Downtime for Dudes

 

 

above: Playing with their DS’s always makes time fly by however, DS time is limited to 30 minutes a day.

We don’t spend every minute of every day hiking, biking, exploring or going to museums. In fact, sometimes the downtimes can equal the fun times. There are rainy days in the rig, very long driving days and hours waiting for repairs to be completed. So, what do we do with the Dudes to keep them from going crazy and making us crazy too? Keep them busy!

 

 

 

Home repair is a necessity. They may as well learn now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helping with the planning of the next day’s events keeps them involved and gives them some ownership.

 

 

 

 

 

Keeping a journal is an important part of the trip although there are some days missing.

 

 

 

Maintenance is a daily activity especially when driving on poor roads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking the “Princess” for a walk gives them exercise and gets them all out from “underfoot” for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

Then, of course, there is always schoolwork to bide one’s time.

 

 

 

 

They have even learned to multi-task; researching and snuggling.

 

 

 

 

…..or, playing a DS and snuggling……..or napping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading is a great time filler and the Big Dude has become such a voracious reader that we plan our trips into town around the closest used bookstore to keep him stocked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have tried harnessing their unlimited energy for constructive things like ….

 

 

 

 

 

 

…….painting fences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, sometimes, no matter what you do to keep them busy, they just start to get goofy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then you know it’s time to find the nearest playground and let them all go crazy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, if none of that works to keep them occupied during downtime just find the nearest dirt pile and let’m at it!

 

“You’ll find boredom where there is the absence of a good idea.” Earl Nightingale