With the first week of summer officially behind me I'm realizing I'm going to need a lot more energy to keep up with all three kids if we're going to get through the next 2 months! Not only is stamina a problem but I'm going to have to find a way to find time for myself, to do the things I want to do and still do the things I need to get done and not have that take away from the kids time and summer excitement. So in an effort to maintain our individual personalities and energy while still spending all of our time together we have a few summer lists...
1. Reading- gI've started reading again- it's something I can do while the kids jump on the trampoline or watch movies cuddled on the couch and it's healthy for the kids to see my love for reading as well. Today's reading list includes Water for Elephants for me, Samantha book 1 for Lorali, and Ethan is reading My First Book of Mormon.
2. Sleep- The kids have been taking daily quiet/nap time and I really, really need to get to bed earlier so I'm ready for their bright eyes, bright and early (unfortunately they aren't the sleep-in type.) The quiet time helps Ethan to have his own down time and if Ethan's happy the rest of us are more relaxed!
3. Chores- Every day I have the kids help me with housework or packing or a project. Nothing huge or extensive just enough that they feel like they're contributing to the upkeep of the house and I'm not overwhelmed.
4. Projects- so many fun projects and crafts in store that I'm positive the kids will love! Yesterday was homemade play dough projects. Tomorrow I think we'll be getting creative with communication.
5. Eating- this one has been the hardest on me. Husbandface has been on a diet for the last 2 months so hasn't been eating with us as a family which means I'm cooking just for me and the kids... which means a lot more mac and cheese and a lot less of my gourmet recipes. I'm trying to still have us all eat healthy and stay on a regular eating schedule but snack time creeps up on me and we end up filling up on chips or making brownies. This is definitely something I need to fix because I'm sure it will help my energy levels!
So what are your tips on entertaining the kids for the summer and keeping the energy levels as high as the temperatures?