Getting Organized...

I don't know about you, but I am all about the visual aids. Perhaps it became a part of me after all those years of serving in the Primary organization in my church. Children, like myself, thrive on visual learning. So, around our house there are lists and schedules posted everywhere. Don't misinterpret the presence of such things as an indication that they are strictly followed by everyone, each day. They aren't. However, having them gives me a better sense of order around the house and keeps reminds me what everyone needs to be doing, and when.
For summer though, changes needed to be made to the schedule to better accommodate us all being home together all day. In the past we have always had a "theme" of sorts for each day of the week. This summer is similar, but for some reason I like it more. To keep organized, I typed up my goals, daily theme plan, and other pertinent ideas in a word document and saved all the links I would need for recipes and ideas on that master document, and saved it to my desktop. I also printed out a hard copy and a copy of the daily schedule to hang on the wall.
Not that I have anyone but myself following this blog, but just in case, here are our Theme Days:
* Make it Monday (a craft project)
* Time to read Tuesday (trip to Library, story time with Mom, monthly book reports, or write/illustrate your own book
* What's cookin' Wednesday (try a new recipe together)
* Be Thoughtful Thursday (service project, write a letter to someone, scouting service hours, etc)
* Field trip/Friendship Friday (go on a field trip or plan and outdoor activity and invite some friends over)

                                  I used our white board to display what is coming up each week.
Here is our Daily Schedule too:

Daily Schedule:

8:00 am – wake up and eat breakfast

8:30- breakfast clean up

8:30-11:00- outside time: animal care and free play

11:00-12:30- STOP and give me 30 (piano, reading & math rotations)

12:30- Lunch

1:00- clean up lunch

1:00-1:30- chore charts

1:30-3:00- Days of the week activity

3:00-4:00- Siesta (quiet activity IN rooms)

4:00-5:30- Free time and dinner prep

5:30-Dinner and clean up

6:00-7:30- Free time

7:30- Family scripture study (or FHE on Mondays) & family prayer

8:00- 8:10- Many hands make light work house spiff

8:10-8:30- Bedtime routines

8:30-9:00- Reading in beds

9:00-LIGHTS OUT!

There you have it! Nothing earth shattering, but to me its just the right balance between free time and responsibility. We'll see how it goes!

Making a Plan...

"There's 104 days of summer vacation, and school come around just to end them. So the annual problem for our generation...is finding a good way to spend them....."
Aah, therein lies the challenge. I enjoy summer for many reasons. Many involving areas in which I can be a bit more lax in the daily schedule. However, lets face it, if there is nothing for anyone to do; and no real structure to each day...it's gonna be a Looong 104 days.
In years past I have gone all out with homework packets and new skills I was determined the boys would master over the summer. My best intentions seemed to dwindle in mid-June, and never really got back to any level of consistency. So, this year I have taken a new approach. We will have a schedule, but it will only include what really matters most to me and will be flexible. I spent hours in the weeks before summer pinning to my hearts content every craft project, outdoor activity, recipe, and educational idea I could get my hands mouse clicker, on. Then I spent even more hours sifting through everybody's idea of what the "101 best summer activities" were. I narrowed it all down to fit my "plan" and came up with what I believe will be a rather "Pinterest"ing Summer Vacation! This blog will serve as our journal of the summer to remind me (and the boys) of the adventures we shared and the memories we made as we found a good way to spend our 104 days together.