Our first class meeting of the semester is tomorrow. I’m teaching at Tufts again this semester. One of my students wrote a note informing me that she was going to miss the class because she is traveling to Maryland with the varsity volleyball team. In my response to her, I wanted to wish her a great ‘game.’ But, then I realized, ‘game’ may not be the correct term for volleyball. When I looked it up, I learned that in volleyball, a ‘match’ is the entire contest between two teams, which is won by winning a majority of sets (“game” being the old term for “set”). 
 
With that said, I am proclaiming “game, match, set” on summer for our family. And, I hope you can, too.

You see, the term “Game, match, set” is slightly different from volleyball. In tennis, it means the player has won the final game of the final set. 

Here in this article, I’m using the metaphorical meaning which is complete and decisive victory! Not that summer is an opponent… but it kind of is when you have kids. Filling the 8 or so weeks of vacation with activities that will broaden their experiences and keeps their minds engaged in the real world is a challenge for every parent and caregiver. 

One of this summer’s highlights was the week we enjoyed in Port Clyde, Maine. We highly recommend relaxing in this tiny, mid-coast fishing village. There’s a people (and pup) ferry that brings riders to Monhegan Island where we discovered a number of excellent walking trails, spectacular views of the Maine sea, and super tasty lunch and ice cream spots. 
 
The kids – both the human ones and the furry ones – enjoyed exploring the island’s history, shipwrecks, and natural vistas. Plus, the ferry ride itself was pretty amazing. On the way to the island, we spotted puffins and other sea creatures. As the ferry motored us back to the mainland, we traveled past an island with a white, two-story house that looked so familiar. Sure enough, we pinpointed why. It is the house featured in artist, Andrew Wyeth’s famous work entitled, “Goodbye.” As we learned later, he was the owner of the island, which now belongs to Colby College. 
 
And now, like most parents, we’re working on proclaiming ‘game, set, match’ this school year as the boys conquer their final year in middle school. 

If you’re searching for after school programs, camps, or clinics to keep your kids active and engaged in extra curricular activities, visit turfgo.io often to find programs that are just right for them. 

Here’s to an excellent school year for all.