Trying to get ready

I am not going to lie, as summer gets closer and I start to think about it, I get more and more tired and start to feel more and more stressed. It isn’t that I am trying to brush it under a rug or something, I just remember last summer and I don’t want another summer where the noise level in my house is through the roof. It sucked. It pissed me off mostly. There will be structure and control this summer.

So far to get ready, I have:
• bought 3 cots with mattresses – the sound I don’t want to hear all summer long is “pop” or “my bed is flat” so we will not be using air mattresses again.
• bought 3 pillows – to minimize back and forth
• bought 2 wide Sterlite 3 drawer carts – I need to go buy another one, but that was all that was left where I could reach them and I was in a hurry. This will be their stuff “keeper” for the summer
• bought 2 towels for each child – there will be no excuse as each towel will be embroidered with either names or initials. The girls got 2 towels each for their hair as well.
• bought math workbooks for Brianna, Kyle, and Victoria. Andrew has his own college algebra book so I am not worried about him. Darin and Lance will probably get worksheets if I can’t find cheap workbook options for them.

What I know I need to do:
• make water proof coverings for the cot mattresses so they don’t soak up water (taking no chances)
• make sheets for the cot mattresses
• embroider towels (16 towels total)

I am currently looking into the school district provided summer reading lists. They are quite extensive. If anything, it will give us a starting point in reading some great literature and a variety of literature.

I am also trying to decide just how much English Language Arts I want to focus on. My thoughts are grammar, spelling, comprehension, and handwriting. I am searching for a list of words that each child should be able to spell and we’ll have us a little spelling bee giving each child age appropriate spelling words. Grammar I want basics – sentence structure, punctuation, etc. Comprehension of short passages, but we could tie this in with reading books and doing “short reviews” of the books. I have book review forms already made.

We’re going to do fun stuff too! We’ll be doing some science experiments, arts and crafts, swimming, etc.

I still feel like there is a ton of planning left to be done.