School started in our neighborhood yesterday. My daughter is taking some night classes at the community college. She started Monday, August 13th.

I must have missed the memo. You know, the one that says summer is over in mid-August. School administrators must have gotten it. Why else would they schedule football practice and games when it's still 100+ degrees during the day?

I had three months off school when I was a student. Currently, our kids get a little over two months off. And those months are jam packed. Summer school, camp, VBS, enrichment and hobby classes. When do these kids get a chance to camp out in the back yard, sleep late, fry an egg on the sidewalk, watch clouds, run through the sprinkler?

Short answer: They don't.

Someone told parents that kids need to be stimulated, entertained, and challenged.

That's true. They also need down time, to relax, let the dog lick ice-cream off their face, and to just be.

That's what summer is all about.