Crazy Days of Summer

I always think of summer so fondly when it's the middle of winter: lazy, long days of sleeping in and enjoying the sunshine. And then summer actually arrives and I remember it is nothing like that with two small children--at least, not with my two small children. They definitely don't get the concept of sleeping in, and they find no joy in being lazy. Instead, they want to be busy all day long, and when left to their own devices, usually end up fighting with each other within a matter of minutes. So most of our summer this far has involved me saying the words, "Stop screaming!" "No fighting!" or "Go have a time out!" about a hundred times a day. Unfortunate, but true.

Besides spending lots of time with friends and family, two main things have helped to make our summer days better, and to minimize the mommy frustration. The first is simply activities--lots and lots of activities. Even better if they are signed up for separate activities at different times. Because as much as I wish they would just play happily together, most often they are much better behaved when they are apart. I just pray their relationship improves as they get older.

Anyway, back to activities. We signed Jon up for preschool over the summer through Cuesta, the same class he was in last year. He goes 3 mornings a week and, in spite of the long drive to get him there, it has been totally worth it. It gives me some time alone with Lauren, which I never have during the school year, and it gives her some time alone at home. This is a girl who loves to just sit and read, or play creatively by herself, and she is constantly interrupted (and frustrated) when her little brother is home. Getting up and out the door by 8:30 on those mornings isn't exactly enjoyable, but it has made our days much better overall.

Lauren has been busy with her share of activities, too. She did a week of "Mega Sports Camp" which was our church's version of VBS this year. You could choose one specific sport to focus on, and she chose cheerleading. :) The idea is to adapt sports disciplines to spiritual disciplines, and she had a great time. They are offering another week of it later in the summer and I think she wants to go back. And just this morning, she started gymnastics camp at Central Coast Gymnastics (just down the street from us!), so she's had plenty to do.

The second thing that has helped this summer is our reward charts. They aren't really "chore" charts, as they are filled with different categories of things to do instead of specific jobs. They get stickers for each thing they complete during the day, and if they meet their goal at the end of the week, we all choose a reward as a family. It has helped them to have motivation, and it has helped me to guide their days. They have categories like "serve," "read," "create," "clean," and "play." It makes sure we are doing a variety of things and  gives us an idea of something else to focus on when the fighting begins. For example, as I am writing this, they are working on getting their "learn" stickers by doing an ABC Scavenger Hunt. (Thank goodness for blogs and Pinterest, as I find most of my ideas there!)

I know activities and sticker charts aren't exactly new inventions, but I'm glad we've found ways to help our summer days go more smoothly. And, as you can see, they're pretty excited about it! :)