School is Almost Out! AAAGGGGHHHHH! - SBB Digital Scrapbooking Forums | Scrapbook-Bytes

dkcooper · #1 (**permalink**) 05-20-2006

Yes, it is once again that time of year. The kids get out of school and mom's everywhere can kiss thier sanity goodbye

What do you have planned to keep the kids occupied this summer? I can't do the whole summer camp thing, and even day camps are a chore because I don't want to drive them around in the AZ heat while I am great with child. Any suggestions?

Here is what I have planned so far: Lots and lots of craft kits and hobby supplies from Michael's (my kids LOVE those Rose art kits), swimming several days a week, one week at soccer camp (this is one day camp I can do).....and that's it so far.

Throw some ideas my way!!! I am DESPERATE!!! LOL!!!!!

Dena

ptknox · #2 (**permalink**) 05-20-2006

Hey REB! I'm low on suggestions at the moment....(just trying to reach the end of the school year before I reach the end of my rope myself!

)...BUT I just had to jump in and say that it's GREAT to see you here! Hope all is well with you and your family.

~Amy~ · #3 (**permalink**) 05-20-2006

LMAO DENA! I was just realizing this the other day and am not sure how I feel about it! The girls are JUST reaching an age where Megan is "maturing" and wants more privacy and has little patience for her sister lately (hormones maybe?!!!) and poor Taylor just loves her big sis but can be VERY BOSSY too

LOL

dkcooper · #4 (**permalink**) 05-20-2006

Hey Yankee!!! We are all well here....other than those nasty ol' preggo hormones that are making me wish for rubber rooms and a little alone time LOL!! How is every little thing going for you? I wish I could say that I'm happy for you that school is almost out......but I just can't seem to force the words out. Well.....since my kids aren't at your school, and the kids you are releasing won't be bugging the heck out of me this summer....I think I can find it in myself to say hooray for you

Oh and Amy, I SOOOOOO understand those big sis/little sis issues. Funny....my younger sis used to say I was bossy too. I never thought I was bossy, I was just always right LOLOL!!

Dena

acheese89 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-20-2006

I guess I may be in a whole other category here. Summer for me means DH (highschool teacher, night college intructor, tennis coach, knowledge bowl coach) will be home for a change!!!!! And me (I have a daycare at home, no kids during the summer) will get to spend some time with my kids, and my kids only for a change!

As far as keeping them busy, we always join the Library Reading program which hosts at least one event (puppet show, story time, etc.) a week and gives them incentive to read. I am enrolling them both in an art camp which will take up mornings for an entire week. We do a lot of camping and fishing and just plain being lazy! School year is so darn busy for us, it truly is a break, however both the kids (and their constant picking on each other) and DH (and his messy, kick back behavior) are driving me nuts by about mid-July.

This year we're going to try something new. DH bought me a backpacking pack (for night time backpacking, carry it all, the tent, the sleeping bags, etc.) He already had one and figures the kids (6 and almost 11) are old enough now we can give it a shot. My biggest issue is the wild animal factor. We are populated with bear and cougar here and I'm so freaked out about the kids. Any suggestions anyone??? We don't own (and probably won't get) a gun. A friend told me "wildlife" mace was available in sports stores.

Looking for more ideas myself, so keep the suggestions coming. Good luck with the pregnancy Dena and keeping those kiddos busy! Have fun!

lovesher2boys · #6 (**permalink**) 05-22-2006

Panic is definitely setting in here as the end of the school year approaches!! LOL

We're in Cali, so the beach features heavily into our schedule!
I'm in the process of researching places to go, things to do. I fully intend to have a loose schedule of sorts. Monday-a touristy type of activity (zoo, aquarium, amusement park, etc) Tuesday the beach, Wednesday at home, Thursday picnic in the park Friday the beach again. Something like that. I need to figure it out still, but that's the loose plan!
Let's hope the digiscrapping helps keep us sane!

ms3kidz · #7 (**permalink**) 05-22-2006

I so don't look forward to summer, but neither do my kids, they'd much rather be in school.

Last summer was pretty much a waste for us, I was 7,8,9 months pregnant and miserable. We managed the free lunches a few days a weeks that were sponsored through the school and one week of swimming lessons. But mostly the girls just sat and watched TV.

This summer I've been busy working on a schedule for us. I've created a family theme for the summer, "Summer of Motion" so all activities will revolve around that theme as much as possible. We all weigh tooooo much, and rather than telling my 11,8,&7 yo that we need to lose weight, we'll just do some fun "moving"

We are going on 1 hour morning walk. Mondays I will teach them piano lessons (we decided to bag lessons during the school year, they can probably learn more over the summer anyway). M-W-F we will do the free lunch at the park and then go swimming for an hour or so. T-Th we will do a free activity at the park from 10-noon (school sponsored) and then lunch. To keep our brains in "motion" the girls will spend an hour of quiet time reading each afternoon (mostly so I can make phone calls and the baby can sleep).

We are going camping for 3 days in June, The Living Planet Aquarium in SLC in July and probably to stay at Grandma's house for a couple of days in August. Also, sometime my mom has planned a family get together at the Zoo in SLC.

We have a trampoline and the girls each have a bike, so evening will be spent doing yard work and playing. We are hoping to get me a bike with a wagon thing that goes behind for pulling young kids so we can all ride as a family too.

coffeequeen · #8 (**permalink**) 05-22-2006

Amy, I have only the advice you probably already know...stick to wll traveled and charted trails. carry reliable communication-cel phones or 2-way radios, check with local ranger stations to make sure you are headed into "safe" zones and ask if there are any specific areas or actions you should avoid. Keep all food tightly sealed and seperate from sleeping quarters.

I took my kids on a 3-wk camping trip about 7 years ago-before I got pregnant with #3. They were 3 and 5 at the time. We hiked days but tented in state park campgrounds. Dh was a dairy farmer so he couldn't come. He was more worried about the two legged animals and wanted me to take along an electric cattle prod! Good Grief! I did take along a big old pair of his boots to park outside the tent oor and a pair of his swim trunks to drape over the line. hehehhhe..worked well until ds shouted across the site to me "Hey Mom! How come Daddy's boots are here and Daddy's back home in NY?!"