Monday, May 17, 2010

Our Purposely Scheduled Summer

I've promised myself I'd do this for 10 years now.  I've promised that we will cut back on summer and just enjoy it.  But I've never had the self-control to do it.
I vow that this is the year.







Every summer I overschedule my kids. I don't know if it's just Arizona where it's so hot, but there are lots of activities to do here. We do swimming lessons and swim team and dive team. We do musical theatre and musicals and music lessons. We do craft classes and boredom busters. And we barely squeak in time to do things together as our family.
This summer will be a benchmark in its own right--Heidi's married and gone. Tucker will be gone in (gulp) 30 days. Ben will be taking summer school and football, then he'll be gone to football camp and the Boy Scout National Jamboree for a total of four weeks. So it's going to be me and the four littles for most of the summer.
I've been purposely selective and selfish with the activities we scheduled: swimming lessons for the little boys (a necessity in AZ--at three years old, Hyrum should be swimming by the middle of the summer) and musical theatre for Lily. That's it.
Then, last Monday night for Family Home Evening, we had our Denton Summer Scheduling meeting. We brainstormed all the things we wanted to do this summer and wrote them on a big paper. My job this last week has been penciling everything on that list--big or small--onto my calendar. And it was a job. And it all fit!  I love that calendar.  It's not the prettiest thing ever, but it has eight lines every day, and I dedicate one line to each child so I can see at a glance who has what on what day.  It looks just as full or fuller than a normal summer would.  But it's full of trips to local pools, cooking lessons at home, visits to local museums and a few camp-outs and family reunions.  I'm determined to make this the summer that we learn how great it is to do things together.
I'm happier already.

I'm linking up to Anti-Procrastination Tuesday at New Nostalgia.  I may have the most procrastinated project of them all. And I accidentally linked under the wrong spot last night, so I corrected it today.  Sorry about the confusion. I'm still and unpaid, unsponsored blogging amateur.  Forgive me.


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21 comments:

  1. Hooray! What a beautiful plan!

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  2. Good luck with planning the summer - I hope you get a day or two to just flop - could that be the Slob Day I saw written on the list?
    Great calendar!

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  3. Good for you Jenny. Sounds like you'll have a grand summer indeed. I always hated, but loved that my Mom scheduled and forced us to have quiet/together time every afternoon. We would read together, or be read to, rest, hang out or whatever.

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  4. i luv you & your post today!
    this is our goal this summer too, to get back to the basics & back to being together. i'm so tired of being pulled in opposite directions. thanks for the inspiration & encouragement to follow-thru. =)

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  5. You're very inspiring. I love that calendar. I have a thing for giant calendars. :)

    This sounds like a great plan!

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  6. haha we have on our list...pitch a tent in the backyard too. haha

    we are starting our summer fun early...going to the lake in a few weeks. i'm already stressing b/c now we've got this extra person (little lily) who loves to run and well run!

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  7. Hi! There's an award for you on my blog today to add to your collection!
    I just saw this summer list idea last night on another blog...we are gonna make one of these lists too. Love your ideas!
    Have a great day!
    :) Jen

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  8. I've done this before with great success--haven't done it in a long time, so thanks for the inspiration! I know what we're doing for FHE this week!
    Thanks!

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  9. Tent in the backyard sounds like a blast! We do that every summer at my grandparents. I still look forward to it. :)

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  10. I love that calendar. . .if you have time could you leave me a message and tell me where you got it? I am definately to the place in scheduling that I need a line for everyone as well!
    Have fun with the four littles!
    Gabe

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  11. We do the big list for summer, too. And I, too, wondered what slob day was.

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  12. such a simple but GREAT idea! I need a family meeting and a list!! We, too, have been careful about what we are planning (I said no two times yesterday to two great but time consuming summer activities..yay me!) Your list is exactly the type of things I wanna spend the summer doing!!!
    Thanks so much for linking up to "AP Tuesdays" No worries about linking in the wrong spot:)

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  13. Yay for summer! I love the slower pace of summer- my daughter wishes I would put her in everything-I'm the one who has to rein her in.
    p.s. you have beautiful handwriting

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  14. What an amazing idea! We brainstorm, even make a list...but that's it. The vacation time is set; but the "FUN SCHTUFF" as the kids call it, gets overlooked. You know, the stuff they brainstormed and came up with.

    I'm totally stealing this idea!

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  15. I love summer! Wow, sounds like your past summers, you've probably lived in your car. Here's to enjoying your summer a little more this year.

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  16. We always liked to run our summers the same way. I don't like over-scheduling. It makes me feel like I"m being run ragged, and I'm sure kids feel the same way.

    I remember fairly lazy, rather idyllic summers in my youth, and I wanted my kids to have at least a piece of that.

    Great calendar!

    =)

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  17. I love that you scheduled all the little things-like cooking lessons for Lily, and going to the water park. I'm good at reserving family time and not over scheduling-I like a lazy summer, but I'm horrible at including all the little things the kids want to do. Missed you at the orchestra concert tonight! I think Brad drew the short straw tonight.

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  18. What a great idea! I'm inspired by your burst of planning. I think I need to do the same for the week after the wedding next month, when everyone is still here. I hold plans in my head, and then they sort of go byebye. I need to make them real!

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  19. I think that is great!

    I am a total planner and love to see the calendar organized!!
    Sounds like you will be doing many fun, family things and that is GREAT!!

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  20. i don't know you do it. that's pretty impressive. i'm amazed. :]

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  21. What a fabulous idea! I plan on taking my sweet boy and going mini golf and a few other outdoor activites before it gets too hot here in Phoenix.

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