If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard a lot of talk lately about the “summer slide.” Basically that’s when kids go on summer vacation and lose some of the academic progress they’ve made during the previous school year. But it seems that my kids aren’t the only ones in my house who need to continue exercising their brains while school is out. I’m suffering from the summer slide myself.
During the craziness of the last couple of weeks of the school year I ambitiously made a list of all the things I wanted to do this summer. Catch up on doctors’ appointments. Import, organize, and print all the forgotten photos on my camera. Tackle junk drawers. Get a puppy. Get in shape. Take my kids on exciting and educational field trips. Plan, attend, and have a blast at my BFF’s bachelorette party. And write, write, write!
I’m doing pretty well on most of the items on my summer list. But there’s one task I haven’t quite been able to check off: the write, write, write part.
Days pass, and it’ll hit me during spinning class or a Wal-Mart shopping spree that I can’t even remember how long it’s been since I sat down in front of the computer to write. And I got to thinking the other day…why am I not writing? What am I doing with my free time, that free time I envisioned I’d be filling with endless flowing words?
I’m enjoying my summer that’s what I’m doing. I’m eavesdropping on my kids as they play with each other in their rooms. I’m loving on my new puppy. I’m watching my husband transform our backyard. I’m visiting with friends. I’m reading magazines. I’m training for a half marathon. I’m watching movies. I’m drinking wine. I’m taking advantage of every minute I have until the school year starts again and my family returns to our normal life of alarm clocks, packed lunches, lesson plans, and homework.
I’m disappointed in myself that I haven’t started the novel that’s stuck in my head or sent out manuscripts of my revised children’s book, but it will happen when it happens. Summer is only halfway over so I’m not giving up hope yet. In the meantime, I plan to keep riding that summer slide and hope I can jumpstart my brain every now and then to write about all the fun I’m having.
What have you been doing this summer?
Have you been keeping up with your blogging or have your summer activities been keeping you too busy?
I just graduated from college in June so I'm taking the summer off. Well besides homeschooling my youngest and making sure the teenager doesn't get into trouble. lol
I just started my blog so I can't say if I've been keeping up with it or not.
The only thing I've been busy with is trying to keep the kids entertained! Hubby works long hours and it's difficult for the kids and I to get out of the house unless we're at the park. I totally understand you're list. Those are all things I need to do too!
http://www.thekuchlerfam.blogspot.com/
I have been trying to blog a lot. But I have been reading like crazy.
My fiance has been home for the last two months so when he isn't working we are usually out doing something.
We have done a lot of hiking. And I have been working all summer to keep up with paying for school. I live in Hawaii so it's been pretty much beach, beach, beach.
When he is home it's like I try to drop everything in my life to be with him.
My boyfriend and I had a week of vacation so I was busy with that…other than that, just work, school and playing around with my new digital camera 😀
My blogging has slowed to a trickle, but I pin that squarely on the shoulders of deployment's end and my husband's return. 🙂
I've been too busy & tragically uninspired this summer. I think it's the heat.
(also – "A Sailor's Valentine" is redirecting to this post & not her blog!)
I've been doing a pretty good job of keeping up with the blog and getting things checked off of my project list. But there are definitely things slipping through the cracks–but hey, summer is made for relaxing 😉
Haha. That perfectly describes how I felt the summer after I graduated college. I felt like my brain had atrophied. So I started reading more, doing more Bible study, doing anything I could to exercise my brain. Reading has been a huge help.