10 Summer secrets

I'm in the mood for a list.

Today I'm sharing with you a few random summer secrets getting us by right now...

1. Nickels.



I pay my kids a nickel a page for doing workbooks in the summertime. I buy ones that target their weak spots: handwriting for my son, division facts for my daughter, and they both have age-appropriate spelling books. Then, they save up their nickels for spending money on any trips or outings we take. They actually like it, and we've done this for the last 4 summers. Win-win, people.

2. Washing my car.

Somehow, the idea of washing my car in the driveway, in swimsuits, with a big bucket of suds sounds like crazy fun to my kids. (Except when there is some accidental spraying of the hose at one another. Or at me. Then things go sour.)

3. Dollar movies.

Find them in your area. Now. Pop your own corn. Pack your own treats. Doesn't matter if the movie's at 10 am. Popcorn, dry cereal, and a juice box count as breakfast in the summer, right? RIGHT?

4. Library with a capital L!



Dude. We have a summer's worth of books to read and stories on tape that we recently checked out. We even went to Goodwill just to buy an old cassette tape player so that we could check out the cassette tapes. We have like 10 hours worth of Jungle Book and Pollyanna to listen to. After we checked out all that happiness, we visited the "Friends of the Library" annex, where they sell old donated books for pennies. And we got a heap of that stuff too, all for twenty-five and fifty cents each. {I even scored on two vintage children's records for hanging up.}



5. Make your own Popsicles

Lemonade and blackberries. Limeade and diced strawberries. The possibilities are endless!

6. Make your own Cherry Limeade

Limeade, grenadine, sparkling water and sliced limes. Now, if I drove through Sonic to pick up a bag of their perfect pellet ice, it would be Sonic Cherry Limeade heaven.

7. Life {the board game}.

My kids and I have just started playing this game. It was one of my favorites as a kid. And we are having so much fun! We laughed hysterically the other night when my six year old son had twins, and then landed on the space that said he then adopted another set of twins! Then he became president. He thought it was the funniest game ever. (It says ages 9+, but he played it just fine. I just had to count the money for him.)

8. Trading beds.

My son's been begging to sleep with me. Neither of my kids were ever interested in sleeping in our bed before, so I'm inclined to say a big yes to that rare request. So last night, he was in my hubby's spot. Tomorrow night, I get the boot, and my daughter gets my spot. Any chance to change things up a bit keeps life interesting, right?

9. Maintaining some structure.

Such a boring one, but so important for me. Kids' bedtimes are still at 8. We try to be home by 3 each day and have "down time" until 5, when I try to start dinner. And some days, I'm realizing we need to stay at home and do chores. That's real life, that keeps me sane. I simply cannot provide a Disneyland experience for my kids every day, all day long, for the entire summer. Someone's still gotta run the house. And they need to be helpers with that as well. I don't live strictly for their entertainment.

10. My own personal quiet time.

I'm trying to get up at 7 most days, and spend time reading and praying before all things start to whirl around me. It's amazing when I make it happen. I need that time. I'm craving that time. Pray for me, if you think about it, to stay consistent.

Well, friends, that's what's been going on in the day to day in our house! What about you? What have you been doing to survive this summer? (Or winter, if you're below the equator...haha...PJ...Widge...)

Hugs today.