Ready or Not, Summer is here . . .

We have been very busy with "end of the school year" activities and are just hours away from the beginning of summer.  I have been thinking a lot about what my expectations and goals are for this summer.  I anticipated jumping into the summer with lots of enthusiasm and excited, but instead I have a sore throat, stuffy nose, and feel completely drained.  Fortunately, this next week is fairly slow so  hopefully I can have a few days to feel better before jumping into the fun activities that I have planned!

It is amazing how each summer takes on a slightly new twist due to the fact that change happens and kids grow up!  I realize now that the truly carefree days of summer where I don't have anywhere we have to be, are over.  My kids are getting older and are involved in different activities and so this summer will be different from past summers in many ways.

(below: a carefree summer day playing with the Teeples in the backyard)

It seems I will be spending much more time in the car shuttling from swim team, library classes, basketball camp, and soccer camp.  Amid the busyness of activities  I hope to find time for traditions that we have had in past years as well as some activities that  I would like to start this year.  Here is my plan:

Reading

Reading is so important!  I have three different plans for this summer based on their age and reading ability:

Older kids:
- Book type of the week - Historical, fiction, animal, classic, mystery, choice
- Book report- draw a picture and 1 page summary- Due Monday

Middle kids:
- read 15 min. Per day.  1 paragraph + picture about chapter books

Younger kids:
- 1 lesson in "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 easy lessons"

- Mom Book of the week- I also plan to read some books to them; chapter books and classic picture books from our Five in a Row list that we can put on our map from last summer.

- Attend library weekly

- Workbook pages occasionally

Math

- Timed test day- Tuesday

Spelling
- Test Day- Wednesday

Projects
- 2 projects per month- Friday

Values
- Hymn and scripture of the week- Daily - sing me a scripture
- focus on one aspect of "For the Strength of Youth" each week

MOM ADVENTURE-
My favorite tradition is MOM ADVENTURE.  We set aside one day a week that we do a fun activity and I just focus on the kids (no cleaning bathrooms, running errands, and no friends on that day)  Here are some of my favorite Mom Days from years past:

Last year we spent lots of days at the pool and the park:

Art lessons under the playgroup equipment at the park.  Random, but lots of fun!



One Thursday the kids and I traveled to Harmony, MN to find out what life is like for Amish people.
This is the home of a wonderful Amish family with 6 sons.  We bought dried apples from them.  Our kids stared at each other while I visited with the mother.  Look at all of her laundry on the line! 

We also visited a purple Angora goat farm.

(The goats are not purple but everything else is.) 

This little adventure also led us to find a place to have our custom Amish table made. 

Some Thursdays were spent at home and I had one on one dates with each kid.   I read books,  I played dolls,  I played legos,  I drew silly pictures, and I sewed with them.  

On another Thursday we ventured back in time the birth place of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Pepin, WI.  We saw the replica of the "Little House in the Big Woods."  Some of us have read the book and the rest of us have listened to the book on tape.  We all loved this adventure!

Most Thursdays we had a picnic.  Every time we ate lunch together I would say, "Oh, I hope you look back and remember this!" . . .and as a mother I would memorize their little faces and try to somehow save the moment forever. 

We painted in the backyard with shaving cream.  

We all turned white!

We ate ice cream on plates without spoons!

We had silly hat day.

We did science experiments.

We fed goats and watched otters.

We pretended to be pioneers.  

We ate more ice cream!

We went to the park.  

. . .and to me it was Heaven on Earth.