School`s Out!

Our schools break up today, so it`s the end of lazy mornings for me. In the school summer holidays I have to get up to take the dogs out before the children hit the mean streets and beaches of Southend. Luckily, this means before 11ish so we`re not talking crack of dawn here. No I`m not anti-kid , it`s just that it gets too crowded. And Shamus widdles up sandcastles...and footballs,,,and picnic bags
So no more lunches in the Park for a while
On the plus side -
I get up early so get more done.
We explore further afield
We see the beach before it gets all mucky!
What are you looking forward to this summer?

I have to keep Loki on the lead on the beach when it's busy. He also pees up sandcastles and when kids are digging holes he thinks 'wow, that looks like fun!' and 'helps' them. He's also a bit of a picnic wrecker, so it's early morning for us!

Having the kids at home, and not having to clock watch all the time and run them to all their activities. Our holiday in Portugal is pretty exciting too.

Pros and cons...

Pros - don't have to rush in the mornings to make sandwiches and get kids organised for school, lovely days like today spent in the park with dogs and kids.

Cons - bored kids and Pepper is definitely less focused on me when we're with them, she knows that I'm likely to be distracted and she takes advantage!

J

i know just what you mean .i took ours into the park this afternoon ,it was full packed to the point i had to drive to a enclosed area ,wont even try tomorrow im afraid ,must be fustrating if you have a beach and can not get on it

Summer holidays and all the "dog walking" places are over run with kids, but worse thing is on a hot day like today you get the dog walkers who only seem to come out in the summer!
You must know the ones I mean? You never see them in the winter or even the spring on your regular walks, but suddenly a lovely warm day and everyone has a dog but noone seems to know how to a) control them b) act around them and c) look after them on a hot day!!
Rant over!
Just saw some very strange dog owners this mornig - long story!

I'm a teacher (Lecturer technically), so summer means HOLIDAY! Lots of time to spend training and playing with the doggies. Can't say I notice the extra kids but I'm lucky none of my pack seem the least interested in kids, or balls or sandcastles (touch wood).

Of course what I am doing this delightful summers day is sitting in the garden with my wireless lap top watching Kismet play in the paddling pool, Selkie is under the parasol in the shade snoozing and Pharaoh is fast asleep on the old sofa in the garden we haven't got round to throwing out yet! I'm sipping a tall lemonade and sticking my nose into everyones affairs on this and a couple of art and teachers forums....

We had a play in the field this morning, before the day heated up and we'll not be heading off for our afternoon walk till early evening. Poor Selkie doesn't cope in the heat.

Jealous?

Well i'm stuck at work as we don't get a nice long summer hol!

The best thing about the summer for me is all the big shows to go to . . . such as the Midlands Game fair.

I'm stuck at work too (we don't have kids) but since I work at a University, the best bit of summer for me is that there are no students!!

The roads are clear, there are parking spaces, no queues on campus etc... brilliant!

The best bit about the school holidays for me is, I can actually get out in the car and get to where I want in reasonable time, instead of being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic no matter what direction I turn out of my village, if I want to get out between the hours of 8 and 9! The downside to that is, the shops are full of mums with half a dozen out of control kids, so I have to get back home early to avoid them, but it's much better this way around.

I'm not anti kid, but I only like nice, well behaved ones, and ones that don't scream their heads off whilst being dragged around the shops with their umpteen brothers and sisters! Mine wouldn't have been like that if I'd have had them, that's for sure!

At the moment, the pub over the road has a bouncy castle out all day, every day - so roll on winter I say. Every winter I tell myself to go and stick some very large pins in that blooming thing, but then I always forget!!!