Summer Dreams

 

Summer is off to a start around here.  I have to admit, I’ve had a bit of anxiety about the boys being home all summer.  The older they get the harder they are to keep entertained.  Aiden especially.  So I’ve been dreading having them home.  With little Tate here now we can’t go to the pool like the last few summers because the sun is too intense for him.  I’m figuring we’ll go a handful of times for maybe an hour, with me and Tater spending most of it looking for some shade.  I haven’t found time to peruse Pinterest for fun “keep them busy” ideas yet so thought I’d ask the boys what they wanted to do this summer.  Here’s the list they came up with:

• have a water balloon fight
• play tractors in the basement
• sleep in the tent at a local campsite
• go camping with Charley and Nora (cousins)
• go to the State Fair
• go to Planet X
• go to Fun City
• go to the new play set at the park
• go to the zoo
• go to the science center
• go to a water park
• get a dog (Oh Aiden!)
• play outside
• climb the trees
• build puzzles
• go to Nora’s house (that’s one of Brennan’s)
• have a sleep over

Some I added:

• go for a bike ride on a trail
• sign up for the library’s Summer Reading Program
• go golfing with Dad
• go fishing with Dad
• rebuild their Lego sets and make a Lego City
• go for walks and bike rides around town
• take a picnic lunch to the park and meet Dad

Most of these are definitely do-able.  Not sure we’ll make it to Planet X, Fun City and a waterpark, but you never know! 

We can check off the “sign up for the library’s Summer Reading Program” one, did that yesterday.  For every hour they read they get a ‘library buck’ which they can spend on some small prizes (i.e. cheesy crap that’ll break right away and clutter up their room – bah humbug!).  Once they’ve read 10 hours they earn a free book.  In addition to the reading they have an hour long program every Tuesday afternoon where they’ll do science experiments, make crafts and have visitors (the zoo is coming on their first date next week!).  It’ll be something small for them to look forward to every week.

I also have them signed up for a day camp each, plus Aiden’s summer basketball camp he does at the school every year for 3 mornings one week.  I’m working on getting them signed up for swim lessons, waiting to hear back from their instructor. 

Aiden is going to show a rabbit and goat at the fair as a Clover Kid.  He’ll get mentored by an older 4-Her and show their animal.  I’m looking forward to this!  I loved 4-H and always wanted to show animals but wasn’t allowed to.

It’s not a lot but hopefully it’ll help them have a good summer and stay a little busy.

The picture below does a reader mom’s heart good!  Aiden was excited to pick out a chapter book, not just a picture book, at the library yesterday when we were there signing them up.  He knew he wanted a ‘Geronimo’ book, he even knew who the author was!  I couldn’t help but take a picture of him looking.  All those awesome books I used to read as a kid were still there!  Made me want to dive right in!  I was such a bookworm as a kid, I miss having time to read like that now.

We rode our bikes over to the library.  Tater LOVES riding in the bike seat!  I need to get him a helmet so I can stop worrying about him getting a brain injury.

That face doesn’t show how much he likes riding in there!  The night before we went on a short ‘test ride’ to see how he’d do in there.  Loved it!  He was all zoned out when we got back home, it about put him to sleep!  His face that night cracked me up, wish I would have had my camera then!

Hoping for an awesome summer for the boys.  I loved summer’s.  Staying home while my parents were working meant freedom!  I’d watch soaps (don’t tell my dad!), lay in bed reading books and listening to the radio, meet my cousin at the pool for long swim sessions… it was so fun!  I remember having sweet corn about the same time as the county fair, it was always a toss up whether I’d rather eat at the fair or at home to have that yummy corn on the cob!  Playing freeze tag and hide and seek in the dark with my cousins!  So many fun, good memories!  That’s what I want for my boys.

What are your plans for the summer? Any easy but fun ideas for me to do with the boys?