There’s something about the school year screeching to a climactic halt of paper work and award ceremonies and scheduling that is both uplifting and downright terrifying (see also: small people who inhabit your home kicking your grass and taking down names in sidewalk chalk).
This was especially apparent when not quite two hours into official summer vacation my girls were either a) fighting or b) whining or c) fighting, whining, and declaring sheer and utter boredom.
Ask any parent what their kids are going to do all summer and you’ll get a variety of answers.
Most parents do as we do…the best they can. One family we know (and one spouse is a physician), enrolled their kids in variety of day camps for the duration of last summer. But at an average of about $200 a week per kid, that’s not going to happen at our house.
Thank God for Free Day Camp With Jesus, also known as Vacation Bible School. It’s the best child care gig running here in the South.
The girls have not one, but two, Vacation Bible School options this June. Miss C is also playing in a weekly indoor soccer league on Monday nights.
It’s all about balance.
I can’t leave the girls home all day in front of the Disney Channel (although trust me they are THIS close to becoming Selena Gomez‘s zombies), so I’ve arranged to work from home on both Wednesdays and Fridays for the summer. They’ll hang out with their grandparents Mondays and Tuesdays and my hubby will do Daddy Thursdays and take the day off to do something fun with the girls. Of course this means he’ll be working most Saturdays.
It’s all about tradeoffs.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love my girls and I love spending time with them. But is tricky to juggle the whole childcare, working from home some, working in the office some, slaying the “I’m Boreds” all summer without resorting to non-stop electronic entertainment, and trying to explain why you can’t eat popsicles for breakfast for the 900th time.
More often then not I find myself spouting off a classic parental retort: “When I was a kid I played in the hot sun with nothing but a hodge podge of hand-me-down Barbies and my pet chickens and I liked it!”
This is the second full week of summer vacation for both my girls.
That’s why you may see us stocking up on plenty of Capri Suns for them and wine and beer for us.
It’s all about the right beverages.
Cheers to summer!
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We both have to work so our kids will be the same place they are every day, day care. I love that my day care has a schooler program so that they will still be able to go somewhere familiar during the summer. Plus they plan all kinds of fun activities and field trips for the older kids. The younger ones (mine) are pretty much out of luck. They just get the same ole, same ole.
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..It is all a matter of perspective =-.
Hey, we’re doing indoor, too. Maybe I’ll see you there!
.-= Busy Mom´s last blog ..Teen allowance – Pretending it’s not really my money =-.
Yes, I do remember running a Bible School one summer….!
.-= Tabor´s last blog ..Truth Be Told =-.
My grandchildren range in age from 3 to 30 so including my children I have seen a lot of summer coping. I do know that it has gotten a lot more expensive over the years. Those camp people know they have you by the ______ (insert your own anatomical or financial word). Blble school is one of the few inexpensive “camps”. Praise Jesus!
Yeah, I don’t remember my mother worrying about how she was going to keep us “entertained” all summer long. It has gotten a bit crazy.
But I keep hearing about this free bible school thing and I must say, I am willing to move (nothing like that here in NY!) and find religion if I have to!
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With two long dark terms of winter at school still to get through, I envy you. Though not the scratching, biting, whinging, whining ‘I’m bored’ bit… Hmmm, now that I’ve put it like that…
.-= lifeinapinkfibro´s last blog ..I’m in training for something big =-.
I’m looking for day trips to do once a week or so. Any ideas? CHEAP!!! 🙂
Do you have any library programs in your town? Our library has lots of things for the kids to do in the summer. My kids always had rest time in the afternoon…just a short break where they didn’t really sleep, but could read books. Gave me a break. How about enrolling them in both vacation Bible schools? You don’t really need my ideas…you’re doing swell on your own. Summer will be over in the blink of an eye….for the kids it goes on forever. Have fun…Balisha
.-= Balisha´s last blog ..The Lily and Me =-.
Balisha, they are going to both Vacation Bible Schools…yea! 😉 One will be with their cousins so they’ll love that. This is the first year that Miss A is old enough to go.
I’m working on a post about fun, free (for the most part) things to do with kids over the summer. Our library does have great programs, too.
Stay tuned tomorrow…I think my fun summer activities post will be ready and it will have great ideas for both parents and grandparents!
VBS is a great idea. I am sure if you look you will find some in July too. It made me think of how I could never wait for summer with the kids (when I wasn’t working full time), but then two weeks into summer I was counting down the days to school again.
.-= Kaye´s last blog ..VBS Snacks =-.
My kids last day of school is Friday. They simply go to mass on the last day & are dismissed for summer. My hub says the mass is to pray for the safety of kids during summer vacation, I think it is to pray for sanity of Moms during summer vacation:)
When we were doing regular school, the first two weeks were always the worst. I remember thinking desperately for the first seven days, “When does school start again?!” Now that we are homeschooling the transition is different. . . I’m getting less ‘i’m bored’ and fighting a lot harder ‘no you can’t play video games at 7 in the morning.’ Oh, wait, maybe that’s just about being nine, not summer. ;P
I seriously love you! I mean it, I do! I just blogged about similar issues of being a FT working mom and your posts relate so much to how I feel — thank you!
My little girl is still in daycare year round, but I know in just a few short years I will be stressing over what to do w/ her in the summer when I work — eek!
Anyways, thank you for keeping it real and always making me smile. 🙂
.-= Katie´s last blog ..Working Mommy
I’m here from your other blog I’m from the giveaway for the printer. We love indoors air conditioner more than anything I don’t like being hot in the summer. I avoid going outside as much as I can so I know what you mean. It would have been easier to find this if you’d put a link to your blog on the giveaway post. Come visit!
.-= barb g´s last blog ..3rd #3 Giveaway $30.00 Kroger Stores Gift Ends 6/16/10 =-.
I like your plan, way better than mine, but agree that summer is all about balance and keeping plenty of the “right” beverages in stock 🙂
.-= Liz@thisfullhouse´s last blog ..You Know You’re From Jersey When… =-.