Summer Repeats

Last Summer, or maybe the summer before, I wrote a post about the first day of summer vacation with Q home from school (and how bad it sucked).  I get all excited about summer vaction and have all these hopes and dreams.  Oh, its so  funny.  (and just read my two posts back on summer vacation).  This year, as April approached, I started to get nervous.  Cause I vaguely remember the last two summers and how I had such high hopes and how they came crashing to rather large explosion of crushed expectations.  The first few days of summer vacation always tank.  Like, hard core.  This year did not disappoint.  Monday was awful. The fighting! The messes!  The whining! I have to say, I didn't help things and was a whiny hiney myself.  Tuesday was probably just as bad, but I took some initiative to get out of the house and made plans NOT to make dinner.  Which helped tremendously.   I like not having to make and clean up dinner.  We went to Chick-fil-a and it was actually relaxing, and I fed everyone for $20.39.  And they all ate it, HAPPILY.  There's something to be said for that.

In order to not let this summer go down like last summer, I'm trying to have a plan.  Last summer we literally did nothing but move, unpack, introduce a new baby to the family and swim lessons. (that sounds like a lot).   Seriously, I don't think we left the house much at all.  And we certainly didn't go on vacation.  My grandiose summer plans include check lists, and earning tickets and some school refresher courses (cause B still cannot write his whole name and Q needs to read more). Actually leaving the house.  And challenges.  Lots of them.  There are "mini challenges" every week day, if they chose to complete them are worth tickets.  Today's challenge is building a lego house.  I've designed the challenges to inspire them to do more than the challenge, to get the imagination ball rolling.   I have to say,  I have enjoyed making the plan and the charts and stuff.  The implementing, is not going as well.  The boys have grown accustomed to watching t.v. a lot on Saturdays and not having to do anything that requires, uh, being responsible or anything resembling work. Which isn't good.  I know.  I often would rather do stuff myself than listen to the arguing and whining that goes on when I insist on someone helping.  (So rest assured, I have a system for that).  Ha ha!  Oh the whining. My mother must be delighting in herself.  I recall her once wishing that I would have children that would possess my stellar whining skills.

As these things go, it will probably work for about a week, and then the novelty will wear off.  Probably.  But as for now, I have one kid dusting my baseboards and the other is brushing his teeth and not complaining about it.  So I'll take it.
And hopefully will have more moments like this:

All of us together, having a good time.