I feel the summer rolling into Chicago full of swimming, cook-outs, camp-outs, lazy days, fun days, and sweltering muggy heat days. days that make you thank goodness for AC :)

I've got plans for us this summer. Amber will revert to an evolved form of our old homeschool patterns, schedules, and routines. Except, I have a feeling that my role this summer will more resemble that of her social secretary, ha. Lately, I've been wondering just when do parents but out of playdates schedules and let our kids arrange their own social life? The summer gymnastics class is only $30 so I am fairly sure I can find a way to swing that. A week with beans instead of meat should suffice. There's a week long intensive day camp at the Animal Shelter for $75 that I heartedly wish I could swing but, in reality hinges on a hope and a prayer along with a pool membership and lessons.

Her HS schedule will involve printing practise, every day art or craft, and she prefers the routine of worksheets over the discussion of math and science. So, I thhink I am going to try to add some practical with gardening and cooking. I've let her have free reign with her chapter books and books on tape all school year but, over the summer I'm going to introduce reading lists. And, really try to encourage more active discussion about the stories. Maybe, since she really enjoys worksheets maybe I will make a form sheet for her to use to review or report on each title. If nothing else, that will provide fodder for disscusion. For her extra-curriculars, we'll be doing the 'passport to adventure' on the free days, going to the festivals and fairs with my p's, and of course, having playdates. A LOT of this stuff will be around town on foot or using public transportation. We have the PACE bus system and the NW Metra Line.

For me, it's all about improving my health. Even tho, our budget calls for me to cancel my gym membership I know can be active anywhere. Because now, my body is no longer revolting and I feel so much stronger this spring. I am actually looking forward to the added exercise that not having a car induces you to walk everywhere. Plus, I am really hoping to get a bike for my bday. It is seriously the only thing I want, except for maybe a flight south to see my whit. I am finally covered by the state insurance so I am going to get some if not all of my dental work done. And, I will finally fill out the paperwork needed to complete my last class in the fall to receive my library science certificate from COD in the winter.

For Scott, well, I have no desire to make S's summer plans nor would he want me to. I am pretty sure he doesn't wish to do anything different than he does right now. Except for seeking relief from the heat and setting the AC at 50 something degrees... brrr! However, I am planning at least 3 family campouts and I know and will need constant reminding that even if he grumbles the entire time (sigh) he will take from the experience mostly happy memories of stoking a fire and being with his family.

I am terribly excited about these campouts! We camped a lot when I was young and now I know why my family did it so often. It's is the cheapest vacation EVER. And, many camp sites have loads of extra amentities for not much more than the same cheap rate of more rustic sites. We are going to do some back to basics at Blackwell, a coushy stay at the TS, and then one more maybe out west near Starved Rock later in the summer. I am still vetting details for the last campout and pulling some strings. My p's have a pop-up camper we can borrow, but my car has no trailer hitch, and I am waiting for Scott's vaca time slot to be approved. What I would like to do is do a week long vaca with a scenic drive and a few days days camping either at one lovely palce or a few nice ones along the way.

We also have the 3 storms of chaos aka my family's 3 annual summer cookouts. Memorable Memorial Day is fast approaching this Sunday, then there is my Beautiful Bday on the Solstice, and the bombs of the 4th. Please note, all of these events involve larger and larger quantities of wine consumption as the years progress and therby, making each event more and more exciting, ha!

What are you and/or your family planning this summer?