Summer fun with a large family

After yesterday's post about comments and reactions I wanted to share how much I'm loving having a large family!  I felt guilty about that post and thought about deleting it because I don't want to sound like I don't like having a large family, because I do!!  I'm so thankful for each and every one of these little people. 

Summer at "camp Bond" has been so much fun.  We're enjoying lots of free time to explore and play and weekends full of trips to discover this new area.  Every day I go to bed and wake up with a list of fun things I'd love to do with the kids.  Dan bought a badminton set from Walmart for $16 and we've had so much fun with it!  Dan and I love to play together each day after he gets home from work.  Mareea and Thea love to jump in and say "I'm on mama's team" and stand with us on our side of the court.  We've been so blessed with a big, shaded yard and nice breezes that we can spend hours outside in July! 

We set up a Frisbee golf course in the yard with some small baskets and $1 walmart frisbees.  The kids really like that, too.  We're amazed that little Thea can throw and catch a frisbee so well!  We really shouldn't be...she's learned to ride a two wheeler already at 4 and was climbing trees higher than I could reach her at 2!  We figure her speech delay is compensated by her high level of gross motor skills! 

Inside we're working on a puzzle and playing lots of board games.  We found Stratego at the thrift store for $2 and the children will play it all day if you let them.  Dan loves it, too.  They keep asking me to learn to play, but I have not yet.  I have, however, been playing some great games of Ten Days in Europe with the boys and Memory with the girls. 

Today I'm hoping to teach the boys a new card game and make homemade finger paints for the girls.  We are working on getting Giddy on a good nap schedule so it means we're home more.  While I would have thought they would not like it, the children seem to really enjoy being home.  They'd stay here all the time if it was up to them!  I guess that's a good thing, right?  We want them to love being at home. 

I'm thankful to home school even in the summer.  There's no fear of "what will we do with the kids home all day" because they're always home all day...now I just get to enjoy them and play with them without schoolwork!   And they're used to being at home and not telling me they're bored or asking to constantly go play with other friends...their siblings are their friends.  I love it. 

I'm off to start another great summer day with my wonderful large family!!!