Mom Monday- the Art of Combinations

     This second-half of the summer has been all about making up for being overseas in June. When I got back, I had eight mornings spent on an online grammar teaching course and evenings at work. What's a mom to do with only 6 weeks left? Get creative! Combine everything!

     Swimming in the "pond" - combined with a much needed reunion with our old neighbors.
     
 

   BMX course - Um, does the X stand for Xray? Let's just say it didn't end well.....combined taking the boys to lunch and possibly a broken thumb.....

 

   Hiking the "M" - how they've grown! Last time we hiked the "M", I carried my youngest all the way up....and all the way down. This time he made it all the way on his own two feet. I'm so privileged to have my own hiking buddies. And throw in a stop for Slushie's and we've got a day of activity AND treats.

     Biking - Mountain biking in France was one of my life's dreams. My friends in the course were asking me what kind of biking do I do back home - competitive? No, just any kind I can fit into my lifestyle. I had a routine biking on campus, but with my tiny VW Bug, there's no room for a bike. I asked myself, Why am I not biking more at home? Why do I deprive myself of one of my basic needs? I used to bike with the dog until he grew as strong as a locomotive and started trying to yank me into people's yards. So off we go, my not-so-little son and me. Each day around 1pm we hop on and ride around until it's time for me to get ready for work. He probably thinks I'm doing it to entertain him, but I feel great leaving for work with memories of an afternoon well spent.

   And of course, as most school year's come to an end - we received the "strong recommendations" that we must read.....or else....our kid will drop out of school in the 11th grade....and a curse will be put upon us! So how do we find time to hike, bike, read, AND work with only 24 hours in a day?  We bike to the park and read!! Talk about a motivator! No distractions, no older brother poking the back of his head, no racecar noises blasting from the TV.

What's left to combine? Go-Karting and fishing? Camping and school-shopping? Driving lessons and bar-b-Q-ing? Painting and a movie?

source
source