Friday, June 09, 2006
Adoption Referral Wait: Keep Busy with Summer Activities
I have decided to listen to Mary's advice about my referral. She said, "Keep busy. The things you wait for come when you least expect it and have stopped thinking about them...even if just for a moment."

I suppose it is like watching cold water heat up and boil. It will never boil if you look at it, only if you busy yourself with other things. So today I am thinking about summer and our possible summer plans. I am going to pretend that we are not even going to Russia. That way it will be an unexpected surprise. So today’s list is some possible summer activities. I think what I will do is get a big calendar and write everything down so everyone can see it. I think it is important that we have stuff to look forward to. Keep in mind that these activities are in addition to summer camp, karate (Adam and Conner) and swimming lessons (Braden). Let me know if you have any ideas to add to this list.

Summer Activity Ideas

1. Try some new summer recipes
2. Take the kids to an amusement park
3. Volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House
4. Make a movie with the kids
5. Go to an outdoor market to buy fresh produce
6. Give the kids lots of chores (lawn mowing, vacuuming, cleaning)
7. Give the kids summer homework packets
8. Play family board games
9. Play croquet
10. Get together with extended family
11. Swim at the local water parks
12. Take photographs- experiment, let kid’s try
13. Art supplies- do something creative
14. Celebrate holidays
15. Family Trip
16. Library for summer reading for all
17. Work on photo albums
18. Appreciate the ordinary


Do you have any summer time memories that you remember to be really special? Any favorite vacation spots?

Labels: ,

Written at 6/09/2006 11:13:00 PM by Jennefer .
9 comments
9 Comments:
This is somewhat ordinary...but for us at the time it wasn't and that is what made it memorable. One day int he summer, my mom (who never seemed to do anything spontaneous) had my sister and I walk with her to a local movie theater where we viewed a cool summer kiddo flick. It was so much fun and such an adventure - something we normally would not have done. This only works of course if you have a movie theater within waling distance...but it was fun and we saw what we could find on the way on the roadside - flowers and stuff that had flown out of cars - for my sister and I, it was an adventure and one I remember to this day even though it wasn't that big a deal. Do keep yourself busy - that should help the time pass. I feel for ya I can't imagine how hard it must be to wait.
10 June, 2006 00:10  
This is somewhat ordinary...but for us at the time it wasn't and that is what made it memorable. One day int he summer, my mom (who never seemed to do anything spontaneous) had my sister and I walk with her to a local movie theater where we viewed a cool summer kiddo flick. It was so much fun and such an adventure - something we normally would not have done. This only works of course if you have a movie theater within waling distance...but it was fun and we saw what we could find on the way on the roadside - flowers and stuff that had flown out of cars - for my sister and I, it was an adventure and one I remember to this day even though it wasn't that big a deal. Do keep yourself busy - that should help the time pass. I feel for ya I can't imagine how hard it must be to wait.
10 June, 2006 00:10  
Blogger Deb said...
Great list. I bought a snow cone maker and Dave and I have been making snow cones for each other a couple nights a week. Exciting!
Concerts in the park are always fun. There are going to be some movies in the park this summer I am trying to go to at least one with a friend of mine.
My favorite summer vacation was going to Williamsburg & Jamestown, VA and seeing all the history there. We even locked my sister up in the jail for a picture. :-)
Next in line would have to be seeing Niagra Falls and the Statue of Liberty.
10 June, 2006 00:27  
Blogger Elle said...
Camping and barbecues. Those are our 2 summertime fun activities. This year it will be weddings and picking splinters out of our asses while pining away for the boy.
10 June, 2006 01:29  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Each summer I dedicate Wednesdays as "English Tea Day." We invite a different family over for tea---complete with cucumber sandwiches, little cakes, Earl Grey tea and lemonade. We have fun decorating the tea table with fancy linens and napkins, fresh flowers from the garden and all that fancy china you never use (What ARE we saving it for?!)
Sometimes we play croquet, too, as it fits the upperclass ambiance and just about anyone can play. I know you have three boys, so this event wouldn't likely hold their attention the entire summer, but you'd be amazed how special these invitations become to our friends. Many of the children have never eaten off china, tasted sugared violets or swung a croquet mallet. The girls like to dress up and everyone just pretends we're something out of The Great Gatsby or Jeeves and Wooster films.
On a more masculine note, John Lithgow has a fabulous book of family activities that's worth every penny of the price. He tells you how to plan the events, what to buy, how much it will cost (many are totally free). Feeling artistic? Create a New York skyline with cereal boxes as a family project. How about a "Canned Film Festival" or a popcorn party. We threw a backwards party for my 16 year old last year using this book and it was a hoot. Check it out:
A Lithgow Palooza
101 Wayts to Entertain and Inspire Your Kids
ISBN 0-7432-6124-0
Heather
10 June, 2006 04:45  
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I have 2 boys, ages 12 & 9, and they are planning a dinner, complete with a menu, table setting, etc. We are inviting a couple of other families over and the boys are taking care of everything. Their menu is going to consist of some Russian cuisine... so they can practice until our kids get home. It is taking a couple of weeks of planning & prep.
10 June, 2006 11:08  
Blogger Maggie said...
My family used to rent a cottage for the summers up on a lake in Northern Michigan. It's still my favorite place on earth.
10 June, 2006 12:26  
Blogger sandy said...
I particularly want to hear how numbers 6 and 7 go. =))

I need to sit down and make my list too. Easter vacation was my wake-up call that I'd better get some sort of schedule together or we'll be spending our summer days in our pajamas until 3pm when I realize that we have no milk in the house.

My favorite summer activity would probably be camping. We've been to Tahoe with the kids (and Kevin's family) for the past 3 summers and it's really fun (and exhausting, though each year it gets easier as the kids get older). We like to go to the beach too. And there's a farmer's market nearby that sells sno-cones and kettle corn that is fun to visit.
10 June, 2006 16:51  
Blogger matmaven said...
I must tell my snow cone story. Two summers ago I bought a snow cone maker thinking it would be the greatest thing to make the kids. We have a summer home near the beach which is fully carpeted in light muted colors (you know where this is going, don't you?) Anyway, I just told the kids as I handed them their cherry red cones that these were to be eaten outside only. My then 6 year old son in what I can only assume was a brain freeze moment, ran through the house and up the stairs with his aforementioned cherry red snow cone and of course fell on the carpeted steps. I to this day continue to try to clean the now pink hues from the otherwise formerly beige carpeted steps. Mothers BEWARE of the dreded snow cone. (I haven't made snow cones since).
10 June, 2006 22:55  
Post a Comment
<< Home