Next week, dear readers, I will be on vacation. Not to visit some exotic locale, but to spend some time with my still out-of-school kids -- and, frankly, to cover for the dearth of camp options this time of year.

Ever since I've lived here -- 14 years now -- it's seemed that all of Baltimore is either on vacation at the end of August, or assumed to be. This year, I suspect fewer than usual of us will actually be away because of the high price of gas and air fare. And camp choices, especially for kids over the age of 5, seem particularly scarce.

Working parents must figure out how to keep kids safely entertained while getting them ready for the start of school. At-home parents must do the same, at a time when they've probably used up a lot of their ideas.

So it's time for a GM poll. You have until 9 a.m. Monday to tell us how you're spending the end of August. (And if you've scored a great end-of-August camp, do tell us what it is.)

P.S. The poll doesn't include: The kids are home alone. I ran out of room to add that one in the box, so if that's the case with you, tell us in the comments and I'll add it to the final numbers when I report them.