how i spent my summer vacation

Some people may have had an assignment like this one when they were in school:

Teacher: Ok, class. Because I can't think of anything else to do to fill up the time of the first week of school, I'd like you to write an essay about how you spent your summer vacation.

Some essays perhaps sounded something like this:

"This summer was so fun. I played with my friends every day. We went to the park, went swimming, and walked to the gas station for ice cold drinks. I went camping with my family and got a few sunburns. Etc..."

I admit that I've never personally had my students write such an essay because, well, it's kind of cliche and lame (just FYI, 'lame' is my new favorite word'). However, if I were given the chance now as a student of mommyhood, this is what my essay would say:

How I spent my Summer Vacation

This summer has been unlike any others I've ever experienced. No sitting outside for hours in my swimming suit, reading my latest treasure. No sleeping in until 9 or 10, basking in the cool breeze flowing through the bedroom from a too-loud fan. No midnight runs to 7-11 for Slurpee's, Snickers, and Watermelon Laffy Taffy. And no visits to the drive-in movie theater for a double feature, making-out under the stars, and greasy drive-in cuisine. Nope, this summer is way different.
This summer, I spent a good percent of my time worrying/stressing/confused about a certain newborn little boy. Said little boy keeps me up at night, not with crying or late night feedings, but with my mind racing on how to halt a nasty case of diaper rash and 2 week lasting bouts of diarrhea. Said little boy requires naps every other hour, on the dot, or all hell breaks loose. Said little boy loves cuddling and rocking and swaying and bouncing and not anything out of mommy's arms. Said little boy is a stickler when it comes to taking day-time naps.
On the other hand, though, I spent this summer falling head-over-heels in love with a certain newborn little boy whose smile melts my heart and often brings a lump in my throat. Said little boy laughs and crunches up his nose when he's happy and consequentally makes me not worry about laundry, dishes, vacuuming, or cooking. Said little boy is my right-hand man and goes pretty much every where with me. Said little boy has shown me that there's more to life than suntanning, swimming, Slurpee's, Snickers, and drive-in movies.
So, while this summer vacation has been so vastly different than those in the past, it has also been so amazingly better because of a certain newborn little boy. I can hardly remember what life was like without him (though I know it involved way fewer diapers and way less midnight wake-up calls...) and I'm more than pleased that his special arrival has significanly changed all aspects of my life.

And, unlike some students who bluff their way through assignments like this, this essay comes from the deepest part of my heart. And I'd for sure get an A+. Because if I didn't, it'd be lame.


(pictures are on hiatus because I left my camera at the parent's Hubert's. Hopefully I'll be picking it up tomorrow...)