I'm Having Fun!

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I sat on the bedsheet that we bring with us to the beach and watched some of my kid.s They ran, back and forth, back and forth. They chased birds and rode waves, body surfed and built sandcastles. They buried each other and brought me broken shell treasures and empty pods. I watched as my little girl ran up to me, slamming to a halt six inches away, hands on hips, staring down.

"I'm having FUN!" she pronounced, and she was off, running back to the water.

I'm trying hard to have fun this summer. There's a lot of stuff I love about the summer - I love that it's warm, love riding with the windows down, love sleeping until 8 or even 9 some days. I love laying out by the pool, visiting the beach and hearing the birds call to each other. Feeling the sun beat on my face, relaxing the rules of bedtime and meals, driving in a convertible with the roof down while I drink a Coke Slurpee.

I am trying to have fun. I try to find the fun in every day. I want my kids to find the fun in every day as well. We aren't going away, we aren't going to take any trips or vacations or have company. I've told them it's US this summer - and they weren't too happy to hear that.

You see, to them, spending the summer together is a punishment, for who would want to spend time with their siblings? What's the fun in that?

So I read this idea on another blog - forgive me for not linking, but I honestly cannot remember where I saw it - and I've created the Summer Fun Activity Board. It's not as fancy as it sounds - merely a posterboard that I package taped to the pantry door - but the premise is fancy.

Anything that we do fun is written on the poster. You can draw a picture if you want, cut out a flyer with a picture, jot down the words - whatever you want to add. (I can't help but laugh every time I look at the picture someone drew of a diving board.)

Sometimes it's oh so easy to focus on the negativity - no vacation, no trips, no guest.

Sometimes it's good to have a visual reminder.

Especially for me.

Comments

[amie]

Does your family REALLY want guests? Good night to me that seems more like a nightmare. I love people to visit for the day but I want them to go home at night so I can walk around in my pjs w no bra and maybe scratch my heiney if I want. Lovely visual there, eh?

We made sort of a list of diferent things family members want to do, hubby picked canoeing & fried chicken,I picked a luau, kids have picked swimming every day, card games & Mommy running around like a nut waiting on everyone. Hmmm, wonder if there is still time to veto that one. We did go away for a few days but honestly when you have your own pool & live near beach why go anywhere?

[Melanie]

Love the posterboard idea. So much so that I got up from the computer, found a roll of paper, tore off a big chunk and hung it on the wall. I'm *trying* my best to make a memorable summer -- but there are many changes on the horizon and my oldest is a wreck that his life will forever be awful because of the changes. I'm hoping this will help him (and us all) focus on the FUN this summer.

[Elizabeth]

I think that is a great idea!

[Tish]

Be sure to take 'em to the public library for the Summer Reading Program. Even in these times of economic turndown, the public library usually has free summer programs, some of which are pretty cool. They probably have a reading list for the older kids, too.
Or have them put together ideas for a hurricane watch box. What would they need if you have a hurricane approaching? (flashlights, cards, bottled water . . .)

[MamaCas]

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea. We, too, have to be careful with our money. With 4 children, it's easy for a family outing to turn into a $300 "extravaganza". We have a pool in our backyard, which helps tremendously. But we do other things to save money....like always packing our own food and beverages and explaining to the kids that we won't be buying souvenirs. We go to the beach very early in the morning so we don't have to pay the admission fee (they start charging at 9am).

Anyway....thanks a million for this idea. I'm going to set up my board today!

[Susan]

I started writing on my calendar whenever we do something "fun" so that I have visible evidence whenever my oldest claims "we never do anything".

[mary]

love this idea! we are going to the beach next week, my folks have a condo on folly island in sc we mooch whenever we can afford to go! planning a 3 day trip with just our 2 youngest to disney and OMG thats hell. Look into THAT. nightmare stuff! add ons GALORE! since we are doing this above trip we are not doing much else this summer. Since ya know we cant really afford ABOVE. lol

[mm]

Well, way to go Carmen, for being positive. I don't think we are going far this year either. But kids just think their family is soooo gosh darn boring you would think that, as you say, they were being punished for hanging out with them.

I think going to the beach is a marvellous way to spend time, backyard BBQ with smores, hanging out in the yard, sleeping in late and wearing jamies all day.

Why not check out the "happenings" section in your paper for things that you might not have tried before- not everything has to cost a barrel of money. Or go to a local favorite old haunt that you have not seen in awhile.

Love the poster idea- maybe you can collect admittance stubs or other souvenirs from places to do visit, just to show that even though you did not go on a big fabulous holiday, there was still fun to be had.

[kyooty]

What a fabulous idea!!! tomorrow is our last day of school. I wouldn't mind doing this here too!!:) We could totally do a "how I spent my summer vacation" link up after labour day? :0

[Jennifer]

I love summer too! I love not having to supervise homework, shuffle kids to activities and sports, pack lunches, sign permission slips, get them to and from school every day. I remember the first year that I worked after I graduated from college and I realized that I would no longer have summers off. I went into a mini depression. Enjoy this time, it doesn't last forever!

[A Simple Twist of Faith]

Thanks to generous grandparents, we have passes to the zoo, the botanical gardens, and the aquarium, add the library one day and the beach another, that's how we can going to spend our summer.

[angela]

what an awesome idea! We're actually downsizing to one less bedroom in the new house so "guests" won't fit anyway.