My Love-Hate Relationship with School Summer Holidays

It's mad to think that the next time our children break up for school it will be for their LONG 6 weeks holidays. I have been at home with my children for the school holidays (thanks to working weekends and then working self employed) for the past 4 years and it's fair to say I have a definite love-hate relationship with them.

LOVE lazy days with the kids at home
HATE that the house will never be tidy
LOVE the opportunity for endless day trips
HATE the expense of day trips
LOVE feeling the sunshine on my face
HATE when it inevitably rains
LOVE long weekends spent camping
HATE long weeks when I'm stuck in the house and everyone else is at work
LOVE picnics in the park with friends
HATE how I can never fill my children and they eat me out of house and home

LOVE late nights, lie ins and no school runs
HATE the days where the kids do need to be up early and are grumpy all day
LOVE watching the kids create their own games and fun
HATE when they moan they're bored
LOVE that I am in a position to have a full 6 weeks at home with the kids
HATE that it's really hard to manage working from home when the kids are here and I end up stressed
LOVE BBQ parties
HATE Summer holiday hangovers+kids - they don't mix!
LOVE that shorts and t-shirts are super easy to wash and dry & we an use our washing line
HATE that the kids go through multiple outfit changes per day at times
LOVE the kids playing out in the street until dark
HATE the constant worry of should I actually be letting them play outside where I can't see them?

LOVE seeing how excited the kids get when the ice cream van pulls up outside
HATE the fact that 99 ice creams are no longer 99p
LOVE water fights and taking the kids to our local splash parks
HATE that it costs more than £2 for a coffee at our local park
LOVE Fish and Chips by the beach
HATE that ice cream, fish and chips and BBQs are so calorific!
LOVE an impromptu trip to a family friendly beer garden and a sneaky wine
HATE that we can no longer 'make a night of it'

LOVE no homework!
HATE that when my children go back to school they have moved up a school year and it's a reminder that they're getting older
LOVE family bike rides/walks every day
HATE the cost of back to school uniforms
LOVE that the kids can eat lunch/dinner outside = minimal mess
HATE that we need to cut the grass every week
LOVE that the kids rekindle old friendships with our neighbours
HATE the constant questions and the fact that I never get 5 minutes peace

Yep! I definitely have a Love-Hate relationship with the School Summer Holidays. When it comes down to it though I definitely LOVE the holidays more than hate them and will definitely try to make the most of our time together.

What do you love and hate about the school summer holidays?