Sunburns, sneezes and squito bites sounds like summer

These are some of the words I associate with summer. I could also add a lot of positive words too but since I currently have all three of the above I am going with them. I have never been a huge summer person. Most people would tend to think I was a huge fan of the summer because I chose to be a teacher and could have a nice long break well that really had nothing to do with why I chose to be a teacher. I actually think summer break is too long for kids (it puts them way behind in their school work and drops their reading levels and I think it often drives parents crazy) to be out of school and way outdated. Before kids needed to be out for the summer because they had to work on the farm not so much now but that is not the point of these thoughts.
I know this title sounds negative and I do not hate summertime, I just don't think it is all that great. When school ended in May I was nervous about what on earth we would do to stay busy because I love having things to keep me busy and going to work is great for that. But we have done a good job staying fairly busy. The library is a life saver for me I think I have read over 20 books since the end of May! I know I should really enjoy all this free independent time because soon enough it will be really hard to find. So I have been keeping that in mind and by so doing have learned that I love hanging out by the pool! This really was a revelation to me. Growing up in California one generally thinks that being poolside is a favorite past time but since my parents did not have a pool growing up I never knew how enjoyable it could be. I love going out after my morning walk and taking a book and reading for awhile then swimming some laps and reading some more while I dry off. It is so funny to me that I never realized that I could enjoy it. Unfortunately, our new apartment complex in Colorado Springs does not have a pool so I won't be able to enjoy this new found way to pass the time.
I am actually quite impressed that I haven't gotten more sunburns than I have. The mosquitoes are eating me alive but that is pretty normal anytime there are mosquitoes around. We went to a movie night in the park Friday (a summer activity that I love!) and I got tons of bites with mosquito repellent on. I never ever had allergies growing up in California, where everything grows but ever since we moved to Utah for that one fateful summer in 2005 I get summer allergies. I swear I am allergic to hot weather. Luckily Greeley has had a very mild summer so they haven't started kicking in but this week they did and I am sneezing all the time. It makes me feel so bad for people who have lots of allergies.
Whats crazy is that for us summer is almost over especially for Mark. He basically has 2 weeks of summer left. His new teacher orientation starts July 26th and continues through the 31st and then he starts teaching on August 04th. This is actually something we think we will really like about his school district. They go to school for 9 weeks and then have 2 off. They still get out the same time as other schools in the area (the end of May) but they get three 2 week long breaks throughout the year to make up for starting sooner. (October, December and March)
We have a few more fun activities planned and then its time to pack up and start the next phase of our lives. I can't wait for the end of this summer and the changes it will bring but I am definitely making the most of my free time while I can!