I remember as a kid going back to school and answering this basic question: What did you do on your summer vacation?
Even as parents we look back on the way we spend time in the seasons. Fall, we get into the football pads and watch our kids crash (carefully) into each other, go to the high school football games, and build friendships with other fans. The winter, we spend huddled up hoping to snow to play in. In the spring, we sneeze as the pollen ripens, while going through spring season baseball - a mix of "gee, it's not fair to make the kids play in sleet and snow" and "man, it's getting hot". Then comes "summer vacation."
My wife is a middle-school teacher, so it really is a summer vacation. Of sorts. She actually picks up a summer job working at the local minor league ball park. Our baseball playing son, plays baseball. And my wife, when she can, and I help out with running and speed work for my son's team. Almost everyday, at least every week, for the months of May, June, and July, it's baseball.
So when two or three years ago a friend asked my wife and I what our family did for our summer vacation, we were stumped. We didn't go to any mountains, or water-parks, or amusement parks, or family reunions, or really much of anywhere. But at the same time, we felt no degree of disappointment. We had had a great summer. We had made friends with other team parents, we had watched our sons develop as athletes and as good sports. We had seen other teams and learned to appreciate and respect their strengths. We had spend many summer days sweating in hot weather sharing sunscreen, ice, and watching a particularly tough little toddler. We stayed in a cheap motel and let the boys refresh in the motel pool. All of this within 90 minutes of our home. We didn't go much of anywhere for our summer vacation. But we had a blast.
Now it is summer vacation coming round the bend. Our team has new players and new parents. Our family is looking forward to a good summer of baseball.
