Wednesday, May 21, 2008


“school’s out for summer!”

we tap our feet,
drum our nails,
stare beseechingly at the clock,
utterly
Impatient.

then we burst out of our desks,
like a newborn screaming its first breath,
like a stone skipping across a stream and, then, Splashing.

Oh,
the sunny possibilities,
the dog-day anticipations,
on this
last
day
of
school.

Just a little ode I wrote to school being out for summer, since yesterday was the girls' last day of school and they are VERY excited about it!!!

We have some fun stuff planned for the summer. Some of it is laid-back fun (hanging out two or three times a week at the water park/theme park that is a mere five minutes from our house; sleeping late when we can; reading books; going to summer movies); some of it is going-somewhere fun (as a family, we have trips planned to the Smoky Mountains, Maryland--Delaney's team will be in a softball World Series outside Ocean City, so we will have a combined softball tournament/beach trip get-away--and to Texas to visit relatives; as a couple, Gary and I will get away for our anniversary; and I personally will be speaking at three writers conferences, one in Vicksburg, Mississippi); and some of it will be "whatever happens happens" fun!

(You may also remember my list of 39 things to do before I turn 40--which as at the very end of summer on August 31--so I will try and complete THIS LIST of things to do. I've already done two or three and have plans for the rest...I will have to give an update soon on them!)

So...

if you have kids, are they officially out for Summer yet?

what plans do you have for this Summer? (I love to live vicariously through other people! lol)

what do you LOVE about Summertime?

(And, since I shared another one of my poems with you today, go check THIS out. The Poem-a-Day Challenge recognized all the writers who contributed a poem on every day. I was one of the 120 that wrote 30 poems last month. That was a wonderful creative challenge, and I'n proud I did it!)

And now... enjoy the Summer (it's in the high 80s here, so it's feeling like it!) and have a great day!!!

26 comments:

Kingcover said...

Kids over here have about 10 weeks for Summer - late June to early September. I used to really love being off and then adulthood and r-e-s-p-o-n-s-i-b-i-l-i-t-i-e-s happened :-(

^^^ I had to spell it out because I hate saying it lolol.

Leah said...

My all time fave summer activity is the pool or the beach. I hope to get a couple pool trips in before Abigail gets here!

Sounds like a great summer for you and the girls!

camport said...

wowo I can't believe they're out already! I'm just starting the registration process for next year and I am terrified FOR Simon. School just seems so much scarier than when I was a kid...

:)

Mississippi Songbird said...

Today is my kids last day too! Yipeeeeee!

Adrienne said...

My kids BEGGED to go today! Only Aj stayed home with me! LOL We put the final plans on our summer things to do yesterday. It's gonna be a busy one! LOL

Anonymous said...

We always go to the beach at least once so that will be great. Your summer sounds great too.

Sheila said...

School is over until September and my daughter keeps telling me what we plan to do, and I have to remind her, I have to work sweetie...lol. But I enjoy relaxing in the backyard and umpteen bbqs.

Auburn Kat said...

I love Ocean City, MD! They have really good taffy there from Candy's Kitchen!!!

Cheryl Wray said...

Kingc--Hey, it's SO good to see you here again! I will go check out your blog soon!!!

Leah--Love the beach! Love the pool!

Chrissy--It is scary, but you know my girls have had really GOOD experiences in school. So, have faith about it all. He will do fine!!

Songbird--Yippee!!

Cheryl Wray said...

Adrienne--Summer is gonna be fun!!

Gin--LOVE the beach!!

Sheila--LOL That is so funny!! You mean, you can't just stop working during the summer? lol

Kat--Oh good!! You can give me some good advice about where to eat and stuff! I'll be emailing you. :-)

Kari (GrannySkywalker) said...

My kids don't get out until the 30th! My granddaughter's school year in Okinawa isn't officially over until June 12th! Can you imagine??

We're going on vacation in June with our boys...we're driving (here's hoping gas prices slow down before then!!) up to West Yellowstone Park for a couple of nights, then up to Billings, Montana so my husband can visit with his dad and his brothers, then over to South Dakota so we can visit Mount Rushmore and then over to Minneapolis for 4 days and then home. All in all, I think it's a 13 day trip. My husband has a conference for work in Minneapolis so the boys and I will be spending much of our time checking out the Mall of America. I'm WAY excited about that. lol

In the meantime, we're taking a day trip this Saturday to Waco and Dublin, Texas, to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum and the Dublin Dr. Pepper bottling plant. We're actually taking this little trip as a "test-run" to see how our dog does being left home all alone with the new dog door we installed. If he does well, then we can just have the dog watcher come over every day while we're on vacation to feed the pets and bring in the mail, etc. I've got my fingers crossed! :)

Now I'm off to work on my "Mini-Moon" book...I'm determined to finish it today!

Kari

Brown English Muffin said...

you have to speak at a writers convention what do you do, I never knew you were a speaker?

Renee said...

He have lots of summer camps, San Antonio, a little beach, and hopefully lots of swimming. My favorite summer things are popsicles, swimming, laziness and hot weather!

Cheryl Wray said...

Hey EVERyone!!!

LOVE all the comments!!!! I am jealous of some of your trips. Renee--I absolutely ADORE San Antonio; it is one of my fave places ever! And Muffin--I do a lot of speaking at writers conferences. I speak on topics related to freelance writing for magazines and newspapers. It's fun!

I'm off to the water park for the first time of the season!! Yay!! (maybe i'll get some pics!!)

Anonymous said...

We're headed to Provincetown, Mass for a week in Augsut. It's off the cape so it will be a beachy week. We're looking forward to that becuase we didn't go outside the city last year.

Nothing else too big planned. Work is going to be crazy because I'm working on a big project that has to launch in mid-Setepmber so I'll be working a lot. That said, we'll take whatever time we grab and do some in the city since there is much to chose from.

Meanwhile... you know I hate summer becuase of the heat/humidity, so that part I'm not looking forward to at all!

Katrin said...

It's not summer yet, over here (imagine me sitting on my couch with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders). Summer is the busiest time for me, as I'm working in tourism. So, for now my plans are work-eat-sleep-work. Grrr... But in September we're headed to Italy! :)

Linda said...

we are not out of school here in Cali. yet....and this is dd's final year, so she will have graduation and all of that. I have to work all summer, all the time actually, lol, but she will be busy with a job (I hope) and other things.

I love summer because it's the next season before fall (my fav) lol.

Unknown said...

Well, both of my kids have graduated from high school already so there isn't that excitement for them anymore. LOL Although, my daughter is going to the local college and she is on break until June 9th. She was thrilled about that.

Since both of them work, we really don't have any major plans for the summer. I am thinking we will be sticking pretty close to home, considering the gas prices. We are now at $3.98 per gallon.

All of the things you have planned sound like fun! Maybe, I will just come and stay with you for the summer? ROFL!!

Cheryl said...

I can't believe it!! Your birthday is in August?? So is mine!! We have the same name and same month?? Oh my goodness this is to funny! Glad the girls are out, sounds like fun times ahead! We are leaving for the lake tomorrow but have to return on Monday. I'm not sure what all we are going to do for the summer yet. You sound like you are very organized!

Edleen said...

Yayy for Summer! but it's Summer almost all year round here and we just brought kids to the beach and the Gardens. it's also the school holidays now and we just might go for a short family getaway :D

enjoy the Summer and have Fun, Always! :D

hippo chick said...

I was always as excited as the girls when summer vacation started. We always went to lunch and a movie on that first day as their dad (being a teacher) had that day off too. I loved summer vacation and always cried on the first day of school in the fall. Oh the memories!!

I know you will have a great summer with the girls.

I'll post a list of our summer plans soon.

I've really enjoyed your poems.

Cheryl Wray said...

Jeff--A trip to Mass. sounds great. Another place I haven't been, but that I bet is wonderful!

Katrin--Wow. Italy is something to look forward to. That's probably the European country I'd like to most visit. So, I'm officially jealous. :-)

Linda--McKenna just got a summer job today too, so that's gonna be different with her doing that. I love Fall, but I love Summer first!!!

Kathy--Yep, the gas it's gonna take for us to get to some of these places will kill us. Cmon down South and join me!!!

Cheryl--Okay, when specifically is your bday? Mine's Aug. 31.

Ed--Yeah, yeah...rub the "summer all year long" thing in again. LOL

Pam--Can't wait to read about your Summer plans. I know they'll be great!!!

Dawn Bibbs said...

Oh my goodness, Cheryl...I've got SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much catching up to do. I have missed you (and all my other blogging buddies) like crazy!!!

Tomorrow is our last day of school. I am SOOO sad!

Anyway, it simply sounds like I need to update my blog. Because Lord KNOWS I've got tons to post about.

Anyway, I'll be commenting here and there on your blog....like I said, I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Take care and I'll be talking with you. Love ya!! Miss ya!

~Telah said...

We still have one more week of school. I hope we can relax this summer. In the fall, I will have two in school!

Monogram Queen said...

This week and next for school around here. I don't get any summer break boo~hoo!

Susie Q said...

You live in a whirlwind!! I forgot to mention how much I adored that Tiki Hut your sis in law had! What a cute idea!
Love that roller coaster!!

LOVED Indiana Jones! The ending was something I had been waiting for since 1981!!! *Yippee*

Love,
Sue