Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Summer Vacation



According to Phineas and Ferb:

There's 104 days of summer vacation
And school comes along just to end it
So the annual problem for our generation
Is finding a good way to spend it

Well, if you asked my 6 year old and 3 year old daughters, spending their summer vacation watching Phineas and Ferb or any other Disney sitcom, cartoon, or movie is perfectly fine. If I'd let them, they would mindlessly download every joke, attitudinal eye roll, and plotline from Disney (channel 68 where we live). Today, as I turned off the tv for the hundredth time this summer, I said to my 6 year old, "Isn't it ironic that you'd rather watch Phineas and Ferb enjoy their summer vacation, than actually enjoy your own?" What did I get in response? A blank stare and the ever-so-tiny beginnings of a smirk.

Then I looked around the house. I had forced everyone to clean up last night, so no toys were out. The house was clean, yes, but not one that screamed, "Let's have fun!" So, we took out the crayons and drew pictures of our vacation on Cape Cod a week earlier. We played cars on the floor with my 1 year old son. We played the Hungry Caterpillar game with my 3 year old. We set up the dollhouse, again and again and again. We let the boy take allllll the magnets off the fridge and then went outside, played catch, played a round of croquet, and ran around the yard. As we all tumbled into the hammock, my 6 year old turned to me and said, "Mom, it WAS more fun to enjoy ourselves than watching Disney." Take that Walt!