Summer is Heeeeeere!

Okay, so technically it won't be the season of summer for a couple more weeks, but as of last Friday Eleanor and I are officially free for two and a half months!

And before I hear one person say shit about me getting paid to do nothing all summer, think again. Teachers DO NOT get paid for any breaks. We allow money to be withheld from our checks during the school year so that the yearly total can be evenly divided among twelve months instead of nine and a half. And besides that, I am a special education teacher to students with emotional disturbances, among many other verifications - ADHD, ADD, ODD, Bi-Polar, PTSD, and so on. I still do twelve months worth of work and more in those nine and a half.

But enough about the boring stuff. Onto the fun stuff!

I am super excited about summer for many reasons.

1. Spending time with my babe

We love to go out and explore during the summer, even if it is a place we have been to a million times. If you have read the blog for a while, you know I am particularly fond of one of our museums, the Durham. It is, hands-down, one of the best museums in the Midwest, if not the country. The traveling exhibits are always amazing, and the permanent collections still draws Eleanor's interest every time (she will choose the Durham over the Children's Museum every.single.time. She's five). They recently undertook a huge renovation project for the Union Pacific train cars housed there (the museum is actually the former Union Station, built in 1929. I have a slight obsession with train stations, so you can see why I love the place too). Next week a new exhibit opens, and it is all about DINOSAURS. I am so freaking excited. It's called Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family and will feature Scotty, among other specimens. Eleanor is pretty excited. So am I - the museum gift shops tends to stock up on really great books pertaining to the traveling exhibits, so my self-control is going to be a little lacking in the book-buying department next week when it opens. We actually get to see the exhibit before the public, during one of the Members Only days, on Friday. I. Can't. Wait.

We are also lucky to have tons of other great places to hang out in addition to the Durham, places like The Joslyn Art Museum, Lauritzen Gardens, and of course the world-famous Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

2. Reading

Duh. 

But MORE of it! Libraries! Story times! Hanging out at story times with our fave librarians! Summer Reading Programs! Laying on the deck reading! READING!

3. Writing

Latin be damned, I must finish my book this summer. I will have plenty of time to write about Eleanor of Aquitaine while my Eleanor is off at one camp or another in the coming months.

4. Review and General Blogging Catch-Up

I am seriously behind, and a lot of that was due to stress here at the end of the school year. Reading is my way of relaxing and escaping for a while, and sitting down to write a review is not helpful to de-stress. So, that means my list of reviews I want to write has ballooned up again. No worries though, because I will have plenty of time to do that and make regular visits once again to all my faves - and hopefully discover some new treasures too.

Here's to a fun and productive, lazy and educational summer.

Happy Reading!

Sarah