Vacation season

It's hard to believe that summer is half gone.  But by any measure, that's the case.  I wrapped up my semester's work in mid-May, and will go back for fall in late August.  The kids finished school in early June and will return in mid-August.  I'm transitioning from working on my fall seminar syllabus (June's task) to constructing two major research presentations for national and international conferences this fall (July's task).  Once August starts, all bets will be off; we're taking off the first week for a family reunion, and when we get back the kids will be only one week from the start of school (I have an additional week and a half before my first classes, although semester tasks will start ramping up immediately upon our return).

And given that both of our kids have summer camps for the next three weeks, family time will be thin on the ground until that August trip.  This long weekend was full of togetherness, and we've got another one on the docket coming up in just a couple of days.  Continuing a family tradition, we're headed a couple of hours south to our nearest theme park and waterslide extravaganza for an afternoon of fun and a hotel stay (complete with pool and pull-out couch sleeping).  We'll hang around Hot Spring the next morning for some more swimming and maybe some minigolf before heading home ... to start another weekend.

The way I see it, the only thing better than a family vacation is one that comes with a relaxing weekend at home at the end of it.