Every project worth doing comes with constraints. Our natural inclination is to fight them.

I run into this. all. day. long. Pick up this. Throw that out. read your book. Color your picture. Its just how it is. I am trying to teach my little dearies about life. I am not the neatest mom. Our house is tiddy, however. But the kid zones are generally trashed. I don't expect perfection but I do expect perfection.

My kids make me laugh!

not so techy kids

My son and daughter have hand held game players. Nothing fancy like a 3D DS. they have a Leapster and a vSmile. They like them. But I do not encourage them to play with them often. I feel like it takes away from their interactive learning and general skill development.

I found this neat little craft. Frustration Free Dry Erase Mazes. Unlike the author, I will probably not make my own maze. I am sure in the world wide web there is a maze I can take.

There will be one in my purse and two in Vanna Montana (K's nick name for the mommy van).

Schedule me

I am lucky. Both of my kids have done well with schedules since birth. Once we were able to develop one anyhow.

Its summer and they are 6y and 3y. This is the first post-school summer for K (6). I knew they only way we would survive to to have a summer schedule. N (3) and I had our own schedule during the school year. But that was not going to work with K home for the next 10 weeks.

So, here is how we are surviving.

Wake up *8am ish

Kids pickup rooms and make beds (I do not require perfection here. But I do expect effort)

Breakfast

A)Playtime (outside of the weather is decent and inside in the playroom if not)

B) K may have an activity so then its just N and I (I = me, not some other kid) .

Lunch

Here is where it gets choppy

Learning time (each kid has a work book plus we do other learning things like baking)

Snack time

Arts and crafts time (painting, coloring, and general mess making that results in art)

Alone time (usually 30-40 minutes of alone time for everyone to have some quiet time).

Family play time (puzzels, outdoor time, swimming, and so on)

pre Bed time (baths and reading)

bed time

You see there is no TV. I am not ever going to pretend that we do not watch TV in this house. We do. Just not a lot. The TV is usually on at breakfast. And if the weather is bad and we don't have shopping planned I do put on the tv (or music) while they play in the play room.

I have found this works for now.

Oh! and one more thing. My kids argue over whose turn it is. So since one was born on an odd day and the other on an even day, I have instituted the rule that even days are for N and odd days are for K. and the 29th of Feb and 31st of other months are my days. Mom has veto power at all times. Like K teling me that since it was her day we were having french toast for breakfast last week. Uhhh... no!!!!! That was an automatic Mom veto!

So, there ya have it. How we are surviving this summer of 2011.