarcastic. And NO, I don’t feel like going into all the details about WHY the teaching profession is so exhausting and challenging, because it’s SUMMER VACATION! Besides, all of those teacher-bashers out there are just jealous because they don’t get a SUMMER VACATION!)

As SUMMER VACATION arrives, I am filled with nostalgia for the never-ending summers of my childhood. Brilliant blue skies, hot days filled with bike riding—without helmets, leisurely walks to the DQ, and running around the neighborhood only to return at twilight to catch lightening bugs in our front yard.

In today’s society, SUMMER VACATION just doesn’t seem to have that same sense of freedom that I remember. Summer camps, summer school and play dates have all replaced the summer freedoms from my childhood.

Every year I am filled with guilt for not signing my kids up for various summer activities. I constantly question if I am doing my children a disservice because their summer isn’t scheduled and organized down to the last minute.

But then I watch my children squeal with delight as they catch crickets in the back yard and spend hours in the little baby pool or blow bubbles on the front porch and I realize that this is just what my family needs…
A time to unwind, relax and recharge after the frazzled schedule of the school year…
A time when my kids and I don’t have to worry about what we’re wearing the next day…
A time when we just be… when we’re a family with no worries, obligations or stress.
Isn’t that the purpose of SUMMER VACATION: just relaxin’, sittin’ at the dock of the bay, wastin’ time?

The Frumpy Zone’s Top 5 Reasons to Love SUMMER VACATION!

1. No packing lunches.

2. Staying up late and sleeping in.

3. Traveling—locked in the minivan for hours listening to the musical sounds of the Backseat Kids and their #1 hit, “Are We There Yet?”

4. Sending the kids outside to play when I need a break.

5. A much cleaner house… at least, it seems like my house is cleaner because I have all week to do chores that usually get crammed into a weekend.

Richmond-area writer and teacher Colleen R. Lee lives with her husband and three kids in the Frumpy Zone. Visit her at www.thefrumpyzone.blogspot.com

Archives: