Summer Fun (June 10th-16th)

If you are a mama to a toddler (or multiple) and are on summer break with your kid(s) at home, then you are probably like me and trying to figure out what to do with them. If this is you, then keep reading!! I am going to do my very best to document what we do on a weekly basis. I will be upfront and honest about my good ideas and not-so-good ideas! These weekly details will be from Monday to Sunday and will include pictures, details, and maybe some prices!

First off, meet my kiddos, Reed and Dawson. Reed is a sweet, tender hearted, very active four year old who loves super heroes, watching movies, playing legos, and swimming! Dawson is an outgoing, stubborn, excessively busy two year old who loves being outside, playing any kind of sport, riding any motorized vehicle (lawnmower, golf cart, gator, etc) and being with his daddy.

Monday, the 10th – Today was a relaxed day for the most part. The boys and I woke up around 8am and stayed home. The boys played in and outside while I got the house clean. Jared got home around 5pm and we went to an all-star baseball game. The boys loved the game and the huge swing set that came with it! My advice to you would be to find a park near you! We love the Nature Center in Kinston! https://www.ci.kinston.nc.us/463/Exchange-Nature-Center

Tuesday, the 11th – Today, I was able to have my babysitter watch the boys for a few hours while I went to Jacksonville for Father’s Day gifts. However, while in Jacksonville, my car messed up and I spent four hours at the dealership getting it fixed. 10/10 do not recommend this! When I left the dealership, I met Jared at Reed’s speech therapy office to pick him up and take him to his Little Warriors class. While Jared was in class, Dawson and I went to the local Dollar General Market for a few grocery items. I did let Dawson pick out a cup and a toy for him and Reed. They each got a $1 themed cup and a $5 dollar Supper Hero Mask. If you and your kids find a low key day where you want to get out of the house, this “shopping” trip was very fun for Dawson and was inexpensive!

Wednesday, the 12th – Today was Reed’s yearly Behavioral Specialist appointment in Raleigh. Jared, myself, Reed, and Dawson went to his appointment and then we decided to take the boys to The Museum of Life and Science. Our boys LOVED this experience! They didn’t care much for the science portion, but they loved the dinosaur trail, butterfly room, country animal area, reptile room, and the monkey exhibit! Just keep in mind, that there is quite a bit of walking! We wouldn’t have gone if we didn’t have our stroller already in the car. Also, a lot of kids had on their bathing suits, so that could be something fun for your kids! You can find information about that in the website above!

Thursday, the 13th – A friend of mine came to our house, with her son, for an arts and crafts day! We attempted to paint plates for our kids to give our husbands on Father’s Day! They turned out so good and we were able to order everything from Amazon!

Friday, the 14th – Jared, the boys, and I went to Emerald Isle with my parents for Father’s Day Weekend. I have grown up spending our summers at a campground in Swansboro since I was 8 years old. It was fun then, but so special now that my boys get to experience the same excitement of swimming in the pool, riding the golf cart, and so much more.

Saturday, the 15th – When we woke up that morning, Jared sadly had a Chicken Alarm that reported a chicken house without power. This lead him to have to go home to get it fixed, but returned around 2pm. When he got back, there was of course a College World Series game on that we had to watch. Once the game was over, we went to eat supper across the bridge at Rucker Johns, followed by feeding the turtles outside of the restaurant and a walk on the pier to see what kind of fish were being caught. Lol.. there were none. The wind was SO BAD!! Once we got back to our camper, there was suppose to be another game on, but weather lead to it being postponed. That was our sign to go to bed.

**Heads Up: If you like to visit Bogue Inlet Pier, keep in mind that they are charging a fee now! This fee applies 24/7, all year around. For our vehicle to park it was, $5. Jared was driving and used his card, so I am unsure if there is a cash option. (I’m not stating whether or not I agree with the fee, I am just giving you the information!)

Sunday, the 16th – We woke up around 7:30 and went to Starbucks for Coffee and Hardees for breakfast. Around 11am, we packed up and headed home. We didn’t really do anything exciting today, due to being gone all weekend and the boys just wanting to stay inside and play with their toys! Sunday was also Father’s Day, so it was all about what Jared wanted once we got home from the beach. He got home from checking his animals around 1pm and then we gave our dog a haircut and a bath. We then watched the College World Series and ate supper. Jared wanted a lot of appetizers, so that is what we did.

-Beef Nachos

– Fried Shrimp

– Stuffed Mushrooms

– Jalapeno Poppers

– Pigs in a Blanket

– Veggie Assortment with Ranch

This week wasn’t anything too exciting, but hopefully you got an idea or two of what you could do with your kids to put some excitement into these summer days . As a teacher, I always create this unrealistic expectation that my house will be immaculate, I will clean out all of our closets, and we will go somewhere fun everyday. Please know, THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN (for me anyways)!! This year, I am attempting to take it one day/week at a time!

Tip: To help manage your house in a healthy way; create a weekly “Clean Up Chart” to help you keep your house tidy while also enjoying time doing what you want to do. This prevents spending all day cleaning, which I have a bad habit of doing. (Doing house chores should NOT be your hobby!!!)

**My Weekly Clean Up Chart**

(I do the daily clean up of dirty dishes, toy pick up, and at least a load of laundry. The chart below is for tedious/deep cleaning to keep each room fresh without putting the stress on a full day of cleaning, everyday.)

– Monday: Living Room

– Tuesday: Boy’s Room + Hallway

– Wednesday: Laundry Room + Hallway Bathroom

– Thursday: Kitchen

– Friday: Master Room + Bathroom

– Saturday: family time

– Sunday: family time

Link for the magnetic organizer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NW47WVL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

I hope this was helpful for any struggling mama out there. Even if you are not struggling, maybe you can find something beneficial for you and your kids to do this summer! I’ll be back for another recap, next week!

Talk soon,

Taylor <3