I have a moment right now. Vanessa is coloring a birthday cake on paper behind me and humming.
If I could summarize the last week, I'd say I took a roadtrip with my husband over Memorial Day weekend to visit the Butler and Barcus families. I would say the kids finished school on May 22. Grandpa Jon and Grandma Jo expertly cared for our kids while we were gone. The first week being "on summer duty" was a blur of laundry and feeding people, cleaning up, and "one thing to the next" around the house. Wet beds, games of rummikub, planting the garden, and time dedicated to making progress in our basement are filling my mind right now as I attempt to remember things.
I am trying something "new" for me this summer. Its called ....
*drumroll*
A SCHEDULE.
I know. (me? whaaa?)
It feels possible. Finally. I don't have a baby who needs frequent feeding and diaper changing and frequent naps and constant attention. This summer is feeling different! Notice- no "times". Activities are arranged around meals.
Here's what I sketched out for "the days when we're home and have nowhere to go":
1. Kids are allowed out of their rooms at 8:00 am. They can play in their rooms until then and complete their "4 things".
2. Make sure "4 things" are done. These things are Make bed, get dressed/PJs away, open window shades, turn off fan and light.
3. Come down for breakfast. While they eat, I read morning devotions (Keys for kids), read corresponding Scripture verses, talk about the lesson, pray.
4. PLAY. Creative play, that is. Free time. No screens.
5. Lunch
6. Eli nap from 1-3ish.
7. While Eli naps, kids read for 30 minutes.
8. HELP MOM. These activities are what needs to be done. Can be vacuuming, dusting, picking up toys, emptying or loading dishwasher, moving laundry for me, cleaning, whatever. I am looking for happy helpers. Bad attitudes means losing kindle time.
9 . Taking turns on Kindle (they each get 30 minutes). Violet practices piano during her off-turn if there's time.
10. Playtime or TV show
11. Dinner
12. Family time - these activities can vary and are not predetermined.
13. BED
Violet resisted this because she thought we'd be rushing from thing to thing, but I explained to her there were no times associated with the activities, rather - certain things she wants to do are simply placed before or after meals in the day. She liked this. This eliminates the question, "Can I play kindle" when they wake up. These kids are amazing at free play. They invented some funny game with a box of buttons they call "button sports" in the yard. I LOVE it when they play like that!
Calvin and Vanessa had no resistance. They like it. I think we all like it. I'm going to stick with it.
Today was the beginning of 2 weeks of swimming lessons with the Paddling Panthers program at UNI. Eli was old enough to join the preK class (yay!!!), Vanessa and Calvin were together in level 2, and Violet was in the level 4-5 class that was combined. Eli loved it. Happy to interact with his teacher and the other kids and his instructor told me he was rambunctious! I think Vanessa is one of the younger kids in level 2 and Calvin enjoys helping her.
The garden planting project was completed in 3 phases. Rachel, Mama Row and I made a list of things we wanted a month or so ago. Mama Row and I shopped for plants/seeds at Jordan's Nursery in May. Mama Row and I planted tomato plants and pepper plants one day (while V and C were still in school, Vanessa helped us and Eli sat in a stroller strapped in and yelled the whole time, ha), then Rachel and I finished the rows of seeds on Saturday May 29. It was a long day of planting from 11 am - 5 pm. We took a short coffee break, but in the end, we planted:
zinnias
two kinds of green beans (stringless and blue lake)
carrots
7 kinds of tomatoes (28 plants!)
marigolds
peppers
cabbages
white onions
red onions
brussel sprouts
potatoes
sweet potatoes
turnips
parsnips
beets
cucumbers
butternut squash
pumpkins
WHEW!
I am so looking forward to watching everything grow this summer!
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