Lazy Summer Days

We are about half-way through summer vacation now. It’s been great! I though I would be about insane by now, since I had come to relish my quiet mornings at home.

But the extreme quiet of morning was offset by the extreme activity of the afternoon, so I am enjoying the overall activity-lack of the 24/7 summer. Except my full-time job in the kitchen. Kids getting up at all hours of the morning means breakfast and lunch are one on-going event between 7am and 2pm. Spikekid wonders why I get him up by 9am. It’s all about mom and the good of the family, sorry Mr. Teen.

I got all my curtains down, mended and washed, all the abu-jour boxes and khazaaneh tops dusted, lot’s of organizing done and even wrote a couple of articles (someone say ‘ma sha’allah’, as only God could have inspired that much desire for dirty work). Finally took the broken DVD and VHS players to get fixed.

I’m thoroughly enjoying a small group Bible study of the book of Daniel. It’s a Beth Moore study, and we just looked at Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Fun, challenging stuff. It (and MommaBean’s example) has caused me to be more serious about exercise and selective eating.

Spike Kid/Manchild has the social life of the century, he has now graduated to taking taxis and getting into some serious Bustanji (garderner) work to pay for his adventures. He has learned he can walk a mile and save a dinar. He is also saving for a truck, and already looking at colleges, after having a couple of good career conversations with men at the embassy (no, not the Marines, thanks be to God).

History Buff is enjoying a stack of History Channel DVDS (we are enjoying them with him), and practicing his drawing skills with Star Wars characters. He is reading quite a bit also. He is the one without many friends around for the summer, although his new buddy Bisaam was over and he enjoys one of Project Boy’s buds. He is saving for an ipod.

Project Boy has been at it, creating a fleet of colorful paper airplanes and dhow-like cardboard sailing ships.  The card-shark of the family, he has organized family game-events with Dutch Blitz and Rook. He has the big idea of bringing the water guns to the pool, and earned himself a place with the big-boys for pool games as a result.

Lil Kinz has continued with her Bean family play-dates, and taking violin lessons with Yara. Funny tho, how “Twinkle Twinkle” sounds like “Old MacDonald”. Thanks to Noor, she now knows the hand-game I used to play: “A Sailor Went to Sea-sea-sea”. She is a fairly proficient reader now, and reads to me! She can spend hours in her room playing Barbie/Kelly/Polly/Playmobil listening to stories on tape.

Blondie sheds. Looks cute, grovels at the feet of guests, and sheds. Don’t come to my house wearing black, I warn you.

Hubby is studying. I moved my lap-top out of the office so he can have some peace and I can monitor the screen time better; for ALL of us. Thanks be to God, his career transition looks complete and very exciting. I didn’t blog about it, of course, but our future in Jordan looked a little unsure for a period there. Love that Bean Family.

All the kids are doing English reading, math and Arabic this summer, and lots of chores around the house. I’m cleaning up behind them.

So what are you doing this summer?