our summer kickoff

It's total craziness that summer is here already.  But I was SOOO ready for it. I'm not yet at that stage of life that all my kiddos are off to school and summer means I have to give up my quiet alone time.  Alone time is still pretty non-existent for this mama.  But what I was most ready for was relaxation and throwing out the strict routine.  I was ready to turn off the alarm clock and stop making sure kids were in bed at a certain time.  Actually, we slowly started getting into summer routine over the last month of school.  Dinner got later and later the more time we were spending outside.  Bedtime got later and later and our mornings got harder and harder to get around.

 

I was just as excited as the kids were for the last day of school!
(I started this post a few days ago and since then I read this post from Jen Hatmaker and it was PERFECT!  It's so hilarious.  You'll love it.)

 

But then we had the first day of summer.  And it was an epic fail.

Worst day we had had in a loooong time. EXACTLY as Jen wrote in her post...
 

 "Hang in there, Mama. Just a few more days until summer, when approximately 19 minutes into our glorious respite from homework, liberated from the crush of it all, ready to party like it’s 1999, our precious children, having whooped and celebrated and “graduated” and squealed all the way home will announce:"

“I’m bored.”
(excerpt from Jen Hatmaker's post)

That is exactly how it happened.  The hype going into the last day was oh so awesome!  We were all counting down the days and couldn't wait.  We celebrated, we cheered, we sang "Happy Summer" to the tune of "Happy Birthday" to each of the kids on their last day, we hooped and hollered, and then....
they got bored.
And argued. And whined and complained. And had no idea what to do with themselves.
 

But after a family meeting, summer expectations and some prep work on Mom's part, we were good to go again.

 

Here's a little peak at the kickoff to our summer...

 

I have wanted to do a summer list for several years now.  I have loved watching Megan make their summer list for the last few years, but I didn't feel like the kids were at an age to really get much out of it.  But this year it was time!
 

 

I had a long list of ideas and I read through the list and let the kids say "yes" or "no" as to whether we'd put it on our big list.  Not surprisingly, it was "YES!" to almost every one!

"snowcones?"   "YES!!!!!!" 

"drive-in movie?"  "YESSSS!!!!!" 

"campout in the backyard?"   "YEEEEESSSSSS!!!!" (wow. ok then!)

 These things have never been so exciting, but there's just something about summer things a bit more fun!
 

As they said yes, I added them to our big poster.  We talked about which ones could happen during the day with just mom, and which ones would have to wait for dad (in other words, which ones they could NOT beg me about every day).

 

We couldn't be more excited about our first summer bucket list!
 

 

 

We still needed a bit more of a plan, in order for our big bad day to not be repeated.

 

So we have new chore charts.

We start each morning out with 2 chores, and then bible/reading time while Gavin naps.

I don't care which chores they do, although some days I suggest something that specifically needs done.  But for the most part, they can choose whatever 2 chores they want to do and mark and X when it's complete.  We keep the same chart all week, so there aren't certain days they have to do certain things, they can just choose from their big list all week.  Each X equals 25 cents for Disney World spending money.  We count up their X's on Sundays, they get paid, and then we erase the board and start again for the new week.  I printed the charts from here.  There are so many versions of chore charts out there but I loved the simplicity of this one and the fact that it was editable and I could type in whatever I wanted. And then just took them to get laminated.
 

 

And then there are always those times they just have no clue what to do. Which always leads to disaster.

So we have a "Bored Bucket".

They helped me come up with every activity or game they like to do from legos to playdo, to puppet show to build a fort.  We wrote them on slips of paper, folded them up and they can draw one out every time they are bored.  The rule is that they can only re-draw one time. (to keep them from drawing over and over again to find something they feel like doing).  After they draw twice, they must choose one of the activities.  So far it's working SO well.  They don't use it much.  But the 2 or 3 times they have, it has re-directed them perfectly!

 

So I think we are officially ready for summer!
Bring it on.
 

grace is all we need {symbolic easter lesson for kids}

I had several emails from readers asking about our jars of jelly beans.  It does kind of look like our kids just got a full jar of jelly beans to eat.  But there was a special meaning to them.  So I'll explain...

 





 

 I know I read about this idea somewhere in the last year or so.  I hate when I run across things that I just read about and don't think enough to save them at the time.  And then later I just try to implement them with the details I remember. 

 

About 2 weeks before Easter, I started the kids out on a challenge to fill their jars with jelly beans by doing good things for others, helping around the house, having a good attitude, and anything that they were caught doing that was good.  If they could fill their jars by Easter, they would earn a family date night, one of their favorite things. They were pumped, and they worked so hard. But as it got closer to Easter they got discouraged as they realized how much of their jars still needed to be filled. (this is part of the lesson)  We just kept telling them to keep trying, and even said some prayers asking for God's help.  On Easter morning when they came home, they found their jars filled to the brim with white jelly beans that were not there before, and a note to explain what happened.  (In fact, there were much less colored jelly beans in their jars than what the picture shows.  I had to add more as filler, because I didn't have enough white to fill to the top.)  They were so excited and puzzled at the same time to see their jars filled. 

 

They learned that the white jelly beans stood for God's grace. The note helped explain to them that we can try and try and try to be good, but it's God's grace that fills in all the places that we just can't do it.  We will never be enough, but Jesus is enough all the time.  It was a good reminder that we can't earn eternity with Jesus by doing good things.  Just as they weren't able to earn their family date night on their own.  But because of Easter, heaven is a gift to us that is freely given by God's grace.  And in the end, they earned their family date night anyway. 

 

I'm not sure how much Mason understood.  Probably just some of the basics.  But Taylor really seemed to "get it".  I'm not sure if it's something we can do every year.  I have no idea how it would work if they remember from the year before and just know their jars will be filled.  But I'm sure the lesson can be adapted and used over and over again.  Otherwise, I may just wait a few years for them to forget and then do it again.

 

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

2 Corinthians 12:9

 *it's really hard to find a lot of white jelly beans.  Buying enough bags of jelly beans to get enough white ones is kind of a waste.  If I do this again, I'll try to find a candy store that maybe sells colored just white jelly beans by the pound, or order online.  If the kids don't actually eat them, they could be saved for other years.