The elementary school that I attended was on the top of a large hill.  On the last day of school as summer vacation was officially proclaimed, we ran down the hill screaming at the top of our lungs.  Now, a mother, as summer vacation begins, I also (on occasion) can be heard screaming at the top of my lungs.Most moms I know find summer a mixed bag.  Yes, it’s nice to have a break from the morning routine, the permission slips, the homework, and the class projects.  But a new host of pressures mount:  how to negotiate childcare, how to entertain the kids, how to keep sunscreen and bug spray on.  At times, the dog days of summer can really bite.  My sister, a 6th grade teacher, told me that being home for three months with her 6 and 4 year old sons was likely to leave her more frazzled than the entire nine months of school with 42 adolescent girls.  I know exactly what she means.And yet, every summer has a myriad of magical moments embedded within it.  Plus it typically slips away as quickly as a firefly’s flash.And so I relax, remembering to enjoy the fun and the sun.  I try to watch the stress float off on a summer’s breeze.  When I do that, the livin’ is easy.      To receive Ashley’s weekly blog via email Click Here       www.ashleydavisbush.com