How we spent our Summer Break 2017

Another post to catch up. 


This post is all about our summer break.  I will do a separate post for our vacation, because it always deserves a post of its own.


We had a very laid back summer.  I didn't have much ambition to do much.  I guess one reason is because we had worked so hard all year with having to move that I just wanted to enjoy home.  I also had worked this year and had to leave home everyday.  I'm a big homebody and just didn't want to have to leave the house.  I have spoiled my kids into thinking I have to entertain them.  I know it's my fault.  This year I just firmly told them no.  We were staying home a lot.  They didn't handle it too well, but they soon adjusted.


We also put the pool back up so they swam a lot this summer.  I did too.  I always tried to sneak out to have a few minutes alone in the pool, but I promise you.  The longest I ever made it was 2 minutes.


We enjoyed parks and our library this summer.  Even then, we still didn't attend as many programs at the library like we usually do.  I just didn't remind the kids and we didn't go.  We just stayed in the pool.


When we did go to the park, I would walk to get my steps in, but ended up hurting my back somehow so then we didn't even hardly go to the park anymore.

My Summer Babysitter

Campfire to celebrate summer break

We even had friends over to swim with occasionally.  We didn't get everyone's picture though. 

One day we walked to the local store and had a snack. The kids really enjoyed that and have asked to go again.

One minute they were fighting and the next minute, best of friends.



They enjoyed spending time at the library.  There's a tween program now that my boys loved.  They got to play the wii with other kids their age and play mini golf in the library.  They also spent lots of times reading books or playing on the computers too.  They asked to go to the library quite a bit.

Amelia is not a tween or a teen, but you try telling her that.

We also celebrated Father's Day this summer.  My kids sure love their Daddy!!

We spent one Saturday in Stanford at a festival.  They enjoyed the horse ride and parade.

With summer fun also comes lots of work.  We still had an old house full of stuff that needed to be either sold, donated, or stored.  We spent many hours working to clear the house.  Then we had to put things in our storage building that we wanted to keep.  We also had 2 yard sales.  After the 2nd one, we took the rest to the Goodwill.  I was done looking at it.  So glad all that is done and over with.  Our kid have done a lot of work this year.  It's been good for them.  I've also made sure they have had fun too.  Some days that we wasn't doing anything or it was raining they would make the comment "Worst summer ever!!!"  I hated that!  I always assured them there were plenty of kids stuck in a daycare or with an elderly grandparent who hadn't got to do anything that summer and they needed to be more thankful. 

We did go on vacation and my next post will be about that.

The last few weeks of school was when we started finalizing our summer bucket list.  I was running out of time to get things marked off.  Things I had promised the kids and they hadn't let me forget about. 

One thing was going to the water park.  We still hadn't made it to one all summer long.  So last week we got up and I told them to get ready we were going to the waterpark.  I timed them eating lunch just right so they wouldn't be hungry at the park and they could play for several hours before heading home for church.

We got to the park and it looked closed.  Went to the front gate to read their hours and a group of kids with an adult, hollered out that the park was going to open at 1 p.m.  Well, it was 12 so we could wait an hour.  This group continued to tell others that it was going to open at 1 and several cars were waiting.  Closer to 1, I realized that there still wasn't any employees there and the group telling everyone that the park was opening, had left.  I found a number for the city and called to ask if they were going to open or not.  I was told they had already went to school schedule and would be open only on weekends.  I told them they needed to update their website because it still showed them as open.  Also, I let them know about the group telling everyone they were opening.  My kids cried and cried.  I had promised to bring them all summer and had waited to late.  I went to tell others in their vehicles that the park was not opening.

I kind of felt guilty about this, because it was my fault for not bringing the kids earlier and I had promised to take them.  So, I headed my van to Williamsburg to an even bigger water park.  Problem was I didn't want to have to pay more money for a short play time so I ended up telling the kids we wouldn't make it to church that night and they could play until the park closed.  All of a sudden they were happy kids again.  This was a much better park anyway!!  They won't every want to go back to the other one.

We got there about 2:30  they played until 6.  The park was supposed to close at 7, but a storm came and we had to leave.  They didn't like that very much, but I couldn't do anything about it.  They still ended up having a good day after all.

The next day or two, we drove past the Hawaiian Shaved Ice truck.  I had promised my kids I would take them one day this summer.  I was scared that this may be our last chance and I didn't want another "But you promised" episode to happen again, so we stopped.

Did ya'll know that not everyone likes Tiger's Blood??  None of my crew liked it.  Not even Maynard.  What is wrong with people???  I ordered Amelia a Tiger's Blood and she hated it.  Josiah tasted it and he didn't like it either, but was willing to trade her.  That made such an impression on the owner that he went and fixed Josiah a large one that he liked.  He told me I had a good kid right there.  Made me feel better because that "good kid" was giving his Mom a hard time that day.

We went back to school shopping and have everything we need for school.  We even went to a back to school party hosted by our kid's pediatrician.  Not the best place for a party in my opinion, but what do I know??

And that's it!  Summer is about over and back to a regular schedule.  As much as I love summer break, its always nice to get back to a regular routine.

I'll try to have our vacation post up soon!!!!  Maybe you will have the First Day of School post by Spring break! Ha Ha