Another summer over

Another 11 week summer holiday creaks to a close. The air is starting to gently chill, and although I try to deny it, the leaves are sneaking from green to rusty red.

It's been a hard summer for us as parents, but I think the children had a good time. Mike is opening three hotels in three months, so he has been away every week but one. That left me trying to do a 40 hour working week and manage camp drop offs and pick ups. I had help from my parents, and for the last 3 weeks a nanny, but it's been a struggle.

Next year I hope to be home for the summer with the children, so we can enjoy the summer together. Especially as I can see them changing so fast. Hannah is at the stage where she is mostly to be found in her room reading or listening to music, or out around town on her bike, and I feel her slipping away.

But for all our guilt the children had many amazing opportunities this summer. The girls had two weeks in England with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Meanwhile Mark spent the two weeks with Carl and Nadja in Connecticut being spoiled rotten.

While they were all away Mike and I grabbed the chance to spend a long weekend in Chicago. I got to see the hotel he is building (Harper Court), we ate amazing deep dish pizza and black rice sushi, met up with his business partners, stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria, did a fabulous architectural boat tour (during which we experienced basically all weather other than snow), and explored the city thoroughly.

The kids then all did two weeks of Sail Maine. Hannah loved it. The other two did not. The jury is out on whether they'll carry on sailing.

After a visit from granny Barbara and grandad Mike,including a trip to the rather luxurious Samoset Resort, the kids were back at camp - this time Circus camp. They all loved it. Next time you see them, ask them to demonstrate diablos, trapeze and fabric skills.

At this point our nanny Julia stepped in to help, shortly followed by my old school friend Suzz arriving for 10 days of non-stop talking. Well, we hadn't seen each other in 10 years. We had catching up to do. Meanwhile Hannah and Ellie did four afternoons of horse riding. Mark had quite sensibly decided that horses are fundamentally dangerous (somewhat to my relief - just need to convince the girls now).

Next, the high point of my summer, we all spent a week at Renee's camp on Lovell Lake in New Hampshire. There was the traditional 'silliest jump off the rope swing' competition, a lot of paddling, several late nights round the campfire, and for some reason a lot of cat sick. Lovely week, especially having Su there. Poor Mike had to go off to work for the middle five days.

Saturday we discovered we had to leave a day earlier than expected, but it meant we got to spend Sunday exploring Cape Elizabeth - the Lobster Shack, Crescent Beach, ice cream from Kettle Cove, Portland Head Light. Every summer I wonder why we didn't move to Cape instead of Yarmouth.

Then it was back to work for me. I switched to working part time, and suddenly life became manageable again. While Mark and Ellie explored nearby beaches and swimming pools with Julia, Hannah did a Telling Room camp where the campers explored Portland, stalked people (including various parents), eavesdropped strangers conversations, and used the results to create memorable villains. Hannah's was a witch who knitted her own body bags.

Labor Day weekend is beckoning. We're celebrating John's birthday Saturday  and maybe a trip to Aquaboggan on Sunday. Then middle school for Hannah and Ellie, and back to elementary school for Mark.