Summertime, and the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin' So hush little baby, Don't you cry

We started our first week of summer vacation with a special celebration for the best father ever.  Elijah is an amazing man, and even more so, a wonderful father.  He loves and cares for his children, and doesn't show it with only loving words, which are important, but also by true acts of kindness for each of his children.  He listens calmly to them and takes every possible opportunity to teach them kindly through his example, through the scriptures, and through hard work.  He shows his love and care for them by reading to them every night, by playing with them outside, by getting involved in all of their activities and interests, by having them work side by side with him, and by taking time on one on one basis.  Each of our kids have a trusting and loving relationship with him.  They love, respect, and adore their father.  How blessed they are to have such a pure and faithful man as their father!  Their faith and love for Heavenly Father is solid, because they've felt the love and care of their earthly father.  There is nothing better a mother desires for her children than to have an exceptional example of a father for them.  I'm grateful for you, Elijah.  My boys will without a doubt become great fathers because of you, and my girls will have very high expectations for their future husbands because they see what a good man, a sweet husband, and wonderful father you are.  Happy Father's Day!

On Father's Day, the kids helped cook breakfast, write heartfelt cards, and gave presents to their dad.  Here are some of the funny cards they wrote in Primary:

June 16 was the first day of our summer schedule.  We gave my summer itinerary a try, and we were all pleased with it.  The rest of the week worked great as well.  I know there will be exceptions throughout the summer to their assigned routine, but as long as they keep their regular agenda constant and going, we'll all be happy and engaged.  Here is what we are trying to do this summer:

Here are some of the things we did on our first week of summer vacation:

Ran for over 5 miles on our Monday Running Club

Attended our weekly pilgrimage to the library

Read and wrote book reports on art, science, history, and various biographies

Had a blast at the swimming pool with friends, good food, and great summer books

Read classics all week and wrote a report on them on Friday

Attended a very inspiring fireside with Clayton Christensen, who amongst many other beautiful things that he said that night, he brought a new perspective into my mind when he shared the thought that most people out there who have left religion, haven't rejected God, but false doctrine. 

We concluded our week by helping out at a baptism of a young boy whose mother had just been baptized a few months prior.  James was asked to give a talk on baptism, and boy did he shine!!  The Spirit was strong and the doctrine he shared went right to our hearts.  What an amazing missionary he will be!  Gillian was also asked to sing a special musical number, and she sang If the Savior Stood Beside Me, which bring tears to my eyes every time I hear it.  Her voice has matured a lot, and her presence while singing looks way more relaxed.  Jefferson and James helped with the chairs, and befriending the newly baptized member.  I was so proud of my children.

If this week was an indication, I think our summer is going to be brilliant!

Summer has officially started! - Summary of the week of June 18-23 (Monday)

We started our summer vacation by participating in our annual running club on Monday, June 18. It's organized by a few ladies in our two sister wards and children of all ages participate. We meet at a park with a nearby field, which measures a mile if you run or walk around it four times. We arrived there at about 9:10, and while I conversed with my friends, my children ran. Charlton tried running and walking and after doing one lap with Gillian and one with James, he determined that he enjoyed playing with his friends on the playground more. Gillian and James each ran five miles. And by the time everybody was done running or playing on the playground, Jefferson had accomplished an amazing 9 miles within 1 hour and 15 minutes non-stop. He really wanted to finish his 10 mile goal, but everybody was ready to leave, and I promised him he could finish it at home on the treadmill. I don't think anyone in that group had heard of any child running 9 miles at one time. I myself couldn't believe it. I kept making sure he had enough water as well as letting him know it was okay to stop, but each time he would reassure me that he was fine and that he really wanted to reach his goal. I love a boy with an unflinching determination!

After running, we attended the library. The older two rested while reading, and my younger two and I sat down and read for two hours. My two favorite books that I remember both of my boys liked as well were Color Chaos by Lynn Rowe Reed (a fun book about elementary and secondary colors and their importance in our daily life told in a very entertaining and unique way) and Emeline at the Circus by Marjorie Priceman (a book that will delight both the younger kids, the older ones and the parents; there was a lot of educational information about each animal in the circus that it made it very interesting for me and my older kids.)

When we got home, I had my kids go through the sprinklers just so they could feel cool.

For Family Home Evening that night we congratulated Jefferson in exceeding his goal, and Gillian and James for being kind enough to take Charlton along with them as they ran. Then, I proceeded with my lesson which was about goals and hard work.

As soon as school is out, I start thinking of ways to make summer fun and productive for my kids and myself. So, I sit down and make lists of things I would like them to learn and do, and then put them in systematic charts. This time I asked my children what they wanted to do and learn, and how we wanted to schedule our daily time. I was surprised to notice that my children wanted to do most of the things I wanted to do, and even more. For example when I asked them how often did they want to do summer school, they replied that they should do it everyday. And then each proceeded to let me know what specific subjects they wanted to improve during summer.

When we discussed chores, they each wanted to learn how to cook, so now they get to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner twice a week. We are starting it simple, but they already know how to cook a whole delicious meal (Gillian - spaghetti with meat sauce, green salad, and french bread, Jefferson - precooked meat balls heated in the oven, rice and steamed broccoli, and James - hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and fruit salad. And they already know how to make three different kinds of sandwiches.)

The other new thing I started this summer is that each of them will be responsible for their own laundry. This has not been working quite like I envisioned it yet, but it's mostly my fault for not being organized enough and have the rest of the laundry out of the way before they start their own. True to their word, my kids have helped wash and fold laundry each day; it's just been everyone's laundry. I'm catching up this week, so hopefully next week they will be on their own.

One last thing I'm trying this summer is the award system. I've never used this before because I've always hoped that the kids would be obedient for the sake of obedience, and they usually are. However, I thought if I turned it into a game with awards and prizes, the kids would have a better attitude. So far it has required a bit more work from me to keep up with their progress, but other than that the kids seem to like it. So after I gathered up all the information and processed it on paper, I introduced it to the kids for FHE. Jefferson requested that I also jot down a tentative daily schedule and post it on the fridge. He said it would help him plan his own things. So, without delay, here is what came out from that evening:

DAILY ACTIVITIES

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Fun	Library	Computer Games	Field Trip	Play Date	Park	Movie
Sport	Running	Soccer in the backyard	Play basketball with dad	Bike Racing	Rollerblading in the park	Baseball
Family Activity	Family Home Evening	Arts and Crafts Night	Watch Star Trek with dad	Write letters to family and friends	Make Puzzles	Board Games/Cards

DAILY SCHEDULE

Monday/Friday

8:00 Breakfast/Chores

9:00 Running Club/Park

10:30 Library/Grocery shopping

12:00 Lunch

12:30 Summer School

2:30 Reading/Resting Time

4:00 Sports

5:00 Dinner

5:30 Family Activity

6:30 Classics & Scriptures

7:30 Personal Time

8:30 Lights Out

Tuesday/Thursday

8:00 Breakfast

9:00 Make beds/chores

10:00 Summer school

12:00 Lunch

12:30 Fun Activity

2:30 Reading/Rest Time

4:00 Sports

5:00 Dinner

5:30 Family Activity

6:30 Classics &Scriptures

7:30 Personal Time

8:30 Lights Out

*Wednesdays are Field Trip days

Free Play Ideas:

Read on your own

Take a nap

Drawing/Coloring

Puppet making

Play Dough

Dress up

Crafts

Model kits

Puzzles

Animal Kingdom

Board Games

Transportation

Legos

Castle (knights vs. dragons)

Tinker Toys

Watch a documentary

Blocks (build a city)

Beads/stamps/ stickers

Playground

Sports

Books on tape

Listen to music/Dance

The Garmon children’s Award Chart

“Oh be wise, what can I say more?” – Jacob 6:12

You may earn:

1 * for not complaining about summer school

1 * for not complaining about getting daily chores done

1* for keeping your room clean and neat

1*for keeping your dresser neat

1* for using good manners (please and thank you)

You may earn extra points if you do the following:

2*s for reading 1 hour on your own

2*s for individually reading your scriptures (listening to the scriptures – only for James) for 30 minutes

2*s for an exceptionally well written book report or creative story

You may use your stars for:

1 *- 5 minutes of computer time (to not exceed 2 hours a week)

5 *s - 30 minutes of tv shows (to not exceed 2 shows per week)

10 *s – watching a movie of your choice (to not exceed one a week as a group)

20 *s – going to the movie theater/eating out

30 *s – going on a date with mom

40 *s – books in a series

50*s – a prize of your choice – approved by us

I have the right to take away stars if I hear complaining about school or chores, if your rooms are not clean, your dresser not neat, and you are not using good manners. I can also take your privileges away (movie time, play dates, computer time) if you fail to receive any stars. You may combine your stars as a group, or save them for bigger prizes.

The Garmon Children’s Chore Chart

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1.Laundry 2. Setting the Table 3. Bathroom 1 (only on Saturday)	Gillian	James	Jefferson	Gillian	James	Jefferson
1.Vacuuming 2.Loading the dishes 3.Bathroom 2 (only on Saturday)	Jefferson	Gillian	James	Jefferson	Gillian	James
1.Cooking 2.Unloading the dishes 3.Mopping (only on Saturday)	James	Jefferson	Gillian	James	Jefferson	Gillian

I'll let you guys know how this is working out.

What is your philosophy about summer time with children? What are your favorite memories as a child? What do your kids like to do the most? How do you instill in them a strong work ethic and responsibility?