Friday July 1, 2011
I should be heading to bed. But it’s Friday night. Who cares about bedtime?
We have been having so much fun this summer. I’m working on a project for the kitchen wall by the table. The easy part is done. As in, buy a whiteboard calender at Walmart, figure out what size everything is going to be, and hang it on the wall. Check. The other part is taking a little longer. I want a chalkboard and a memo board … or whatever you call those things that let you stick pictures and papers on them. I headed to the shop with David one day and under his step by step instructions cut the plywood base for both and started making a frame including (drum roll please) a rabbit groove and mitered corners for the frame. The chalkboard is painted. The frame is only half glued together and sitting in the basement awaiting the appearance of a brad gun. Not that I actually have any idea what a brad gun is. I just know I need one. Maybe sometime before September I’ll get to finish the frame. Then again, judging by the stacks of half finished projects around here, maybe not.
But wait, I was going to talk about fun. The boys love being able to see what is on our agenda. I’m thinking maybe this winter I will use it to help Liam notice the weather. He could draw a sun or snow (I did NOT just say the “s” word, did I?) or clouds or rain on each day. But for now it is event laden and color coded. Adam thinks it is so much fun to cross off the days as they happen.
Last summer just disappeared in a blur. This summer I purposed to be more intentional. Unbelievable as it sounds, summer can just disappear and we never did all the simple little things that make summer feel like summer. I’m also being intentional at keeping the boys occupied well. Last summer was just a little much. A little too much rambunctiousness in the house. A little too much arguing. A little too much of a lot of things. This summer there are more jobs … like picking bugs off the plants and feeding them to the chickens. This summer Adam can read. This summer Liam is three, not two. This summer is like a slice of heaven. Well, except for the missing pool.
About a month before school let out, I began concocting a list of activities. I knew from the beginning that we wouldn’t nearly do everything on the list, but there it is. A constant reminder of things to learn, things to play, things to teach, things to keep us moving, happy, and enthusiastic about summer. As though we needed the last part.
Now it’s July (STOP!) and we’re not quite halfway through the list. Is it a little bit sad that I have to have a list to remind me to do fun things? I thought so.
Just for kicks, we did a daffy supper the other night. It was one of those spur of the moment brainstorms (and actually not on the list). The boys giggled and giggled and giggled until I felt even happier than my regular Vitamin D happiness level which is saying a lot.
This week Adam did the big one. He planned a menu and cooked supper. His very first words when I told him what was up? “Ok, but I am going to have dessert.” Punctuated with a ton of emotion and emphasis. Yes, sir. While the idea was cool, in retrospect, I wish I’d have started with one item. He already fixes our salads whenever I think about getting him started early enough and does a great job of checking the vegetables for bad spots and chopping everything. But as it was, I spent nearly the entire day in the kitchen. The morning went ok, but by 4:00, I was pretty frustrated. Everything took so long and it was too much of a stretch for his attention span. But we did get it pulled off — in spite of him getting burned as he carried Liam’s serving bowl to the table which sent the entire bowl and contents spinning to the floor — and his food was deLICious. Somehow I have got to learn to be more patient with time-consuming projects and mess. It’s not his bad. It’s mine. He is actually very careful for a seven year old and he listens to instructions well. He just has trouble sticking with something that doesn’t take his full concentration and he never moves quickly. Liam and Adam are polar opposites in almost everything. I love the way it helps me to appreciate things in each of them. When Liam is seven, he will be quick. But I predict he will also be messy and not care.
I’ve been learning all over again that when I start feeling frustrated with the way things are going with the boys, it is usually my fault, not theirs. Sometimes it’s because I stretched them a little too far or expected too much of them. Or because I’ve lost too much sleep. Or because all of us are starving and it’s an hour past lunch time. Other times I feel bombarded with the realization that I have not been consistent with boundaries. Or the fact that they are being boys (their job) and I’m supposed to be teaching them and showing them the way (my job). But I get things switched around and just expect them to be little adults. Just like I expected to have a lush, green lawn with only weekly maintenance (snort, snicker in this part of the country). 
That’s us. Living life imperfectly, but loving the ride. I think this summer will get recorded as one of the best summers yet. Except for the pool issue (and I wonder where the boys get their whining from? Go figure.)
Here is part of our list:
Play pitch & catch
Sew Handkerchiefs
Visit Abe’s mechanic shop
Read aloud
Play Bat & Ball
Math Flash Cards
Study Water Evaporation
Play Basketball
Have a Picnic
Hike Crab Tree Falls
Go to the Zoo
Draw a Scene or Object
Visit DC
Hike Humpback
Go to the Park
Take a Train Ride
Play with Play Dough
Create Cards
Play Hop Scotch
Roller Blade
Shrinky Dinks
Take lunch to Daddy
Go to the library
Paint pictures
Water Balloon fight
Have a hot dog roast
Host a mom / friend playdate
Sleep on the deck
A & P class (?draw / identify)
Help Grandpa Beachy with a project
Project at Grammie’s house
Plan menu, get groceries, make supper
Act out Bible story with props
Sing the scale
Learn a new song
Learn Spanish words
Sew pillows
Hike Shifflet Falls
Practice Telling Time
What’s on your summer fun list?
(PS lots more pictures here)
This is a wonderful post! You are doing such a great job with your boys and you gave me some great ideas for keeping mine occupied. My boys have been a little “too much” lately. I love your list! I may copy some of your list items 😉 I love the way you notice and encourage their different personalities. Lovely post… a bright spot at the end of my tired day 🙂
i think that your calendar is very nicely organized and i like the list for the boys on the side of the calendar of what is happening throughout the day so that there isn’t any confusion. i am excited to see the frame and bulletin board/chalk board you are crafting. i think that chalkboards are such a fun thing to add to a house. so awesome to see one of your young men stepping up to cook….that food looked scrumptious
one question..what is a daffy dinner. it looked like very interesting impliments with food but i wasn’t sure if perhaps there was something else with this idea that i missed out on.i looked like a great idea!
I have to come back and finish your post….I’m supposed to be sleeping, I have a 3am wake up time! But I wanted to stop by and see your pictures real quick. =)
Have a great weekend and a Happy 4th.
P.S. I Love your kitchen!!!
love this post Michelle. What a great list of clever ideas! no wonder abbi gets bored with me, i have no list such as that. did you think of all the things or did the boys help?
@inanorchard – steal away and share yours, too. I’m always looking for things I don’t normally do. @mytoesareblue – Thanks. We’ve gotten pretty sloppy with our schedule the last two weeks because we have been so crazy busy. This month looks much better so I’m hoping to get better with it again. The days we followed that were the most mellow, warm, happy days at our house. A daffy dinner is just what you said. Lots of crazy things to eat off of and with … if you scroll through the pictures in my photo blog you will see that everyone’s place setting was different. Adam had so much fun deciding what to give everyone.
@Elizabethmarie_1 – 3 AM. Honey girl! I would act like a person under the influence at that time of the day! Have fun at market!
@fruitloops115 – I have OCD remember 😉 so I did come up with that list myself. And actually, the boys don’t know about the list b/c Adam has OCD, too, so if he would see that list, he would think it is something we HAVE to do now and every day and that we have to do every single thing on it which isn’t feasible. So I made it in secret and I keep it on the frig and luckily he has never noticed it.
i will have to find the link, but i remember somewhere in my internet journeying a women who had a similar idea of things to do…and put them in a jar and then would take them out throughout the day or days as needed and it would be a surprise what they were doing. However if you do have OCD that might not be a good idea …since you would like to prepare in advance, but perhaps the jar could be for you and then when you have pulled it out you can make the necessary plans. i thought it was a great idea…i’m not sure if she also had a list of things she had put in it. i’ll try to find it for you…just to look at if you’d like.
I too planned a list of summer fun days but scheduled them & gave the schedule to friends so they could join us. 🙂 Sadly, too many of my friends are too busy to take time to spend with their children so….it’s mainly been my sil that has showed up for the fun days. 🙁
Some of the things on our “list” are:
BounceU (awesome fun-check it out here-http://www.bounceu.com/
Park
September Farm Cheese to watch them make cheese
Pool
A friend’s house to go on her HUGE waterslide & golf cart rides
Hershey Choc. World
Miesse Candy- watch them make candy
fishing
hiking @ Nolde Forest
Biking on the bike trails
Hot dog roast
This is such a fun post. But, once again, it’s the amazing photography that makes the whole fun, but normal, summer at your house look extra special. And maybe it is-I’m sure you are an extra good Mom.
My children love to help cook, but often I find them helping me. My goal by the END OF THE YEAR IS TO HAVE MY BOYS GO TO THE KITCHEN AND PREPARE ONE OR 2 ENTIRE MEALS ON THEIR OWN. Ooops, I hit the caps, I’m not shouting, I promise.
Our summer is flying by, but we are having fun. Vacation is coming up soon and we are finally enjoying warm temps. On the ‘list’ yet is camping, fishing, and more days at the lake.
Wow, what a GREAT idea to actually write out summer ideas! I’m a huge list person for day-to-day, but I never thought about making a precise list for activities. That’s such a great idea. And YOU have so many amazing ideas! Of course, I would probably not do the “Visit Mr. Abe’s Mechanic Shop” and such like, just as you would not do, “Bake Pink Cupcakes.” :)) But I love these!! And my goodness, your kids must think you’re such a fun mother. I think if I’m reading and taking them to the park I’m doing good. You? You’re like an Anthropologie among Walmart mothers. 🙂
What a great family you have 🙂
i like the idea of a FUN list~ being intentional means just that.. being intentional! and some of us, me included, have to write those intentions down so we don’t forget.. or get side tracked. 🙂 that wall is going to be cool. i see them all the time in pottery barn and such and dream of someday getting all organized and having one. love your thoughts on parenting. that it’s more “me” than them. yes. so true. been reading ‘sacred parenting’ again and feeling convicted over that very thing. when i see something i don’t like in one of my kids lives.. the fixing usually needs to be done in my own heart! always enjoy your writing and thought process and pics. and YOU. just you. 🙂
As you would imagine, I totally get this post. You tend to process and handle life so much the same way that I do.
This summer, I feel like has been a little weird so far, cuz the kids only had about 13 days from the time school was out till they went to Ohio. Then they were gone a total of 2 weeks and now we have only been back for about 3 days. So kind of feeling like I haven’t gotten into the groove yet.
Bravo to Adam for making supper!! I think it is very cool that he wants to and is willing to try.
Enjoyed your pictures and just how happy your life seems to be right now. I totally know what you mean about some summers being better than others, depending on ages of kids and whatever else is going on, etc.
whenever you post about what you all do with your boys, or ask of them – I am inspired to be more involved in my boys lives. It never even dawned on me to ask alex to “help” cook. How simple am I?? lol
The list looks enjoyable and will mark a summer memory of education and fun!! You rock as a mom. 🙂
@happyangel78 – Lots of awesome ideas!
@lwstutz – I am imPRESsed with the idea of your boys being able to do a meal solo. How old are they? And actually this is an above average summer for us. When I am pregnant or have a baby, we don’t do a lot more than absolute essentials b/c I feel too rotten. Liam’s food issues drained me totally and made me not want to go anywhere for such a long time. So for me to have energy to do some of this stuff is feeling pretty amazing. Even though it should be “normal.”
@lifeisadance – I am cracking up at the idea of you visiting Abe’s mechanic shop! Better stick with the pink cupcakes. 😀 Anthropologie among walmarts? You give the BEST (even when totally undeserved) compliments.
@i__LIVESTRONG – Thanks! We have tons of fun together.
@grace2be – Pottery Barn was my inspiration and I can hardly wait to have it finished! Do you know how good it is to see your name pop up around here again?!!!!
@appalolly – You always get me like a sister. Reading right through and between the lines.
@seekinHISwisdom – I am big on eliminating the gender issues to a (hopefully) healthy extent. So my girls will also take turns going to the shop if I ever have any. But Adam actually LOVES to cook … which may be b/c he sees David in the kitchen with me a lot and his grandpa is like the best chef at the grill you’ve ever met. Then again, what kid doesn’t like to dump and stir? 🙂