While the kids were away, the rest of us play.

We drove down to Utah a couple of times to take the kids to various summer camps at BYU.  Much as I tried to get all my ducks in a row, we could only schedule two of the girls at the same time so after spending a week there while Lily attended a dance camp, we ended up right back there after a week at home for Rachel’s chemistry camp and Anna’s Remix Vocal Academy.

Having thrown all our money into these summer enrichment programs, the rest of us enjoyed a bit of free fun at the splash pad, swimming in the duck pond with the cousins(not really a duck pond, but since we shared it with them that’s what my kids affectionately called it), experiencing a bit of pioneer history, and visiting with family and friends.  Utah’s great that way.  Plenty of free fun.

Adventures with rodents.

Then there was that one time that we came home from a really long camping trip and after sinking into my comfy bed I watched a mouse scurry across my bedroom floor.  It was like in the movies, you know the whole bit about standing on the bed (as if that’s going to do any good) and squealing like a little girl.  Me, not Tim, naturally.  We set traps that very night, caught one little bugger and called the exterminators the next morning.  I wish I could say it was over quickly but it wasn’t.  Once we determined their food source (our storage room) I set about sterilizing every last corner of each room in the house and threatened the kids with their lives to keep food in the kitchen, no ifs, ands, or buts.  (This has always been a rule in our house, but because it was loosely enforced it quickly became an afterthought for some of our more disgusting children… hence the mouse problem).

Not what I wanted to do with a week of my summer, but I guess our house got clean.  And the mice are gone.  We even caught a clearly pregnant one and didn’t feel a bit sorry for her.  Die, die, DIE!  All of you.

Summer survival.

I always look forward to summer.  I get all starry-eyed just dreaming about having my kids all to myself, working on projects together, horsing around in between, exploring the town, building relationships and learning new things…

Well, we ALL know that’s not typically how it plays out.  Within a few days(it was within a few hours last year), the kids don’t know what to do with all their spare time so they start bickering with one another, begging mom for screen time, or to play another round of Battleship(with mom, and no one to look after the baby) or if they can invite a friend over (again), or to go grab Happy Hour slushies at Sonic for the nth time that week.

It’s all we can do to keep our sanity.  Everyone has their tips and tricks.  Not all of them work for everyone.  But here are a few tips for summer survival that work for me and my family:

  1.  Expect your kids to get up at a regular time.  There’s nothing that makes kids feel more like slugs (and act like them) than not maintaining some sort of sleep schedule.  It’s lights out by 9:30 at our house, even though it’s still light outside until 10:30.   Then they’re up for breakfast by 8:00 in the morning.  This is late enough that they get ample sleep and I still wake up well before them and fit in a workout, shower and breakfast prep(and occasionally more).
  2. Screen time is contingent upon meeting certain requirements.  Ours include morning chores, piano practice, outside/exercise time, scripture study and prayer, personal study time to prevent “summer slide”, and service to others.  Even after all of that is done, they must still wait until at least 1:30 to indulge in screen time.  Which they do.  For about two hours… so that I can get some peace and quiet around here. Click here for printable (and editable) “Have you…” form
  3. Work some sort of structure into your week to keep it fun.  We have “Make it Monday”, “Take it outside Tuesday”, “Work Wednesday”, “Thinking Thursday”, and “Friend Friday”.  The focus for each day ensures that we schedule something every day that falls into the category for that day.  For instance, baking on Monday, a hike on Tuesday, an extra home project or service on Wednesday, an educational outing or project on Thursday and a special outing or play date with friends on Friday.  That doesn’t mean that they can only play with friends on Friday, or that we only get outside on Tuesday; just gives us a guideline so we are keeping ourselves busy and fulfilled.  To top it off, I made a list of ideas of things to do, ways to serve, etc. as a guide for the not-so-littles.
  4. Teach your kids skills while you have them home.  My kids can count on sewing at least one thing with mom and planning, shopping for and preparing dinner for two weeks apiece during the summer.  We put this on the schedule as well, naturally.
  5. Refrain from signing your kids up for countless activities.  We mistakenly think this will keep them engaged and out of our hair.  I have found it cuts into our day and runs us all ragged.  Not to mention, it’s costly.  Three of my four girls were able to sign up for a single 3-5 day summer camp of their choice, two of which coincide so all that chauffeuring is benefiting more than just one child.  There’s something to be said for the “lazy days of summer” (after they’ve gotten their “to-dos” done, of course).
  6. Don’t be afraid to let your kids be bored. It does not make you a bad mom to not provide round-the-clock stimulation for your kids.  When my kid complains she’s bored, my first reply is, “Great! That means you get to use that awesome brain of yours to think of something to do.”  If she complains again, the reply changes to, “Well, I’ve got plenty of ideas…” and out rolls a list of chores.  My kids don’t proclaim boredom anymore.

No summer is perfect.  I’ve been at this for years and finally figured out what worked for us about three summers ago. With a healthy balance of structure, idle time, and flexibility (and VACATION!) any family can enjoy the summer of their dreams.

Camping at Ponderosa State Park

We’d been camping for six days by the time we ended up in McCall at Ponderosa State Park and were more than glad it was the last time we’d be setting up our tent.  We’d heard good things about Ponderosa State Park and it certainly met our expectations.  Our site was huge and the bathrooms were pretty stellar (our standards were probably compromised by a week in the sticks but still, give me some warm water on my filthy bod and I’m happy).  Probably our favorite feature of this campground were the walking paths.  Close proximity to a beautiful lake and a decent swimming beach were more than worth the sticker price of staying here.  If our kids hadn’t gotten into a gigantic argument on our second night in(sorry neighbors), putting themselves at great risk and forcing us to head home early we would have explored more.  Lucky for us, McCall is only a couple of hours away so we will be back for sure.  With a cane with which to discipline our unruly children.  😉

A day of pretending.

We’re too cheap to buy a boat.  Strike that.  We’re too practical to buy a depreciating asset on one income.  That, and half our family is particularly prone to skin cancer so spending days on end out on the water just doesn’t have a ton of appeal.

Still, because we are cheap in everyday life, it gives us the opportunity to splurge on vacation.  So renting a boat while camping at Ponderosa State Park seemed like a fair plan.  We got to pretend we all have olive skin and mad wakeboarding skills for a day in exchange for sunburns and swallowed water.  It was fun.

We learned that our kids were wusses inherited their father’s aversion to risk and preferred leisurely tube rides and swimming in the lake.  Lucky for us, we got to turn the keys in at the end of the day and drive boat-free to a restaurant for a delicious dinner on the town.

Hiawatha Trail.

Coeur D’Alene.  Now that’s a town worth spending more time in.  We camped at Heyburn State Park, about 45 minutes south of Coeur D’Alene and then we spent so many hours driving to all the destinations around Coeur D’Alene that we had planned to visit that we barely scratched the surface of this apparently awesome northern Idaho town.  Three days was definitely not sufficient.

We biked the Hiawatha Trail the first day, which turned out to be an all-day adventure.  We drove across the Montana border to pick up our tickets, parked our car at the trailhead, got everyone situated with working headlights and lamps, and were on our way.  The first tunnel is 1.2 miles long and the darkness is a bit of a shocker.  Not to mention the cold.  There are gutters on either side of the tunnel to funnel the water away from the center of the path.  Still, the path is plenty wet and you’re bound to get a few drips of water on your face as you navigate the dark abyss.  Or, get splashed by the person in front of you.

Tim took the lead, with Jack in tow – I told him to put the plastic shield down on the bike trailer.  He didn’t.  Lily and Rachel followed him eagerly and Eve and Anna lagged behind with me as we approached the tunnel.  Then Anna just HAD to take a picture and stopped right in front of me.  Eve was apprehensive about entering without me so I rode around Anna, telling her she’d be on her own so that Eve wouldn’t have to go it alone (Tim and the others were already well into the mountain at this point).

It wasn’t quite the start we were going for, as we ended up split into three groups, but we made it to the other side relatively unscathed.  Except for Jack, who was splattered by the mud that Tim’s rear wheels kicked up.  It must not have been terribly traumatic for him, though, because he did not utter a peep the whole time.

The next ten miles boasted sweeping vistas, exhilarating trellises, a few short tunnels to break it up for the kids, and a light breeze for good measure.  There’s a slight downhill grade, just enough that you have to keep pedaling but not enough to work your legs into oblivion.  Truly, this is the perfect family bike ride.  The last five miles leave a bit more to be desired.  By now, you’re deeper in the canyon so there are fewer tunnels, trellises and the views less stunning.  Plus, it’s probably afternoon by now, unless you got an early start and the altitude change is just enough for the heat to settle in a bit.

None of this would have been a problem for me, but for the kids, well, mostly my youngest, it got to be pretty taxing.  To her credit, she was riding the bike that was least equipped to ride on gravel.  It was your typical kids bike – heavy with no gears and the bumpiness was really getting to her.  The last five miles I spent coaxing her into pushing through, stopping for quick snack breaks, assuring her that she was doing great and that she would make it (though even I had to contemplate the possibility of walking her bike the last mile or so).

I even started breaking out into song, singing my best rendition of “The Sun’ll Come Out Tomorrow” to infuse a bit of light-heartedness into the atmosphere.  She wasn’t having it.  The girl was bent on being miserable.  I even quoted Jeffrey R. Holland, who said, “No misfortune is so bad that whining won’t make it worse.”  Not surprisingly, that didn’t work.

Five miles of this.  Five agonizing miles.  Then all of a sudden, we rounded a corner, saw the end of the trail and her beloved sisters and dad waiting patiently for us and she was all smiles.  It was like the last five miles had never happened.  For her.  I was still fuming inside at the emotional acrobatics I’d had to perform just to keep her from throwing her bike off a ledge.

We loaded up into the shuttle bus, which took us back to the initial tunnel and we pedaled back through for another 1.2 miles where our car was parked with her merrily singing the entire way.

Despite the torture exacted by this particular daughter, it was perhaps the best bike ride of my entire life.  The scenery was stunning, the physical exertion minimal, and the uniqueness of riding on what used to be an old railroad lent a variety not seen on a typical trail.  If you’re looking for a higher exertion and adventure level, this may not be your ride.  Try Slick Rock in Moab, Utah, cause this trail’s for families with young(ish) children.  Loved, loved it.

Priest Lake State Park Lionhead Campground

Our family trip this summer took us up to the Idaho Panhandle, to an area just a few miles from the Canadian border in the Selkirk Mountains called Priest Lake.  Since we’d be camping for over a week, I figured we’d go the state park route so that we wouldn’t have to brave vault toilets and avoid showering the entire time.  Well, much to my chagrin, Lionhead campground does not, in fact, have flush toilets, nor does it boast showers.  There ARE, however, flush toilets and showers at Indian Creek Campground (also in Priest Lake State Park) and your reservation at Lionhead will get you in for free.  The jaunt from one campground to the other takes at least 20 minutes but it was well worth being clean for a day.

After arriving at Indian Creek Campground, we quickly discovered that, despite not having flush toilets and showers, Lionhead campground was definitely the better of the two.  Less crowded, more shade, better scenery…it was far and above the best choice.  Our campsite at Lionhead had ample space, easy access to running water, a short walk to a beautiful beach and gorgeous trees surrounding us on every side.  Being close to a lake, however, the mosquitoes were pretty relentless, so come prepared.

All in all, it was probably one of our very favorite places we’ve camped.  Next time we’ll be sure to stay a few days longer so we can canoe the Thorofare (there are boat rentals at the beach) to Upper Priest Lake, which is a no-wake zone, apparently.  There are no services for miles so come prepared with plenty of food, gas, and tolerance for “roughing it”.  The front entrance to the campground sells ice (2 bags per campsite) and ice cream, which saved Lily from eating the real food I’d prepared.  We were filthy, our tummies were full, and our spirits satisfied by communing with each other and nature.   Two thumbs up for Priest Lake.

Priest Lake Natural Waterslide

Priest Lake Natural Waterslide – an absolute must-do.

Our first day at Idaho’s Priest Lake was spent exploring the surrounding Selkirk Mountains.  We had read about a natural waterslide in the area and were thrilled to find that it was just a few miles up the road from our campground (Lionhead).  We took the road as directed (just ask the rangers at the Lionhead campground for directions – basically if you take the dirt road directly across the street from the campground entrance and stay to the left for 3 miles or so until you reach a concrete barricade just before a sharp left turn, you’re there), parked our car and began the 1 1/2 mile hike.

The grade was negligible but the shade spotty, so I’d recommend hiking in the morning, as we did, if the day is forecast to be hot.  Another reason to begin early is that the parking is limited so you’d just as soon beat the crowds.  We had to cross streams about ten times and the entire river once along the way.  It was somewhat precarious, but only because we were carrying on our backs our 18-month old son with brittle bones, but under normal circumstances the water-crossings would have been par for the course.

Definitely family friendly and pretty much zero risk of being swept away by the stream.  Here is a picture of the average crossing:

No biggie, right?  There was only one where we were past our ankles.  Cold, but not treacherous in the least.  You can hear the water pretty much the whole way and you’ll know you’re there because it will look something like this(and there will probably be other people enjoying the area):

We hiked up after crossing the river, but there are a few sunny dry spots on the rocks on the other side so we crossed again to hang out in the sun and take our turns sliding down.  It was smooth and the current was steady.  If you’re not wearing shorts, a lot of people recommend packing a couple of trash bags to put underneath your bottom.  I was wearing shorts so the trash bag was superfluous.

You can go down either side relatively safely, but we found that the right side (as you’re looking down the slide) was less bumpy and less swift so we preferred it to the other side.  You have pretty much zero control once you get going, which is fine, if you like that sort of thing.  For those of us who like to exercise some measure of control over our speed, there’s really no point in that.

Rest assured that the pool at the bottom of the slide is sufficient to stop you regardless.  And, if you’re still concerned about going off the edge into the rocks ten feet below, there’s a rope that you can grab to save you from your death.  Seriously though, experiencing a natural waterslide and being risk-averse really don’t mix, so cut loose and take your chances.   We watched others practically throw themselves down this thing at breakneck speed and the meager pool at the end still stopped them.

We had a fantastic time.  The scenery was breathtaking, the weather delightful, the company enjoyable and the level of exertion just right for our crew.  Priest Lake natural waterslide for the win.

Silverwood Theme Park

Our campsite in Heyburn State park was pretty legit, but we scheduled so much time on excursions we barely had time to enjoy it.  Our first meal was campfire calzones, made ahead of time, frozen and cooked over the grate of the campfire.  Tim and I make a great team – I do all the prep and he builds a fantastic fire for reheating/cooking.  Yum-O.

Silverwood Theme Park was a winner.  We went the day after July 4th so I was a bit nervous that the crowds would be oppressive.  As it turned out, we barely waited in a single line all day.  We hit every ride more than once (some I wished I hadn’t – I’m talking about you Aftershock), saw an awesome magic show and even made sure at least one of us puked.  Check, check, check.  I have no idea what happened to Eve, but at the end of the night, as we rode the train around the park, I glanced back at her, saw her looking rather pale, asked her if she felt sick, at which point she grabbed her mouth and I sprung into action, frantically emptying the a Ziploc bag of its contents so that Eve could vomit right into the bag.  Tim didn’t even notice the entire event, though he was sitting beside her.  Such a dad.  I made him hold the bag until we exited the train 20 minutes later.  I have to admit, it might have been one of my proudest mom moments, as the alternative would have been quite the opposite.  Ziploc for the win.

Silverwood, we will be back.

Summer fun. More aptly named June fun.

We kicked off the summer with some pretty awesome routines to ensure that we were enriching our minds and bodies , reveling sufficiently in the outdoors, exploring our town, and building relationships.  It lasted through June before it all went down the tubes.  We had several summer camps and a family vacation to thank for that.  But June was the stuff summers are made of: cooking with the kids, sewing, reading, hiking, biking, field tripping, and the like. Here’s a taste of June 2017:

Our family is so unbelievably blessed.  We fit this and so much more into a few short, blissful weeks.  I seriously LOVE summer with my family!