The family's hot summer plans

Now is the time of year when I really should make sure the kids have enough to keep them busy this summer. If I don't, they will be driving me up the wall by the time school starts.

(OK, to be honest, they are already driving me up the wall and have been for years; that's where I got the whole idea of writing Life on the Home Front.)

My first step in preventing them from making me crazier than I already am is to try to help Jimmy find a summer job. Now that Jimmy is 15, he's eligible to get a permit that will allow him to work for a limited number of hours a day.

I'm hoping to convince him to apply at Baskin Robbins. It's close to our house, so I wouldn't spend a lot of time driving him around.

The boys and I spend a lot of time there in the summertime anyway. If Jimmy is behind the counter, I'll have an excuse to go there more often. Maybe he will even be a little generous when it's time to scoop up some ice cream for dear ol' mom!

Tommy and Ronnie will probably get off easy again due to the fact that they're too young to be gainfully employed. However, once Tommy realizes Jimmy is making money, he is likely to come up with a money-making scheme of his own to increase his steadily growing fortune.

My middle son has always been the one who puts every dime he gets for birthdays, Christmas or helping out around the house right into his savings account. As a result, he has twice as much money as Jimmy does in the bank.

Besides hanging out at the neighborhood pool and ice cream parlor, the boys and I will likely spend some time in the Tar Heel state this summer and make a couple of trips to Ocean City, Md.
I said "the boys and I" because I can't always count on Ron to be around for family vacations. Sometimes they don't fit in around his busy fishing schedule. Whenever that happens, we just hit the road and wait for him to catch up with us.

This summer would probably be a good time to take advantage of some of the hot spots in our nation's capital. According to my sons, I take them to places that are fun, but their daddy takes them to boring museums.

The reality is that I take them to same places but let them get away with more ... and I let them eat fast food and buy junk at the gift shops. It's all in the attitude, I guess.

Northern Virginia is a great place to live if, like me, you like to shop. So I will likely give in to the temptation and spend some time at the nearby malls.

The boys (hopefully minus a working Jimmy) will be dragged along with me on my shopping trips. They have a blast as long as I let them get fast food and junky toys, as I do on our trips to D.C.
Last, but definitely not least, is the time we will spend escaping the summer heat by going to an overly air-conditioned movie theater. We will be sprawled out near the front row, giggling and munching our way through the latest releases.

The new "Transformers" movie and the latest Harry Potter installation are at the top of our list this summer.

It sounds like we have big plans for the warm, sunny days ahead. They are all part of our usual summer agenda with the exception of Jimmy's possible job.

If that pans out, I'm sure to have at least one doozy of a story to share with you. And, even if it doesn't, the summer will no doubt be filled with all sorts of unexpected adventures.
(Zich is a military spouse who lives in Springfield, Va. You may e-mail her at homefront @stripes.osd, or visit her Web site, www.lifeonthehomefront.com.)