Tomorrow the kids go to school. Emily is in 8th grade, Aleah 3rd and Colleen in Kindergarten. Everyone is excited/nervous. I'm just rather excited to have a bit less going on at home.
If I had my druthers I would be an organized person, but that just doesn't happen when you have to work with other people - like your kids. Let me tell you about My Summer Plan and then what really happened.
Monday - Spend the morning at the Ames library. We never made it up to the Ames library (5 times as large as ours) and I only went to the library with the kids once or twice but I would send them up to the library by themselves (not with Kate and Becca) when books were overdue or when they were bored. I even let Colleen and Aleah go up by themselves. I can't decide whether that makes me a bad mom or laid back mom. I guess they weren't kidnapped and the librarians didn't complain so it's all good.
Tues/Thurs - Work in the Garden and Yard for at Least an Hour. I was hardly in the garden at all this year. And unlike last year I can't blame it on the heat or being pregnant. My only excuse is that it is harder to get everyone to the garden because it is a block away. I think I just have to admit that I love having a beautiful yard and garden, but I don't really care for weeding and pulling up saplings. I do get off on pruning which is good because it has to be done twice a year on a million bushes.
Wednesday - Have Friends Come Over. I don't think we invited anyone over to play more than once or twice during the summer. The girls did play with Mandy and Aleah-across-the-street regularly.
Friday - Field Trip Day. A reward for doing all of the weeding on Tues/Thurs. I was planning on going to the Amana Colonies, digging fossils, Ledges, Nauvoo, Pella, the State Capital, the Rose Gardens, the History Museum, the High Trestle Trail, the State Fair and the Science Center. We went to Pella, Nauvoo and the State Fair. Kind of a bummer. There are cool things to do around here but we never seem to do them.
Also in the plans were swimming in the evening after naps - only happened twice.
Swimming lessons for Aleah and Colleen? Check!
Horse riding lessons? Check!
Cleaning up the kitchen after every meal to earn "Fair Money"? Check for a month.
I think I lost my camera last month at our Pioneer Day activity! Argg!
Not too bad, but not the beautifully organized balance of fun, work and rest that I had planned. But I guess that is life. But of course, now that the kids are in school I have a great plan for the fall. ;)
If I had my druthers I would be an organized person, but that just doesn't happen when you have to work with other people - like your kids. Let me tell you about My Summer Plan and then what really happened.
Monday - Spend the morning at the Ames library. We never made it up to the Ames library (5 times as large as ours) and I only went to the library with the kids once or twice but I would send them up to the library by themselves (not with Kate and Becca) when books were overdue or when they were bored. I even let Colleen and Aleah go up by themselves. I can't decide whether that makes me a bad mom or laid back mom. I guess they weren't kidnapped and the librarians didn't complain so it's all good.
Tues/Thurs - Work in the Garden and Yard for at Least an Hour. I was hardly in the garden at all this year. And unlike last year I can't blame it on the heat or being pregnant. My only excuse is that it is harder to get everyone to the garden because it is a block away. I think I just have to admit that I love having a beautiful yard and garden, but I don't really care for weeding and pulling up saplings. I do get off on pruning which is good because it has to be done twice a year on a million bushes.
Wednesday - Have Friends Come Over. I don't think we invited anyone over to play more than once or twice during the summer. The girls did play with Mandy and Aleah-across-the-street regularly.
Friday - Field Trip Day. A reward for doing all of the weeding on Tues/Thurs. I was planning on going to the Amana Colonies, digging fossils, Ledges, Nauvoo, Pella, the State Capital, the Rose Gardens, the History Museum, the High Trestle Trail, the State Fair and the Science Center. We went to Pella, Nauvoo and the State Fair. Kind of a bummer. There are cool things to do around here but we never seem to do them.
Also in the plans were swimming in the evening after naps - only happened twice.
Swimming lessons for Aleah and Colleen? Check!
Horse riding lessons? Check!
Cleaning up the kitchen after every meal to earn "Fair Money"? Check for a month.
I think I lost my camera last month at our Pioneer Day activity! Argg!
Not too bad, but not the beautifully organized balance of fun, work and rest that I had planned. But I guess that is life. But of course, now that the kids are in school I have a great plan for the fall. ;)
3 comments:
I keep telling myself, "Better luck next year." I kept it together pretty well until July. I think those 2 days we had of 109 degree weather boiled my desire to function this summer.
We had remarkably similar plans. They were wonderful for the first month - we really needed some structured activities to keep the "I'm bored" talk away. But then we started swimming lessons, and everything went out the window from there. Oh well, as longs as people weren't walking around moaning about being bored, I think it's a successful summer :)
I love this post so much, Leila. I feel validated and centered. And I think I might copy you and write about my summer goals vs my summer reality. I have NEVER been so excited for school to start as I am this year. There are one and a half days of school the week before Labor Day, but the real week of freedom (for me) begins on September 3rd. Though my Fall housecleaning goals may be a tad unrealistic, I usually get more of them done than any summer goals, because my sweet, messy kids are at school . . . :)
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