Real Work Brings Joy

David found this quote in one of his books, and wrote it up on the white board for us.

I like it.

Summer Bucket List

Today was the last, last day of school (Alec was done last week, and Ben was finished on Tuesday).  It's officially summer now, and we haven't yet been bored.  We're working on finding fun, growing and learning things to keep our minds and bodies busy and healthy this summer.

Here is the beginning of our summer fun school.  We brainstormed a list of categories (reading, geography, cooking, exercise, technology, family togetherness, art, etc.), and came up with about 20 different areas of focus.  Today, I made a list for each category, and taped them up to the window, along with a pocket for pencils.  The kids (and parents) are brainstorming and writing ideas on each list.  We'll see what we come up with tomorrow.

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.

These Are the Days

I love it when the weather finally gets warm enough that we can play outside - but before it gets so hot that we melt.  Usually we have a week or two of such loveliness between seasons, and I usually blink and it's gone, or I forget to go outside.  But this weekend, the boys noticed how nice it was, and they all trooped outside.  After our stormy outing to the air show, they wanted to bask in the sunshine and warm up while they ate lunch.  I can't blame them.

It was fun that they all lined up in a row there, outside our patio doors.  I need to get the patio cleaned off so we can enjoy it.  Oh, and a fence to keep in the little ones would be nice, as long as I am dreaming.  And grass.  We need the grass to grow.  You can't see it in this picture, but the lawn drops off sharply just in front of the boys.  In spite of the fact that the elevation of the patio lets us be seen by all the neighbors, we love to sit here, because it is so pretty.

In the winter, we can clearly see the mountain over yonder, and the lake betwixt.  When the trees are leafed out, we get to see the trees.  I love trees.  Maybe we will plant more trees on the hill and pretend we live in a forest.  I like where we live.  The Lord sure made a beautiful Earth, didn't He?

Air Show

We were planning to (finally) put in our garden today, and let our little plants start growing already.  But it was a holiday, after all, and we wanted to go out and do something fun.

So we jumped in the car (and the van, since we don't all fit in one vehicle), and drove.  For a long time.  Then we sat in bad traffic with all the other cars.  Then we followed traffic directors and got into a huge parking lot.  We all piled out, loaded up the regular stroller and the double stroller and our water bottles and our hats and jackets and blankets and folding chairs AND all the kids.  Then we started to walk and walk and walk to get to the field where we could watch the air show.  All the boys (including the Dad-boy) were really excited about seeing the planes.

And then, in the middle of our long walk, it started to rain.  It rained and rained and soaked through our hats.  The wind whipped rain through our jackets.  Our shoes got squishy.  Our faces were dripping.  David and Eddie were cold (Note to D & E: next time when Dad tells you to wear more than a t-shirt and light shorts in a storm... listen).  The babies were shivering.  It was miserable.  And then we noticed that there were more people leaving the airfield than going to it.  The show had been cancelled due to the wind and rain.  Drat.

So we left, and squished back to the van and the car, unloaded our now-wet everythings, and buckled back up.  We were wet and cold and hungry, so we went out to get some lunch.  We dried off while we ate, and the rain stopped!

We went back to drive through the traffic, followed the traffic directors, and got into the huge parking lot again.  We unloaded everything and the kids, and decided not to walk and walk and walk.  We rode the shuttle bus instead this time.  Angel and the babies were thrilled to be on a bus.  Freddie said we were on a "but."  He loved it.

We got to the field much faster this time.  The boys were so excited to see the planes on display, but Trent was anxious to see the stunt fliers.  I made them all stop for a picture.  Moms do that.

Angel was amazed that we got to walk inside a plane.  Here is proof that I went, too.

After we looked at a few planes on the ground, it was time to watch the planes in the sky.  

It was a fun day, full of noise and speed and daring (the guys loved it) and airplanes and helicopters (the little ones loved it) and family togetherness (Mom loved it too).

Oh yeah, and Ben was happy to learn that he isn't yet too tall to fly an Air Force fighter jet.  They have a 6-foot, 7-inch cutoff.  He can grow two more inches!  Whew.

Princess Bride and the Graduation Party

I’m writing this at four in the morning, watching Princess Bride with a bunch of newly-minted high school graduates.  Yeah, I know I just said that I didn’t like being up at 5:30 in the morning, and here it is even earlier.  Losing sleep over our kids is just one of those things that moms do. 

Alec graduated from high school yesterday.  Yes, just yesterday.  The graduation he had a few weeks ago was a graduation from our local university, as he was getting his associate’s degree.  Is he awesome, or what?  My boy has graduated from high school, with a college degree.  I’m so proud of him.  After high school graduation,  his school sponsors an all-night party, and we parents get to help chaperone.  It’s a good way to give then a fun party, while keeping it safe and clean.  I’m all for that.  And I like being involved in my kids' activities.

So that's how I ended up watching this movie at this hour.  I have to keep an eye on the kids who might be tempted by the dim room to be naughty.  I've got a good evil eye I can shoot at them.  But I don't have to, because they have all been so good.  I am impressed.  The worst (if you can call it that) thing I have seen was four boys, with empty 2-liter soda bottles and wheeled office chairs, jousting in the hallway.  It was a little wild, but ultimately harmless.  They are great kids.

Back to the movie.  “True love.  That’s the most noble thing in the world.”  That’s one of the best lines from Princess Bride.  Or how about, “Mawwage.  Mawwage is what bwings us togevvah today.  Mawwage.  That bwessed event.  That dweam wifin a dweam  Wuv.  Twoo love will fowwow you fowevah  So tweashoe yo wuv..."  

Treasure your love, indeed.  And then take a nap.

Family Scripture Study

I've been asked about how to have family scripture study, especially when you have children of different ages.  Well, you just do it.

We've read at dinnertime.  We've read just before family prayer and bedtime.  We've quoted scriptures at the table.  I've read to them as they eat breakfast.  You just pick something and do it.  If it doesn't work, try something else.  There are plenty of ideas on the internet.  Just make sure you read something, every day.  Teaching the children the importance of the scriptures is nearly as vital as teaching them the doctrine.  If they learn to love the Good Word, they will learn how to go there and find their own answers.  That's important.

Right now, we all get up and read scriptures at 5:30 in the morning.  It's not my favorite time.  At all.  That's the latest time that everyone is home in the morning, so that's when we do it.  The kids suggested it, and they have been getting up with very little complaining.  I have enjoyed feeling a bigger love in our family, and less bickering.  It's magic!

By the way, we invite them to read with us, and we wake them and remind them, but we don't force the children to join us.  They come because they want to, and not all of them want to... but most of them do, and it makes a difference.

I'm grateful that we have the scriptures, and the peace that comes into our home when we read them.