We have 1-2 more weeks of school left (depending on how motivated the girls are to finish things up). And now I've got to figure out what we're doing for the summer. I've learned from history that if given nothing specific to do with their time, my girls will spend all day long watching TV or playing on the computer. Not what I want for their three months of academic freedom.
So I'm exploring the available activities in the area. The third week of June is Skill School at our church, every morning. We'll all be busy with that. The week after that is a drama camp at the Community Theater. The Sioux Center Recreation Department has very inexpensive tennis lessons in July, two lessons a week. And the Art Center has five different two-week art class sessions through the whole summer.
The homeschool group doesn't do much over the summer -- apparently, even the social activities they've tried to arrange in the past weren't well-attended. But one mom organized a group of families to play Ultimate Frisbee once a week, which may be fun. And I'm hoping to get a few of my own friends to commit to an afternoon a week getting together at a local playground or something.
I don't know why I always think I'm going to get so much other stuff in my life done when summer comes. I'm either remarkably optimistic or just plain stupid.
Now, I realize that some of my friends will tell me, "Gwen, you are not your children's recreational director. You don't need to sign them up for all these activities. Leave them alone; let them get bored. Then they'll find their own fun stuff to do."
Maybe so. But maybe not. Am I a wimp to not try that? I think I might have more courage to let them manage their own entertainment for the summer if they had more friends to be entertained with. If I knew that neighbors would be stopping by frequently to invite them out to play, I'd be OK with that. But we haven't met many of the neighbor kids yet.
That's my biggest hope for the summer. Friends in the neighborhood for both girls. Good friends. Nice kids. Girls that I can trust them hanging around without my direct supervision, and that I can stand hanging around my house without annoying me to death.
Why does making new friends have to be so hard . . .
1 comment:
Making friends is hard, but it is easier when you are doing an activity. Sounds like you have a fun summer planned for the girls. I think you are being realistic with what would happen if you left them to their own decisions. I would see the same trend with my boys. That is why Alex is taking tennis lessons, and music lessons and will either go to pharmacy camp at KU or take two college classes through Hutch Juco here in Newton (we hope he gets into pharmacy camp, we should find out this week). Kyle will be taking drivers ed, music lessons and going to church camp, I don't think he is taking tennis lessons too, guess I should ask to be sure. I think it is good to keep busy, most of the time their friends are busy with stuff too, and can't get together when they would like, so they sit at home watching tv or playing video games. I think your summer sounds fun!
Julie W.
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