As summer approaches

While Nas played Tag with a few kids at the play area at McDonald's, I figured it a

good time to start a list of things we could do to make good use of our summer. (The less I suppress my Virgo tendencies, the happier I am, so I let my freak flag fly!) Every summer Babe and I find out what the kids hope to do before returning to school and we try to figure in a mini-trip or two. This year it seems we have a lot of options, we'll just have to see how far the summer funds stretch!

When I consider what we'll do each summer, I typically start with local Parents Magazines and recreation center brochures and websites. That helps give me an idea of what will be going on in our area as well as which classes the kids can take - especially swimming. Once I have an idea of the more affordable options, I look into activities they participate in during the year and see if they offer day camps. For example, Jay takes dance all school year and her studio offers classes for her level throughout the summer - easy enough, because obviously this is something she enjoys doing!

Because activities and camps cost, each of our kids can do one "pricey" camp and the rest will have to fall on the other end of the spectrum considering Nas is a bottomless pit and will still need feeding. I figure we can go to the pool and the park, the library, Vacation Bible School rarely costs more than $15 per child, meander along downtown (something we don't get to do much during the busy school year), play outside of course, and without a doubt these two will spend time reading every day. That plus a homework sheet (or two) a few days a week and chores? We've got summer pretty well planned out!

This year the kids' school is offering a "boot camp" for Nas' age group where he goes to school for two hours a day, three days a week, to help minimize 'brain drain' that happens over summer. During his time at boot camp, Jay and I can do things we enjoy doing - just us girls! And while Jay is at ballet class, Nas and I can do our thing, it works out pretty well!

My goal in summer planning for the kids is to allow them time apart because, obviously, they'll have plenty of time together. If you've spent an entire summer at home with your kids you know that the time together piece can get very tiring and tedious for everyone. I'm hoping a little planning will get us through the kids' time off from school without too much headache - it is, after all, SUMMER!

Money = Freedom

This school year has been, overall, a great year. Initially, I wondered what it would be like for Jay's teacher, a man, to interact with our little think tank-diva day in and day out, but I knew it would be interesting.

Not long after the school year started I discovered that Jay's teacher, Mr. S., had really picked up on Jay's personality and that definitely excited me. Knowing that Mr. S. saw that Jay was more than capable of taking on more challenging work, and that he was willing to push her just hard enough to help her blossom, allowed me to see the rare trait of a teacher who is truly passionate about his work.

At our last parent-teacher conference, Babe and I laughed at the different scenarios Mr. S. presented to us and how Jay reacted at the time. Our daughter, without question, is her father's child. When I say that I mean: she's a thinker, she loves a challenge, she's a bit of a know-it-all, and things come to her pretty easily. Her father is the same way and to hear it from someone who's only known our daughter a few months is very telling. It tells me that Mr. S. pays attention. I liken his teaching ability to a fly on the wall because he has picked up on so much about Jay that it seems he'd have to be everywhere she is without her noticing.

That said, Mr. S. suggested we enroll Jay in a summer camp through the Young Americans Center for Financial Education. Obviously, he has seen that Jay is aware of the importance and power of money. At a very early age (3 or 4) Jay told my Mom, "Money gives you freedom." So if this organization's summer camp doesn't fit my daughter's personality, I don't know what does! If she can attend every summer I think she'll have a great foundation in financial understanding.

This camp excites me because it seems a good introduction to understanding money and owning your own business. A wise friend once told me, "Don't send your kids to college so they can get a job; send your kids to college so they can become entrepreneurs!" And this is one little girl who will likely do just that - like father like daughter!

The Windy City

At the end of April my best friend and I kissed our beautiful families goodbye and headed to the airport to begin our first girls trip. I have traveled a bit, but she typically visits family when she has time off, so when I remembered her dream trip would be to visit Chicago I figured, Why not? So Chicago it was. We both hoped the weather would be nice, not too hot, not too cool, and started exchanging ideas about what the trip would entail.

This is vital to a trip taken with friends: find out what everyone wants to do while you're away and do a nice mix of everything so the trip is fulfilling to all involved. I've only traveled with a large group once, but that was pretty easy because there were so many of us it seemed half went one way and half went the other. It worked. But when there are just two of you, if one wants to just hit the party scene and the other wants to sight-see, well it could get ugly.

As the trip got closer I wondered what kind of travel companion my besty might be: would she want to be up and at 'em bright and early, or lay in bed til noon before we hit the town? Would we get a chance to relax before returning home to our respective duties or would we go full-throttle the whole time? I'm the kind of girl who likes to relax a little after spending a day or so on the town and I was really hoping she would be down with that.

Turned out we were very much on the same page, probably because we were so excited about our trip that we talked about it every chance we got. We made compromises: she wanted to take a boat tour, I was skeptical, but we did it and I enjoyed it! I'm not sure it was a compromise on her part, but we walked downtown Chicago and whatever we wanted to see, we saw, whatever we wanted to eat, we ate. All while walking kind of aimlessly up and down Chicago streets. I loved the spontaneity of it, and it only worked for me because it was just us girls.

When I'm traveling with the fam, I like to make sure we hit everything we all want to do because with four different ideas of fun, it's easy to inadvertently miss someone's request. I'm a planner, the family travel planner in fact. Tell me where we're going and I'll find plenty for us to do. For Chicago, we planned a couple of things and flew by the seat of our pants for the rest.

There is something to be said about traveling with a girlfriend. You know the ins and outs of why you both need a break, you both care about your family and issues you both face, and when it is all said and done you both know you will look out for each other.

Are we DONE yet?

Fourth grade. When I think of my fourth grade year I remember the teacher who seemed to love me so, taking more tests on those computer bubble sheets than I care to recall, and having to change schools from the neighborhood elementary I'd attended since the first grade, then leaving Dayton, Ohio altogether to relocate to Fort Collins, Colorado. While my fourth grade school year was busy with change, it seems Jay's fourth grade school year is full of HOMEWORK!

I don't remember having a lot of homework on a daily basis in elementary school. Well, over the past month or so, it seems Jay is at school all day only to come home with a backpack full of homework to complete before the next school day. This, for a child who thrives on breaks, relaxation. This, for a child whose immune system senses too much stress and will either show itself through a cold sore or cause any number of physical maladies like stomach aches, mild fevers, headaches, even hives. This, for a child whose mother believes strongly in a child enjoying time outside running or bike riding, or at the very least time to do whatever the child does for fun.

On the one hand I appreciate the kids' school for creating ways for students who love learning to go above and beyond what may be taught in the grade-level classroom. But on the other hand I would also appreciate weekends without a paper to write, a project to complete, or math problems to solve. Can't they have weekends?! And if we are going to watch the kids hammer out homework over the weekend, can you minimize weekday assignments? I mean really.

In short, I'm so over fourth grade even I am counting the school days until summer (18)! When Jay stresses, I stress, and I'm no fan of stress. We have many school years ahead of us, but oh when summer comes...these two will do nothing but relax (for the first week) and do little more than read a book in the shade (the second week), then review what they learned during the previous school year - a little here, a little there. This is one mama who can't wait for summertime!

Feeding Nas

It seems Nas has hit yet another growth spurt. His growth spurts are always apparent because he suddenly requires more sleep otherwise he's very grumpy, mean, and moody. Along with those pleasantries come his insatiable need to EAT! It is amazing, during these growth spurts, just how much food this kid can put away. At 4'3" and a whopping 60 pounds, I wonder where my six-year-old beanpole is putting all of that food.

Not one to pour all-things-packaged into the kids, these spurts make keeping the hungry fed a bit tricky. Of course, all things in moderation, but that balance requires a lot on my part. With that said, it's time to scour the cook books and websites for healthy, well-balanced snacks to be made by yours truly so that this child of mine doesn't feel quite so ravenous.

Some of the better recipes or snack ideas I've stumbled upon are from websites like myrecipes.com that suggested making Peanut Butter Banana Spirals that even sneak in a little wheat germ which happens to be high in protein - bonus! The website even suggests hearty, healthy sandwich ideas that will keep both of my kids plugging along well after lunch, especially on school days.

I'm not a fan of the internet primarily because of the time-suck it has proven to be for me, but being the information hog that I am, there's nothing like finding whatever my mind can conjure right at my finger tips. The wide range of food tips, nutrition guides, and especially recipes makes meal planning a little easier (I said 'a little'). Where my hungry son is concerned, this definitely feeds his hunger as well as mine.