Busy "At Home" Summer Day

Last week we were on the go go go, and while it was great, I know I can't trek all over the state everyday. I'm trying really hard to find the right balance between hitting the beach and days spent at home. Yesterday's at home day...not too much fun. And I even brought them to the pool after lunch for crying out loud!

Today, however, I wanted things to be different. Better. Idle time for boys who get very, very naughty was the culprit yesterday, so we got busy bright and early. It was Caleb's turn today to help with the laundry, and he did a great job! All three boys now can tackle a load, almost by themselves! You're welcome, future wifeys! =)

By 8:30 we were outside, checking on the baby birds and then drawing pictures on the sidewalk across the street- there are nice big shadows there in the AM. We ended up doing body outlines- ha ha! It was so much fun, and they giggled the whole time I was outlining them. I wouldn't have thought this would be such a hit, but we really enjoyed it. They traced each other in different poses for a long while.

I thought I'd be soooo clever and make them shakes, announcing the excitement as "What's Shaking Wednesday?" when one of the boys corrected me and said ,"Um, Mom, it's Thursday."

It is not! Well, as it turns out, yes it is...so we enjoyed a treat for Thirsty Thursday!

If you don't make shakes for your kids, try it! They are so yummy, and quite nutritious too! I whip up organic soy milk, sometimes skim milk, a variety of fruit, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, yogurt-- virtually anything! Our favorites are chopped up frozen bananas- slice a browning banana before placing it in a bag in the freezer- and frozen strawberries. Simply toss them into the blender as you would ice. It makes the shake so creamy and delicious! Today I added coconut flavoring, chocolate protein powder and regular bananas to the soy milk base- awesomeness in a glass! Of course a little whipped cream doesn't hurt!

Caleb's new Target science book had some fun ideas...did I mention that book in yesterday's post?...anyhoo...here is a quick and ridiculously easy experiment to observe: pop an empty soda bottle (plastic, no cover) into the freezer for at least 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes are up, place the bottle on the counter and wet a quarter under the faucet. Very quickly, cover the bottle with the wet coin and listen and watch! So fun!

We made magnifying glasses with Ziploc bags and water, but that turned out to be rather disappointing. They did have fun squishing the water around inside the bag. FYI, enough pressure will cause bag to break open and leak contents everywhere. Just sayin'.  =)

And now, right at this very moment, it is absolutely quiet in my house. Caleb is in the other room watching a show, Little Miss is taking a much needed nap, Ethan is babysitting (I cannot believe I have a child old enough to babysit another child!), and Jonah is sleeping over at my parent's house. Ahh, quiet is nice....What do you other mothers do to get through the long days of summer with your kids without breaking the bank?