Summers were so much fun as a kid, with camps, swimming, and sprinklers, and lots and lots of ice cream.

As an adult, there's no break from work and there can be more to do juggling the kids' schedule, and we lose the magic.  But here's a way to get it back.

The kids have no shortage of ideas about things to to this summer, and when they mention things, the questions that run through a parent's head involve how much setup time it might take, how much money it will cost, how safe is it, how long will it hold their attention, and is it constructive and will it teach them something that will help make them better people in the end. No pressure summer, no pressure.

So how do we incorporate summer into our busy, over-loaded lives, let go, and make it totally rock for the kids? We just might have to throw caution to the wind a few times. Here are some ideas.

1. See summer through their eyes. It's more fun to get wet in the back yard sprinklers than it is to return work phone calls, right? I mean, we can't get ourselves fired or anything, but we can probably take ten minutes to let loose and get our clothes wet. The kids will remember the moment Mama got drenched, more than they'll remember Mama checking email.

2. Accept that the summer routine will be different than the school year routine. That means our workout schedules, our grocery store trips, and our sleep schedules might happen at different times. It's not worse or better really, but it will be different. And more fun.

3. Appreciate the moments that we have with the kids. This is the only time they'll be this age during the summer, and we've got to embrace and make it memorable with trips to the pool, the lake, the zoo, and maybe even California. Have picnics, go places where bare feet are the norm, and make lemonade. Put it all on Facebook and Instagram and don't care who likes it.

Summer will be so much more fun if we just jump into the water without hesitating to see how cold the water is first, won't it? We can learn a lot from these kids of ours.

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