Kids have 1/2 day school tomorrow, I get to take the whole day off. So goodbye bus commute. But my workday is increasing next school year so I will not be able to take the bus (until both kids are in a longer school day). Drat.

Anyway I have a sweet fun idea to kick start their summer vacation and it's free. Of course! But first, the nasty details.

First few days of vacation are consumed with expenseless tasks;

...get down and completely wash, rinse and dry the tile floors (hoping to bleach out a few grout stains too). This is going to take one whole day (partial). But fun allowed after the work, perhaps a trip to pick out paint colors for the kitchen (see below).

...move all the furniture and polish the wood floors with a bit of cleaner and perhaps something to buff (like muscle powered rags dampened with Pledge). Ummm, dontcha hate it when down there how you notice the dirty baseboards???? A Mr. Clean Magic Sponge will be right next to me the whole time.

Two days shot already.

...Insert a family trip to Wash DC for a week. Yippee! We will take a DC by Foot (free) tour, as well as many free museums. I splurged on tix for the new Spy Museum but got free gallery seats in the Capitol Building from my congressman. We'll also visit the Library of Congress, and who knows!

...Next is a craft booth at our town's July 4 party (it's huge) and sell lots of stuff! Here are a few of the better items I may take;

Agate Cameo

Personally collected on the sandy beach and tumbled to a gloss polish, this stone is held by 14K GK wire weave.

Agate Pod

Sterling Silver weave accented with a pink sparkling swarovski crystal enhance a polished oval beach stone.

...Paint the kitchen. Yes. It's been 15 years and still has the original when we bought the place. It's not alot of walls, but you know what happens when you take everything off the counters, curtains down, etc. UGHHHH. It's so dirty. So at least a whole day to clean and prep the place.

A couple weeks into summer vacation by now.

...reupholster the dining room seats and the futon cover. I did this myself about 10 years ago and they are due for a change. You wouldn't believe how much material it takes for just 6 dining room chair seats. This one is going to cost some bucks. And I'd love to obtain enough of the same material to make a new full size futon cover because the dining and den are next to each other.

Three or four weeks used now, and a hundred bucks (2 if the futon thing works out).

...various kid's camps and activities on the calendar, such as chess club, ice skate lessons, jr lifeguards.

I'll stop there, but here's the first fun thing I promised to divulge - we're going to the Humane Society and hang out with the cats and dogs for a couple hours. We are hoping to foster a dog this summer (as a pal for my DS) and get a cat in the not too distant future. The only thing in the way is my current dog's temperament, high strung. He has to accept whomever we adopt. Wish us luck!