Salvaging This Summer

It's the end of July, and I hang my head in shame. For at least three weeks, I have meant to get this list out to you, for inspiration and information. And for three weeks, I have instead been rounding up giveaways for the enormous Back to School Extravaganza, and hanging out with Brooke Shields. My saving grace is that hopefully you have at least one more month of summer to enjoy, and another soul can be saved from Guilty Mama Syndrome.

 

Back in June I posted an article, with the help of mommy blogger Heather, about making a list of summer family activities and projects. We make a list for everything else. It makes sense to write a goal sheet for fun stuff too. So, my eight year old created her summer wish list, we compromised and revised (no to another Disney Cruise to Bahamas, yes to a local trip to Legoland), wrote it down in pen, and finalized it with a secret handshake...

 

The problem was, we put the list somewhere and didn't look at it again for the whole next week. We lost precious time, but were not going to be defeated. Brilliantly, we wrote the activities down on a huge Hello Kitty calendar, with stickers and glitter pen, so we couldn't miss it....

 

Except, we did miss it, because the calendar was too big to hang up, so it stayed closed on my daughter's desk. Another week of plans gone poof.

 

Finally, determined to reach the end of summer and give my kid something concrete to share at show-and-tell, I wrote the list out on the family calendar. It's big as day, sitting prominently on our office wall. Now, we can't miss it unless we walk out the door with our eyes closed - at which point we'd likely run right into the calendar anyway.

 

Below are the projects and fun stuff on our list - all do-able, manageable, and economical. It really has helped to keep me in check, ensuring that our family spends time together and makes the most of time-off (trips to Target don't count, I guess). And just as important, it means less deposits to my guilt bank.

 

What were your initial summer plans, forgotten when the increasing temperatures started making you feel hot and lazy? A lemonade stand? Taking baby to the aquarium? Playing tic-tac-toe with sidewalk chalk? Write it down, calendar it, commit to it. You have a few weeks. There's still time!

 

 

Stewart Summer Camp

 

1. Movie Nights (mommy, daddy, daughter get to take turns picking their favorite flick, pop some popcorn, and call it a night. Mom will undoubtedly be choosing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - the one with Johnny Depp, of course)

2. Pajama Day (my favorite. As far as I'm concerned, there can't be too many of these on the calendar)

3. Breakfast Outside (yea. This one involves food, survival, and nature, as we attempt to battle rabid squirrels over our pancakes)

4. Cooking (preferably something involving warm chocolate)

5. Picnic (again with the food, I know. But, "food is fun")

6. Puzzle Mania (have to put my ego in my back pocket, because the kid is so much faster and better at these 300 piece Spongebob puzzles than I am - I hope I get to do the edges)

7. Game Nights (reminder of just how competitive I am, and how far I will go to SMASH them and win! Umm, while role-modeling good sportsmanship, of course)

8. Manicures (whose idea do you think this was?)

9. Beach (we live in California, a relatively short drive away from the beach, but we rarely go to the beach. I know, it should be against the law)

10. Go to the Skirball Museum (she missed the school fieldtrip because she was sick. Her parents may not be as fun as going with her entire class, but we'll be just as loud)

 

 

Comments

[Lorie Shewbridge]

All these things look really cool!! Who cares if they involve food... I agree with you, food is fun! I agree, too, about the cooking with warm chocolate, mmmmm! I had to look up the Skirball Museum, never heard of it before, the Noah's Ark exhibit looks really amazing.
Thanks for the post, I'll have to pass it on to my friends with kids running out of things to do this summer.

[shannon flora]

wow,my kids will be staying buisy next summer! thanks for the info!shannon