It's that time again!

It's mid-July and I've been home every day with both kids as they are out of school for the summer.  In theory, this is great: no schedules, no homework to complete before bed, and a whole lot less friend drama.  But the reality is that the house stays a MESS most of the time because the kids are home all day every day.  I feel like I do little more than grocery shop to keep the kids fed as they're home eating 3 squares and God knows how many snacks.  And my socialite of a daughter has me driving her here there and everywhere to meet up with her friends at the pool, at their houses, at our house, at the shopping center, you name it, Jay has PLANS.

Nas is spending most of his waking hours at my dear friend's house playing with her son, eating up her food, only to come home ready to take up the couch in front of the television.  He's easy, sure, but man is that kid interested in only a few things: watching reruns, playing video games, or playing with his friend.  Getting him to do much else is WORK lately.  It's okay though, there are days when I feel up to the challenge and I push him, HARD, to get what I need him to do done. Ah motherhood.

Well now it's time for Mommy and Daddy to escape the day-to-day and I cannot wait! It's our 10th anniversary on August 3, and we're headed to Cancun to enjoy some time away, kid-free.  Did I mention I can't wait? Babe is stressed and tired, mentally for sure, from work.  And there's nothing like reconnecting with your honey without interruptions, aka KIDS.  After our trip to Cabo San Lucas a couple of years ago, we realized we are beach vacation people.  It's where Babe can fully relax and unplug, and that's rare for him.  Sure, we love trips in general, we're big fans of seeing different cities, but when we really need to unwind, we head to the beach!

Motherhood continues to grow and transform with every passing year, but we're in a good place with the kids being older. I cherish the time we have left with the kids at home and some time away with their father is just the thing to remind me, again, of how much I do love our little people!

Best intentions

Well, much like my goal for myself to blog here twice a week, I made plenty of plans for the kids for the summer back in May before school let out.  I had the best of intentions to make a schedule for us to stick to so the kids can mix a little learning and reading into the thick batter of fun and relaxation that summer truly is.  So maybe I haven't totally dropped the ball, but we have had only a couple of days when I feel up to making time for homework.

Jay is great about it: she reads daily, and has completed three books already! She will pull out her work book to complete a couple of pages without being hounded, when I say it's homework time.  But I have to say "it's homework time." 

Then there's Nas.  My son has become the epitome of  laziness since school ended back in early June.  Now, this little boy is no fan of chores or homework, but it's gotten to be where he needs me on him all the time about e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.! Really? And he wants to eat popsicles and other yummy sweet summer fare all day every day while he lounges with the remote in hand.  "There's a hundred and four days of summer vacation..." seems to be the soundtrack to this child's summer mindset! At what point will he decide he simply canNOT watch another "Phineas and Ferb" rerun?!

In which case, I have to be on my game or homework - let alone reading - won't happen where my male child is concerned.  Yesterday I bought a workbook for him to work on reading AND writing that focuses on reading comprehension. This way, he is expected to read and complete one sheet before he plays any kind of video game - which, did I mention, has become my go-to for getting him to do whatever needs to be done! "You cannot play a single video game until you  __________" (do your chores, read for 20 minutes, play outside, eat breakfast), so it is definitely a carrot to dangle in front of him, but boy do I feel like ALL I do is coerce my son to do what he NEEDS to be doing!

At the bookstore he did find a "Magic Treehouse" book and has started reading it.

"Can I take this to New York, Mommy?" Nas asked when he found the little gem.  Jay and I both looked at him and said, "YES!!" We were excited he took the initiative...finally!

So the Subway sandwich guy told me, "Summer is not for reading," I beg to differ.  Summer time is about fun, yes, but the little people in this house are expected to be ready to REVIEW the school work they completed the school year prior.  So the only way I can ensure that happens is if I make the conscious effort to sit them both down to work on their weak points and sharpen their strong ones.  That's the plan anyway...and I have the best of intentions!