What are your summers like?
mandymack
member
Hi all,
I moderate the SAHM board but lurk and post here randomly. My DD just finished 1st grade and it's the first summer I've been organized with planned camps and activities. Last summer I had a one year old and moved- I just couldn't get it together! 
We have done 3 weeks of day camp so far in June/July with our local Parks 'n Rec department and she has loved it.
We will have 5 days off before our 3-week vacation in TX to visit the grandparents. We are going to get swim lessons for both kids every single day and just try not to melt while eating as much Tex-Mex as we can stuff in our bodies. ha!
I left August mostly open. She has one week of Zoo camp (at $400 it's all we can afford) and one week of camp at Girl's, Inc. The other 2 weeks are wide open for play dates, running through the backyard sprinklers, exploring the beach, and just lounging around in PJs.
What age kids do you have and what is this summer like for you?
Re: What are your summers like?
DS starts kindergarten in late August. During the summer I work part-time and I have the following set up for him:
-weekly swimming lessons at the "Y"
-traveled out of town to see family
-I helped teach his Vacation Bible School class in June
-trips to a theme park
-the beach
-water fountains
-Zoo
-Botanical Gardens
-Indoor/Outdoor Living Museum
-Picnic Playdates with my moms' group
-part-time summer camp where they also do a host of fun activities
My girls are 5 and 7 - going into 1st and kindy. DH and I both work full time so my kids have to be involved in something daily.
We had 3 days when they first got out of school that I took off and we just did what we wanted - went to the zoo, park and spent time at home, had lunch with DH downtown.
They are in the schools summer program from mid June through the June 19th and then they will go again for 3 days the 3rd week in August. They love this program - they see friends and the program is great. They go to the pool and on a ton of field trips, they are outside a ton. They do some educational things with the kids but nothing like school - they still focus on reading and learning but in a fun way and more hands on and outside and they keep them moving. They come home tired at the end of day. My older DD's class is focused on well being this year and they are having a walking contest where the kids were a pedimoter to count their steps one day a week and they are learning about eating well and helping with our schools gardens which the cafe using in the fall and as long as the veggie's last into the school year to make all the fresh foods.
They will then do 3 weeks of our Temple's daycamp. Jewish kids from the whole area can go to the camp and they love it. They will know kids from both Temple and from school and its a great experience. They are outside all day weather permitting. They swim and boat on the lake, do drama, arts and crafts, sports and nature. On Friday's the Rabbi's come and do special Shabbat programming with the kids.
After their 3 days back at the school program, we will spend 3 nights at Family Camp. This is held at the overnight camp that my DH went to and worked at and where my kids will go for overnight camp starting the summer before 3rd grade. We went last year and had a blast. After that, we are spending 6 nights at my parents house (DH and I will work 4 of the day and my parents will watch the kids and we took a day off to see a baseball game as a whole family). We are taking our time coming home, spending a night or 2 the weekend before Labor Day with my sister.
I am off with the girls the last week of break - leading up to Labor Day. DH will take one of those days to do the State Fair and otherwise we will do play dates, back to school stuff (haircuts, clothes shopping, etc) and whatever end of summer outdoor things we missed during the year.
We always go to the local amusement park the Sat of Labor Day weekend as the place is pretty empty!
Once the girls are in 3rd grade, they will add overnight camp (starting at 1 week and goes up to 6 weeks as they get older). They will pretty much always have a combo of the same type of things with camps to keep busy since I work.
We are going away over the 4th of July for a long weekend and sometimes add in a weeks vacation with my family over the summer as well.
I'm a teacher, so I love having summers off with my kids. I really enjoy spending time with them, and I don't want to send them to camp just to keep them occupied. I like keeping them occupied. They do a swim camp in the early part of the summer because their schools get out before the school where I teach.
They don't do camps other than that. We have what I call "Mom Camp."
Mom Camp starts each day with a "to do" list. We work on housekeeping projects and summer lessons. By late June, we usually have several household projects that have stacked up over the school year. It's good for the kids to lend a hand with these things. Also each summer, I have a home school agenda I work on with them. I try to fill in the gaps in their regular education and tie in the lessons with our vacation or activities.
Each week during Mom Camp, we go to the pool one or two days. At the beginning of the summer, I ask them for a list of day trips they'd like to make. We usually make the rounds of museums, amusement parks, and aquariums. We go canoeing, biking, and hiking as well. We try to do one major outing each week, if not two.
In between the major outings and trips to the pool, we visit family members and do craft or science projects that we never seem to have time for during the school year. Last summer, I taught my DD how to use the sewing machine. This summer, DS is going to make a volcano.
We usually vacation for 3 weeks in the summer: 2 weeks at the beach, and a week camping. This summer we're camping across the country for 3 weeks!
There are always one or two days each week when we just flop around in the afternoon and play video games or fiddle around on the computer. I'm fine with this. My kids are busy during the school year, and so am I. It's nice to have a break.
DD is 6 and she just finished kindergarten. Today was her last day of a two weeks of a science type day camp. She absolutely loved it. She has a couple of weeks off then she'll have a day camp at a local nature center for two weeks. I've heard really good things about this camp, so I hope she likes it.
DD is also in swim lessons 3 times a week, tennis once a week, and soccer once a week.
We also have a week long vacation planned for later in the summer.
Sounds like a great summer all around for everyone, regardless of your plans. I personally LOVE not having to pack lunches the night before, not doing homework every night, and not waking up to a blaring alarm clock!
I have to say, I have so many neat ideas based on all your replies so, thank you!
eclaire 9.10.06 diggy 6.2.11
I'm a teacher also (last year was first year). My kids are going into PreK3, KG & 3rd. We have been out since June 1. So, its been a month. We have waterpark season passes and tend to go at least 2-3 times a week. We did 2 weeks of swimming lessons in the middle of the month (PM), also have karate 2 days a week in the PM, & last week they did VBS in the AM. There have been a couple of days where I have had professional development and they went to daycare/camp. We've been making playdates, riding bikes in the AM (before it gets hot) and they have been playing with their toys a lot more. Many neighborhood kids aren't in town right now : (
Next week, FIL and sMIL come into town for a week. We do have one playdate before they come and a couple more scheduled throughout the month. However, 7/19 the big kids go visit grandma for a week alone. I will be working on my classroom that week & then my youngest & I go visit grandma on 7/26 and stay just over a week. We will do a beach trip then. I go back to work on 8/12. I'm waiting to see if MIL will take the kids that week or if I need to sign them up for daycare. I need to figure that out soon. Can't believe the summer is half gone.