Top 10 Rules on How to do Summer

This is for moms that have kids/teens home for the Summer. Whether you work at home or outside the home, I think we can all agree Summer Break is highly overated!

#1 Do not get up from bed before 9am. If you do happen to awake - look around your room at all the things you could do without mom asking you to.

#2 Do not expect to be entertained. See #1

#3 Do ALL of your chores before you ask for ANYTHING. See #2

#4 NEVER ever say "I'm bored". If you have a ball or a bike you have NO excuse! If you can't find something to do, I will find something for you.

#5 You are no longer at school-fix your own lunch.

#6 This is not the 7Eleven or Quickmart! Do not bring your friends home to drink up all the bottled water and eat all the snacks.

#7 No you cannot spend the night! Don't wear out your welcome-your friends parents may not want to look at you ALL the time. And don't forget #4!!

#8 Summer is not an excuse to lay around, sleep and watch tv ALL day and this includes Playstation Games etc. GO OUTSIDE! See #1 & #2

#9 Parents are not richer in the Summer! Don't expect field trips, movies or eating out everynight. See #6 & #4

#10 Do I HAVE to see you in that shirt one more day!?!?!

What happened to the Holidays??

When I was growing up, there was no mention of hanging out with friends on ANY holiday. Holidays were times that were set aside for family and the closest you could get to playing with a friend was a cousin.

Now either I'm getting old or times have really changed. Memorial Day was the last holiday and as soon as my two woke up, they were planning their day like it was "Friendship Day". I don't know, but each year my children get older it seems to get more challenging to preserve that family time. Now don't get me wrong, I do believe holidays are overated! Haven't you ever set yourself up for this wonderfully thought out holiday with gifts for everyone, perfect dinners and enough talking and game playing with family to write a book about it?? Does it EVER turn out to be all that? Well, since I'm honest I will have to say NO! Even though holidays can be kind of lame at times, there is still something sacred about keeping everyone with the same last name together....even just for the day.

Although the challenge is there and sometimes we barely know what we are even celebrating (depending on the holiday), I will continue to savor the moments when we unite for those special days. It may not be so on Veterans Day and some others, we might not have on Christmas sweaters, or be waving a Memorial Day Flag and I may have to hide a cell phone or two....but atleast the effort will still be made. Somethings should just remain the same.