For this Aussie gal it is Summer, the end of the calendar year and the school year.
Which also means my children are home for 7 weeks, yes you got it 7 weeks for my little ones.
The last several years we have been ridiculously blessed with an invitation to fly away somewhere during these holidays, staying with friends and/or family for a week or two.
It would break up those long long weeks of I have nothing to do, he hit me, she looked at me, get out of my room and my all time favourite chorus MUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMM!!!!!
A new environment, a different house is often all it took to break the cycle. We would then return with a refreshing look at our humble abode.
This year, as we dip into week 4 at home, there is no such break on the horizon.
I have considered my options:
I can go out everyday to find entertainment for the kids, spending truck loads of money in the process ??????
There is the “go outside and play” option……. backed up with “When I was a kid Mum did not see me until it was dark”. ?????
Then the indoor entertainment of Ipads, TVs and computers that succesfully shut down all the fights and nagging and all communications amongst family members in the process. ???????
Time to get creative. Time to behave like we have gone away from our home on a holiday. You got it I am going to pretend I am not home.
Here is my creative and yet simple list of ways to pretend you have gone away on holidays.
Bunk the kids in together for a sleepover with a mattress on the floor, just like you would at Uncle Joes.
Sit at the beach all day reading and making sand castles, what housework? You are away on holidays remember.
Eat breakfast outside, listening to the birds and enjoying the early warmth of a Summer day.
Cook less, eat more takeaway, keep meals simple. You never have all these appliances and spices when you go on holidays. Go one step further and take dinner to the park.
Buy a shower gel that smells like a Day Spa and then take a long leisurely bath or shower closing your eyes and imagining yourself strolling through the door for that massage. A vivid imagination is needed for this one.
Buy lots of snacks and settle down with hubby and a few friends for an early Happy Hour. When the kids get hungry hand out the supplies. What dinner routine, you are on holidays remember.
Watch lots of movies. Kids movies, favourite movies, hire new movies. Watch movies late into the night, you are on holidays remember.
Do not get dressed until lunch time, all day even, and of course wear your most casual holiday attire.
Go for a long family walk in a new suburb or to a new park. Take the camera, pose the kids for photos and enjoy the sights, you are a tourist on holidays remember.
Buy some Summer magazines, a new book, both. Sit down for leisurely afternoons to read, take the kids to a park and read, climb into bed early and read.
Above all else, let go of your routine, enjoy the break from school runs, making lunches, the pressure to be somewhere by a certain time.
It may not be possible to take that fabulous break everyday. It is about what you can, when you can, if you need to.
You are on holidays remember.
I’d forgotten that brilliant photo Karen. I just love it.
My pal used to do the same thing on her kids’ summer holidays. She would choose theme days and theme weeks. I was visiting one summer and it was “Indian week.” While it would now be politically incorrect to call it that – “First nations week” would be wiser – it was a hoot. She made bannock bread, we painted rocks and dyed fabric with the juice of crushed strawberries.
I envy you your holidays. Looking forward to reading all about them …
Kelly love the idea of themed weeks. Pinterest would go crazy over that idea.
It’s so hard for me to imagine that life has summer for people right now, as we’re in the worst of winter.
I do love your trips and I used them last year when school let out for summer. You’re painting such wonderful photos for me in my head right now!
It’s five degrees here today – Yikes!
Oh Tamara we are hearing so many news reports abiut your crazy cold Winter. Yes it is hot here today, 31C which according to Siri is 88F and we are expecting hotter next week. I do love my sunburnt country. Stay cosy.
I’m totally jealous that you’re with your kids and enjoying the summer weather. We’re enjoying a snow day but I miss my flip flops.
How good is it to wear flip flops, we call them thongs. It never snows where I live so of course I think it is very dreamy. Stay warm.
Australia’s summer break is from December to January? I didn’t know that. Do you all have a winter as well? And does it get very cold? Or just mildly?
In Trinidad, there is no winter. It is hot all year round.
I love your list of activities…especially the one about not getting dressed until lunch time. I did that a lot when I was on a vacation…heck I do it now on weekends. 🙂
Tami yes we do get Winter where I live. Melbourne is at the Southern end of the country and we get all four seasons. It does not get cold enough to snow though, usually 10C in the day would be the coldest average. In the north of Australia they do not get Winter, only two seasons the Wet and the Dry.
I love how creative you got with this Karen, they all look like great ideas. I especially like the one to bunk in the kids, storing that one for future use 😉
Corlie thanks, I have enjoyed looking at all your fantastic holiday photos. How I love Thailand
Love that adventure quote and love your creativity! How I wish it was warm weather here, and I could just take a drive to the beach. Does your family like games like Scrabble? Maybe get your kids involved in the kitchen, see what they create? I love the tourist on holidays part- lots of times even in our own vicinity there are sights/attractions that we’ve never visited just because it’s close by!
Christy it feels so odd writing about hot weather and beaches as the majority of blogs I read and follow are from the Northern hemisphere. Yes we love lots of board games what a great suggestion. Pictionary is a new favourite.
What great ideas Karen – you are creating some awesome holiday memories for your littlest. <3 oh, and I'm a little jealous, as my mailbox is currently covered in snow LOL
Tressie you have snow, I am sure it is not a romantic as it sounds. It never ever ever snows where I live all the photos taken at this time of snow covered homes look so dreamy