Fun in the Sun

So, last summer I had just had my babe and I had one goal for the summer.  Survive it, while trying to do as many fun things with the kids as possible.  But, I set the bar low.  Real low.  Like, hanging out on the back patio for the morning, afternoon and evening and calling it a party, low.

But, now that my babe is just over a year now (say it isn't so!), I am heading into this summer ready to raise the bar, just a little.

A few fun ideas that I've been kicking around: 
make a summer drink with the kiddies.  I just cut up a whole watermelon and froze it, so I'm thinking something along the lines of watermelon/coconut/mango/strawberry combo.  Thought it might be fun to get just the right recipe that we all agree on, name it and make it our summer 2011 drink.  Simple, but hey...if it's not simple, it probably won't make my list.

get them all to pick a summer project (or at least one that will take more than an hour to do).  Something like a detailed painting for their room/basement that they have to do in stages, maybe a sewing project (that is, if I can get the dust off my sewing machine enough to get it working ;), or a simpler project (making bracelets/jewelry but make a list of people that we want to make them for and do it one at a time.

getting into our summer house routine tops the list too.  making beds as soon as you wake up (as per usual), and getting back into our chore routine that we've gotten out of the past couple months.  The kids actually enjoy helping to clean and cook, even though they think initially that they don't. :)  Kieran is 9 and Rory is 7 now so they can definitely take on more than I've given them lately.  Doesn't sound much like fun, I know.  But the way I put it, is that mommy still has all her work to get done, so the more help I get, the faster we are able to all get out of the house and having fun.  Works well for us. :)

As hard as it is to believe that we won't be out in the sun, lapping it up every moment of every day...I remember that not long into summer (say, july 5th or so), the ever present phrase: "I'm bored. What can we do? There's nothing to do..etc.." makes it appearance and I am reminded why, even on summer vacation, we have a schedule to each day.  A flexible one, but still a guideline.  And I find that works best for me and the kids.  If they know they have to play outside in the pool for 1 hour, they give up with the excuses (yes, spoiled, I know...who complains to have to play in the pool?).  They surrender to the fact that they have to do it for an hour and usually get playing so much that one hour turns into two before anyone even bothers to notice.  And that's good for all of us. :)

So, there's the start of my brainstorming.  Not much, but it's a start.