Archive for May, 2010

The summer holiday is right around the corner.  Friday is the last day of school.  This year I’m meeting it with excitement and not just a little trepidation.  Summer means camping trips, picnics, and swimming at the pool.

But it also means kids who no longer have a schedule built in.  If I don’t get a working summer schedule put together, my kids will be bored, messy and driving me crazy.

I know for sure they are not going to watch TV all summer.  I also don’t want my kids brains to totally turn to mush.  A while back, I read the book Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell.  It was an interesting book about success and one thing that interested me was the impact of summer activities on kids who are successful in school.  A bit of summer learning can go a long way.

So with all that in mind, here’s what I’m thinking we need this summer:

• Job charts- We already use them, but they need different job charts for summer, with more responsibilities.
• Summer “school”-  Even though I don’t want to do a full scale summer school, I want the kids to do a bit of math, writing and at least 20 minutes of reading every weekday.  I also think it’s fun to do a few science experiments here and there.
• A daily schedule- I don’t do well with a rigid schedule, I can never stick to it.  But the kids need to know what’s expected of them- they need to finish jobs and school work before they can run off to play with friends.
• A weekly schedule- This will include things like going to the library every Monday, doing a weekly activity like going to the Zoo or hiking to Timpanogos Cave, and a swimming day.

With a little planning, and a bit of luck, I hope this summer vacation will be good for all of us.

Part of the reason we had such a great trip to Disneyland was all the great advice I received from friends and family.  For anyone planning a trip in the near future, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the great tips.

• My friend Erin suggested that we find a hotel that serves a complimentary breakfast.  Not only does it save money, but it also saves a whole lot of stress each day.
• My sister-in-law Marcie was a wealth of information.  She suggested that we take a soft-sided cooler filled with water bottles, snacks and even lunch.  If the cooler is smallish, it will fit into the large lockers on Main Street Disneyland.  The large lockers cost $10 a day, but you’ll save mucho $$$’s in return.  You can always find a quiet spot right outside the Main Gate to eat your lunch.
• Marcie also suggested we carried a small backpack with water and a few healthy snacks.  If we ran low, we would grab a few more water bottles out of the cooler.
• She also told us not to miss the Dole Whips at the Tiki Room.  This a great attraction to visit in the afternoon, when you are hot and tired.  Grab a Dole Whip and enjoy the show.  Thanks Marcie, they were delicious!
• Ben’s wonderful teacher told us about a software program called RideMax.  We had found the program online already, but we weren’t sure how well it worked.  Based on her recommendation, we purchased it for $15 before the trip.  It gives you a schedule for riding your rides.  We used RideMax for the first day or two, and once we figured out it’s method, we didn’t need it after that.  But it was an invaluable resource.  We never waited in a long line… our longest being 15 to 20 minutes.
• Arrive early at the park everyday.  We were able to walk right onto multiple big rides every morning because we arrived early.  We typically arrived 1/2 hour before the park opened, so we were ready to go.  Once opened, we headed straight for the Matterhorn, Dumbo, Space Mountain, or Thunder Mountain Railroad.  The early bird really does get the worm at Disneyland.
• Pick up Fastpasses early in the day, when the waits before riding are short.  If your Fastpass says return to ride between 9:30 and 10:30, you can get another Fastpass for another ride anytime after 9:30.
• Don’t ever try to ride a big ride without a Fastpass later in the day.  It will sink your day waiting in line.
• My mom suggested not missing Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  We were lucky enough to visit that attraction with her.  It was wonderful and loved by all of us.  It’s also a great attraction to visit when you are hot and tired in an afternoon.
• Be sure to use the internet for advice before leaving for your trip.  There are some real experts out there who generously share their advice.
• We gave our kids a set amount money for their souvenirs. Then they got to choose what they wanted to buy.  It was a great way for them to have limits on what they wanted.  They felt in charge and it was fun to watch them figure it out.  “If I buy this, I still have extra money for that.  Or if I buy this, that’s the only thing I can buy.”  Plus they weren’t constantly asking me to buy them something.
• Don’t miss the fireworks! A very nice Cast Member suggested we watch the fireworks in front of It’s a Small World ride.  That was a less crowded and delightful spot.  The front facade of Small World has projected images during the fireworks that are delightful.
• That brings up another great tip.  Don’t be shy about asking Cast Members for help.  They were always informative and extremely nice.  I’m sure it didn’t hurt that we were friendly to them in return.  More than once they gave us excellent advice and once a cast member even gave us a FastPass that could be used anytime, anywhere in the park.
• And here’s my advice.  Take time to relax on Mainstreet on at least one of your evenings. On our last night we had an ice cream cone sitting on park bench at the end of Main Street.  The sites were truly magical with the street all lit up, and the glowing castle at the end of the street.  It was a perfect way to end a wonderful trip.

Thanks to my family, friends, and even a few strangers who gave us great advice!