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Summer Time Well Spent

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By MELISSA MARTIN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 17, 2008

School is over and summer is in session. Knowing this might be my last summer at home with my girls is inspiring me to make sure it's a good one.

I've been a homemaker for the past 14 months, but I don't know how much longer that will last. After all, I didn't go to college just to get smart - I am planning on having a career eventually. So my grand plan is to just slow down this summer (shred the to-do list) and enjoy my kids.

I've scheduled cheerleading and swimming lessons. We'll take early morning walks to the park and weekly trips to the library.

At home, we'll entertain ourselves, and the list that follows are my ideas on how to do that.

Scrapbooking. I let the girls choose pictures they like and I have them printed out at the store. They choose their paper, we glue the pictures down, and then they decorate with stickers. They get a kick out of seeing pictures of themselves and putting them in albums for everyone to see.

Making cards. We usually make cards for family members' birthdays, but this summer we will make cards just because, just to say hi, just because we love our faraway family.

Painting. I generally groan when the girls ask to paint. It requires such close supervision. But when the point is to spend time with my children, not just keep them busy, then it's different. Paper, shirts, rocks, you name it, it can be painted.

Making dinner. Cooking for the family includes making the grocery list and helping prepare the meal. Having picky eaters makes this one a no-brainer. If they choose the dinner, they will eat it.

Puppet show. My sister made my girls a puppet show curtain that hangs in the doorway and they love to use it. But before we had that, the girls used to give puppet shows from behind the curtains with regular stuffed animals. With a captive audience, they will do this activity for hours.

School. And I am never the teacher. We make up funny names and sometimes it's actually princess school where we all have to wear crowns and necklaces. Then we practice our letters or numbers or whatever the teacher tells us to do. The girls love being in charge.

Decorating the driveway. Sidewalk chalk is a tried and true favorite, especially when followed by a run through the sprinkler.

I know what's really important is the time we spend together. All too soon my sweet 6-year-old will be a moody 13.

Everyone tells me "They're only young once," and I am going to make sure I don't have the regret of missing these sweet moments in time.

Melissa Martin lives in Gibsonton with her husband and three children.

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