As you know our Children start their summer holidays a little later over here and today is their last day of school.  Obviously Eldest and Youngest have now left their school days behind but it still reminds me how much I loved having the Boys at home for the six week holiday.  A lot of my friends would moan about having their children at home for so long but I always thought of it as a joy.  I was very lucky that I work from home so was able to look after the Boys and still work, but I did modify how I worked when they were off, so I could spend the day with them.

I always tried to arrange things to do, not every day of course, but activities that we could do which did not cost a lot or anything at all.

Here is one way of choosing what to do on holiday.  Get some lolly sticks and write down an activity on one end and on the other put a “D” for a dry day or “W” for a wet day.  Put the sticks with the activity inside a jar filled with rice for no peeking and then the Boys would in turn get to choose a stick, depending upon the weather and off we would go or get on with the activity at home.  They loved it, especially the surprise of what we would be doing that day. 

The sorts of activities I would have down would be baking for the day, walking Treacle at Chatsworth House, Visiting a Museum which they had not been to before (they are all free to enter in this country), Visiting the National Forest, this one particular year they picked out the material for their quilts, playing Badminton or Tennis. going swimming for the fun of it instead of training (!), going to the Library where they took part in the reading scheme for the summer, visiting our relatives, Going on a picnic, paining pottery, the list really is endless. 

This was Summer 2002 with Kelly and they had been out in the garden all day and as you can see making mud pies!!!!  Eldest is six and Youngest two

By doing the sticks it gave them the choice of what to do rather than me just saying we would be doing this and that which they loved, especially as they got older.  The first day of the holiday we always had a “Pajama Day” when they could get up when they wanted and have whatever they wanted to eat and basically do nothing structured for the whole day.  It was also a good day for me to decompress after the frantic last few weeks of term.

They loved baking and they both got their Scout Badges for cooking.

We always had to visit any steam train festivals!  Also on holiday in Scotland.

The only thing they hated doing, which I insisted on doing as soon as they had broken up for the summer, was to go shopping for their new uniforms for September!!! They hated it but I hate crowds more, so always took them on the first week of the holiday.  By doing this I was able to get all their names sewn into their new uniforms and knew that everything was ready for the first day back.  It also meant I was able to get all the sizes as the shops do start to sell out.  The only thing we did do the week before they went back to school was get their new shoes/plimsolls/rugby boots etc.

Ready for the New School Year!

Now they are both working!!! But it still feels like the first day of the holidays to me!!!

Saying that it is house jobs day today and grocery shopping and a huge basket of ironing!!!  The Boys might have been on holiday but Moms always have house jobs to do!!!!

I hope you lovely lot have a wonderful Summer Weekend.

Hugs, Susie xx