We didn’t want to move to Afghanistan in the winter because everything is darn cold, pipes are frozen and it’s hard to get a house set up wearing your coat and gloves indoors.
We waited until school was out so we could have super cute photos of Dash graduating kindergarten and (real reason) I’m terrified of homeschooling and wanted to put it off a wee bit longer.
So we have arrived in summer. I forgot about summer. Summer is hard for the Stay at Home Mom (unless she’s a fake, Pinterest Mom who lurves making faces with food, and does more crafty thingys than grudgingly opening the play-dough lids). Last summer we did all the great, free stuff available. Library reading program, Main in Motion, camping, lots and lots of camping, sprinklers and Popsicle, and pawning them off at Grandma and Grandpas as much as we could. It was still hard, and hot and there is a lot of whining about being bored. And that was just from me.
It’s summer again, but we are not in the Land of the Free (things to do all summer). A hot wind that blows all day makes it a bit like living in a hair dryer. I do a lovely impression of the Wicked Witch of the East with water on her face in hot weather and having to add two layers too many to my outfits make my melltttinnggg even more dramatic. My husband is super impressed with me.
After the initial unpacking and excitement started to wane I have found summer staring me in the face. We are only into week two here and I’m already running short on Blue Planet episodes (and also short on answering the “what happened to those baby penguins mom? mom?”) and the play-dough is going to dry out fast.
I have a two things that are a saving grace right now. The first is the fabulous family that live next door. They are Americans and have four kids all in between my kiddos’ ages. And they have a great home school room all set up and a mom who is totally down with giving them scissors, paper and walking away. They also have a lovely yard with grass, fruit and almond trees and a home made playground with a rotting wooden climbing wall that is as much fun as it is dangerous and a couple of swings. We go there in the late afternoon, as soon as they wake up from naps and the temperature starts it’s downhill slide.
And speaking of naps — that is the second saving grace — siesta, baby. It makes perfect sense in this environment. We are just starting to implement it, but Mr. Incredible and I are trying to go to bed almost as soon as the kids do, and get up much earlier while the day is cool. The internet works better early in the morning and most of my North American friends are on, so it’s a great way for me to have coffee and chat with those whose day is winding down as ours gets started. And that also means that the long hot afternoons are a perfect time for crashing under the fans for a couple hour snooze. Dash protests the loudest — and sleeps the longest. Violet, my fellow introvert, reads and writes in her journal and Jack Jack and I doze. Mr. I, who grew up spending his summers in Arizona goes out and wanders around the bazaars.
I’m trying to think of other things to do together too. Having a kitchen helper and baking muffins, a trip to the corner store with just one kid, guitar and singing with Daddy have been a hit so far. We put little wading pools out on the weekends to give them something to look forward to and the kids hop from pool to pool like little frogs.
Two weeks into our summer in Windy City and I’ll be honest, it is hard to not long for cool mountain air and play dates at a park that is safe and full of trees. I’d love your prayers and any ideas for low tech, indoor activities for Dash and Violet. Seriously, I cannot watch any more baby sea lions get eaten.
Hi Grandkids, I wish I had ideas to make your summer easier, I miss you all so much, wished you were camping with us etc. I will pray that you can find fun things to do, I can’t imagine not being able to have all the opportunities of places to go and things to do. maybe you can have a game afternoon, or you may have to learn to be a little crafty. I love you and miss you Great grandma
Grandma we miss you too so much! Looks like you guys had a great time this year. I did break into the craft supply area this morning and am planning to show it to them this afternoon. I’ll let you know how it goes!
It looks like you have found some fun things to include in your summer days.
Gosh, that’s a hard one….. We are in the midst of ” summer boredom” here in Montrose land. :). As a family we’ve been working on “domestic skills” – ie: chores – and the kids earn money so we can do fun things together – movies, day trips , etc. but I don’t know how that translates in you new location. You could always start school a bit earlier! :). Sounds like you are doing a great job with them. Will keep praying for you and yours.
I totally agree with the idea of starting school early – why not? Then when the weather is nice you won’t feel guilty for scrapping school… I loved homeschooling with my kids when they were your kids’ ages. Choose a couple subjects to get started on, like math and history. They can do their math activities and you can read history to them. Learn a Bible story and have them draw what you are learning about. They can act out the story afterward or make a puppet show. Take nature walks (is there any nature in a safe place to explore?) Grow some grass in cups? Plant some beans and watch it grow. Science does make a fun summer subject – you could take more time to do the experiments. Which curriculum are you using? Do your new neighbors have any girls?
Hi Carol. Great idea to start early, however…. We thought we were going to a different city so we mailed all our homeschooling materials to that city. Which is far away, can’t get there by road or direct flight. We are trying to figure out the best way to get those boxes down to us. 🙂 We will be doing Sunlight and once I’ve had a good look at it and a chance to get organized, we’ll get going. Our neighbors have one girl, but she’s two. Violet is the oldest and then a whole bunch of boys. We have a lovely Afghan lady and her daughter coming over once a week and she and Violet are slowly making friends.