Summer Lovin'

It's just been one week since we finished up our school work, and I've already heard the phrase, "I'm bored" on at least two occasions.  I have also had children listlessly lying across sofas asking what we are going to do now.  So my summer plan of doing whatever I wanted to do and letting the kids do whatever they wanted to do doesn't look like it's going to work very well.

I look back with fondness on long, boring summer days.  Summer meant suffocating heat, playing in the water hose, lots and lots of reading, and a family camping trip.  It also meant being home in the mornings to watch Gomer Pyle, The Beverly Hillbillies, I Love Lucy, and The Andy Griffith Show.  

My mom came into town on Friday, and we made a trip to the library to sign up for the summer reading program.  I just love the summer reading program.  We made our pledges and got our goodie bags.  The kids got pencils, stickers, tattoos, and their reading logs.  I got a great new pen and post-it notes.  Ella promised to read 60 books, so she's got some stuff to keep her occupied, wouldn't you say?

We went the weekend with no schedule--I was enjoying my summer freedom--but yesterday as I stared at my 7-year-old who gave up naps at 3 say, "Maybe I'll just take a nap," I decided I was going to have to do a measure of planning out their summer days.  

When there's school-work to be done, Ella is always overflowing with creative energy, so I think if I give them things to do all morning, our afternoons can be restful and more summer-like.  Last year my strategy was, go out in the morning and get good and tired, come back in the afternoon for rest during the heat of the day.  

Ella loves making lists, so I dictated one to her yesterday.  Here's our go-to list for when we get B-O-R-E-D this summer:

1. sidewalk chalk
2. pool
3. practice piano
4. Pla-Do
5. paint
6. write a blog post (Ella's got her own little blog. :) )
7. Math (gotta review)
8. Read
9. bike ride
10. take a walk
11. get ice cream
12. playground
13. chores
14. T's House
15. library
16. free movies
17. outside play
18. Play the Wii
19. Color
20. Do a project

Hopefully that's enough to keep us occupied, and if all else fails, we'll lock them in the backyard with their friends.