tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223770381711521801.post2696154920368621772..comments2009-06-12T12:26:03.584-04:00CWDkidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04752887706874569601noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6223770381711521801.post-32013202544883322112009-06-12T12:26:03.584-04:002009-06-12T12:26:03.584-04:00Our family summers pack in both free time and scheduling. Usually around late April or the first of May, I utilize a multi-sectioned spiral notebook to jot down summer ideas and plans. One section contains all of the ideas each family member expresses as family fun-all of the things they want to do like have family Olympics or go to a park to hike. Another section holds the long put off cleaning and household projects that summer freedom allows us to accomplish. Also included are fun projects like building bird houses and a raised garden bed. My boys enjoy wood building projects. Then, there are educational goals. My husband and I talk with each child and come up with their areas of interest. Then, we list various activites that will encourage them to grow in those areas such as reading books, talking with people who are learned, trips to locations that include their area of interest. Because we believe in helping others, service projects are discussed and written down too. My husband and I talk over our own ideas and joy those down too. Finally, since we have six children, we want to take extra time with them individually, so I jot down dates and plans of things do to with each child-plans they chose. By the time summer arrives, our family has a compact little notebook of ideas and plans so we can enter summer knowing that we're a family team with goals. It's kind of like beginning a road trip with a detailed map to help along the journey. Not everything in the book gets crossed off, and we do many things not listed, but the book is priceless to us.kathmomtosixnoreply@blogger.com