let's make a deal

Before summer officially began (like the end of the school year summer, not the season of summer) I made a deal with my boys that they can have one day each week called "Lazy Day" where they can pretty much have free reign! They can stay in their PJ's, play video games, watch TV, swim, play outside, read, nap...whatever they want! (The napping is a wild daydream of mine that I'm absolutely positive will never happen!) In return, though, they would have to indulge their mama and do fun out-of-the-house activities the rest of the week. My boys are getting to the age where if I let them they would just laze around and play video games 24 hours a day, 7 days a week the entire summer without thinking twice. Well, this mama can't handle that! So, as soon as we could I signed up both boys for every available class at the library, scheduled family day trips to the zoo and science museum and bought tickets to the summer movies in Bricktown. Of course, I also scheduled one lazy day each week. This little arrangement has been working out quite nicely so far! We've had a few last minute changes to our schedule here and there but for the most part we've been able to stay active, take some pretty cool classes at the local library AND the boys have had their day to do whatever they want, no questions asked! (Well, I do start asking questions when they get TOO quiet but you get the idea...) We are now one month into summer and so far so good! Sure I've had to bribe them a couple of times to stay interested in certain activities that mommy planned but I don't mind stopping for ice cream while we're out if that's what it takes to have a good day! Ha!