Just had to share....

I've just finished looking around this new blog and I have to say that I'm really excited about it.

It looks really beautiful, and seems to be hosted by ladies who are like-minded in raising their daughters to be God-honoring wives and mothers!!

If you have little "ladies" skipping and dancing around your house,

you might enjoy visiting them!

Click on the link to the right in the sidebar to visit them.

Summer Reading

We've been really enjoying a variety of children's books here as a part of the Summer Reading Program at our library. I didn't know how much FUN those books on tape really are. Very engaging! Here is a tiny sampling of some of our favorites:

Summer developmental goals for children

Summertime is here and I couldn't be more thrilled!! I have such lovely memories of summer break from school and swimming, and bike riding through the country side, mowing the lawn on the riding lawn mower, endless hours helping can produce from our enormous garden, the cool breeze rustling the shades through the open windows, and laying on the floor in front of the fan to keep cool on those hottest of summer days.

But summer time is also a GREAT opportunity to work on those areas of our children's lives that sometimes get a bit overlooked during the rest of the schoolyear. Because we homeschool, there are so many things that contribute to the busyness of the household, that some areas just get pushed to the bottom of the priority list.

So instead of having endless hours with nothing to do, endless hours that WILL get filled with fighting and bickering, endless hours that will drive mom to the edge of insanity, I have chosen to concentrate on a few things that need attention and we will incorporate them in a fun way into each day.

I went again to the book I mentioned in a previous post, A Mother's Manuel for Summer Survival, and reaquainted myself with this chart!

In Luke 2:52 we read:

And Jesus increased in:

1. Wisdom (Intellectually)

2. Stature (Physically)

3. In favor with God (Spiritually)

4. In favor with man (Socially)

This chart will help me plan some fun things for each of my children to help them develop in the areas listed above. I'm asking myself, "Where do I want each of my children to be in each of these areas by the time school starts back up again?"

I'm thinking of things like: swimming skills, riding bikes, potty training, scripture memory, reading more books than sitting in front of the TV, learning better ways to handle the irritations of siblings than hitting or throwing things (yes, I'm sure that happens at your house too?), art camp, soccer camp, summer church camp, learning how to work for the things they want to do, math skills, handwriting skills, etc.

What do you do with your children to help expand their spiritual, physical, intellectual, and social development?

Summer service opportunities and jobs for kids!!

Several years before I was even married, I bought this book.

I loved it when I first heard of it,

and it still gives me great ideas for keeping the children busy during the summer in profitable endeavors!!

Here are a few ideas the authors give for summer jobs appropriate for children:

1. Baby-sit

2. Bake and sell homemade cookies and bread

3. Clean houses or move furniture (obviously meant for older ones)

4. Clean swimming pools

5. Clear away old junk and trash

6. Clip and organize coupons in envelopes for Mom. Let the children

keep the refunds.

7. Hold a garage sale

8. Mow lawns (again obviously for older ones)

9. Produce a backyard carnival and sell tickets for the games and refreshments.

10. Publish a neighborhood newspaper.

11. Pull weeds

12. Sweep porches and driveways

13. Pet sit

14. Car wash

15. Teens could tutor younger children in reading.

16. Wash windows

17. Water plants and yards for vacationing families

What we did last year and continue to do this year is to sell candy bars door-to-door as well as in businesses. We buy the box of mixed candy (Snickers bars, 3 Musketeers, M &M's, etc) at Costco which has 30 bars to the box. Our cost is approximately $.50 a bar, and we sell them for a dollar a bar.

I could NOT believe how much candy the neighbors on our street bought from my children!!!

My husband takes a couple boxes (or 4 ) to the police station and sets them out in the break room with a little sign explaining what we are doing.

Believe me.....police officers eat their fair share of Snickers bars too!!

This year, we asked my mother-in-law to take a couple boxes to her office and we were shocked at how generous the folks were there. Several people gave lovely donations without buying any candy!

We are praying together as a family for opportunities for the children to earn some of their money. The other day an elderly couple we know who live on the next street over remembered Lexi was selling candy to earn her way to camp. They called us up and asked if Lexi would like to earn some money by watering their flowers for them while they are on vacation!! She is just DELIGHTED by that!!

We're also thinking about the garage sale idea too, and selling sodas and candy for a dollar along with some homemade goodies. Those things always go over great in our area!!!

What have you done in the past to encourage your children to learn how to work and to earn some of the money for camp or other trips?

Summer fun on a shoestring

A couple weeks ago, I sat down with our calendar and started thinking about how to change up my children's routine for the summer and to keep them out from in front of the TV. It's time they remember how to have fun WITHOUT a TV, a computer, or an XBox.

Because my husband and I are committed to living on one income (his) so I can stay home and care for all our children, I have to be ever mindful of our budget. There really isn't a lot of money in the "entertainment" category, so I'm always on the lookout for fun, interactive, educational, engaging, cost effective activities that will fill up our summer!!

Here are the activities that are summer staples for our family:

1. Vacation Bible School
2. The reading program at our local library that offers great prizes for reading a certain amounts books.
3. The free craft time at our local library every Tuesday or Thursday.
4. The free educational entertainment every Tuesday evening at our local library. ( Puppet shows, music, science shows, train rides, etc.)
5. Our local Sonic a really terrific play area with half price slushies every day from 2-4 pm!

This summer I've come across some other fantastic activities at little to no cost and I'm just thrilled:

Check out this website for FREE bowling every day!!

http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

(You will still need to rent your shoes, so I'm considering finding some used pairs for my children to purchase! Plus, check out the dates. There are many continuing this program in some places through September and October!!!)

How about this one?

http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx?state=TX

If you have a membership to your local zoo (a GREAT gift for your entire family at Christmas),

you could still visit there at any time of day and wouldn't need to feel the pressure of staying all day to get your money's worth. For us though, it's almost too hot to use this during the summer.

(It's supposed to be 102 degrees here this Sunday!!)

Have you checked out your local churches VBS schedules?

This year I have no less than SEVEN Vacation Bible Schools on the calendar.

No kidding.

One for every week of June and July.

This is the first year I can remember where there weren't several churches that had overlapping VBS weeks.

Not this year though, and I'm so excited to have so many options!!

The only exceptions are the week we're sending three children to summer camp with our church, and the week I'm hoping to send my three girls to an art camp.

You can read about art camp at the link below:

http://www.veartgallery.com/session.php?id=17

Now, summer church camp and this art camp are NOT free.

In fact, for us, they are downright expensive.

But my husband and I LOVE camp ministries and feel it's the highlight of the summer for our children, as well as it having a lasting spiritual impact on them,

so it's an unchangeable part of the summer that they all LOVE.

The art camp is new for this summer, and one I think will really benefit Lexi's

creative passions, as well as introduce some new things to Ashlyn and Abby.

In tomorrow's post, I will talk about the different things we do individually and together as a family to bring in the extra money to fund these summer endeavors!

Our local library has a WONDERFUL children's librarian and she always has the summer packed with fun, educational, FREE activities for the children.

We always participate in the reading program and we earn prizes like a free skate at the local roller skating rink, certificates for free hamburgers, pizza, and ice cream, tickets to the Ringling Brothers circus, and a free book!

It keeps my children reading throughout the summer, and they have fun incentives!

Combine it with some friends and you have a fun outing together at no cost!!

The children's librarian also has something fun every Tuesday evening through June and July that we usually enjoy attending. Here is what our schedule looks like this year:

http://www2.youseemore.com/duncanville/about.asp?p=88

I think through my summer days and break them down into 3 segments:

Morning time (until lunch), afternoon time (until dinner), and evening time.

Our mornings will pretty much be taken up with VBS.

Our afternoons will include craft times at the library as well as those slushies at Sonic.

We'll also be working on some academic goals I have for the children this summer as well.

Usually the evening time will be reserved for reading, playing outside until dark, and one week of evening VBS. Don't forget your local parks for a splash of variety too!! Take along a snack

and you have a great way to enjoy your family for a couple hours at little to no cost!!

Don't forget to reconnect with long-time friends you don't get a chance to see as often during the school year. Because we homeschool, and all the business in the home that entails, we often miss opportunities to visit with friends even if they live close by. This year I'm making an extra effort to schedule weekly play-dates and sleepovers with these friends. They are attending many of the VBS's that we are, and then we go over to each other's homes afterward for lunch and a movie. We're also doing the craft times together at the library.

Everything is more fun with a FRIEND!!!

Overall, it's going to be a great summer and we're looking forward to enjoying our time together!

What do you do to enjoy your children during the summer?

No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks!!

Today we celebrated our first official day of summer by going to the "beach!"

Well, not the REAL beach, but about as close to it as you can come when you live

in North Central Texas!!

It was actually at the local state park that includes a rather large lake.

We took our lunch with us and it cost us $10 to get in.

It was a scorching 97 degrees today, so we went early to beat the heat and the crowds!

Lots of fun was had by all.

June

"No price is set on the lavish summer;

June may be had by the poorest comer.

And what is so rare as a day in June?

Then, if ever, come perfect days.;

Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune ,

And over it softly her warm ear lays....."

~~James Russell Lowell