The LONGEST Summer

I live in a weird place.

I realize that this is a classic "back in my day" scenario, but I'm old now, so I suppose this phrase applies.

Our county has one big ole' school district.  With around 160,000 students attending 183 schools, it's not small.  I graduated from a district that had a handful of neighborhood elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.  You went to school with your neighbors in a building that was close to home, and then you all moved on together.

Not so much here.

Here we are building new schools at a rate that attempts (and fails) to keep up with the growth of the area.  Years ago, many elementary schools here transitioned to a year-round calendar to increase capacity in the buildings as groups of kids tracked in and out throughout the weeks.  As a teacher, I hard core feared that change.  But I rolled with the punches, and discovered that year round schools are AMAZEBALLS.  I was super excited to send my kids to our nearby elementary school that happened to operate on the year-round calendar.

We had a good thing going for kindergarten and first grade, but then the inevitable growth in our area caught us.  A new school was built, just as close to us as our current assignment, and I just knew that we'd be sent there.  And I was correct.  I'm all for a new school, with the shiny new halls and the latest technology, but I'm not all about a traditional calendar.

Too bad, so sad.  We were reassigned, and were forced to roll with the punches again.

This meant that when our last "track out" came at the end of first grade in the year-round school, it actually became the start of our family's first summer vacation. 

SO, I would have all three kids at home for three long months.  Cool, cool.

Around that same time, trouble starting brewing at J's office.  His company wasn't doing particularly well, and had made some announcements that caused the natives to become restless.  The writing was on the wall, and even before upcoming layoffs were announced, everyone knew they were looming.  Job hunt: commence.

J has always told me that he's good at what he does, and that he wouldn't have trouble finding another job if that ever became necessary.  He was right.  Great offers came from great companies- crisis averted.  In the meantime, the layoffs came to be.  Since he already had another job lined up, J volunteered to be let go.  His last day in the office was mid-June.  His new job wouldn't begin until mid-August.  

SO, I would also have a husband at home for the majority of the summer.  Cool, cool.

I will be the first to admit, I was excited nervous terrified of having this extended family time.  All day, every day.  FOR MONTHS.  But really, it would probably be fun tolerable a shit show. 

All jokes aside, J and I were both unsure of how things would go.  We were all used to our routines, and it was clear that routine had been tossed out the window.  But we decided that we could focus on not killing each other, or focus on making the best of a once in a lifetime situation.

So that's what we did.

Guys, we had an awesome summer.  We played putt putt.  We splashed in the pool.  We drove go karts, went to the beach, rode on a ferris wheel, visited every park we could, ate a lot of ice cream, played a lot of games.  Every week was something new and exciting.  We stayed super busy, and super happy.

I am so thankful that the stars aligned, and we were handed this crazy opportunity.

And lest you think that this family is all sunshine and rainbows...J started his new job and went back to work right about the time that my kids turned into miserable creatures who desperately needed to get their whiny ungrateful little behinds back to school.

Alas, back to routine.  We made it.