What Shall We Do Today?

As I have been reading through writing sites over the last month, I found a common theme; lists of ways to find the time to actually write.

I thought about summer fast approaching and all the things I wanted to do with my grandchildren.  I am more blessed than many grandparents, I am able to provide daycare for my grandchildren.  I will be spending the summer with from one to five grandchildren on any given day.  With the fun comes the responsibility.  It's important to me that my grandchildren have time to play, time to explore their world, and time to learn new things.  Success will be shown in several ways.  When they are too old for daycare, they will remember the fun time they had with their grandma growing up.  I don't expect them to remember each day we spent together (although we have hundreds of pictures to help), I just want them to remember this time together with a good feeling and a smile.  I want them to know they are important enough to be a priority in my life and I want them to feel loved.  They know they are a priority and are loved by their parents already, but a little extra from me can't hurt.  I want them to have time to do just what they want to do and learn and explore through their own world, without all the ideas of what to do and play being orchestrated by me.  I want them to try and taste all that Iowa has to offer.  This may be the summer they find that one thing that is exciting enough to them that they spend the rest of their life learning about and doing.  And if not, that's all right.  They have many years ahead to find what they like most to do.  I also want them to have the resources and quality childcare they would get through any professional childcare facility.

How does that lead back to my original statement.  How do I organize my summer to have the time to give my grandchildren everything I want for them over the summer?  How do I find that time?  My solution is to start now by taking the time to plan what we are going to do for the summer.  I'm making the list of the favorite places from last summer, the places we learned about but ran out of time to visit, and the places I've learned about over the winter.  Lots of swimming is on top of the list, so we begin there.

What do you like to do over the summer that you look forward to?  Any ideas that you have for making that time to do everything you want to do?  Check back often as we begin the processing of planning to travel with Grandma Mitch.