Summer rhythm

Summer has a much slower rhythm than other seasons.  It's a time to relax and refresh before the busyness of fall comes back.  Sometimes I can still pack our summer so full that it whizzes by, but this year I've purposefully kept it as empty as possible.  It's been so nice to settle into a slower pace.

I'm a night owl.  My mom says I've been that way since I was born.  So summer is my time to stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning and sleep in as late as I want.  I love not waking up to an alarm.  My day starts off so much nicer when I can wake up on my own.

After I wake up, I get the kids their breakfast and I spend some time catching up on emails and Facebook.  I go get ready for the day and maybe do a few chores.  Then it's lunch time.  After lunch the kids have to turn off the television.  Then my kids do their workbooks.

Yes - I give my kids homework for the summer.  I can't help it.  My degree is in elementary education.  I want my kids to stay actively involved in learning.  So I get them workbooks that are for the grade they're going into.  This year is the first year that my youngest is working on a preschool workbook.  We all sit down at the table together.  My two older ones usually don't need my help except when they need some clarification, but my youngest needs my guidance through each page.  I've told people about this tradition of ours before and they usually tell my kids that they can come live with them since I'm so mean and make them do school work in the summer.  My kids always tell them the same thing - "Actually, we like it."

After we do the workbooks it's chore time.  Then they can play or read for a while.  I always hope I've finished my own chores by this time so that I can work on my writing.  Soon it's dinner time and my husband comes home.  We spend some time as a family - watching movies, playing board games.  Then I read to them (right now we're reading through the Chronicles of Narnia) and it's time for bed.

I love this rhythm.  I love the time we spend together.  I love the slowness.  I love the routine.  I love the rest.  I keep so busy all the time that it's nice to slow down for a change.

It's not that we never do anything else.  We'll go to the zoo or on a play date.  We'll go swimming sometimes or go to a movie.  Once a week I try to bake with the kids.  We've made cookies and batter breads so far.  But that's part of the beauty of it, too.  We have the ability to be pretty flexible.  I love summer!