SCHOOL’S OUT! Oh no, now what?
School’s out! Hooray! It’s SUMMER! (Gwinnett County gets out today, but the rest of Georgia will soon follow.)
There are very few sentiments that parents feel as excited about as kids but I think summer is one of them. (Christmas and Disney World are others.)
We love our teachers and we love our school, but I am so thrilled to have three months off from our regimented schedule. I am excited that the kids can sleep in. I am happy they can go back outside to play after dinner. And it’s such a relief not to have to say “Ok, it’s time to do your homework!” (Not to mention no more extra-curricular activities to drag three kids to.)
So I’m looking forward to having all this special unstructured time with them, but then the reality sets in. I have three children, 8,6 and 2, at home with now 24 hours a day for three months. What in the heck am I going to do with them?
My boss recently asked me this very question and I told her: “I plan to wear them out. Tired children are good children.”
We are mainly going to go the YMCA in the morning. They will play while I work out. (The older kids have basically like a camp program – play outside games, and then have indoor time with ping pong and other games. The baby gets to play on the little playground and with toys inside.) Then we’ll swim with our friends and have a picnic. And then we’ll come home, and they will be exhausted. The baby can nap. The big kids can play in the basement, and I will have some quiet work time.
We are going to have a couple of more structured weeks – art camp for Walsh and math camp for Rose (both at their request), and VBS for the whole family. All of those activities will be in the morning so they should be tired by the afternoon. Throw in a visit from friends from out town, a short Disney trip and longer beach trip and bada bing that’s a summer!
So my questions for you are:
Are you just as thrilled as your kids about the impending summer?
What’s your big plan for the summer? Structured time at home? Day camps? Spend the night camps? Academic camps? How much academics do you try to cover during the summer?
Also I want you to think back about what are your favorite summer memories? Which ones have stayed with you through the years? Maybe that will help you plan activities for your kids.
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85 comments Add your comment
Tammy
May 20th, 2009
12:19 pm
I forgot to mention my favorite memory. My favorite memory is when I go spend the summer with my grandparents in SLC. My grandfather and I would sit on the porch after dinner. We would eat watermelon and play with the dogs. I miss him and my life was much more simplier.
April
May 20th, 2009
12:26 pm
We have several day camps planned – mostly through church or local groups. These are usually rather inexpensive and a lot of fun for the kids. VBS is one of our favorite weeks, also. My middle child will be going to sleep over camp for an entire week this year. I can identify with the nervous and scared part. She went to a mini camp last year and asked to do the longer one this year. I think it is a great self-esteem and idependence booster – but I have to worry a little or I would not be the mom :)
We will also enjoy days just relaxing by the pool and catching up with friends.
sd
May 20th, 2009
12:30 pm
stevecode is right. For the last three summers, we have had a lot of car break-ins in my neighborhood.
The first summer, they were breaking windows to get in. I would leave a note on my window that read “Car is unlocked. Nothing to steal. Have a nice day!”
JATL
May 20th, 2009
12:35 pm
Oh -and I hope I’m not ruining this, but late afternoons (after naps and avoiding buying lunch there) at the Aquarium are usually not horribly crowded! The Children’s Museum is hit or miss -lots of day camp field trips and rainy days are crowded, but early Monday mornings and mid afternoon naptime (if your kids don’t nap) can be good -same goes for jumpy places like Leapin’ Lizards. We also plan to spend some time in the woods. My 3 year old LOVES rocks and searching for new rocks, and I have one of those baby back packs I carry the 7 month old in (makes for a good workout).
I also have a question for everyone about Six Flags. When I was a kid my parents took me once every summer and it was a highly anticipated event! My oldest is only 3, and I know they have the Thomas area they opened last year, but what else is there that a 3 year old can do? I hate to spend the bucks for my husband, myself, and our 3 year old (surely infants are free -right?) if he’s only going to have a few things to do and a few hours to spend before he’s bored and done. I know they have the great carousel too and a kids area, I just can’t remember how involved it is and if a 3 year old would enjoy it.
JJ
May 20th, 2009
12:39 pm
Tammy – SLC Salt Lake City? I practically grew up there. SLC was my second home, as all my relatives lived there and up in Ogden…….
Please let me know for sure……..I have an entire life of memories of SLC…….
Photius
May 20th, 2009
12:41 pm
George Carlin said it best about parents and children:
“And you’d be anxious and depressed too if you had to put up with these pathetic, insecure, yuppie parents who enroll you in college before you’ve figured out which side of the playpen smells the worst and then fill you with Ritalin to get you in a mood they approve of, and drag you all over town in search of empty, meaningless structure: Little League, Cub Scouts, swimming, soccer, karate, piano, bagpipes, watercolors, witchcraft, glass blowing… It’s absurd. They even have “play dates”, for Crying out Loud! Playing is now done by appointment! But it’s true. A lot of these striving, and parents are burning their kids out on structure. I think what every child needs and ought to have every day is two hours of daydreaming. Plain old daydreaming.
Turn off the internet, the CD-ROMS, and the computer games and let them stare at a tree for a couple of hours. Every now and then they actually come up with one of their own ideas. You want to know how to help your kids? Leave them alone.”
Stephanie
May 20th, 2009
12:43 pm
Photius- I couldnt agree more!!!!!!
DB
May 20th, 2009
1:09 pm
JJ, I think several of the public schools around here have baccalaureate, too, but for our school, it is mandatory for the kids. Regardless of what folks may think of “mandatory”, keep in mind that it’s a private school, and it’s what we signed up for, so we don’t have a problem with it. :-) It’s a very nice service, although the kids are wild with excitement for graduation the next day!
Have fun with the tattoo, but I will never have a tattoo! I have spent far too much money at the dermatologist dealing with this oh-so-sensitive skin to ever consider injecting dye into it!
JJ
May 20th, 2009
1:10 pm
Oh in our old neighborhood, kids were always outside playing. You couldn’t drive over 25 mph and had to dodge the kids. That’s why I bought my first house in that ‘hood. My neighbors and I used to organize kick ball games, etc. The kids all rode bikes, played hide and seek, tag, or just sat in the front yard and chatted. We lived on a long street, with a cul-de-sac at the end. All the kids were about the same age, and they ran in the streets constantly. They weren’t bad, and never did any property damage.
We used to have “driveway Parties” on Friday nights. All the adults would pitch in, and I would go buy margarita ingredients. I had a blender, one neighbor brough ice, etc. We would sit in my driveway for hours drinking margaritas, and the kids would play. Sometimes we would be out there until midnight……the kids still talk about those nights. Like I said, we still see our old neighbors, even though all of us have moved out of the old hood.
One neighbor had a dump truck full of dirt dumped at the end of her driveway. She was re-doing her back yard. All the kids were playing on this mound of dirt, so we got creative, and asked all the kids to go home and get shovels and wheelbarrows. We had a little “chain” of kids helping get this dirt to her backyard. Four kids with shovels would fill up the wheelbarrows then wheel them into her backyard, and come back for more. We tackled that mound of dirt and by the end of the following day, you would never have known it was there. The kids loved it, we all got dirty and just had a blast. I really miss that neighborhood. Good times……..but we had to get out, it started to go downhill real fast!!!!
lynn
May 20th, 2009
2:17 pm
Happy 50th JJ!!! Come on down to the lake and we can drink beer & ride the boat all day.
JJ
May 20th, 2009
2:18 pm
Lynn, I’m there!!!!! And thank you.
Michelle
May 20th, 2009
2:34 pm
Well, Cody’s last day of school is today! Woo Hoo! He will be in the 1st grade next year. As for summer plans, unfortunately, the hubby and I both work full time. He will be in the summer camp at Daycare. They do have 2 field trips a week and a pool on-site. So I am confident he will be having a lot of fun. I’m not sure if they work on education, but I hope so! I plan on doing a lot of reading with him over the summer too!
We have a pool in our neighborhood too! I am hoping to actually relax and spend some FUN time together. It was a LONG first year of school!
As a kid, we used to either go to the pool at the high school (In Indiana all the high schools have pools…it is a winter sport there!) There was also a swimming hole that we would go to. For awhile, we had a pool in the backyard. I grew up with lots of brothers and sisters so we always had something to do!
Kathy
May 20th, 2009
2:37 pm
MJG….first day of school in Gwinnett is August 10, 2009.
JJ….Happy B Day!! Just curious…what kind of tattoo are you thinking of? Do you know where you are going to get it? My brother is a tat expert (he has several, all designed by him) and could probably recommend a place.
Kathy
May 20th, 2009
2:38 pm
JJ..I meant he could recommend a tattoo establishment….not a place on your body : )
motherjanegoose
May 20th, 2009
2:52 pm
Kathy…OOOPS…I was told the wrong date by my daughter…guess I needed to check.
Michelle, if you think the first year is long, you’d better get your running shoes on.
Check in with JJ and DB…this past Junior year was a doozie with my daughter…she took AP Physics. Her brother and I tried to talk her out of it. ( he had it and I am too ignorant to know anything about it) She slid by with a B and I was fearing she would get her first C in her life. I am thrilled.
Have a great weekend…we are outta’ here tomorrow!
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
May 20th, 2009
2:53 pm
Just returned from 2.5 hours of picnics, dancing (with a DJ) and games at our elementary school. That’s how they celebrate the last day. All the parents come and eat and dance with their kids. The kids had a wonderful time and the parents did too!.
JJ
May 20th, 2009
2:57 pm
Kathy – I’m thinking of a guardian angel on the front of my shoulder (so I can see it); or something honoring my father who passed away 17 years ago; or my daughter’s zodiac sign on my ankle.
Theresa Walsh Giarrusso
May 20th, 2009
3:09 pm
I can’t remember if I already shared this or not — We made out teachers in K a photo book of the whole year on Shutterfly.com. We just gave them to them and they LOVED THEM!! Turned out really well. We also created a custom web site on Shutterfly for free where all the parents can log on and view all the photos from the year. They can print them, download them or even print the book we made for the teacher! Several parents said at the picnic they had ordered it! It turned out great!! I think I’m going to use the custom web site next year as a room mom central location — you can also post calendars, rosters and I think even coordinate stuff needed for the class on the site.
lakerat
May 20th, 2009
3:28 pm
Happy Birthday JJ –
But, at the risk of being a “voice in the wilderness” – why would anyone who is pushing the other side of life’s highway (over age 50) want a tat? They are for those who do not know better and who will ask themselves (usually at this time in their life) “What was I thinking?” To each her own, I guess!
Good luck with the graduation, the tat, and the search for “non-loneliness” – how did the “date” go last weekend”? And, I really do hope your 3 day birthday weekend is fun!!
JJ
May 20th, 2009
3:32 pm
Hey Lakerat……I want a tat because I have made it unscathed for 50 years (and trust me, I put this body through HELL, I’m actually surprised I’m still alive…..), so there’s an angel looking over me…..hence the guardian angel.
Becky
May 20th, 2009
4:03 pm
lakerat, that’s always been my thoughts on a tat..My sister (58) got her first and only tat at 49..Just a little background for you on her..She went to MO. to visit her two oldest sons, one that does tats for a living talked her into getting a small one..We’re talking half dollar size..Winds up being about 4 inches wide and about 5 inches tall..It’s a heart with a ribbon and flames across it..On the lower part of the ribbon is a name..When I pick her up at the airport and see it, I say who is “Z”? She looks at me and says. “R” says he’s my grandson..WHAT?
My nephew isn’t sure that the boy is his, even though he’s listed as the Dad on the birth certificate..Then you have the fact that the tat is about 4 times bigger than it was suppose to be..
Nephew moves down here, opens his own shop and wonders why I won’t let him put a tattoo on me..One because I don’t want one, two, because I would hate to strangle him if he put one on me the same size as hers is..
So again JJ, if you get one, that’s great for you..It’s not that I don’t really like them, it’s just that they never wash off and that scares me..
JJ
May 20th, 2009
4:20 pm
Well I talk a big game, but when it comes down to it, I’m a sissy in the pain department. I understand they won’t work on your if you are drunk and that’s about they ONLY way I will consider the pain. OR maybe a big fat doobie….;)
Nadia
May 20th, 2009
6:41 pm
JATL…We went to Six Flags when my youngest was three years old. There was plenty to do. I do not remember him having to sit out on many rides. I think there was a Looney Tunes area (???). The stuff all around the carousel was fine for him, too. They had old-fashioned cars kids could drive, with a parent. Plenty of stuff.
This summer, I just want to hang out at home and let the kids play outside. We have woods they like to explore behind the house, and we are in a cul de sac, so they just play all day. We will take a vacation to visit family. We have a neighborhood pool that we will go to almost daily, too.
ZachsMom
May 20th, 2009
6:56 pm
All of those teenagers with no manners will be at six flags so make sure you cover the 3 year olds ears.
Justmy2cents
May 20th, 2009
7:05 pm
Becky- at 7 six flags should be good. My 6 year old can ride Mindbender, Ninja, and Great American Scream Machine. If she were 1/2 inch taller, she could ride more. There are plenty of other rides to do though, and apparently they just re-opened Monster Plantation.
Berry picking is fun with the kids- although you may want to pack some wipes/towels for them to sit on if they get really dirty (you know kids get sidetracked from their task LOL). Even more fun is the gem hunting…talk about filthy!!
As far as tats go…I have a few; I got them when I was in the military. No regrets on any of them, even after having kids. I’ve had them for over 13-14 years now and half the time I forget about them.
JATL
May 20th, 2009
7:24 pm
Go for it JJ -I’ll be 40 in January and still love the tats I got in my 20s. I’m actually having one enlarged so I can have my children’s birthdates put into it. That’s quite popular now (at least with intown parents). I can’t wait until 50 -I will have had the post-childbirth tummy tuck I’m desiring by then, and I’m going to get a ring of mermaids and other favorite symbols around my newly polished and positioned belly button! Trust me, don’t fear the pain -if you’ve had a baby, you’ll find the “pain” of a tattoo laughable!
Thanks for the tips Nadia! I wasn’t sure what they still had there from when I was a kid or last went a number of years ago.
And yes, I’ve heard that the teenagers there have become even “lovelier”, but he probably won’t hear anything he hasn’t “accidentally” heard in the car. I remember when I was a kid, part of the thrill of going to Six Flags was looking at all the hippies, hippie teenagers and what my mom called “trash kids” in their clothes I wasn’t allowed to wear, smoking and saying things that left my mouth agape. It was a learning experience!
Becky
May 21st, 2009
8:24 am
JATL, thanks for sharing that..My big concern with even taking them, is that the girl is very small for her age..They are twins, but shes the size of most 4 year olds..Because they were born 1 1/2 months early and were so small at birth, we were told that she might not ever walk, so she tires out real easily..When we took them to the local fair at the mall, she wasn’t tall enough to ride most of the rides there..
As for berry picking, I’m realy looking forward to that..We’ve been pumpkin picking before and they are so thrilled to be going berry picking..They both love any kind of berry, so I’m sure that it will be a blast..
If I sounded ugly over anyones tats, that wasn’t my intention..I do like them and I have seen oodles of very nice ones..They just aren’t for me..I do have a question though..At what age would you let any of your children get a tat? I have a niece (by marriage) that let her son get one at 14..Am I the only person that thinks this is a little young?
JATL
May 21st, 2009
2:37 pm
Becky -I love tattoos (but not all of them!), but I think 14 is way too young! Personally I think tattoos go under the heading of things you can do when you’re “grown” -or at least 18! If either of my boys ever wants one, he’ll have to wait until he turns 18. I think some things still need to be a rite of passage or whatever you want to call it! Have fun berry picking. I think we’re going to do that next year when the youngest is able to participate.
I know at Six Flags they have those stroller/carts you can rent. I don’t know how your daughter feels about those, but if you went then maybe she could hop in one of those if she got really tired. It is a lot of ground to cover.
DB
May 21st, 2009
2:52 pm
Becky: In my house — NEVER! If the kids want a tattoo, they better be on their own! Neither of mine have ever expressed any desire for a tattoo, though, and my daughter flat-out refused when some friends suggested it on her 18th birthday — she has the same skin issues I do, and doesn’t want to complicate things. I honestly don’t get the whole tattoo thing, and I have to admit, I can’t shake visions of beer-bellied sailors whenever I see one. Why tattoo your child’s birthday? Can’t you remember?
Becky
May 21st, 2009
4:04 pm
Glad to know it’s not jsut me that thinks 14 is way to young..But, I guess it runs in that side of the family..His Mom has about 30-40 tats, my nephew has to many to count..
When I had custody of my 2 nieces last year, they both wanted a tat and that was my big thing..NOT while you are living in my house..Needless to say as soon as they went back to their Mother, she let the oldest (17) get a tat..
We might try the stroller thing at Six Flags..I know that they will love it, not sure that I’m going to enjoy it as much..LOL…As for the berry picking, I know that we will all enjoy that..
FCM
May 21st, 2009
7:00 pm
Well they have day camp–so lots of field trips. Then we hit the pool at night/weekends. $1 movies for the really hot days. One child goes to sleep over camp this year for a whole week. Both children will head to the beach to see his side of the family for two weeks. Then when they get home we have a couple of weeks where I might try to plan some time off work and do something for us—but I would rather pull them out of school for a couple of days in the fall and do something then so we shall see.
They are looking forward to camps though. They are excited.
We will have a WOOO HOOOO Summer is here party over the weekend. If it rains will go to the movies.
I seem to count years by school calendars, and yes the break from the added pressure to my schedule will be nice.
Next year we are up grading to 2 activities…one at school and one not.
JATL
May 21st, 2009
9:12 pm
DB -people with “real” tattoos that aren’t some fly-by-night immature experience they wanted to have as a teenager usually choose something well thought out and meaningful -hence children’s names and birthdates often designed into a more elaborate tattoo -not because we can’t remember them, but because it’s one way to express how much it means to us. Some people have charm bracelets or birthstone necklaces; some people get tattoos. Isn’t it nice that not everyone is a carbon copy of everyone else and there are different tastes and ideas in this world?
deidre_NC
May 21st, 2009
11:15 pm
happy birthday JJ–mine was last week. my daughter will graduate june 6th–then college next fall…its a lot of mixed feelings here. im so glad to be done with school-i think college will be a lot more her thing–right? my oldest son will be 36-youngest is 17-so ive been doing the school thing for way too long!! all the summers my (5) kids were out were filled with some camps–lots of family camping and horse riding-and just plain playing. im not much in to lots of plans and structure. its hard for parents who both work..harder for single parents-i would have loved to be financially able to never have to work and be with my kids all the time…but alas it wasnt in my cards…but i always was glad when school was out-school really runs your life.
yall all have a great and safe summer!
DB
May 22nd, 2009
12:41 am
JATL – The thing is, I can take a charm bracelet or a necklace off, or even put it away when I get tired of it or it falls out of style. I just can’t imagine *any* design or symbol that I wouldn’t get almighty tired of after a few years – except my wedding ring! :-) Nope, a few decades from now, I guess I’ll be one of those rare corpses that the medical examiner will be puzzling over and muttering — “no distinctive markings of any kind . . .” (Can you tell I’ve watched too many “NCIS” reruns?!)
Becky
May 22nd, 2009
8:38 am
deidre_NC, Happy late birthday..Hope it was a great one..
JATL, I know where you are coming from..I have a great niece (18), she has what I call the trailing stars on her shoulder..So I ask her what was the meaning of them, she looked at me like I had 2 heads and said, we wanted them..I said who, she said her and some friends..They had no real meaning…It’s tats like this that I don’t get..
Again, I don’t mean to offend enyone because they have tats, they just don’t suit me..I also think that when you get to the point of having so many that you don’t see any skin, that is really gross..One or even up to 5-6 is more than enough..IMO..