Summer is officially here in the Costa home. The children are frolicking, swimming, and biking, while the parents are sweating, mowing, and accomplishing a whole lot of nothing (mostly because of the bickering, screaming, and crying that occurs during the frolicking, swimming, and biking). Although the first day of summer passed a couple weeks ago, for my children, the first day of summer has been declared today, July 2nd. I'm aware that this is the chosen day for celebrating this joyous season because we have officially hit the "I'm bored"s. Nevermind that we have a sand box (the bane of my existence), a swimming pool (better described as a large dog bowl), a newly constructed fort, bikes, toys, and 40 acres on which to play hide-and-seek, tag, or Red Light Green Light. But none of this matters to my kids, because today is July 2nd, and that means that all of our belongings no longer exist because we are simply "bored".
When I was a kid (we had to walk barefoot to school in the snow, uphill... both ways??), we were content with rolling down a grassy hill, climbing trees, and kicking a ball back and forth. The 1980's were obviously the good ole days, whereas now, children need things that require batteries and constant adult supervision. However, I don't believe in spending $20 in batteries per week, and I certainly am not a clown (despite my kids' belief that I was put on this earth solely for their precious entertainment).
So, after the third "I'm bored" of the morning, I had a brilliant idea! Since they're few and far between, I decided to act on it quickly before I lost all motivation. My idea was to make a board game for my kids. (Feel free to be envious of my awesomeness for just a few moments.) I used my super-creative noggin to make the board out of manila envelopes, getting out my yard stick to make sure the lines on the board were straight, using my very best hand-writing the entire time. I was elated, knowing that my game was free, didn't require batteries, and it would be tailored to the needs of my kids, making it educational AND fun (this will all be in the commercial, have no fear)!
Four hours later, I was getting rather antsy, recognizing that the task I undertook was a bit larger than I originally had thought. But at least the kids were excited about it. They anxiously asked when I would be done so that we could all play it together. The little kid in me was starting to bounce around in her seat as well! And as I put the finishing touches on the game, I had the kids decorate the game cards with stickers and stamps. The "I'm bored"s were starting to wind down in the anticipation of playing Mommy's homemade board game. And then, just as we sat down to play, Daddy went outside to set up the new pool (a slightly larger dog bowl), causing both kids to jump up and put on their swim suits, running from my game board without a second glance. Four hours or making a game for those little rug rats and now I feel like the last person picked in dodge ball!
So, since no one wanted to play with me, I put my inner little kid in time out and moved on to making supper like a real adult, grateful that no one was fighting or proclaiming boredom at that moment. Oh Summer, you creator of fickle children.... (But I'm totally playing the game by myself after bedtime tonight either way!!)
When I was a kid (we had to walk barefoot to school in the snow, uphill... both ways??), we were content with rolling down a grassy hill, climbing trees, and kicking a ball back and forth. The 1980's were obviously the good ole days, whereas now, children need things that require batteries and constant adult supervision. However, I don't believe in spending $20 in batteries per week, and I certainly am not a clown (despite my kids' belief that I was put on this earth solely for their precious entertainment).
So, after the third "I'm bored" of the morning, I had a brilliant idea! Since they're few and far between, I decided to act on it quickly before I lost all motivation. My idea was to make a board game for my kids. (Feel free to be envious of my awesomeness for just a few moments.) I used my super-creative noggin to make the board out of manila envelopes, getting out my yard stick to make sure the lines on the board were straight, using my very best hand-writing the entire time. I was elated, knowing that my game was free, didn't require batteries, and it would be tailored to the needs of my kids, making it educational AND fun (this will all be in the commercial, have no fear)!
Four hours later, I was getting rather antsy, recognizing that the task I undertook was a bit larger than I originally had thought. But at least the kids were excited about it. They anxiously asked when I would be done so that we could all play it together. The little kid in me was starting to bounce around in her seat as well! And as I put the finishing touches on the game, I had the kids decorate the game cards with stickers and stamps. The "I'm bored"s were starting to wind down in the anticipation of playing Mommy's homemade board game. And then, just as we sat down to play, Daddy went outside to set up the new pool (a slightly larger dog bowl), causing both kids to jump up and put on their swim suits, running from my game board without a second glance. Four hours or making a game for those little rug rats and now I feel like the last person picked in dodge ball!
So, since no one wanted to play with me, I put my inner little kid in time out and moved on to making supper like a real adult, grateful that no one was fighting or proclaiming boredom at that moment. Oh Summer, you creator of fickle children.... (But I'm totally playing the game by myself after bedtime tonight either way!!)