One of my goals for the summer was to do “Mommy Days” with all four big kids. This would be a one-on-one day doing something the kid chose. I have now done all four and, wow. I have a lot of kids. Four days is a lot. I kind of had to rally myself for the last one this week, as my 6-year-old also chose to go to Hershey park. This means I have gone three times this summer for Mommy Days (only the 14-year-old made a different choice). But we had a good time. He went on the Sooper dooper looper (his first inversion coaster!), he was so proud that I won our car in the Reese’s Cup Challenge*, and we ate pretzels and funnel cake. All in all an excellent day.
I’ve definitely been getting reminders — like the inversion coaster milestone — that I have mostly big kids now. The 11-year-old went to sleepaway camp this week. It has been strange counting heads and having one fewer here! He has no devices there, off in the wilderness, so we only have the official communication but it sounds from the adults in charge like he is having a good time. I’m looking forward to hearing about it when he gets back tomorrow. He’s not a huge talker so I welcome ideas of good questions to get the scoop. This will require my best interview skills!
The 9-year-old has been in theater camp the last two weeks and auditioned her way into a lead role in her upcoming production. I have been impressed with her diligence in memorizing her lines and songs. She rises to the occasion of a challenge. I am so looking forward to watching her on stage as she rocks this role.
The 14-year-old keeps reminding me of his encyclopedic memory…and general light-heartedness. Last night, my husband, my mother-in-law (who is visiting), and the 14-year-old got into a discussion of highest grossing movies through the years (the kid is very interested in movies…as long time readers who have read his guest post movie reviews on this blog know). My husband decided to quiz him on the highest grossing movie of each year since 1946. He got them almost all right, including some obscure ones. He also informed me that he memorized all the kings and queens of England since William the Conquerer. Also the US presidents (naturally). Plus the winners and runners up in every single season of Survivor. And then convinced me to go on a race walk with him last night since we watched the Olympic race walkers. We looked pretty ridiculous but it was quite a workout! He was way faster than me. I have not mastered the hip movement yet by any means…
And the baby! He is still a baby. But he’s stringing all sorts of words together. He has mastered the names of the two siblings who spend the most interactive time with him (thus rewarding the attention). Basically, he knows how to wrap people around his little finger. Which is good, since he’s at the stage where he is throwing food all over the place. He can be a little tyrant when his demands aren’t met. This morning I had cheese flung at me because I dared to put it on his high chair wrong…
I am on vacation again next week, so probably won’t be posting much. But hopefully will cross a few remaining items off the summer fun list. There aren’t many to go, even though summer is far from over here. The kids aren’t back until September 9 so…almost a month.
*I have an idle fantasy of going to Hershey some time and just going on the Reese’s Cup challenge ride again and again and getting really good at it.
Photo: From a before breakfast run this morning. I took the baby from 5:30-6:30, and then instead of going back to sleep, I ran for 3.5 miles. I’m tired, but I was rewarded with this sunrise scene.
I wonder about having him draw out what he enjoyed or would like to do again. Often that can be helpful if a kid isn’t a huge talker.
@Meredith – I like the question of what he would do again. I could see that working well…
Let me know how it goes!
Very beautiful sunrise pic 😍
Your oldest sounds like a very interesting kid! How cool.
Will you be posting a fall fun list soon? I just got home from vacation and am feeling very uninspired.
@Sarah K – he is an interesting kid! Probably won’t get to the autumn fun list until September – we are still very much in summer around here…
My oldest also isn’t a big talker. The best thing that works for me is when I have some clue about what he did at school/camp and ask about that. Oh, what did you think about the slime experiment? Then he will tell me everything. If I ask general questions, he is way less likely to answer. Sometimes I also warn him ahead of the experience that I get to ask 3 questions about it afterwards.