Summer time!

Summer time for me is the time to relax! I love long lazy days when the biggest activity on our daily schedule is lunch. We go to the pool, we go to the library, we go to the park, we just lay outdoors with nothing at all to do. I have to admit, I honestly love to hear the first "I'm bored" of summer. That's exactly what I want, enough free hours of the day that some are just a little bit boring.

That said, I accidentally did over schedule us a bit this summer. We have a great local Girl Scout camp that even my boys can go to if I volunteer to help (with bonus reduced rates for my Girl Scouts). Last year we had such a blast that at sign up time back in February, I thought if one week is great, two would be even better! It all would have been fine except due to snow days, the last day of school was pushed back an entire week in June. My older kids had exactly 4 days (including a Saturday and Sunday) before they were back on a bus with a full day of activities ahead of them. Therefore camp has been really hard on all of us so far and I'm praying by the skin of our teeth, we all survive the second week. So much for camp being a little change from boring "do nothing" summer days, we haven't even had them yet!

Along the same lines of the school year being so busy with activities, sports, and homework, it can also be a very expensive period with supplies, field trips, and fees. So I like to keep summer as cheap as possible. The library has fantastic (free!) programs, the park is always available, and even browsing through Target or a Dollar Store can only be $1 per child if I let them pick something little out. We also like to camp at different places that are within a few hours drive for a quick weekend out of the house. It's a great (inexpensive) way to see new places while enjoying the outdoors.

Come on summer, give me boring!


Katie Fleck is a stay at home mom of five, Zach (9 years), Emily and Ally (8 year old identical twins), Kyle (5 years), and Kelly (4 years old). On a quest for a self cleaning house and 27 hour days, she writes at Ramblings of a SAHM