Summer is Coming!

When I hear the word "summer" this year, I am having a unique set of reactions.  Firstly, I start hearing Beach Boys songs through a lazy haze.  Secondly, I wonder how it could be summer already; the weather hasn't yet turned hot, and wasn't Christmas just a few weeks ago?  Lastly, as I think about summer as it relates to the kids being out of school, I start imagining Paul Revere galloping through the house, yelling in alarm, "The summer is coming!  The summer is coming!"

There are  lot of things I like about the summer.  I like having less structured time, and not always having to hurry.  I like lemonade and barbecues.  I like getting together with families and friends.  I like watching things grow (around here, the things which grow best are teenaged legs, dandelions, and bindweed).  I don't like the heat; I don't like the dry (so why do I live in the desert??); and I don't like the chorus of "I'm bored!"

I am scurrying, like Paul Revere, to be prepared before the onslaught.  I've been working on making (again) our family binder, and also working on good things for the kids to be doing.  I suppose I'll post more as we get more into it.  My family binder ideas are mostly coming from a wonderful workshop I attended (given by Marvelous Marie at House of Order - love this inspired lady!), some from the I Heart Organizing blog, as well as what has worked for us in the past.

My summer activities spring from a wide variety of online summer bucket lists, reminders from the years we did Summer Scouts (our own homemade program modeled after earning Boy Scout merit badges), a few years of home-grown summer school (ok, I admit that I have a weakness for curriculum development), and inspiration from Power of Moms here and here.

I'm expecting good things from this summer - not great, because we don't need to be great.  Good is good enough.  And avoiding the "I'm bored!" will be even better.