Fun Summer Schedule

I find that I like to have some sort of schedule, something to look forward to each week. I found this fun weekly calendar that we have been applying in our home:

It's very generic, so I can adjust the activities each week depending on our circumstances, but the kids LOVE it! There is always a motivation for them to get the morning chores done, something to kill the summer boredom when it hits, and something fun to look forward to each day.

On Mondays, we have made crafty projects like: mini pillows and blankets for their stuffed pets and dolls, 4th of July crafts, puff-painted totes, converted torn pants into shorts, painting, etc. Brian had left over wood from a "honey-do" project and made the kids airplanes, sized to match their age (even Calvin has a baby plane). We plan to paint them as a project too....

We don't have a city library, and to get an out-of-city library card is $80 per year. I decided to build our own home library instead for cheaper. So on Tuesdays, instead of the library, we have gone to book stores to pick new books (also Barnes and Noble gives free books to kids if they read 8 books and leave a comment on each book, so Jackson, Zoey and Eli all got to pick a free book)! We've read books out by the swings or other fun places, or just enjoy quiet reading time on their own. We have found a few new favorites: Hiccupotomous, Bugs Galore (Eli's fave- he loves bugs), Giraffes Can't dance, Zoe gets Dressed (Zoey's fave- along with Amelia Badelia), The Red Lemon (Jackson's Fave), Wild About Books, Otis...and many more.

On Wednesday I let the kids help in the kitchen. They take turns picking something to make (we've made banana cram pie, bread pudding, cookies, granola, zucchini and wheat bread) They have become really good at measuring. They all love to help, sometimes too much, but I have to relax and not worry about the mess the Kitchen will turn out to be that day. I definitely notice their pride in eating what they have made and participating in the process. 

 Jackson helping make bread and Eli eating rice pudding he helped to make....

On Thursdays, we have visited Ken and Betty, weeded the garden, made get-well cards for Aunt Donna who had surgery, delivered bread to neighbors, and performed secret service acts for a family member. I love getting the kids involved in doing kind things for others and thinking of someone else. We always have a good conversation about this and how they feel when they do something nice. 

Fridays are fun days...sometimes it turns into Saturday if Friday doesn't work out, but we always take time to do something fun each week with the kids.  We've taken them to the movies, hiking up Sundance or to ride the tram, feeding the fish at Bridal Veil Falls (pictured- look close and you'll see Eli touching a fish!), splash pads, pool, camp-out dinner up the canyon....tons of fun things. We LOVE Fridays/Saturdays!!