Summer activities.

I was ready for school to be over for the summer but now I'm trying to come up with stuff that keeps Esther busy.  If I let her, she would spend all day playing on the computer, but since that isn't very healthy, I have to come up with alternatives.  I have been really working with E on doing chores.  She has a daily chore list consisting of 5 things:  brush teeth, put away silverware, clean room, put away clothes, and take dirty clothes the washing machine.  At first, putting stickers on her checklist was exciting for her, but that quickly wore off. Cleaning her room is her least favorite chore, and who would blame her.  Boy, can that girl procrastinate.  She will spend hours in her room supposedly cleaning up and when I check on her, she has managed to make an even bigger mess.  She is not allowed to watch TV or play on the computer until she is done in hopes of motivating her, but like I said she is a great procrastinator.  She has enough energy to play for hours but when it's time to pick up, she is "exhausted". However, I use this to my advantage...when I need some quiet time I tell her to clean her room and I don't see her for quite a while.  I have been working with her on focusing on one area at a time, like putting way Legos.  She still struggles with this.  I'm hoping by the end of summer she will be more able to focus on tasks.

Some of our other activities for the summer are park dates with Esther's preschool friends.  We usually meet once a week. Esther will also be starting swimming lessons tomorrow.  This will be her first swim class.  She loves being in the water but hates to get her face wet.  We'll see how it goes.  

After last year's tragic snail vs. cd player incident, I have been a little reticent about bringing anymore in the house.  However, I decided to give Esther another chance to be a responsible "snail owner".  We found three and she had great fun with them...until I found them in the bathroom sink in a small pool of soapy water.  Apparently she was trying to clean them. They were all still alive and are now freely roaming outdoors again.

Fun at the zoo with the penguins.

Right now, Woodland Park Zoo has a cool exhibit with animatronic dinosaurs.  Of course anything that combines dinosaurs and robots is right up E's alley.

Of course E had to climb on every statue.  I love the look on these two boys faces.