O Happy Schedule!

My vacation schedule, or how I bring order to an otherwise potentiallly chaotic situation.

Before you roll your eyes and start ranting about vacations and lack of schedules as two of my non blogging friends did 2 years ago when I mentioned this, let me say I know all that. I choose to schedule becuase I like things this way. Our vacation is an escape from the duties, chores, responsibilities and stresses of our house. If we stayed home we'd get sucked into the vortex of the office - a great disadvantage to working from home. There would be boxes calling my names, rooms to decorate... that is not time off. 100% free time is actually very ugly for us as a family - the kids end up fighting, we end up laying around like sloths and everyone is generally cranky.

So here is our schedule. We put great thought into it and are greatly enjoying it... so far.

1. We rise when the sun/heat wakes us. I may change this as I've been waking up feeling kind of "ugh" as it is stinking hot by 8:00 a.m.

2. The kids make their own breakfast of cereal and juice and Dh makes coffee. I can't drink the diesel he calls coffee. Sometimes I drink a red bull because a workout is about to follow. Stella tells me there is something wrong with drinking a red bull before a workout to enable one to burn more fat. I persist. My argument is that it is efficent. Don't aruge with efficiency. DH and I do not eat breakfast yet.

3. The kids get dressed, we get into running gear, we all sunscreen and off we go for a family run. The kids don't run, they ride their bikes. DH and I run. We've been semi-trail running through the orchards. Its not a rigorous trail but its not cement either so the kids have been learning some trail riding skills. Gorilla has the makings of a good mountain biker. Banana is learning to be less cautious. I am learning to improve my cardio vascular health and also to stop being such a nervous nelly/nag about the kids biking behavior. DH is just in charge of us all and leads the way, trespassing through the orchards. I like running in the orchards though. Its shady, there is usually some sprinklers going and its simply pretty. Oh and the trees don't laugh at me in my running shorts... at least not that I am aware of.

Today I hit the gym at the rec centre as the kids were still asleep at 8:00 a.m. after a late night of watching fire works from our beach.

4. We return to our humble home. We change. The kids are allowed to make a healthy snack and then "hang out". They have created a new movie called "The Fools", being released tomorrow by the way, by Ardamon and 20th Century Fox. Don't ask. Dh and I make breakfast. He drinks a protein and greens shake, I'm off that at the moment and have plain fat free yogurt or this protein loaded cereal with skim milk. I make my own coffee at this point.

5. A few minor chores are next, mainly making the bed, sometimes a load of laundry.. nothin much.

6. Homeschool begins. Gorilla and I have a bunch of things to work on this summer so out come the workbooks. Banana, top of her class who sickly enjoys a good workbook, also has some work books. She works independently, Gorilla needs more 1:1. This usually lasts 1.5 hours. Then they get to play on the computer. We have 3, count em 3 computers with us. Mine, DH's computer from his old work and his laptop from his new job which he is transferring old files onto.

7. I make lunch. We are eating as the french do, mainly because of temperature reasons, and eating our big meal at lunch. Some particularly yummy meals have included:

grilled chicken breast marinated in spices
sauteed peppers and onions
whole wheat tortillas
salsa, lettuce - fajitas,sort of...kids ate chicken and raw carrots. THey don't do onions or salsa.

italian sausage
stirfried green peppers and onions
fresh tomato sauce (made from fesh tomatoes starting to get a bit soft and lots of garlic and a wee bit of red wine)
whole wheat pasta
parmesan cheese - all of this mixed together.... kids had noodles, butter and sausage. Again with the veggies they don't like!

8. we clean up from lunch.

9. this is where we get loose and flexible. Sometimes we go to the beach, sometimes we go into town for something and then go to the beach. Sunshine, lots of swim time and serious vegging out are involved. Today the family goes to the beach without me, I am working. Blah.

10. Sometimes we eat dinner there, sometimes we come back home. Dinner is what would normally be lunch. Sandwiches for the kids usually, DH and I usually have something like salami, french bread, dijon mustard, cukes in dressing and some olives. And wine. Always a glass of wine. Home is hot at this point, which is why we aren't cooking. We usually crank up the air conditioner and attempt to revive from a day in the sun.

11. movie night! the kids get to watch a movie/part of a movie before bed.

12. we hit the sack. sometimes DH and I rent a movie, but often we crash early instead.

that is it. So far all is going well!!