Today is the first day of summer vacation for my kids, ages 11 and 7.
As most stay-at-home parents, I usually view summer vacations with a mixture of relief and dread. It's a relief to take a break from the hectic school schedule of homework and activities. However, this means I am now the supervisor and source of entertainment for two kids whose idea of fun is many hours of Wii and Teen Disney. So I schedule them for camps and lessons and we go to the pools, the beaches, the parks, the zoos, the museums and any other fun and enriching place I can think of. I also try to keep them occupied by having them do housekeeping. (A Swiffer duster in the right hands can be so much fun!) Every summer I feel like Julie McCoy on the Love Boat, except no one tips me at the end of the cruise.
If I were one of those overachieving, adoring parents whose spawn could do no wrong, I would brag that my children are "verbally gifted" and "analytically vocal." As it stands, they bicker. Some people can ignore the sound of bickering, but to me, it's like listening to a thousand dirty fingernails screech down a chalkboard while a swarm of bees hover over my head. So at least once a week during summer vacation, I lose it and yell at my kids to stop yelling at each other. Where's Supernanny when you need her?
Anyway, Day One has gone smoothly so far. The kids shocked me this morning by sleeping in, having a healthy breakfast and cleaning their rooms. They went outside and played and got fresh air. They went grocery shopping with me and were helpful. They made homemade cards for some friends' upcoming birthday parties.
They're being good. Too good. Something is up. I'm keep you posted.
3 comments:
Great post, and I love the photo!! My kids are older than yours by far... during summer vacation we made a lot of trips to the library, we planted, watered and harvested a veggie garden. I drove to the airport so we could watch planes land. We were a stay at home 'ohana too, though for several summers we spent 2 weeks at a friend's farm and helped with harvesting sugar beets. Even milked a few cows. We also went to their cabin up in the Sawtooth Mountains by Sun Valley. Woodstove to cook on, no electricity and yes, an outhouse. It was heaven!
Hope your Days 2 on will be as good as Day 1, but minus the bickering!
Hey Aunt Jenny! thanks for the blog comments. I try to keep entries public appropriate--just in case the 'rents stumble across it during a google search. But sometimes things get emo.
I also like reading yours. You inspire me to do more photo posts. I feel like every one of your entires has some visual enhancement.
Hope everything's going well with Colin and Linnea. I'm looking to hearing more about their summer adventures.
WOW sleeping in is a real treat!
I always dread vacation it means double the work for momma! LOL
Hope your have a great time girl! *hugs*
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