It rained hard yesterday afternoon, signaling the end of one of the hottest summers we've ever had. School starts in a few weeks and it's a new school for my two kids and Faith's first time.

I remember grade school when the first thing they made us write as soon as school starts is an essay on "How I Spent My Summer Vacation." I'd rack my brain for what to write and end up writing inanely about some trip to the beach on a half sheet of writing paper.

It's typhoon season again (we've already got one!) so time to put away the summer stuff -- the wading pool and toys, swim goggles and bathing suits. Haven't been in school for years and no vacation for me and the hubby but here's our summer, in pictures.



Above is where we spent the most part of the Lenten break -- three lazy days with the whole family just being alternately noisy and quiet, blowing bubbles on the terrace and enjoying our dad's cooking. Some weekends are also spent here but these trips are quick ones given the different paths our lives take which is why pictures like the ones below with my siblings, are rare. Well, rare also because we hardly agree on a picture we all like enough to show people -- what do you expect with three girls?? These two are the only ones that passed muster.



Then the amusement park trip which the kids and I loved. It was a hot and sticky morning till afternoon trip but we didn't want to go home.




Our first family ferris wheel ride. The kids were beside themselves with excitement, while the hubby and I had a death grip on each one of them. These pictures were taken just before the hubby realized he was afraid of heights and before the kids started wriggling, hence the death grip and tense warning to sit still or else!



We rode all the kiddie rides (where the hubby and I could fit) from dinosaur eggs to the carousel, Joshua liked picking the gorilla's nose and you could see from the third pic taken after the water ride how much I enjoyed it while Josh hated getting wet!



And of course, what's summer without spending some time by the pool? It took me a while but I finally figured out how to keep bored, hyperactive kids out of trouble and away from the television on lazy Sunday mornings when we have nowhere to go.

So that's how my summer went. How was yours?