Summer Activities

Hubby stays home throughout the summer with the boys. You know, because he's a teacher and all and is lucky enough to get the whole summer off (like I think they get 9ish weeks this summer!). But, to be honest, I think they start to get on each other's nerves - the boys on hubby's nerves, and him on theirs - after about a week of straight time together. So, I'm trying to come up with some things to keep them busy and engaged. Here are a list of what I've got so far.

• Workbooks - The kid still thinks it's fun to do these. And, I think it's important to keep him working on reading/writing/math skills. I bought 4 or 5 of them and though there's no way we'll get them all done this summer, he has plenty to choose from. Some are activities he's able to do on his own, with us just reading him the directions. Others will necessitate additional adult input/support. I think 2 or 3 pages a day is a great starting goal. Though if he wants to do more, I'm all for it.
• Playground - we have a great one within a mile of our house.
• Journaling - My goal is for him to continue to do it daily as he does at school. I'll let ya know how that goes (hint: probably not so well since hubby's in charge of it 4/7 days).
• Camps - the kid is going to go to several camps this summer. A (full day, week long) science camp where he'll learn about paleontology. A (half day, week long) art class where they'll focus on African art. Vacation Bible School (week long, half day). Swim lessons (two separate 2 week long sessions, just a half hour each). An equestrian grief camp (half day, 3 days) put on by our local Hospice.
• Playdates - Like, with anyone who will have him, or come over to our house!
• Pool time, of course. We have lots of great city pools that are relatively inexpensive and I expect hubby will take the boys fairly often (especially now that baby E seems to not abhor the water!).
• Momma dates - I'm going to try to make sure I take plenty of opportunities to spend one-on-one (or one-on-two) time with the boys, so that hubby gets a break.
• Outside time - we have a pretty great backyard. And I love it when I come home to sweaty, dirty boys who have been outside running, jumping, climbing, playing all day long.
• Boys in swim suits (or not, lol, I don't really care either which way), fill up a couple of bowls, buckets, etc... with water, give them some toys and let them go at it. They seem to be able to entertain themselves this way for at least an hour. And that's a long time for either of my boys!
• Library - ours has a summer reading program that I'm planning to get the kid enrolled in soon.
• Finger painting outside - to be followed by some kind of water play.
• I'd like to make up some craft packets - you know, things the kid could pull out and do, with everything he'll need all put together. But I don't know what - ideas??

And that's all I've got for sure. I'm hoping to find a few - or several - hours to put together some ready made activities that hubby or the kid can just pull out when they're having one of those days when they're all done with each other. I found a cool Pin.terest site that suggested a few ideas - putting water and food coloring in balloons, freezing them, cutting off the balloons --> let kids go to town outside; giving them a scavenger list of things to find throughout the day; and now I can't remember what else - oh no! I love the idea of an "I'm bored jar", but I really don't know what to put in it!

So seriously, I'd love to hear what ideas you have (pretty, pretty please with little fishes on top, as the kid says)!

Today's Lesson: Another good way to get lots of information (aka spam emails) about medications available for er.ectile dys.function? Write a lesson about hea.d in.juries. (You'd think I'd have learned the first time - apparently not so much.)