School ended on Friday. I'm glad.
Last year at this time I was excited to have a great summer with the kids and their friends. Then reality (or pregnancy, rather) took over and I found myself feeling rotten physically and emotionally. It was all I could do to go through the motions of making sure everyone ate and didn't smell too terrible.
This summer here is how I plan to make up for last year.
Instead of trying not to scowl at the kids' friends when they come over I want to be the involved mother I have been in the past. (By which I mean, apart from planning a few activities for them, regular teasing of all children that happen to be in the same room as me.)
Instead of shutting myself up in the house for the entire summer I want to get out and walk and play ball and swim with my kids. (just to give you an idea, I have walked more in the last two weeks, even before school let out, than I did the entire two months of summer last year, or probably even my whole pregnancy)
Instead of watching my house fall down all around me we have a very solid cleaning schedule wherein we all do our chores for 1/2 hour together and I check the kids work and they check mine (with more tidying throughout the day).
Instead of burying my own nose in a book for most of the day and letting the kids' library books become many, many months overdue I will take them to the library once a week, I will read to the little ones daily and the older ones will each read at least one book per week.
I also meant to do weekly themes with art and science projects and fun lessons. Not sure that's going to happen as I'd hoped, but I'll try to do something. . .
As motivation to keep to this schedule, especially the keeping things very tidy part, Greg is offering Ev and Dave each 2 złoty (about 70 cents) every day that they do it. That sounded like a lot to me (we're cheap) but then he added on the end of the list that they may not whine. If they whine once, they get nothing that day. He is confident we won't be spending too much money with this plan during the two months of summer. I hope he's wrong!
12 comments:
:D xo
Sounds like a great summer agenda - well balanced and much potential for happy memories. I had grand intentions last year but pregnancy hit hard as well. This is my make-up year too.
I'm just going to go with "good luck with that" and leave it at that.
I like the no whining policy. I say we instate it everywhere...especially politics. They'd do anything for an extra amount of cash, right?
I like your plan. My kids are older, and a struggle I have is when I come home after a long day and there are my two (14 and 12) and about 3 or 4 other teenaged boys in front of my computer, my tv, etc. It's a tough one for me. I want to work on my attitude...
Oh, this gives me grand hopes for next year! I like 'do over' years. :) I'm in pure survival mode at the moment. Household barely functioning, loads of library books, and lots of PB &J for dinner. I'm dreaming of the BBQ's and family vacations and gourmet meals we'll be indulging in next summer when I'm back to being sane!
I think this might be the ideal summer. Next summer is going to be my do over, though. You know, like when I didn't just move and don't have a newborn. But we're muddling through surprisingly well anyway.
I love your plan - and hope Greg does have to spend a lot - no offense to him. ;0) Do you have a nice library by your place? Are there English and Polish books or just the later?
I'm so glad you helped me know that it's okay that this summer is going to suck (excuse my language) for my children (because of the newborn), but that next summer will be MUCH better. Whew.
Sounds like a great plan. We are so enjoying our summer. I just wish it didn't fly by so fast!
Great ideas! I will have to try some of them...glad you are feeling better than you were last year. (Sounds like your last summer was just like last winter for me)
This sounds so great, Lisa! I want to use summer as much as possible. We've had enough cold, rain and snow.
I like it how you combine fun with learning. Oh, your kids are gonna have a blast with you. HAve fun.
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