Our Big Fat Boring Summer Vacation

I know it is not scientifically possible to get through an entire summer without hearing those two little words that strike exasperation in the heart of every parent, but my goal for this year is to reduce the frequency with which I have to hear the refrain from my children of "I'm bored."

This first week of summer the kids went to Vacation Bible School (and even with that, I still got two afternoon "I'm bored"s).  VBS is usually just for one week in the mornings.  But there is usually no charge for children to attend.  Most churches will ask for some sort of donation or offering, but I am personally more than happy to do at least that for the benefits that are offered.

For our family, other summer camps are not in the budget right now so I need to have a few things up my sleeve for entertainment.  If it were up to me, we'd just stay home all day every day, but I have a feeling that's not going to be popular with the kids.  With the exception of the play date, of course.  Having one of their friends here entertains them and actually gives me an excuse not to go anywhere.  Hmmm ...

Anyway, all three of them are in gymnastics classes year-round and that's two days a week.  Check.  The youngest one is taking swimming lessons once a week since she has never had them and this is Florida, after all.  Check.  We also have passes to MOSI which we have been getting with a group discount that's really nice.  Check.  We do have Busch Gardens passes too, but going there in the summer goes against my rule of not being outside between May and September.

After that it gets tricky because everything else we do needs to be pretty much free.  And there is over a 6-year age span from my oldest to my youngest.  So what entertains one does not necessarily entertain the others.  However I'm not above a little bit of forced entertainment, so it's okay.

We will probably go to a free or dollar movie at least once a week.  Cobb Theaters has free movies, although the closest one is in Wesley Chapel.  Regal Cinemas  has movies for a dollar.  Until Dora, Spongebob, and Carly costar in a movie together, the kids probably won't all be completely satisfied at one time, but at least there's popcorn.

I also like to take advantage of the free library programs.  Usually a good puppet show, magic act, or reptile display will appease them all.    And of course, as a I mentioned before, this is Florida after all, so there's always the beach and the pool.  I personally have an aversion to taking three children to the beach all by myself, probably because I have an aversion to messes.  And I don't like being hot.  But I can deal with taking them to the pool.

So now that I am armed with all these plans and ideas, all I really have to do is actually get out of the house and go to these places.  Ah, the price we pay to avoid hearing those two little words.  At least never let it be said that I didn't try to cure their boredom.