Summer days are some of my most favorite around the Gregg household. No schoolwork (kinda) to be done. No hustling of kids about here and there. This season has always been one of my favorite year in and year out.
This summer break is a bit different for us as my boys are in Ohio. While I miss them immensely there is something nice about it just being my girls. I am seeing them a new light away from my boys and am reminded that although they are growing they are still little. Taking away the older teenagers in my home gives me a look back at what it was like in our house when Andy was just 12 and Josh 10 as my girls are right now. The feel is different around here - there is more routine and life is a bit simpler. There isn't the constant nag to be on electronics. It is nice.
We are settling into a nice routine. The girls get up, make their beds, get dressed, do some chores, Sarah practices her violin, and then the girls get their schoolwork done. We spend our afternoons playing games or going to parks. We come home and make dinner and settle into a nice evening with Bob. Just the four of us.
Even though the girls are on a short summer break I am having them still work on reading/spelling/braille. Elizabeth reads part of a chapter book to me each morning and works on another section of her spelling book. Sarah is finishing up a braille reader and then we are about to embark on our first contracted braille chapter book - Charlotte's Web. She is also working through her contracted braille curriculum. I didn't want the girls to lose the progress they have made in either of these academic areas so they are spending just a small amount of time on these two subjects apiece each weekday morning.
Our summer break will be short. I like to have a short summer break both so that they kids retain as much information as possible, but also because I like to be able to take breaks here and there over the course of the traditional school year when family visit us from Ohio. I am thinking that I might have the girls start back to school at the end of June or beginning of July. The boys will be starting again at the end of July/beginning of August.
I am still working about 4-8 hours a week at a local retail store, but am thinking seriously about quitting and focusing 100% of my time on being a homemaker. Their is a lot of change in management right now at the store and I no longer look forward to going to work like I once did. I used to have fun at work. It was a nice break from here, but now it is regularly stressful and I don't need to add stress to my life. I am working on destressing my life. I don't make a lot of money and could probably cut what I make from our current budget so that my not working would mean the same amount of cash flow. Does that make sense?
In the meantime, I am just going to be enjoying the nice weather, our cozy new home, and time with my girls. It certainly will be nice to have my family complete again come the 6th of July, but I am going to make the most of the time I have now with the family that I have with me.
Life is good in Portland.
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