Summer fun?

I am sure that many home schoolers wonder: what should we do when school is out in the summer? There are families that homeschool year round, while others take a break during the summer.
What do I do? Does a long break cause problems for M8 because of his disability?
Before M8's diagnosis, summer was the time I used to clean up, re-group, refresh and plan what we were going to do next school year. I still like to do that but as the years go by I am less organized and more tired. I need a plan and some routine or left to myself and my inclinations I would sleep late, stay up too late and not acheive anything.

E13 loves a long break in the summer, because it gives her time to hang out with friends, read lots of books and do "extra" curricular things. She has been learning to fly so she spends a lot of time with her nose in a very thick manual learning ab out lift, aeordynamics and other "fun" things.
 Some people would consider this school work; higher level physics usually is but for her it is a break.

I debated what to do for M8. A long break messes up his routine and that is something he and other spectrum children thrive on. We have had some more crying episodes than usual because we are doing more out of the ordinary things (going to swim in a pond for instance, going on a long road trip, vacation Bible school). On the other hand, he has actually been playing.

Many children on the spectrum have trouble with pretend play or even playing in general. M8 has suddenly started playing, using a script, with his trains again and has been building some elaborate track lay-outs.
The other thing that he has wanted to do was the new fractions program from Math-U-See. Every day he ask to watch the video lesson and do a home made work sheet. He, how great is that, a kid who wants to learn fractions.
Going with the flow, taking field trips, cleaning up (not much fun bu essential) are the best things to do during the summer.
Homeschooling days or hours can sometimes seem long but the time we have with our children is short. Before we know it they will be grown and leaving our homes so it is best to make those times exceptional, fun and memorable. How you define those words depends a little on the child but do not be afraid to do it.