Well, my wife is going to summer camp!
Yes, she's 28 years old, but she's still going to summer camp. She's going to serve as a leader with NMC's Senior High Camp July 13-17.
This is significant for a few reasons.
First, she's going to have a great opportunity to establish or strengthen relationships with many students from our church and New Life Fellowship.
Second, she gets to spend some quality time with one of her best friends, Janelle Prenkert.
Third, this means she's going to get to go to Cedar Point and I'm not.
Fourth, and most importantly, this will be the first time our kids have been away from either of us for more than one night.
Since both of them spend almost all day every day with her, it's going to be pretty hard for them to not see her for 5 days. I'm going to take a couple vacation days so I'm with them the whole time. That's both exciting and scary for me.
I'd love to make this a time when I can bond with them in a way I never could when their mother is around.
My initial thought is to plan a bunch of really fun stuff to keep them happy and excited, but I don't necessarily just want to distract them. I want them to spend quality time with me in their normal, everyday environment.
I think a balance of those two thoughts will make for an amazing time. So, I need your help to plan some really fun activities. If any of you with small children (5 and younger) have done anything like this with them, please share your stories with me. I need ideas.
I love my kids so much and I want to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen my relationship with them. Thanks!
6 comments:
Dan,
Mine are 7 and 4 and what I've found out is this: Though they love doing fun special things, taking the time off to spend with them that they don't normally get is the best thing you can do. Really, they just want your time. As far as cheap things to do, Little Paws Park in Nappanee, the new Splash Pad in Wakarusa, and my kids love going to the library to play and check out books and movies....but they will most appreciate your time and focused attention on them.
Your children are probably past "peek-a-boo," which is about all I need to be a successful parent these days. My only other ideas would involve wrestling or all other manner of horseplay/roughhousing. It should be no problem to keep that up for 5 straight days...
Just last weekend I made an Indian tent with my neices and nephew ages 4-8. Go to a woods and get 6 long skinny branches, (or come borrow my poles). Buy a brown paper dropcloth for painting at Ace ($6). Tie the pole tops together, splay them out and tape the cloth around it. You might put small rocks around the bottom to hold it down. Then get paints or markers and decorate the teepee with all kinds of symbols. It will be big enough to play inside, or to take a nap when you are all done:)
See you Monday!
Tell Katie I am so excited she is coming to camp! We are so fortunate to have her!!!!
I think it is great that you are spending these days with your kids. They will never forget it, you will never regret it, and you will come away with an even greater appreciation for what Katie does. Plus, Katie will come home so rejuvenated and excited from her ministry trip, and it will spill into your home. Oh, in case you have no idea who I am, I am married to Derry's cousin Curt.
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