I admit, I'm a scheduler. I tackle my days home with my two boys as I would any other event I'm organizing. There needs to be a schedule, refreshments and fun activities. Of course, I don't always have the energy to be super creative, but who does? On the weekends when my husband is also home it's more of a free for all. We do a lot of dividing and conquering. I take one kid with me to the grocery store, he takes the other with him to Home Depot. There are usually birthday parties, sports or lessons, and things to fix around the house.
On Fridays it's all about the boys (unless of course I get a work call and then it's all about me on my BlackBerry shooing them away with my hands while making stern faces). I start the day by making a schedule that I post in the kitchen. This helps us all stay on track and know what to expect when. We all get to choose something to do (my choice was the gym at 9:30).
Yesterday, we made tie dye t-shirts. It was a fun activity and they were both so proud of their shirts. Unfortunately, I washed them before the dye truly set and today they are pink where the white used to be. Not good for two boys. We agreed to try again today, only this time letting the Ts set overnight.
We also set up a lemonade stand late in the afternoon. This was Tommy's idea and I have to give the kid credit. He made the signs, mixed the lemonade, and thought a balloon would help attract people. (The balloons were from an outing earlier in the day to the hotel pool where they were having an employee appreciation party—free food and ice cream for all). Tommy even did some telemarketing, leaving voicemails at friends' houses "We're having a lemonade stand so give me a call..."
He is his mother's son.
But here's the irony with the lemonade stand. Besides Maggie, none of the boys' friends in the neighborhood were around. This is a very popular vacation week. They had a handful of customers, mostly men coming home from work who felt 50 cents was not enough for a cup of lemonade and who insisted on giving them each a dollar. Just look at the happy entrepreneurs. Ah, the sweet taste of success.
