Writer’s Workshop: My Summer Plans
by Jenners • 06/09/2010 • Life, Writers Workshop • 43 Comments
Sometimes I get the Writer’s Workshop prompts and work really hard to find one I want to write about. Most times there is only one prompt that calls to me. But this week, I found 4 out of 5 prompts saying “Me! Me! Pick me! You want to choose me!”
And, since I’ve been running a bit low on inspiration lately (I mean, I wrote about a paper bag puppet my husband made on Monday!), I decided I would write all four prompts that inspired me. But don’t worry, I won’t do them all today. I’m going to spread them out over the next few weeks. So what prompt will I write about today? Prompt #4 … come on down! You’re my next blog post!
Prompt 4: 30 things you vow to do this summer. (inspired by Maegan from Life Set To Words)
- I will force my Little One to attend the day camp I found for him whether he wants to go or not. (If we are forced to spend all day, every day together this summer, we will never survive. He must go to camp! And I can’t imagine him not liking it … it involves bouncing and art. The only downside it is only for three days a week).
- I will use my free time while the Little One is at camp wisely. (By blogging … err.. I mean, doing household chores.)
- I will start my own little school for the Little One so he doesn’t forget all the stuff he learned in kindergarten this year. (Plus this fulfills my dream of running my own school. I’m so excited … I’m going to make up little lesson plans and everything.)
- I will create a “Reading by Yourself” incentive program for the Little One to inspire him to read more (e.g., 5 books reads earns a trip to the ice cream stand). The Little One is doing pretty good at reading but is sometimes lazy (I mean … reluctant) about reading books on his own.
- I will entice children over to play at our yard as often as possible with an assortment of fun water-based activities so the Little One can play with friends and I can read a book while keeping an eye on them. (This is really a win-win situation. And I think this new addition to the household will do the trick.)
Look what 3 years of nagging and begging and promises of sex will get you!(Plus a sale that had this sucker marked $100 off!!)
This is my secret weapon to survive the summer!
Set up the slide … automatic playmates for the Little One!
Plus “Big Mama” (that would be me) can go on it too!
- I will not let my feet become dried out and gross … not when I’ll be wearing sandals or flip flops every day.
- I will keep up with painting my toenails and not let them be chipped and messy for weeks on end.
- I will maintain full control of the air conditioning. If I’m home all day and sweltering in the heat and humidity, Mr. Jenners gets NO SAY AT ALL about where the AC is set.
- I will remember to check my bikini area for possible “forestry” before wearing a swimsuit in public.
- I will not spend the first three days of our summer vacation bickering with Mr. Jenners. (We do this on every.single.vacation before we get into “vacation” mode.)
- I will change the hummingbird food regularly.
- I will remember to water the garden every day.
- I will read at least two books a week … possibly more if I can sneak it in.
- I will not blog as regularly because of my reduced free time. (You can either cheer or moan depending on how you feel about my blog. In the summer, my blogging gets really really erratic.)
- I will resist the urge to run to Mr. Softee each time I hear his annoying tinkling song.
- I will apply sunscreen EVERY DAY.
- I will make a half-hearted effort to keep up with the housework while the Little One is at camp. (No matter how tempting it is to just blog or read during that time.)
- I will limit blog redesigns to just changing the colors and background on my template. (How about red, white and blue for July? Watermelon background for August?)
- I will lose at least 10 pounds this summer … as long as I can fend off Mr. Softee and his Devil Chimes.
- I will make 95% of our meals on the grill.
- I will make sure to eat plenty of the summertime fruit that I won’t be able to get in the winter.
- I will regularly “service” Mr. Jenners without sulking or complaining about it. (Remember how I negotiated the purchase of that awesome water slide? Well, this is part of the price I pay.)
- I will not kill any hobos with hammers. (If you are not familiar with my blog, I don’t actually have a hobo killing problem. It is a personal quest of mine to see how many blog posts I can work this phrase into. You’d be surprised how often I can slip it in there.)
- I will go swimming at least three times and each time I will attempt to tread water for 5 minutes. (I give myself permission to stop treading if drowning seems imminent.)
- I will go skinny dipping. (Totally kidding. That wouldn’t be good for anyone.)
- I will let the Little One stay up as late as he wants one night and see what happens. (I bet he makes it until 9:00 pm and collapses in a heap.)
- I will encourage the Little One to master the use of the “pee hole” in his underwear.
- I will avoid posts that require you to list 30 items … this seems to be going on and on and on and I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas.
- I will try to get a bluebird to land on my shoulder like Snow White.
- I will ride on a Segway and I will love it.
Serious about 85% of these vows,
Always checking for forestry too!
Great list Jenners
Good luck with "Mr. Softee and his Devil Chimes". It's just way too tempting and my little one runs to the front door every time he hears it. (Not that I go out the door each time, but I do love those twists!)
Sounds like you are going to have a great summer!May have to blatantly steal some of your ideas. It's going to be a long one!
By the way, are you wielding the hammers or are the hobos?
I love the little school idea! And YOU get to write on the blackboard! How cool is that?!!!
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My heels are one of my goals too but I take care of them for like a week and then slack off and they get terrible again. What can I say? I grew up barefoot and in flip flops and it's a hard habit to break.
I look at that slide/pool every year!
*applause* Wow, I'm impressed you managed to complete the list with all 30 items! I only made it to 25 (sort of).
Totally love that new pool slide. I want one now too. I don't know where I'd put it but it would definitely be so much fun to play on…at least for a few days.
I love how you have to "service" Mr. Jenners in return for the slide. I swear, that's the same price I have to pay when trying to convince Jason to buy me big expensive things too
Men and their libidos! Seriously! 
AWESOME List! And that slide thingie….so worth the servicing without complaint! Especially if you can use it too! And bathing suit in public? Phew mama, you are a lot braver that I am!! =)
Yours were way more entertaining than mine!
I plan on going to Savannah twice this summer and on one of those trips I plan to try the Segway thing… just cuz! I've always been fascinated by those things. I wonder if you get them by the hour or day or what?
Oooh, thanks for the reminder about the forestry–gotta check that.
Are you sure you don't want to kill one hobo with a hammer this summer? C'mon, just one…
Those water slides are so cool! My 4 year old reminds me if our feeder gets low. And I relish my time while my kids are at camp.
"Mr. Softee and his Devil Chimes" made me snort.
Do the Segway thing! I did a Segway tour in Disney in February with my fiance and we both LOVED it. So much so that we are planning a redo on our honeymoon next May. It's so much easier than it looks and I promise you, it's a lot of fun.
Inspired post. You make me laugh. Devil Chimes? Forestry? You've almost convinced me to try the Writer's Workshop again. I've been AWOL for quite a while.
as always you rock at the prompt.
if you are able to pull off your list, you more amazing than I thought from your blog!
I want a picture of that blue bird when it lands . . . and please do you skinny dipping. It is so liberating
Try edhelper.com and and tlsbooks.com to help you with your summer schooling
As usual you totally have rolling on the floor. I was thinking you should lose 5lb instead because little man is going to read those books and you cant go to the ice cream stand and not have a sample or two ; ). I am going to follow your lead and use the rest of the prompts for the rest of the week.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! That water slide/pool looks like so much fun! They need to make things like that for adults!
I am bad about watering plants, but we have had a lot of rain in Ohio so I haven't had to worry about that too much yet!
Ah I forgot to promise sex, that is why we don't have one yet… but let's be honest I have a newborn… guess we aren't getting one this summer… maybe next year
I don't think I could lose 10 pounds in the summer…I love ice cream too much and besides making it once a week, my family loves to go for ice cream, popsicles or frozen yogurt. Good idea about the water play thing in your yard…you will be the fun mom on the block–while reading a book!
This made me giggle with the skinny dipping, the "pee hole" (don't know if my boy has mastered THAT yet and he's 10!) and I think you should go with the whole red, white and blue theme for July. Totally patriotic!
Please post pictures of your collapsed little one. Too funny.
Also, I loved the reading incentive program my library had.
I like this list. If I had made a list and I got to stay home mine would be very similar (and also only 85% true).
Love the slide…you're an awesome negotiator! And do they really use the pee hole? Honestly, I don't know and I have two boys!
Oh, I almost forgot, after raising 3 sons, and having a stepson and husband and such I can assure you the "pee hole" is just for looks, guys always pull the undies down under the. . .well, you know. That hole is just not useable.
Are you sure there's time for all that? Servicing Mr Jenners? Is he ok with that? I mean with the terminology? lol
And, um, if you get that bluebird, I better get a photo of it!
dear jenners,
you were making me laugh all the
way through, because i can well
remember having many of the same
sanity goals.
how sweet of you to remember mr.
jenners. and how WISE! and VERY
IMPORTANT.
'nuff said.
ps. you are so very sweet to even
care about sunday lane. and way
too busy too worry with it. take
care of your own. i will love you
for the thought.
blessings,
lea
Great list.
And I giggled at learning to use the pee-hole. oh Hai I'm 7 yrs old.
OMG — I wish you had numbered these so I could easily respond
I love the pool — and hope that number 5 comes true for both of you!
I wholeheartedly agree with numbers 7, 13, 16, and 20
I wish you the best of luck with number 19 — keep us posted!
Number 14 is a definite "moan"
And I was truly rolling on the floor with laughter at numbers 9, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, and 28!!!
(sure hope my numbering system is ok here)
Looking forward to the other three writing prompts
Hmmm….I'm angling for a new camera, I think I might just know how to get it now
I opted for no summer school this year or camps and in week 2 am thinking that might have been a rash move.
I am willing to bet the resolution not to blog much will be the one to crash and burn…..it's kind of addictive like the ice cream
OMG! We NEED that water slide. I don't know if I'm, er, bendy enough to seal the deal though.
PS I'm copying you and doing these prompts later. They are all good!
I think that all of this is doable. Can I ride the segway with you?
And stay clear of all those hobos
Oh dear… you should have added, "I will make Heather laugh with my offbeat sense of humor and random comments about hobos and pee holes."
Cause that's what just happened.
So glad to hear about the hobos. And so wish I could give that slide a try – looks fun.
On the blue bird thing – remember all the bird strike posts I've done – that's how I got to hold a blue bird last summer. The one that hit the window this year did not survive, but the yellow finch did and I got to hold it.
I actually did the summer lesson thing too but they never knew it. I was good like that.
I'm delighted that you'll be landscaping the forest preserve as needed, but I'm sorry that you'll have to do some summer "service" time. Although that slide is worth at least one full service ride.
You completely crack me up, by the way!
I hope that you accomplish at least 90% of the 85% real vows
That was awesome, Jenners! I loved the one about sunscreen. And the bluebird on your shoulder. Lordy, I can't wait till my kiddo is big enough for camp. Think of all the productivity time! Cheers!
LOL! Ok, you have to post this list at the end of summer and let us know how each one went.
I love that you want to make sure to school your son so he doesn't forget what he learned this year.
That one made me laugh because I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of us said the same thing and none of us followed through.
Well, maybe the really A types did!
You know what I think of when you say service your man? I imagine that there is a gas station ding dong bell that rings each time he jumps into bed. You might need a customers served signed after the summer is up.
Ok…ok…
I had to pick myself up off the floor…
I fell over laughing about the "forestry" in the bikini area!!
::snort::
I hear ya there! I hear ya!!
LOVE this! I just want to copy and paste it and put it on my blog……..
I love the little school idea! And YOU get to write on the blackboard! How cool is that?!!!
"Pee hole" – who knew?!!!
That slide thing is awesome and even more awesome if adults can seriously get on it without fear of collaspe. I must know where you got it….
Stepping away from the computer is difficult, but stepping away in order to clean is downright impossible. I hate cleaning. And cooking. And the laundry. Really anything domestic. I believe the hubby and I need a wife. One who likes all that crapola. Yay for summer though!
LOVE this, and they're all dead on. I hear ya on "step away from the computer."
I am so impressed that you tackled a 30-item list! Loved how you worked that hobo in. =)