Labor Day at Sea World!

So how was your Labor Day Weekend?

As a Family Chick, it's inevitable that a good holiday weekend is going to revolve around family stuff.

So, lucky for us as a Military Family, Sea World is being generous to offer free tickets to military families!  They call the program "Here's to the Heroes" and there is a free admission to Soldiers and up to 4 dependents.  Which was great because we only ended up having to buy one ticket and because we purchased it at MWR before we went, we even saved almost twenty bucks on that ticket as well! 

So off to San Diego we went on an 8 hour drive from Ft. Huachuca. 

Even better, we have friends that live at the Navy base in San Diego and were able to spend time with them as well.  They were our neighbors in Georgia and I was so happy to see her!  It's so true what they say about how military friendships often just pick back up where they left off!

Every since I was a kid, I always wanted to go to Sea World.  We lived in Georgia and that's about 8 hours from Orlando.  We took a trip to Disney, but never got back to visit Sea World.  Back then, the Free Willy movies had come out and I wanted nothing more than to see Shamu!

Well I finally got my chance!  The kids had an AMAZING time!  We didn't do the rides, just the shows and they still talked about how much they enjoyed it. 

It was a great Labor Day Weekend.  My only complaint is that the 4-day weekend didn't las long enough!

Where did those great summers go?

Ahhhh, peace! Everyone's out of the house except Miss Missy and she's taking a nap. 6:30pm is a bad time for a nap, I know, but Miss Missy rarely naps and I guess after a joyous playdate with the neighbor, she's all pooped out.

So, selfish me is letting her catch a few Z's while the boys are visiting friends and the hubby is working the night shift.

As my boys off spending one of their last summer days INSIDE someone else's house, presumably playing video games, I can't help but think,

"Where have the great summers gone?"

Remember the days where we stayed outside until the streetlights cames on and dare we run into the house for ANYTHING at all in fear that we'd have to stay inside?

My kids practically beg to come back in, claiming "It's boring outside."

Remember "Red Light Green Light", "Mother May I" and "Red Rover"? Remember catching fire flies, building forts and having club houses?

My kids think that "Sooooo lame!"

Summers days use to seem endless. And the idea of coming in when the street lights came on was heartbreaking.

I guess these days, kids have so much junk inside the house that outside seems dull. I mean, who wants to play with bugs when you have a PSP or DS with virtual pets to play with?

Who wants to look for your friends in trees or behind bulidings, in between cars or on neighbors porches? Who wants to play hide and go seek, tag or freeze tag anymore when there's a world of technology waiting on the inside? Who needs good ole' outdoor exercise and play when you have freakin' WII Fit in your living room?

And we wonder why we are the most overweight country in the world!

Too soon for a routine.

Well, there are just less than 3 weeks left until school starts and I'm already starting to feel anxious. I think the kids are too. There is a higher amount of arguing and fighting amongst all of them lately, making it more difficult to just enjoy the the time we have left of summer vacation.

It's time almost time to get back into a routine. The bedtimes, which have become non-existent, are going to have to change really soon in preparation for school hours. Yet, I want them to be able to enjoy the last few week they have, and with this Georgia heat, early bedtimes become an issue. Of course the longer hours make it almost impossible to get the boys to sleep at 9 o'clock considering it's still light out. And, the heat here in Georgia reach staggering temperatures and the humidity makes it impossible to take a slow walk, much less ride bikes, jump on trampolines or run. The kids can't even go outside until around 7, when the sun is beginning to descend and the heat is only in the low 90's (still unwavering heat, I know). So it poses a problem when trying to get your kids, who have been stuck inside all day, to come inside at 8 o'clock and be ready for bed by 9. An hour outside barely gives them enough of an outlet or enough exercise to burn off a calorie!

So for now, I just plan to play it by ear and perhaps hold off on preparing them for the school routine until the week before they have to go back. Remember when summers seemed to last forever?

Sleeping in while I can

Some may consider me blessed while others may just think that I am outright lazy, but my day hardly ever begins before 10am since the summer has kicked in. Yes, I have 3 children and my step daughter is visiting for a few weeks, but yet and still, even at 10am, I'm the first one to get out of bed in the morning (after my husband leaves for work, of course).

I know this is because I let the kids stay up pretty late because it's summer and I kinda got tired of the schedules and the routine that the so diligently stuck to when school was still in. I spoil them I know, and it started out where they were allowed to stay up an hour or so later then their regular bedtime. That didn't last long as we started sitting around watching TV or playing the Wii until we get tired. So now, there is no bedtime and the children don't wind down until 10:30 or so. Unhealthy, I know, but as a mom who stays at home, I tend to enjoy the extra sleep I get in the mornings and the alone time I have before they wake up. And I have to take Mommy Time when I can get it because I know that as soon as one wakes, the others are sure to follow and the chaos begins.

"Momma, CJ hit me."

"Momma, Cameron won't get off my bed."

"Momma, Kennedy won't get out of our room."

Now, that's the daily routine. It's started the first day of summer vacation. And I know I'm not the only mom (am I?), but I can't wait for school to start again!