Springtime always makes me think of a bunch of things, and one of them is homework. Wait ... homework?? Yeah. It kind of goes hand in hand with talking about my kids being detectives (after a fashion), and always asking questions. In the spring, when I realize that there's only a couple months of school left, it occurs to me that I'm gonna have to find a (preferably inexpensive) way to keep the kids entertained all summer. Kinda makes you feel like you did when you had to come up with some kind of a science project in school and get it ready by a certain deadline ... and in this case, my deadline is summer.
Last spring, I hit on the idea of creating a "countdown calendar" to when school started again. One reason was to try and help assure Mommy's sanity throughout the summer by having visible proof that things would get back to normal again eventually. It was also an exciting time for my four-year old, who was getting ready to start preschool. (Now he's getting ready to start Kindergarten ... how is that even possible?)
The one thing that made it a big hit, though, was the fact that next to each week during the course of the summer we put down something that the kids were interesting in learning about ... everything from pirates to dinosaurs, outer space and ocean life. We had one day a week we set aside for trips to the library, and we'd check out all kinds of books and movies on whatever the subject was for that week. The kids had a blast, and it kept me interested as well. I think we're gonna have to try that again this summer.
Thing is, this year I hope that I can also help incorporate some other things that I want to be able to teach them. I'd like to encourage my seven-year old to help develop his skills around what the Cub Scouts call their "Core Values" ... things like respect and honesty, compassion and faith. Things that my kids (and all kids) need to learn. The challenging part is just coming up with interesting ways to incorporate those lessons into our everyday activities. Sometimes, it might be a little easier, when we're doing things like gardening. Sometimes, I'm sure it's not going to be easy at all. It's gonna take this Mommy a lot of thought, and sometimes I feel like I'm already getting behind. In short, I suppose it's time for Mommy to get started on her homework, so it'll be ready when the time comes!
Just an idea that I wish I had time for. If there is an airport close by, and you can find a way to find out when troops are coming home, meet them as they get off the plane with something like a baggie of cookies and a thank you note. If I think of something else, I'll let you know.
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