Summer Fun

Memorial Day is this weekend! The weather has been so cool, it has snuck up on me. Are you ready for the summer? Whether you are planning a summer filled with kids' activities, a summer with your husband or a summer with friends, it all requires planning.

Yes, we are anticipating the long lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, but if they are going to be enjoyable, they need to be planned. Think about your summers. Think about your husband and/or kids and think about what they may be dreaming their summers will look like. It is very easy to become a drill sergent and demand that things go your way.

When my kids were little, I started planning early. Summer registrations for swim lessons, camps and Bible School were often closed if I didn't think ahead.

If you haven't enrolled your kids in a ton of activities, good for you. That leaves more time for you to interact with your children.

First, start with a large calendar with alot of room to write! Schedule the activities that are necessary to do and put them at the designated time slot. If your calendar appears too full, start eliminating activities. That's right! Open up time on your calendar to hang out and enjoy one another this summer.

Secondly, make a list of all the fun things that are a possibility for you to do this summer. Summer concerts, canoeing down the creeks, making ice cream, identifying midnight stars, sleeping in your backyard...keep this list handy and add to it as ideas come to mind. Refer to this list on those days that you have 'nothing to do' or an afternoon that opens up for you.

Finally, assign a special task for each day of the week. Pat Mersiowsky is a mother of four. I love her idea! She named each day in a fun way so her kids could anticipate what each day would bring:

Monday...Music Monday. Enjoy some form of music during the day (hands-on for kids!)
Tuesday...Tasty Tuesday. Time for cooking, tasty new treats, improving your diet!
Wednesday...Wacky Wednesday. A time to be a kid...crazy jokes, backward clothes, etc
Thursday...Thoughtful Thursday. Think about others. Have a secret sibling to care for.
Friday...Field Trip Friday. Walk a new neighborhood. Play in a new park. Nothing big, just get out and see something new!
Saturday...Skillful Saturday. Learn a new skill. Make crafts. 'Create stuff' with dad

Summer with friends, your husband or a pack of kids requires planning, but that is what will make those lazy,hazy, crazy days of summer memorable.