With Graham out of pre-school last week, I got a chance to preview what I have in store for Summer: two kids full-time, with me working part-time out of the home. This will be a challenge. There will be MUCH time management involved, and most-likely some paid child-care too.
In all honesty, I was really dreading Spring Break. I hadn’t been responsible for both kids for a whole week without interruption since Will was a newborn, and he slept all the time then. But, I loaded up my schedule with fun stuff for us to do each day, and fun was had. Trust me, there were times when I wanted to ship both kids off to school, or Grandma’s, or to any stranger that would take them. For the most part though, we had fun. And it got me excited about summer. We can do this. Good thing I like a challenge!
If you have a little trepidation about the upcoming months ahead, here are a few things that we did over Spring Break and I highly recommend:
Trip to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC: We chose the Riverbanks Zoo because it very stroller-friendly and accessible to younger children. The NC Zoo is great too, but be prepared to do A LOT of walking.
Visit the local library: We actually had a blast at the library, even though we missed storytime. Graham played with puppets and computers, we all picked out books, and Will crawled around trying to keep up with his big brother. This was a great time-killer in the AC!
Crafts: I know, I know. I’m the first person to turn my nose up at crafting. I don’t love it, I’ll be honest. But, my kid does, so if it keeps him happy, I’m happy. Plus, it can involve food too! We happened to dye Easter eggs, which may or may not be a seasonal thing to do when you read this, but you can build marshmallow/toothpick structures, bust out the playdough, finger paint, or even… make Candy Bark.
Get melting chocolate in various colors and allow the kids to swirl them to make new colors and decorate with whatever delish toppings you have on hand.
Check out a greenway: Load up the kiddos in your jogging stroller, or allow big kids to ride their trikes/scooters. (Now, I don’t have the patience to chase G-man down on his bike, but the greenways are very kid-toy friendly.) Everyone will appreciate the fresh air and seeing nature. Great Charlotte area greanways include: Little Sugar Creek, Four Mile Creek, and McAlpine Greenway.
Hop on the train and head to Imaginon, and grab a lunch/snack: Board the Lynx train at one of the furthest outposts, and ride the train in to Imaginon (the last stop). Get out and let the kids romp in the toddler area of the library. Pick out a few books or schedule a time during a performance or story time. Afterwards, we like to got pizza at Brixx, but if you want to skip the lunch-bit, head on over to the EpiCentre for some FroYo!
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