{summer pace}
So far I am really enjoying the slower pace of life that summer break has brought us.
Right now Drew is napping, Gracie and Luke are reading new library books, and I am sipping an iced coffee in Katie's room watching her pull one baby wipe after another out of the container. (This has kept her attention for the past ten minutes, no exaggeration. Every now and then she stops to look at me as if to ask, "Are you really OK with me doing this?") We had smoothies and peanut butter bread for lunch out on the balcony. The kids slept in a bit this morning. We ran to the dollar store this morning for plastic hangers and what really only needed to be a two minute errand turned into a thirty minute walk through the aisles. There is nowhere we have to be all day and nothing we have to do.
There is such an easiness and calmness in our house over the past week. I love it. I love all of the time with the kids. I love that there is not really anything- homework, packing lunches, strict 8:00 bedtime- draining on our schedule. I love to hear the kids think of elaborate games to play with one another. I love that we have read at least a dozen books in the past twenty four hours alone. I love that we have three play dates scheduled with friends over the next four days. I love that Drew has not asked me once over the past week how much longer it is until the bus brings Gracie and Luke home.
In short, I heart summer. :)
We fell right into our summer groove faster than I thought possible. I had done just a little prep work to try to make the transition a smooth one, but not much. The kids do best when we follow a schedule, and, to be honest, I am a much happier lady when the entire day is not stretched out before us with no plan, especially when Ben is out of town. Knowing this about us, I created a flexible daily routine to follow over the next three months. We have time for learning, time for working around the house, time for reading, time for crafts, and lots of time to just play.
Certain days of the week mean different activities (puzzles on Monday afternoons, a game on Tuesday, etc.) to help keep the kids from getting bored with the same thing every day. Each day has two learning times- one in the morning for independent practice of basic skills and one in the afternoon with much more free choice. So far Gracie has been writing and Luke has been creating a comic book. Both kids want to start a research project too and I am really excited to see them begin those. Drew has been really excited to learn with the bigger kids as well. In the mornings he practices writing letters and in the afternoons he has been coloring, stringing beads, tracing shapes, and writing on a dry erase board. I have said it before, but I really think I would love to homeschool my kids year round. For now, anyway, summer break gives me a little fix.
The kids, so far, are super enthusiastic about summer chores and summer homeschooling. I put the schedule up in the kitchen and Luke keeps checking it throughout the day to find out what we should be doing. Both Gracie and Luke have been asking about allowance lately (seems they have many friends who get a weekly allowance...), so we agreed upon some chores that if done completely and cheerfully each day will result in five dollars each Friday. They are thrilled with the prospect of five whole dollars each week (!!) and I love the help around the house and the lessons in responsibility and the value of money the allowance will give the kids.
But, so as not to paint a Pollyana, life-is-perfect picture of the beginning of our summer, I will also add that we've had a handful of time-outs as the kids have adjusted to being together all day, every day. By ten o'clock on the first full day of break, in fact, the three older kids had all been in tears about something and each had a break for a grumpy or disrespectful attitude. I feared what summer had in store for our family. Each day is getting smoother, though, and everyone has been much more cheerful and sweet over the past few days.
I will leave you with a picture of a very proud Luke showing off the gap from his very first ever lost tooth. Poor kid has been waiting f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to lose a tooth and it finally, finally happened!
Right now Drew is napping, Gracie and Luke are reading new library books, and I am sipping an iced coffee in Katie's room watching her pull one baby wipe after another out of the container. (This has kept her attention for the past ten minutes, no exaggeration. Every now and then she stops to look at me as if to ask, "Are you really OK with me doing this?") We had smoothies and peanut butter bread for lunch out on the balcony. The kids slept in a bit this morning. We ran to the dollar store this morning for plastic hangers and what really only needed to be a two minute errand turned into a thirty minute walk through the aisles. There is nowhere we have to be all day and nothing we have to do.
There is such an easiness and calmness in our house over the past week. I love it. I love all of the time with the kids. I love that there is not really anything- homework, packing lunches, strict 8:00 bedtime- draining on our schedule. I love to hear the kids think of elaborate games to play with one another. I love that we have read at least a dozen books in the past twenty four hours alone. I love that we have three play dates scheduled with friends over the next four days. I love that Drew has not asked me once over the past week how much longer it is until the bus brings Gracie and Luke home.
In short, I heart summer. :)
We fell right into our summer groove faster than I thought possible. I had done just a little prep work to try to make the transition a smooth one, but not much. The kids do best when we follow a schedule, and, to be honest, I am a much happier lady when the entire day is not stretched out before us with no plan, especially when Ben is out of town. Knowing this about us, I created a flexible daily routine to follow over the next three months. We have time for learning, time for working around the house, time for reading, time for crafts, and lots of time to just play.
Certain days of the week mean different activities (puzzles on Monday afternoons, a game on Tuesday, etc.) to help keep the kids from getting bored with the same thing every day. Each day has two learning times- one in the morning for independent practice of basic skills and one in the afternoon with much more free choice. So far Gracie has been writing and Luke has been creating a comic book. Both kids want to start a research project too and I am really excited to see them begin those. Drew has been really excited to learn with the bigger kids as well. In the mornings he practices writing letters and in the afternoons he has been coloring, stringing beads, tracing shapes, and writing on a dry erase board. I have said it before, but I really think I would love to homeschool my kids year round. For now, anyway, summer break gives me a little fix.
The kids, so far, are super enthusiastic about summer chores and summer homeschooling. I put the schedule up in the kitchen and Luke keeps checking it throughout the day to find out what we should be doing. Both Gracie and Luke have been asking about allowance lately (seems they have many friends who get a weekly allowance...), so we agreed upon some chores that if done completely and cheerfully each day will result in five dollars each Friday. They are thrilled with the prospect of five whole dollars each week (!!) and I love the help around the house and the lessons in responsibility and the value of money the allowance will give the kids.
But, so as not to paint a Pollyana, life-is-perfect picture of the beginning of our summer, I will also add that we've had a handful of time-outs as the kids have adjusted to being together all day, every day. By ten o'clock on the first full day of break, in fact, the three older kids had all been in tears about something and each had a break for a grumpy or disrespectful attitude. I feared what summer had in store for our family. Each day is getting smoother, though, and everyone has been much more cheerful and sweet over the past few days.
I will leave you with a picture of a very proud Luke showing off the gap from his very first ever lost tooth. Poor kid has been waiting f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to lose a tooth and it finally, finally happened!
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