Summer - ready or not?

Not.  I fell into the not ready for summer category last week.  Oh, I was ready for summer and not having to do the school routine each day.  I was definitely ready for that.  I was NOT ready for having all four kids home all day.  You may find this hard to believe but it still hasn't totally sunk in that I have four kids.  Until last week.  Now it has sunk in.   Since my baby was born in October, this is the first time I've had all four kids full force, 24/7, not including Christmas break.

It is unbelievable how long it takes us to get out the door.  It is crazy how much fighting goes on in the ten minutes it takes to get on our Crocs on so we can get out the door.  Crocs, not shoes with ties, Crocs that slip on your feet.  Even that takes 10 minutes.  Really?  It is comical taking the kids to a store or the library.  Comical for the people watching me try to herd cats, not so comical for me being the aforementioned cat herder.  Don't get me wrong, we do ok and we manage and we are having fun.  I just wasn't ready.  I wasn't mentally prepared to handle the fighting and the dilly dallying and the sideshow at the store.  So now I'm strapping on my mom boots, well flip flops, it is summer.  I'm buckling down and getting ready.

I started by printing out a daily schedule that I used last summer.  It helps all of us to have a routine in place so everyone knows what to expect next.  We certainly don't follow it precisely each day, depending on our activities, but it gives a nice rhythm and flow to the day when we are home.  Here is a sample of our current schedule (keep in mind my kids are early risers):

Summer Schedule during swim team

6:30 Breakfast, Mommy shower/dressing time 

7:30 Mommy and Mary breakfast, kids play

8:00 Kitchen clean-up, start laundry, water flowers on the deck

8:15 Kids morning checklist (get dressed, brush teeth, make bed, tidy up room)

8:30 Get ready for swim team - Sunscreen, snack, water bottle, dry clothes (if needed), towel, goggles

9:00 Leave for swim team

11:15 Mommy and kids make lunch  

11:30 Lunch + Feed Mary

12:15 Kitchen clean-up

12:30 Sacred time 

1:00 Read books with Mommy/Mary nap 

1:30 Rest time  

2:15 Schoolwork (Remember to record books on chart).  

3:00 Recess and Free play  

5:00 Kids tidy up toys, Mommy tidy up desk, kitchen counter

5:15 Watch a show, Mommy feed Mary and work on dinner

6:00 Dinner

After dinner and kitchen clean-up, Daddy and boys help put away laundry on the days it is needed.

I'll adjust this after swim team is done.  Free play is when they can do screen time which includes the Wii, DS and computer.  They get 45 min. a day of screen time.

I'm also sitting down with the kids this week and asking them to pick one "big" outing they want to do this summer like going to the zoo or the Magic House.  We will put it on the calendar and they will be in charge of helping me plan the outing.  We'll also make a list of fun things they want to do at home such as game night, teddy bear picnic, building an obstacle course or other things along those lines.  Maybe we'll pick them from a hat and try to do one a week or every other week.  It depends on the list.    

Finally, I'm keeping things separated.  One boy go put on his clothes and brush his teeth.  One boy stay in the kitchen and help with the dishes.  One boy get his snack and water bottle ready for the day.  When they all go to do the same things at the same time, nothing really gets done until Mommy shows up.  I had sort of forgotten that.  I also use the timer for many tasks.  My kids respond well to knowing they have five minutes to get something done and the timer has the final say instead of me.

Ready or not, summer vacation is here and our calendar is booked with lots of great activities.  Swim team, vacation bible school, Cub Scout camp, family trips and visits from far away friends.  I'm ready to enjoy spending time with the kids and hanging out at the pool and playing with friends.  Bring it on!