::summer goals::

I want to try something different this year.  Usually I set totally insane goals for summer.  Whoppers like - teach Lily one years worth of school over the summer so she goes back to school crazy advanced.  Or - Spend one hour every day in the garden.  Or - organize all my closets.  Or - kill myself trying to be the most creative-most perfectest- most coolest mom in the universe.  Only to fail.  This year I would like to set myself up for success.  I decide to make Ten Summer Goals that might actually be possible.  Phrasing them as goals gives me the chance to strive for them without always perfectly meeting them.
 
Summer goals: (in no particular order)
1.  Be totally present and totally focused every single day for each member of the family for at least 20 minutes.  No phone in my pocket, no lists on my mind - 100% in the moment and attentive.

2.  Let the house go to seed.  Don't run behind the kids cleaning up all day.  Make an evening rule that when Dad calls to say he is on his way home each kid spends 15 minutes power cleaning while I finish dinner.  Allow 30-45 mins each day I am off for cleaning and that is ALL.  If it doesn't get clean in that amount of time than it is not happening till the next day off.  Set a timer and stick to it.

3.  Cook lots.  Meal plan lots.  Avoid eating out.  It's stressful with all the herd of people we have to take now.  It's unhealthy because I love friend food but don't know how to make it at home.  It's costly because Lily and I know how to put some serious food away.

4.  Do lots of art projects.  Don't sink away from a mess.  Let them get the paint out.  Get crazy.  Encourage them to be expressive.  Let Max paint the trees and fence (with washable paints).

5.  Go on a weekly field trip.  Plan it ahead of time.  Take lunches and go.  Try out new things in the city that we have never done before.  (Side goal - get a stroller.  Quinn is getting too big to be carried all the time.  New goal - do more arm exercise so I can carry Quinn till he is 4.)

6.  Do something every week that is just for Josh.  Just to be considerate.  Something that takes stress out of his life.  Plan it and get it done.  Talk to the kids about it so they can get in on the idea.

7.  Say yes.  Don't just say no because I am tired or stressed or doing the laundry.  If Max says, "Can I go outside?"  Say YES~ and stop folding clothes and go with him.  I'll regret it in 10 years if I don't.

8.  Be ready for 4H fair WAY ahead of time.  NO JOKE!!  Don't put it off.  Start soon.

9.  Encourage the kids to be magical thinkers.  Play pretend with them.

10.  Dry as many clothes as possible of the clothes line.  Yes it is less confident but it looks so pretty and the clothes smell so good.
 
One more -
Make time to go to the YMCA.  Let the kids swim and play with the kids groups while I keep working on getting fit.  This baby weight is not going away by itself and I want to be fit so I can keep up and not be grumpy.