Countdown to Summer Fun

For this homeschooling family, summer break means staying up late and sleeping late in the mornings. It also means not having "lessons" during the day time. The boys are ready to jump out of their skin with anticipation of "no school work!!" as they put it.

However, after two days of non-stop video games and computer time they get a little burned out and start wandering the house with the universal whine "I'm bored."

The boys came up with a few ideas, and I realized that I had to keep myself from rolling my eyes at their suggestions. Pretty good ideas, actually!! What was wrong with me?? They got so excited about some of their ideas that they insisted on starting TODAY. I had to get over what I already wanted to do and help provide an outlet for them, too. I'll let you see pics of their play and All About Me pages they made on a later post. The video of their play is taking all day to upload.... UGH!

Instead of our usual "winging it," we came up with a few things to keep in mind when the boredom sets in. Here are a few ideas we came up with:

Performing a play or puppet show.

Learning a new song

Reading the next book in our current book series: Kingdom series and Narnia series

Making notebook pages and coloring pages about those books or anything else that interests us

Writing a book - short story or picture book (both are fun!!)

Taking pictures

Making home videos

Having "knight" training

Castle play

Dress up

Water painting

Sidewalk chalk

Board games

Nature walks (on those semi-cool days)

Trip to the park

Swimming at the community pool

This is all we could come up with so far. Maybe it will get us through!! Stay tuned for more. *L*

3 Bears by Ry and B.

This morning we were brainstorming for activities to do during the long summer months of "nothing to do." They thought of doing a puppet show or a play. They liked the idea so well, they had to do it RIGHT NOW!! It's a combination puppet show/play. :) Maybe you'll recognize the story. This is their first one, and it was funny to see them giving each other directions, and B. even telling us to pause so he could get the mail!

Moving Day for the caterpillars

B.'s caterpillars finally made their chrysalides. He got the Live Butterfly Garden for his birthday. Today he excitedly brought me the little cup the caterpillars came in and showed me they were ready to move into their new house! We pinned them into the top of the little mesh butterfly house. Now we wait for them to break out of their cocoon. Even I'm excited to see this transformation. This is so cool!!

No, that's not a "peace" sign.

He's giving it "bunny ears" for the picture!!!

A close-up of the chrysalides pinned to the top.

Girl Time

Just wanted to give a big cyber hug to my buddy Amanda.

We've started making special time for us to get together and chat, usually after church on Wednesday nights, about once a month. It's really awesome. Sometimes we get serious and talk about the issues in our lives, sometimes we talk about the latest sales. Either way, having some girl time can really perk me up and keep me going. Oh, and thanks to Starbucks for letting us close out the place tonight! ;)

Spring Cleaning?

In the midst of gardening, homeschooling, and keeping up with every day life I've noticed some things around the house that really, REALLY need a good cleaning. Windows, window sills, carpets... all need to be scrubbed up. When do you make time to fit it all in?? (The all-time rhetorical question.) With several people coming over this weekend for B's birthday party and a special visitor coming to visit the following week, all the areas that I always overlook seem to be glaring at me! YIKES!

I'm searching for spring cleaning ideas online, not for what I need to do but mostly for inspiration.... something that says I can do it!! Anybody else out there spring cleaning? *cheers*