Free and Low-Cost Summer Ideas for Families

Free and Low-Cost Summer Ideas for Families great article from Surviving Motherhood with Humor. I know when the kids get back from grandma's I will be needing things to do and CHECK I have all these on hand so I know I'll be just fine!

This was my Day 3 task in the SITS PROBLOGGER CHALLENGE! 

If you know of other sites that offer this info please list here, we all need more ideas of what to do with the kids during the summer.

I have one to add.....Community Pool-swimming in my area cost $1 for 3 hrs of swimming. I take a book, glasses, sunscreen, and the kids and head on down M-F.

5 Reasons I'm LOVING the Kids being with Grandma

First, I want you to know I'm missing my kids A LOT!!!!! But I do have to admit I've been enjoying these 2 weeks that the kids are with grandma.

1. Quiet. Wow quiet...do I have to say more? I don't have to break up fights about lil mama bothering lil man or lil man hitting lil mama. Been enjoying the quiet!
2. Clean House: My feet loves it too because I haven't had to step on that lego or crayon that was left behind with my kids trying to clean up their mess. They know "mom" will get it...not good right but sometimes I feel its just easier for me to do it then to argue, fight, and scream at them. Toys have stayed in the bedrooms for almost 2 weeks and LOVING THAT! Now if I can just get my hubby to clean up his messes then I would be in heaven...sorry sweetie love ya but you know that corner drives me nuts! I can clean in 30 minutes not 3hrs!
3. Cooking: OMG Dinners have been so pleasant! We have been eating grown up food and I don't have to make 3 different dishes just please everyone. What I mean grown up food is food my kids don't like...you know healthy fish, pork , veggies, and dishes that look good on the plate. Oh and my hubby has been breaking out the margaritas lately too. I don't have to hear "Ewww whats that, yuck I'm not eating that, gross mom can I have something else" I put the plate in front of my husband and don't hear a word until he says "Thanks, that was wonderful baby". Also I've got to eat my own food without the 25 interruptions and no hands grabbing stuff off my plate! LOVING THIS!!
4. TV time: We actually can watch adult shows ( not porn-can't speak for hubby though lol) and w/o any interruptions. My son has also learned how to use the DVR so I'm always telling him to stop recording all the Micheal Jackson specials. I can watch all my DVR shows the next day not next week like I usually have to!
5. Laundry: I got caught up on our laundry hill because us adults don't change our clothes 2-3 times a day. WOW what a big difference between just the 2 of us compared to the 4 of us. I thought I was caught up all the way until I went into lil man's room and found clothes behind the door and under the bed. Geez he not even here and making me work.

Did I mention how QUIET it is??? My friends have tried to get me out but guess what I just want to stay home and enjoy the QUIET! We go get the kids this weekend and so the QUIET will be gone but I will enjoy NOISE too!

This is part of the SITS Problogger Challenge- Day 2- Write a List Post

I'm not liking my theme

Colors are ugly too me...but I guess when I picked this theme I liked them.

However, looking for that PERFECT theme takes time and I just know if I want to do this today but I'm putting this on here to remind me that I need to do this :)

If anyone knows of some cool sites that have FREE themes please let me know, maybe someday I'll upgrade but for now free is good!

~Pam
(need to also do a signature)

I'm a Blubbering Idiot sometimes!

My kids have been gone for over a week to their grandma's house up in Wash state and we live in Cali! This has been the longest I've been away from them and yes I do admit it was very nice the first couple days but now.....

Today the kids called and I can tell they are tired. I asked Lil Mama if she is tired and she started crying....ugh that was the wrong move because I was trying to be strong all week and now we are both crying together on the phone. Not a good move. Hopefully Grandma can help her on her end and hubby can help me get it together-NO CRYING on the phone.

Doesn't help a lil pmsing going on too...really not the best week.

I'll write more about the kids being gone later.

Day 1: Write an Elevator Pitch

Wow an elevator pitch...I know I've heard this phrase before but going to look up it up anyways!

Ok got it...what your about in 30 seconds to 2 minutes- the length of a elevator ride! Oh geez this is going to be hard since I love to ramble.

My Elevator Pitch:

Ramblings of a very busy SAHM (stay-at-home-mom)that has her hand in just about 100 different projects. Every day is filled with family, school, friends, and TO DO LISTS.

Wow this has helped me refine what it is my blog is going to be. I've had my blog for a long time and have written a couple posts but never really got into "it". Now I want to get into "it"!

~Pam

Start Blogging Again

Blogging helps it really does! I have a lot going on in my life but I need to take a lil "me"time so I decided to hop back on the blogging train. I came across this today and its the perfect thing I NEED to keep me on track.



Next post will be Day #1 assigment.

Growing up fast!

My babies are doing their STEP-UP Ceremony on Monday and I am so proud of them.

Lil Mama....wow she sure has grown up over the year. She started Kindergarten in September and that was her first time in school. I kept her home because I loved being a mom and loved being at home with her and she was my last baby. I know I should have put her in school just to get that "social" aspect but of course my selfish reasons come first. LOL! She lasted a couple months in her first class but she was not liking school. She came to me and said "Mom I can't focus in my class, can I change classes." Well as a mom I was torn because I LOVE her teacher but my daughter was struggling with other students. The class had some very loud kids. Well it all worked out and my daughter flourished when she went to the other class. Lil Mama LOVES to read. As a reader you know I was happy to hear that she is reading now at a end of 1st grade level. She is looking forward to 1st grade.

Lil Man....wow he has found the love of reading in the 2nd grade. He has some wonderful friends that are really good readers and I think he wanted to keep up with them so he pushed himself. He was into reading the Wimpy Kid series and now loves the Percy Jackson books. He also loves to draw a lot and I find his drawings on papers everywhere. Artist like his Daddy-love that! He is looking forward to 3rd grade and a certain teacher so we are keeping our fingers crossed he gets him. Next year will be hard on him because his 2 close friends are going to a different schools. I'm hoping he will connect with others and not be sad. He has been at the school for 3 yrs and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure my kids stay in one school.

Life...busy lately!

Geez somedays I wake up and I just want to crawl right back in a SLEEP all day.  I guess I gave that dream up when I had kids.  I have a lot going on in my life but its all good.  I think I will write about each thing separately so I can catch up and get all these "feelings" out. 

My life is good and I wouldn't change a thing...okay take that back I would change my financial status in a heartbeat but hey live with what you have.  But hey an extra couple thousand a month wouldn't hurt right...LOL!

Anyhoo lets see this is what I'm going to talk about:

Me
Hubby
Hubby Biz
Hubby/Me
School
Kids
Family
Home
Jobs
My other blog-MTB
Future stuff

Okay so that gives me several days worth of work and I'm going to do it!!!  Promise Pam.  I need an outlet and this blog is so useful. 

Do you ever have so much on your mind you can't SLEEP?

My usual bedtime these days is about 10-11pm.  It's either I;m getting old or my body is adjusting to my hubby's schedule.  He has to get up at 3:30 am to get to work by 5- bless is heart.  I;m not sure if I would do that, okay maybe if i really liked the job.  But here I sit at 1:20am and my eyes won't even get drowsy.  By the way it hard to type in the semi dark. 

I have school issues I'm working on... a lot- maybe too much.  There is a lot going on in such a little amount of time and feeling pressure from several angles.  What did I get myself into, is a question I ask everyday but then I tell myself it is going to be so worth it.  My kid's school is struggling and I feel a lot of parents are just giving up and thats hard to deal with when your putting in 200% to make the school better.  I'm not jumping ship and I'm standing up (i know my 5ft doesn't do much) for what I believe in.  Is this a smart move- no idea, ask me in a year. 

My hubby's biz is taking off and I'm trying to keep that organized.  We are getting bookings for Bar Mitzvah, dinner graduations, softball opening days, and birthday parties.  I've done a lot of promoting of his work (mrairbrushhands.com) and i think that has helped a lot!

Trying to prioritize everything is such a chore but I'm beginning to do TO DO lists now....turning into my mom I think, she is all about the lists.  I'm going to try to use my blackberry in a more useful way! One more thing i have to learn.  Also need to learn how to put music on my bb. 

This week is lil mama's 6th bday and making her happy is a task all in its own.  Can she just stick to one plan!  I swear its a bday week but she deserves it ALL- that sassy lil one. 

Well I'm going to try to go to bed now.  Didn't get much accomplished but hey wrote a post on here so that counts for something right !!!

Wow It's been several months since my last post!

My world has been very busy!  I've taken a lot on and hoping to get it all figured out soon. 

I've been very active in my kids school- we had several low points but I'm trying to get the parents involved more and its coming together.  Parents are willing to help they just need to be asked!  My kids school has been an important factor in our lives so I wasn't going to jump ship-fight for what you believe in and I am!   It actually has given me a purpose and my self esteem has just skyrocketed.  I feel good when I'm helping the school but sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming.  I go to ptotoday.com and it is filled with so much useful info.  I became secretary of our PTC (PARENT TEACHER CORP) and that is an experience.  I hope I don't let anyone down.

We have several cool things happening at the school: Earth Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, Gala, Auction, Read-a-thon/Book-Fair so I think I'm really going to be busy!

Lil Mama and I read this book the other about Earth Day:

Well I'm going to write more about what is happening in our home later tonight.  I have some great stuff to share!