So Holly's face here kind of captures how I feel about summer break this year. Pretty excited if not a bit apprehensive. I was getting tired of the constant shuffle of the school year: homework, cello practice, choir concerts, book fairs, getting up at 7 am and trying rush everyone out the door when we were late. So, in that sense I am relieved that it is summer break.

But, I am also, as always, nervous about having all the kids home with me all day long. I value my free time; perhaps a bit too much.  One thing I have noticed about my kids for sure, is that if there is no structure, we've already lost the game. In other words, I have to have rules, routines, and preplanned fun things for them to do, or we are going to get behind on the housework, and I will be sitting in a home with fighting, disobedient children, simply trying to make them listen. I cannot live like that for the whole summer.

So, we have instituted for the kids age appropriate A.M. and P.M chores, as well as assigned each day of the week a theme. Monday is outing day. I hope to take the kids somewhere fun every Monday. My ideas include: the zoo, Ross park, Brooklyn's Playground, Cherry Springs, Idaho Falls to the Japanese garden and to see the falls, etc.

Tuesday is school day. I have bookmarked different homeschooling websites and those that offer free printables. If YOU homeschool, or know of any good printables for elementary aged kids, let me know! I have to redo Kindergarten at home for Ben over the summer. Bless her heart, his teacher tried, but with the wonky schedule for K here, Ben simply did not progress at the pace I feel he was capable of. So, we'll be working on handwriting, reading, and spelling mainly. Angelice is not real confident about her abilities in math, so at least for the first part of the summer, we'll be working on her multiplication facts. Jake simply needs enriching so he doesn't get bored. I plan on focusing on science since he's interested in it, and American History because the boy is almost 13 and has yet to have that subject taught to him in any challenging or important ways.  He also needs to keep up on his Cello, so as soon as I can afford it, I am planning to buy him a couple of method and theory books he can practice with. Also, I am going to be teaching Holly some basics, like how to hold a pencil, how to identify letters and numbers, as well as teaching her some songs and nursery rhymes.

Wednesday is Art day. I am also combing Pinterest for fun, easy, inexpensive arts and crafts projects to keep my kids busy on Wednesdays.

Thursday is Library day. I checked out the library schedule and there are a few fun things already planned for me to take the kids to, and of course they all love books!

Friday is clean the house day. In addition to their regular morning and evening chores, the kids will be expected to take larger projects on Fridays. I am going to buy some wooden clothes pins, write the weekly chores on them in Sharpie, put them in a hat, and have them choose two pins to accomplish that day. They'll be pinned to a long cardstock name tag, that has a line drawn the middle. When they are done with the chore, they can move the pins from one side to the other.

Saturday is family fun day. Ted gets about two Saturdays off a month, and on that day, the larger trips will be planned, and if there is not a larger trip planned, we can do something fun around home.

Sunday, of course is the Sabbath.

So. My idea is to keep track on the blog by pictures how we do with our summer plans, hopefully, my faithful readers will comment along the way with their own ideas.

Here's to an organized, fun, educational summer!!!

Just a Word...

Okay so I know it's been a long time, and I have probably lost most of ya'll. Sorry about that. The truth is, I have been trying to find ways to distract me from my real life, because right now it's kind of stressful. So I read OTHER people's blogs and avoid my own.

I wanted to take a minute and post today to address some feelings I have been having about my self, my life, my attitude, and my direction. It's all about peace.

I found myself editing down my friends list on Facebook and deleting various social media accounts yesterday out of pure frustration with the negative energy I have been finding all over the internet. If someone isn't "calling someone out", or being sarcastic and caustic, or complaining about their lives or gossiping about celebrities or just plain old being a bully, it just doesn't seem like the internet, right?

I just can't take it in my life anymore. Don't get me wrong, I am often a very jaded and sarcastic person. I relate to my extended family almost exclusively in jabs and jokes. So I am not judging anyone. But after listening to my kids talk to each other like that, arguing, and criticizing each other ALL. DAY. I think I have hit my breaking point.

The older I get the more I crave peace, civility, propriety. I don't want to hear  my kids say how something "sucks", or "bugs the crap" out of them. I don't want to hear your dirty joke. I don't want to be the victim of a sarcastic jab or a critical glare. I don't want my kids to learn to expect the worst, to feel bad about their lives.

I want people to use proper names for their body parts. I want them to express their emotions without using crude or demeaning language. I want to see sensitivity and tact used in the interactions I am witness to and party of.

I want gentler words spoken, I want my girls to be soft and meek, I want my boys to polite and sensitive. I want for myself to be less jaded, less negative, less apt to be critical. I want all these things because I strongly believe the world is about to change. I think we are entering an age of desperate need, despair, hopelessness. I believe the only thing that will bring ME comfort during the times to come are going to be virtues: Patience, kindness, long suffering, hard work, charity, love, temperance, faith, and hope. These virtues are incongruent with the kind of attitude I have been immersing myself in.

It takes hard work to overcome bad habits. It takes dedication to be something that others mock and look down upon. But now, more than ever, these virtues are WORTH it.

Thanks for reading.