Summer Term

On the day before we return to school for the last half term of the academic year there is always a mixture of emotions running through my household. Nerves, excitement, intrepidation, disappointment. This year it is intensified as my role has changed. 

We are looking forward to the summer together, the extended evenings, the BBQs, the hope of better weather, but wedged in between stretches eight weeks of term. Yes EIGHT weeks. It is a long haul this year.

We have had fun during this half term break and over Easter together. We got away to Cornwall for a family break and have spent time chilling out and recovering from having a house full of builders for months on end. Here are some snapshots of our time off.......

Life is settling into a pattern and we are becoming more accustomed to being a household with two parents working. However, everything hangs by a thread which is easily broken when a child is sick or a parent away or over worked. The ideal certainly would be for one of us to be part time to hold the fort at home a little better!

I am so fortunate in that I love my job - it is a vocation to me. I get engrossed in it, so much so that I have to stop myself from becoming too involved at times. I have to set a time to go home and stick to it as the job is never done, ever!

We have just finished the home office for my husband. The carpet goes in tomorrow so we can move him out of the living room! This means we can claim back another room in our house. I can't wait. Although we have paid someone to do this room I have been painting again and have taken before and after photos for you to see the transformation later this week. Slowly we are re gaining our whole house. By the summer things should be almost normal again.

I can't wait!

Summer Fun

Tips for surviving the summer break - 20 things I have tried !

I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination and anyone who says they find 6 weeks at home with 3 children easy, needs to come and tell me their secrets! My husband works most of the summer too which means it is down to me to keep them occupied, enjoy their company and fit in what work I have to do as well. My eldest two are lively boys and I learnt that the rule "get them out by 10am" was  good from very early on. For those parents out there, heres my top 20 from my experience over the past 10 years..........please add yours in comments - all suggestions gratefully received!

1. Plan, plan, plan.

2. Have some days for the kids to do nothing....they need down time too.

3. Organise help....local teenagers to give you an hour or two to catch up with housework or to have a couple of hours to yourself can be a life saver! Or try childcare.co.uk

4. Arrange play dates.

5. Get the kids to write a list of things they would like to do. Add guidelines like '6 on the list must not cost any money'.

6. Check out local places of interest through the National Trust. 'Kids go free' voucher here

7. Try out Treasure Trails - days out in local areas across the UK.

8. Get them to choose a good cause and raise some money for it . Charity Directory here. ( e.g sponsored bike ride , baking and selling cakes)

9. Look out for free local sports sessions or book into local sports clubs for regular sessions - tired kids sleep better.

10. Check out your local museum .

11. Take your camera, go on a walk and let the children take some photos . If you don't trust them with your camera get some disposable cameras  - display/mount best photos.

12.Teach them a recipe a week - allow the older ones to cook the dinner.

13. Create a raised vegetable garden that they have to manage. Use the produce in their cooking.

14. Go to the library.

15. Let THEM camp in the garden and cook bacon and eggs for breakfast over the camp stove.

16. Enter a competition - here is a story writing competition .

17. Plan a day out somewhere special in advance, so they look forward to it! Days out with the Kids.

18. Have a cinema evening at home with dvds, popcorn,duvets and pillows.

19. Sponsor a child with your children - get them involved in the letter writing etc . Compassion is a good company to use. We have sponsored a child through them.

20. The Woodland Trust have some great ideas for this summer - this is a new one for us.

Digging up potatoes we had planted earlier in the year.

My 10 rules to try and keep the chaos at bay:

1. Put a load of washing on every day.

2. Do one more job than you think you need to do.

3. Everybody has jobs to do. ( Even the 5 year old)

4. I have a night off cooking.

5. If it isn't done before 9pm - it doesn't get done.

6. Everybody puts their own washing,toys,books,shoes,clothes,towels away - penalties if you don't!

7. Have a rota.

8. Have a reward chart.

9. Don't stress about the mess.

10. Sunday night tidy up - everybody mucks in.

What little gems do you have up your sleeve for surviving the long summer holiday with a smile still on your face?