Summer break. Do or don't?

This is a picture I took looking out from a museum in Chicago last summer.  Last summer I did the good mom thing.  You know, that one time in your life you get a good idea and actually follow through with it.  Now first of all I really don't mean the "good mom" thing.  I really try not to get hung up on that and guilt.  Try being the key word, it takes effort and Satan is sly in that area.

What I did was plan a field trip once a week somewhere.  I sent an email out inviting all our friends and the ones who could come did, when they could.  Each week it was different friends along.  It really was a good summer. 

This summer...we bought a house in August.  We also put in a huge garden, planted strawberries & blueberries, 2 apple trees, have sweeping gorgeous landscaping, and bought 20 chickens.  Top that with wanting to paint the remaining rooms in the house, change the carpet, sew new curtains for each room.  Oh there goes the "good woman" thing through my head.  I kid.

Now I am going to switch gears here after roughly 3 paragraphs and talk school, homeschool.  And I do spell it homeschool because it is one word and idea for me and it is in the dictionary that way!  Each year of school is different for us.  When we first began like most we took off the 3 or so months called summer.  Then the boys got older and me too.  Spring rolled around every year like clock work and we became restless.  I wanted to get out and garden the boys wanted to get out and play in the hose.  So we changed the way we do our school breaks.  The way I am going to tell you we do it is really just so I can have a grand post on a Saturday morning while the kids are enjoying a lazy morning playing Wii.  Take what seems good to you, think it over and use it if it will help.  If it won't and you just don't do it that way consider it a dose of good old medicine, a good chuckle.

When "school" stops we normally don't.  They still practice their musical instrument the same amount of time.  They still read their Bible and have time with God in quiet.  They still read a book just now they may be able to choose it if I allow it ;)  Free choice gotta love it.  Finally they will continue to do a math lesson everyday.  They will be done by 10 at the latest and there is still a daily routine.  Their whole lives they will have a daily routine.  I hope it always includes God, music and reading for pleasure.  We may or may not do a unit study together.  I have Answers in Genesis Pilgrim's Progress unit study that I have set out the past 4 years, maybe we will get to it.  We do take off music and math in July because that is when we take our 2 week vacation and after a 2 week break away from the garden it takes 2 weeks to get the weeds back in check.

That is what we do.  What works for you?

Link ups
http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/homemaking-link-up-30/
http://jasmine-aboverubies.blogspot.com/2011/05/domestically-divine-homemaking-link-up_17.html
http://likeabubblingbrook.com/2011/05/biblical-womanhood-friday-4th-ed/
http://gnowfglins.com/2011/05/19/simple-lives-thursday-44/