Here are just a few solid gold tips I’ve picked up over the years of having kids at home for summer break.
1. Be flexible. When your kiddos want ham and cheese and the only kind of cheese you have in “string,” go for it!
2. Be inflexible (about daytime TV that is). After surviving all school year without Kelly Ripa, don’t succumb to her charming ways now. Fight the good fight. (No offence Kelly Ripa.)
What are your summer survival tips friends??
We are moving like snails around here since school got out. Each morning the kids have a short list of things to do. Here’s an example just so you know I’m for realz about this list being short.
Libby:
Take your polly pockets out of the tub.
Do 10 min. addition facts on computer.
Throw your laundry in the hall.
Libs could get this done in 11 minutes, but it will probably take her all day. The other two are the same. Here’s Haven’s list.
Haven
Throw laundry in the hall
Clean off bathroom counter
Do 10 minutes mult. facts on computer
Same deal. It’s gonna take ALL day for me to see the top of that counter.
I’m trying not to mind. I admit it. I am an efficiency monster. What could be done in 11 minutes should be done in 10.5 in my book, but I’m working against this tendency because IT’S SUMMER and I think I wrote some blog post about not managing the kiddos as much, encouraging them to have fun, bla, bla, bla.
So,here we are. No multiplication facts reviewed – BUT…
The kids did practice new magic tricks this morning for a few HOURS and gave me a little show including Libby being levitated. Seriously. Very funny. I pretended not to see her actually standing up behind a sheet with her arms stretched out wearing shoes on her hands because, IT’S SUMMER and I think I also wrote about being OK with messes (sheet still in dining room) and adventure (one trick included lots of very sharp toothpicks).
This pace is hard for me, but I think I need it too. Here’s to some summer slow-down!
The kids and I spent the weekend at Spring Hill Camp visiting Ben and the Summer Training Program participants in southern Indiana. We had such a nice time. I didn’t take any pictures.
Here are a few captions for the pictures I didn’t take.
…Haven and I leaning over a white fence trying to convince the horses to come and visit us.
…the kids catching minnows on the beach.
…petting the barn kitty.
…Tim killing everybody at Octaball.
…the kids being loved on by college students who have way more tolerance for piggy back rides than I do.
…3 kids in 3 kayaks enjoying the lake.
One of the things I love about camp is the chance to give the kids their freedom. For the most part they can go where they want to and do what they want to without me. Even the couple of things they need me for I can give them space and just watch from a distance. They love it. The chance to be independent and adventurous gives them so much joy and confidence.
I love watching them tear down to the beach to make minnow traps. I love floating on the lake in my canoe watching them tear around in kayaks. I love that they eat their meals in the dining hall with favorite students. I have no idea if they ate anything besides dessert most times, but that’s OK.
I have no idea how to replicate that kind of freedom at home in our neighborhood, but that’s one of my goals for the summer. They need opportunities for exploration and adventure and initiative and risk-taking. They don’t need me hovering and managing. They need some of that, but less – way less than during the school year.
Here’s to scrapes and bruises, sunburns and messes, projects and forts! Here’s to freedom and fun and me texting to check on them MINIMALLY. 
It’s been a big few days for Tim…
Elementary Awards Ceremony!
Post awards ceremony “Catch People Unawares” photo shoot.
Field Day!
It was a little cold and rainy but that didn’t stop anyone. I was in charge of the water balloon station.
Afterwards the kids came back to the classroom to sign their class t-shirts.
Tim tried to slink out the door without hugging his teacher goodbye, but she caught him. He’s had such a wonderful experience at his new school! He transferred in the middle of the school year, but you would never know it – he fit right in!
All this go-go-go left someone feeling a little wiped this afternoon.
I took this picture 1.5 hours ago. He’s STILL sacked out on the couch.
We leave tomorrow for Spring Hill to visit Ben and enjoy a weekend together. Ben has one more week at STP, but I feel like we are nearing the finish line. The kids and I will come back on Tuesday because our community summer swim team starts up. 2/3 of the kids are excited and 1/3 are NOT. (Libs isn’t thrilled with the idea!)
Have a great weekend everyone!
Does anyone else send reminder emails to themselves? I do. At night, I make a list of what I need to do and send it to myself because I can’t be sure I’ll remember anything these days. When I was young and spry I would rearrange the rings on my fingers at night if I thought of something. In the morning I would see the rings and remember. Now I see the rings and feel bothered all day because I have no idea what I was thinking of.
Besides, the only ring I wear now I got from this guy and it doesn’t fit on any other finger. I got see Ben on Monday night. He has driven home from Seymour, IN for our Foster Care classes twice now – returning that same night late, after the class.
We may be sending some weird signals to our Foster Care class. We come in separate cars, we look a little weary and sad during the class, and we kiss goodbye in the parking lot and drive away in different directions.
Yesterday I didn’t post because we spent our every free moment playing with our new favorite dog, Maizy.
After taking a nice long walk with a friend, Rachel, the girls and I headed over to visit with Maizy. It’s been fun to learn her little ways. Yesterday she got up from the massage the girls were giving her and starting barking and making for the back door. What could THAT mean? We were puzzled.
She lept out the back door and it looked like she thought there might be an intruder in the back yard. She was pacing and barking and then…
She pooped and smiled.
I guess she was just letting everyone in the neighborhood know it wasn’t the right time to come over and visit.
We are counting down the days until we leave to join Ben for the weekend! Thanks for stopping by.
Yesterday was Recognition Night for the Co-op Haven participated in this year. She picked this outfit out herself. Didn’t she do a nice job?
Sadly, Libby’s Spring Gymnastics Show was at the exact same time! So, Haven sat with another family during her Recognition night. That choked me up a little.
Here’s Libby at the end of her show! Each girl got a moment on the podium. It was cute. Right before this, the older, competitive gymnasts came out and performed for us. They were really good. The budget conscience parent in me couldn’t help thinking sarcastically…
“Look, for just 40 easy payments of $1,099.99 you too can see your daughters in sequence leotards flying across the room.”
Libs did a fantastic job on her skills and I was super proud of her. She was poised and focused! I am so in awe of her little muscles.
Where was Tim during all of this??? He was my faithful companion – helping me pick out flowers and cards for the girls, carrying in the cheese platters for the co-op, practicing for his 50 states quiz in a hot and sweaty gym. Couldn’t have done it without you Buddy!
Happy Monday everyone!
Well, it finally happened. We all kind of cracked up after our drive home from the Burbs and there were several minutes of very ugly behavior by all. There were a few blood curdling screams, one slammed door, and a brief shouting match across the house. It was 4 minutes of insanity and at the end we were all angry.
I put the kiddos to bed, but Haven and I had to wait up to take care of a dog for a friend. The other two were too tired and too angry to fall asleep as planned, so at 10:15 pm we all slunk into the van, humphing, and sighing, and squinted our eyes are each other.
Then we opened the front door and Maisy the dog came scooting around the corner – so happy to see us. I’d never met Maisy before so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew she was a sweet dog right away. After we let her out to do her “business” we brought her back in and loved on her a little.
Before I knew it I was on the floor with her head in my lap and my face in her fur. I let out one little self-pity sob and one tiny mommy regret sob. Maisy took it all in stride and when I lifted my head up to look into her big brown eyes, all my anger was gone – along with everyone else’s.
Apologies and hugs all around. Kids slept well. Thank you Maisy – my little therapy dog. You really saved the day.
