5 Things I Will Miss Most About Summer Vacation

Yes, we still have Labor Day coming up, but for my family, summer is over. See, my son went back to school three weeks ago, so we're already counting down the days until his next summer vacation (as of today, we have 287 days to go). Looking back, it's been one of my favorite summers of all time, and this picture of Gavin Rossdale and son, Zuma, pretty much sums up what I'll miss the most.

1. The sun. Although the heat was unbearable some days, I love how summer days seem to last forever, with the sun going down past 9 o'clock some nights. It meant more time to do fun things with the kids in the day and was always a good excuse to get ice cream or shaved ice. It's depressing when we have to "fall back" and the days get shorter. This year it's on November 6.

2. The beach. We were lucky enough to spend time in Kauai this summer, and I will miss the gorgeous beaches with waterfalls in the background, the warm ocean water, and the giant turtles swimming in the waves. And of course I'll miss seeing my kids having the times of their lives frolicking on the beach and building sand castles.

3. Hot guys on the beach. What? A mom can still look and appreciate the male form, especially if they look like Mr. Rossdale! Am I right, or am I right?

4. Relaxing. Oh, to not have to wake up to an alarm clock. What a treat! I will miss the days of lounging around and doing nothing, and when the biggest decision I have to make in the day is whether we should hit the pool or the beach.

5. Family Time. I'll miss this the most. Even though we see each other every day, our lives get so busy with work, school, after-school activities, play dates, other family and so on, that it's so easy to take each other for granted. I guess we'll just have to slow down and pretend we're on vacation every once in a while. And we always have the weekends...

Your turn. What will you miss most about your summer vacation? And speaking of travel, do you trust your hotel to do this with your kids? Sound off in the comments below.

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