You know when you’re googling the rules and regulations of what the airlines age restrictions are on unaccompanied children you know that you’re not handling the school holidays very well and you need to do some planning.
Yes I know I should love school holidays and generally I do but this time around I have just looked at the calendar and for the first time in a long time I have gone what the fruit loops that’s a long time. I am developing the same love hate I have for the weekend when husband is at work.
Why its happening now I don’t know but I am blaming the incessant heat we had just recently. It knocked the stuffing out of me and them.
Knowing that there are that many days of nothing left ahead of me has left me in despair and I haven’t felt this amount of despair since realising my hips where never going to go back to their original size after having children…the same despair cant be said for my breasts however you get the picture because as I write this there is currently 16 days, 16 hours and 45 minutes until 830am of their first school day.
I don’t care what you say that is a long time between breathers.
For 16 days 16 hours and 45 minutes I will have someone with me when I sleep, shop, work, go to the toilet and shower ( you know its true) and that is not to mention the time already past. Talking, yelling, asking and its at me all at once. Three of them. Talking to me all at once; only getting louder to be heard by me. They never seem to be quiet. I cant move with out one of my beautiful children in my way. I can’t work the computer to write or even be stationary as it seems to be a signal that its okay to latch on and question me about the weather, when is Easter, what’s water made of and does Shaggy really like Thelma like that. The only time I am getting real peace is when I say lets clean up and not to my surprise they are out the door. And yes I have used ‘lets clean’ but there is only so much cleaning that can be done and only so much fibbing I can do before they catch on. It would also seem that going to Woolworths is not an adequate activity in their eyes they don’t see it as the same exhaustive adventure I do.
Am I complaining? Yes.
Why? Because I am allowed to.
Will I do something about it?
Of course.
So here is what can be done to fill those 16 days and 16 hours and now 32 minutes. It’s what I have planned for my boys and you can do to in order to keep your sanity all awhile it won’t break the bank and will most certainly improve yours and mine status as the most awesome entertainment officer, short order referring cook in town.
- Picnic at our favourite park, lake or in the back yard.
- Swimming at a local lake.
- Swimming at the public pool. Check for activity times or days.
- Bush walk the local track.
- Short road trip to the country.
- Trip to the city just to look at the shops.
- The library..they often run free activities.
- The beach to collect shells, rock pool or swim.
- Going to an art gallery.
- Treasure hunting through op shops.
- Gardening.
- A park crawl.
- Skate park.
- Bike rides.
- A trip to the museum.
- Camping even if it’s just in the back yard.
- Board games.
- Card games we have just discovered UNO but there is snap, go fish and memory.
- Hide and seek (this my friends is the perfect opportunity if you have little ones to get stuff done…they hide you seek…all awhile tiding as you go…of course looking for them in the cupboard, draws, under the sink…etc)
- Make play dough.
- Write letters to daddy or a relation.
- Walk to the post office to post said letters.
- Go out for ice cream.
- Bake.
- Rearrange their rooms.
- Decorate their rooms with home made bunting, lanterns and their own pictures.
- Craft (yes craft I said it).
- Make a cubby house inside or out.
- Setting up a movie theatre, make pop corn and watch dvd’s.
- Arrange play dates and kid swaps for a couple of hours.
So as I sit here I have only screamed leave me for a minute four times with no said twice when asked the same question about afternoon tea but there is now just 16 days, 15 hours and 55 minutes left and so with this in hand there is nothing else to say but god good luck and god speed to you. May the holidays be full but restful.
So do you have any ideas? Add them in the comments please..
xx Deb
