Silly Mommy, Summer Break is for Kids!

So my kids have officially been on summer break for 10,000 years now. Nope, sorry, I mean 3 weeks. What the hell?

This is my life:

Yes!!! It's Sunday! School tomorrow. Wait. It's summer. Dammit! 

Yes! It's Friday, the weekend is here. Wait! Weekends don't mean shit. Dammit!

You guys, summer is kicking my ass.

I feel like I have been thrown into the olympics without ever training. Other moms are running laps around me, doing flips, performing perfect 10 dives into the pool. I'm over here counting down the hours until bedtime, wondering when my kids got too old for naps.

Again, summer is kicking my ass.

I have found lots of these ninja shots on my phone from Harlow. I think she might be calling them "The Summer Chronicles: Mom's Pajamas"

I am trying to remember all the awesome stuff I did when I was a kid, because I remember summer being AMAZING, but I can't. So I think I have hyped it up so much in my head and I see all these moms just killin it, that I have put a little too much pressure on myself. I think I might have watched a lot of Rugrats when I was a kid. But now, tv is the reason that kids are dying. I want to send them outside, but I have the wrong sunscreen and it is the reason kids are dying. I want to bake cookies and go get ice cream, but sugar is the reason kids are dying. Basically, it's a miracle that I survived.

Apparently, summer has always kicked my ass.

In case any moms are in the same ship this summer (S.S. Summer of broken dreams), I thought I might share some of the activities that have worked for us. None of these are extremely creative or hard to do, which will either be appreciated... or not.

1) Trips to the park/playground. We do this everyday, there is just something about getting out of the house that stretches your sanity.

2) Going to the library... this can be difficult. Taking 4 kids to a place were silence is desired is not the most relaxing task.

3) Running through the sprinklers

4) Ikea. You think this is a joke, but it is not. Free child care for an hour. Yes, please, I will take it. The kids all had a blast.

5) Sidewalk chalk.

6) Experiments. We made Gak. I used this recipe. I gave each kid a cutting board or cookie sheet and got out the cookie cutters. Hours of fun. Not exaggerating.

7) Drive in movies. I forgot how much fun these are and the kids don't have to be quiet.

8) Target dollar spot. They have great backyard toys and my kids love them!

9) School work. Again, not joking. My kids love it when they "play school". This website has lots of activities to print out and give them so that their brains don't turn to mush this summer. I have pinned lots of free printables, as well.

10) Scavenger hunts.

11) Splash parks are a personal favorite of mine. My kids have fun in the water and I don't have to put on a bathing suit. #Winning

12) Lemonade stands.

13) Water balloon fights.

14) Rainy day activity, make a book. Let them them tell you a story. Type it for them, then print it out and have them illustrate it. It will be their favorite bedtime story for weeks!

15) Learn something new! Derrick took the boys golfing and I am signing Harlow up for a tennis clinic.

16) Trips to the liquor store. Do that without the kids though ;)

If I come across more successful sanity savers, I will be sure to share them.