Summer List

At the beginning of the summer I made a list of things to accomplish with The Trifecta.  Because I love lists and I love to cross things off lists.  Crossing things off of lists feels awesome.  I will share my list with you:
1)    Provide The Trifecta with the opportunity to practice writing names each morning using a variety of modalities.
2)    Practice letter-sound correspondence with The Trifecta daily.
3)    Practice number names and counting in sequence with The Trifecta daily.
4)    Sign The Trifecta up for swimming lessons.

Now that summer vacation nears its end, I will share what I actually accomplished on my list:

1)    Instead of working with The Trifecta on learning to write their names, the trio ran around in their underwear, daily, sometimes in the yard.

2)    Rather than practice letter-sound correspondence, The Trifecta toured The Tweetsie Railroad no less than 20 days.  During this time, the girls heard cowboys refer to Native Americans as “Indians,” took four photographs in which they wore can-can girl and/or Native American and/or cowboy costumes postured in bar while ingesting sprite, popcorn, ice cream, French fries, and cotton candy.

3)    I failed to spend time working with The Trifecta on learning number names and counting in sequence.  However, we constructed a boat load of block trains and castles using the manipulatives I purchased to practice stated skill.  Manipulatives also doubled as weapons. I stepped on the manipulative minefield no less than a dozen times introducing Trifecta to a new language called “cussing up a storm.”

4)    Swim lessons?  Nope.  Apparently it’s not effective to wait until June to contact swim instructors.  Schedules fill up by March.  We did spend a lot of time jumping off the side of the pool screaming words like, “GAS PUPPET!” and “MONKEY POOP!”

Yep, that’s what I have to show for myself as a stay at home parent with a Master’s Degree in Gifted Education.

During my time as a classroom teacher, I took it upon myself to educate parents on the importance of continuing the practice of reading, writing, and arithmeticing throughout the summer.  I would conclude the spring conference with a little something like, “I have really enjoyed having Rainbow Bright in my class this year. Please make sure you continue to read, write, and arithmetic over the summer.  Research states that if you fail to practice such skills over summer vacation with your child, her head will deflate and her brain will be broken.”  I always gave those free spirited parents a little extra something like, “I’m serious.  Seriously, I mean it.”

What have I learned from this experience?  Don’t make serious lists.  Make fun lists.