Summer Bucket List 2013

It's summer (YEA!), and as we all know, that means it is time for our second annual bucket list!

We've all hear about “bucket lists” -- a list of all the things you want to do before you “kick the bucket”. This year after reading about this on a friend's blog, I thought we'd create a summer bucket list of everything we want to do before our beloved summer “kicks the bucket” and ends. (Thinking our summer will end already makes me a bit sad. :(   Sigh...)

This is just the tip of the iceberg. We had a lot of fun brainstorming ideas and even asked for a few ideas on FaceBook. As we think of new things we can do, I'll add them to our list. Of course you know I'll be documenting like crazy with pictures and blog posts.

Last year's list had 39 items. I loved how the list got me thinking and, more importantly, planning so we could make the summer fun. We managed to do almost half of our list. I thought that was pretty amazing, and more importantly, the boys had a lot of fun. They still talk about some of the things we did now!

This year's list, which includes some carryovers from last year, has 39 activities. I can't wait to make some great memories for the boys. Nothing would make me happier than them talking about what we did this summer for the rest of the year like they did the last.

Without any further ado, I present our list...

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Summer Bucket List 2013

1.Go to the beach
2.Build a sand castle
3.Go to the library and get a library card
4.Learn how to write our names really well
5.Go on a picnic
6.Do some crafts
7.Go on a treasure hunt 
8 .Watch a movie at the movie theater
9.Have a sleepover in the living room
10.Learn to swim
11.Play in the backyard
12.See an animal we've never seen
13.Do a random-act-of-kindness 
14.Read
15.Go to the park
16.Go on a nature hike
17.Go to Sea World
18.See fireworks 
19.Go to the zoo
20.Go see the jets at the airport
21.Visit friends 
22.Go to the fair
23.Go see where Mom and Dad work
24.Spend time with family 
25.Visit a new park
26.Go to the Cross 
27.Go to an aquarium 
28.Go to a water park
29.Cook something for a meal with mommy and daddy
30.Learn about Pirates
31.Go to the zoo at the local college
32.Have a seed spitting contest
33.Go pick fruits and veggies at the farm
34.Take the train
35.Make s'mores by a campfire
36.Fly a kite
37.Create a family tradition
38.Go on a boat
39.Make butter in a jar

Cute Big Boy Saturday - Maybe White Wasn't the Best Choice

Oh man, does this boy love him some dirt!

I just need a little dirt, mom.

My truck can carry it in the back.

Okay, almost ready...

 

It's a dirt storm!

 

He'd play in the dirt all day long if we'd let him!

Maybe white was the best choice of shirts. Apparently brown is a much more versatile color. :)

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Jason's favorite thing from the day was watching Tom and Jerry cartoons with daddy.
Shawn's favorite thing from the day was going to the "hamburger store" with daddy.

Jack loves the slide!



(Um, just ignore the crazy lady's voice on this video. Yikes!)

The Selfie

Jason's discovered the joy of taking pictures. He has a camera on his LeapPad, which he's used to take pictures of all kinds of things. He also loves to show them off.

Yesterday, while we were waiting at school, I let him play with my phone. When I got it back, I found this on it.

 

He took a selfie, complimented with my glasses worn over his own. Lol.

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Jason's favorite thing from the day was IPad time with mommy. (We played the Reading Raven game.)

Shawn's favorite thing of the day was watching the Cars movie.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday - Two Is Better Than One

Duh...obviously. Even the littlest person around this house knows this to be true.

His cup runneth over.

Which is quite satisfying, if he does say so himself.
And I think the smile says just that.

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(A new thing I'm going to try to do this summer is to write the big boys' favorite thing from the day.)

Jason's favorite thing from today - playing the matching game with mommy

Shawn's favorite thing from today - playing at school today

Swimming Take 2

Today was Jason's day for swimming. I was all confident in a "this appointment is at 11:30 so I have all day" kind of way until the receptionist called at 10:00. She said they needed to rearrange some appointments and wanted us to be there in 30 minutes.

Um...neither of us were dressed, we'd just barely finished breakfast, my mom wasn't due to arrive to watch the other two boys until 11, and we live 30 minutes away. Sigh. We made it there thirty minutes earlier than the original appointment. I figured that was pretty good for us. ;)

The therapist teacher, Beth, is two for two with the whole making my children fall in love with her thing. Jason practically ran into the pool with her. lol

Getting acclimated to the pool -
Jason started with a little hoops.

This shot made his one and only basket!

He found some weights at the side of the pool.
He thought he was pretty cool floating around with them.

Using the noodle to practice kicking his feet.

This was the reaction when I asked him to smile for me.
He looks more crazy than happy.

Beth had Jason focus on his lower body today. He's also working on getting over his fear of the water. Beth really worked at making him feel comfortable while she exercised his legs hard. Like his brother, Jason was worn out at the end.

I'm pretty excited to see how strong the dynamic duo will be by the time the summer is over. I'm certain Beth is going to make them work hard every chance she gets!

Swimming

Swimming therapy started today.

At 8 am.

In the morning.

It was a little obscene to make me haul my on vacation self across town to be at an appointment that early in the morning us an appointment for that time of day, but it was what it was.

Shawn had his session by himself today. He again fell in love with his therapist teacher, Beth, the moment he laid eyes on her. He wanted to ditch me and go play with her the second he saw her walk into the room.

Chasing the ball - using his arms to paddle through the water

A first attempt to float on his back - he wasn't keen on this idea.
Notice his death grip on Beth's hand? lol

Filling up a water gun - it actually took quite a bit of strength
to load the water

Fire! - more arm strengthening to shoot the water

Here he was reaching his arms out as wide as he could before he
brought them in to clap and make a huge splash

They did a lot of upper body work today, so that was really good. Shawn was pretty worn out at the end.

 

Jason's appointment is tomorrow at the more sane hour of 11:30. Ahem. I hope he has as much fun as Shawn did today. Fingers crossed that we see some great gains in their strength, flexibility, and stamina from all of this!