Summer is just around the corner. The last full day of school is tomorrow and I am meeting it with excitement and a little trepidation. Did I say a little... I mean a lot. New baby will be here in two weeks (maybe sooner) and I'm wondering how I can keep my family on a schedule and avoid driving each other crazy while adjusting to our new wee baby? Well folks, I do have a plan. I call it The Suck It Up Plan. No matter how tired and hormonal I know I will feel, I vow to suck it up and play with the girls and get them to activities, play dates, pools, parks, museums, and all the other usual summer hot spots. I also vow that I will not let their brains turn to mush by watching TV all day.
So with all this in mind, here is what I'm thinking we need this summer...
- Chore charts - New ones with new jobs to lean to keep things interesting
- Summer school - reading, writing, math, and some fun science. I'm thinking just a few days a week or even just 20 minutes a day.
- Bingo Charts - Our family has done these for the last few summers. They are really fun and teach kids about setting goals. What we do is fill out a blank bingo card with all the different activities or goals that we want to get done during the summer months. Mine usually get filled up with house projects, parades, and fitness goals. The kids come up with ideas like playing with random friends, baking cookies, swimming and camping. As each activity is completed, a sticker goes in the square. When you get a BINGO, you get a prize. When you get blackout, you get $10.
- A weekly schedule - Some places we hit each week like the library. (This year we are getting a summer movie pass at the sticky shoe for a weekly kid movie and .25 cent popcorn.) Other days we will go swimming and visit local summer hot spots.
It's all about the plan friends. With a bit of planning and a smidgen of help from Grandma & Nana, I think I'll be able to stick to my Suck it up plan. What I really would like to be doing this summer is sleeping and reading. But I guess I'll save that plan for when I'm an oldie.
The fancy cup cakes
Fancy tea party 
The girls had their 
I made sure to teach the girls how important it is to drink your tea with the 
The girls got to visit the makeup table to get themselves all pretty for the party. 
My new preschool classroom made the perfect setting for this party. They played in the castle every chance they got. (we haven't painted it to look like a castle yet but when it is done it will look amazing.)
Tea Time!
Pinkies up!
Craft time! It's always a good idea to make pretty 
I hope my little Isabelle knows how blessed she is to have such amazing friends. It has taken me my whole life to build friendships as strong as she has in her 6 short years. 
She's 6
