I won't read once the kids are home.
Fiction! It's my only "break" since there is no true peace and quiet around here. I'm becoming more and more desperately addicted as the summer continues. Where would I be without Percy Jackson?
We will do lots of summer "homework."
Fiction! Every year I think it'll happen and it never does. Once a week I get the girls to do a bunch of pages in their workbooks. There's still time to cram multiplication and time/money, right?!
Summer = shorts, sunscreen and popsicles
Fiction! This year has been cloudy with a strong chance of hoodies. You don't ever put your winter clothes away if you live in Seattle. Mostly this is okay. We don't have a/c and it gets stinkin' hot around here as soon as the clouds clear. But I feel so much happier on sunny mornings. I don't know how I'll cope when summer ends and the rain really starts.
A reward chart will help us be nice
Fact! It's been the best thing I've done in a long time. Just your basic path made up of squares. Every 10 is a reward. They color in a square for being extra kind to each other, serving each other or just playing nicely. They don't take advantage of it like I thought they might, but it's still been effective. I'll do it again next summer for sure! It also gives us good reasons to get slurpees and ice cream now and then. :)
We'll practice the piano all summer
Fact! Lessons are more consistent since we have a slower pace and I can help the girls practice more often. It's been great. SO much easier than during the school year.
We'll have chores every single day
Fiction! The only true success of the summer is that the girls rotate doing dishes every day - rinsing, loading and emptying the dishwasher. I wanted to train them in the summer so they could help with dinner dishes during the school year. It's worked - they are getting better and better at it. But that's it. So much for a chore chart!
I will do more playdates.
Fiction. I'm terrible at setting up playdates. I don't know why. So if you wonder why we never call you, now you know not to take it personally. I'm still hopeful that I'll get a couple in before school starts.
We can sleep in.
Fact and fiction. Carver gets up in the 6 o'clock hour every day. I make him sit in bed with me while I wake up slowly. Especially on cloudy mornings, it's hard to be excited to get up so early just to change diapers and start breakfast. But summer is a great time to give up naps. Grace goes to sleep so much better at bedtime now! These two just make up for it in the car. :)
I'll go to the lake more this year.
Fact! I have! I can take all the kids, Carver and Grace wear water wings and they are set. It's wonderful. But there have only been a handful of warm enough days. :(
I'll be counting down the days til school starts
Fiction! Despite the fights and the messes and the incredible desire to take a nap or run away from home most afternoons about 4:30, I love choosing our own schedule. The girls didn't want to do a single camp this summer and it's been a really nice change of pace from the busy school year. Ellie wishes she'd have signed up for swimming or art, but we're making the most of our time at home. The kids are being kids, we're making messes faster than we can clean them up, and using grumpy voices more than I'd like. But still, I'm savoring these last few weeks before it's back to school!
We will do lots of summer "homework."
Fiction! Every year I think it'll happen and it never does. Once a week I get the girls to do a bunch of pages in their workbooks. There's still time to cram multiplication and time/money, right?!
Summer = shorts, sunscreen and popsicles
Fiction! This year has been cloudy with a strong chance of hoodies. You don't ever put your winter clothes away if you live in Seattle. Mostly this is okay. We don't have a/c and it gets stinkin' hot around here as soon as the clouds clear. But I feel so much happier on sunny mornings. I don't know how I'll cope when summer ends and the rain really starts.
A reward chart will help us be nice
Fact! It's been the best thing I've done in a long time. Just your basic path made up of squares. Every 10 is a reward. They color in a square for being extra kind to each other, serving each other or just playing nicely. They don't take advantage of it like I thought they might, but it's still been effective. I'll do it again next summer for sure! It also gives us good reasons to get slurpees and ice cream now and then. :)
We'll practice the piano all summer
Fact! Lessons are more consistent since we have a slower pace and I can help the girls practice more often. It's been great. SO much easier than during the school year.
We'll have chores every single day
Fiction! The only true success of the summer is that the girls rotate doing dishes every day - rinsing, loading and emptying the dishwasher. I wanted to train them in the summer so they could help with dinner dishes during the school year. It's worked - they are getting better and better at it. But that's it. So much for a chore chart!
I will do more playdates.
Fiction. I'm terrible at setting up playdates. I don't know why. So if you wonder why we never call you, now you know not to take it personally. I'm still hopeful that I'll get a couple in before school starts.
We can sleep in.
Fact and fiction. Carver gets up in the 6 o'clock hour every day. I make him sit in bed with me while I wake up slowly. Especially on cloudy mornings, it's hard to be excited to get up so early just to change diapers and start breakfast. But summer is a great time to give up naps. Grace goes to sleep so much better at bedtime now! These two just make up for it in the car. :)
I'll go to the lake more this year.
Fact! I have! I can take all the kids, Carver and Grace wear water wings and they are set. It's wonderful. But there have only been a handful of warm enough days. :(
I'll be counting down the days til school starts
Fiction! Despite the fights and the messes and the incredible desire to take a nap or run away from home most afternoons about 4:30, I love choosing our own schedule. The girls didn't want to do a single camp this summer and it's been a really nice change of pace from the busy school year. Ellie wishes she'd have signed up for swimming or art, but we're making the most of our time at home. The kids are being kids, we're making messes faster than we can clean them up, and using grumpy voices more than I'd like. But still, I'm savoring these last few weeks before it's back to school!
