A different type of summer

So I spent the last week of summer in a grumpy mood, because the summer of 2016 was not like some of the recent past ones, and I had trouble reconciling it in my head, and realizing that this is probably where we are headed in the phase of 2 elementary schoolers.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great summer, just different.  And felt like it went by more quickly, because things were chunked by weeks, instead of days.

David showing off an invention

June was filled with professional development for me, then a week of Camp Invention for David and VBS at her preschool church for Sara.  Then we were off to Amelia Island with the Duncan clan, and after that right back to VBS at our church.  There were 2 weeks of down time after that, but I guess I didn't process that they were the only unplanned weeks left of summer.

Feeding the turtles at Amelia Island Plantation

July brought another year of me teaching at Encore camp, then we were off to Daytona Beach, for a wonderful bonus week in Florida, thanks to the administrator that put together my TOTY gift basket last fall.  After that the kids had a week of MAD camp at a nearby church - and then we're back to pre-planning!

My angel and chicken from "What do you do on a rainy day in the Ark?"

It was just different in that we didn't do as many day trips, which I have enjoyed in previous years, or really have the chance to do any spur-of-the-moment out of town trips like Huntsville last year, which was one of my highlights of the year.  We went to the newly renovated Children's Museum downtown, and had a Suwanee playdate with friends, but Fernbank didn't have anything new, and INK doesn't really change, so  I don't really feel like we missed out on a lot, just that my kids's interests are changing, and they really enjoyed their weeks of camp.

Guess it's time to get used to a new normal; Sara started Kindergarten this week, and loves it so far!  David is excited about his teachers for 3rd grade, if not starting over socially, he told me today he misses his old school :(.  I'm excited for year 3 at BCMS, it's especially fun to have 8th graders that I will have taught all 3 years!