List of Summer Activities Post #1

I told the kids we were going to discuss and make our "Summer Bucket List." One or more of them vaguely knew what a "bucket list" was - they'd heard of it before. But they wanted further explanation. I explained that a bucket list includes the things you want to do before you die. It was met with reactions such as, "What?! We're going to die?! What do you mean?" Ultimately, I said, "Let's just call it our List of Summer Activities."

Rather than post our list, I'll post the activities as we complete them.

The middle kids were out of school a full week before their oldest brother (who got to celebrate his June birthday at school the day before school was out).

The day after those two were out of school, I gave them their first summer reading bag which contained an assortment of books I'd been finding cheaply here and there and putting away. And they started their summer reading logs. My kids like books, but they need a little motivation and encouragement to follow through.

 

After we picked Tornado up from school, we headed for lunch at Kaleisia Tea Lounge, one of my favorite places in Tampa. We brought our books and sat in the quiet room where you take off your shoes and sit on the floor. We were only able to do this because Baby (Toddler) Brother was at his preschool (which he attends a day or two a week) at the time. I wish we could sip tea and read books at Kaleisia Tea Lounge every day.



Finally, summer for all officially began on Monday the 9th when Tornado was dismissed at 11:30 a.m. I was ready for a break from being on the road every day picking up kids at designated times.

 

We chose another lunch date to celebrate summer, this time at Fresh, Healthy Café at The Shops at Wiregrass, a fun spot to eat, shop, sit, or walk around. The kids hadn't eaten there before, and it was a huge hit.

 





We joined in on a local homeschool group's park day one day this week. It was hot out! That's Little One carrying a large stick like it's a weapon. He is all about making "q, q" (gun?) sounds while attacking us with his stick or toy of the day.

 

Sis made a friend, and I caught this glimpse of them playing princess (Sis was Anna, and her friend was Elsa.) under this tree.

We also joined the group for a Pokémon party one day, which consisted of a couple of hours of Pokémon games and card trading. Tornado enjoyed making deals with people even though he really isn't that interested in Pokémon.

The whole Pokémon thing is beyond my comprehension, but it was nice for them to share their interest with other kids (who had huge binders full of cards versus my kids' measly sandwich baggies full). They had been looking forward to this play date for weeks.

Goodness Gracious List #445-487

I had planned to return to blogging, and the only reason I haven't is that our computer has become so slow it was ridiculous to waste time sitting there. I have been scrapbooking a little instead. And I saved up money, eliminated some costs this month, and this week I got my first laptop! It's so exciting! Believe it or not, I've never had a laptop and have always wanted one! It even has a touch screen, which is a nice surprise. I'm very old school with technology, therefore Ryan has been giving me lessons and walking me through everything. So I'm so totally thankful for my new computer, my husband's computer knowledge, and for the ability to sit in bed now to blog!

 

Gratitude List Continued:

I'm thankful for a boy
who turned two this year,

 

 a girl who turned 7,

 

and a boy who turned 9.

 

I'm also thankful for Sesame Street, Little One's embarrassed, surprised expression when he walked into the decorated dining room, how much my kids love having "Happy Birthday" sang to them, party supply stores, and vegan cookie cakes (which were both Sissy's and Dash's cake of choice this year) from Whole Foods.

 I'm thankful for awesome

organic u-pick farms in Florida.

 And for all the help I have with picking!

I'm thankful for discovering new beautiful places,

(Fort Lonesome Farm)

 farmers' markets and smoothies,

 

cheap garage sale finds,

 

and a boy who loves playing ball

more than anything else.

I'm thankful for all of the

street performers we enjoy.

 

I'm thankful for Spirit Week at school

and for my cute little cowgirl.

 I'm thankful for walks in

beautiful downtown Tampa,

for a visit from Grandma,

 

for how willing she always is to do whatever the kids want to do,

 

 for visits with Ryan's

grandparents in Fort Meyers,

their very cute neighborhood, and for a

sweet neighbor who loaned us her golf cart.

 

I'm thankful for all of the kids who live on our street and for a fun neighborhood Easter egg hunt.

I'm thankful for coordinating Easter outfits.

 I'm thankful for how much fun

it is to lick the bowl,

 for an afternoon of art,

 which also included this guy,

 

 and for Florida citrus!

 

I'm thankful for Daddy head rubs. He really gives amazing ones, and Sissy and I both know this. He has rubbed my head for entire movies and entire Illinois basketball games. The entire time, I kid you not.

 I'm thankful about how much fun the

kids' Boosterthon was at school

 for 41 laps,

 

 lunch with my girl,

 

 and also lunch with this cutie.

 

I'm thankful for laser tag

(plus this photo is really cool)

 

and a fun birthday afternoon for

Dash and his siblings and friends.

 

I'm thankful for all of the sweet, funny, and smart words that come out of my kids' mouth on a daily basis. Here was a good quote today, asked in total sincerity, by Dash:

 

"Does Googie not like pets because

one of her ancestors got bitten by one?"

 

If I counted correctly, that makes 487!

 

 

 

Blogging is Important to Me; Gratitude List #418-444

I'm bothered by this large chunk of time in which I haven't been blogging or scrapbooking. I have the pictures, but they aren't organized in any suitable way. I have been going through different phases in life the past few years. I am committed to return to being more intentional. Adding our 4th child to my family has been this amazing cherry on the top of my great life. We smile and laugh constantly all day, everyday because of him. The paradox is that I accomplish less and have felt like a "less" person because of the addition. I look worse than I've ever looked (partly because I'm older than I've ever been, naturally). I travel less. There are less Family Fun Nights and less sandwiches cut into fun shapes. The importance of muffin tin meals pale in the comparison of all of the snuggles my children receive from their little brother everyday. But the other feelings I'm going through stir in me the need for, like I said, returning to my intentional self and doing the little things that I love, like recording my family story. So I'm back to doing that for myself and for the little ones who love sitting on the couch turning the pages of their scrapbooks or scrolling through the pages of my blog.

 

I was surprised I hadn't added to my gratitude list since 2012, so let's see if I can get closer to the goal of 1,000.

 #418: fun school projects

 

Dash's class at school recently completed a Titanic unit. The culmination party included dressing up in character for the presentations they had prepared. He was Isidor Straus, the well-respected co-owner of Macy's department store, who perished that fateful night of April 15, 1912 along with his loving wife who refused to leave his side. We had a lot of fun researching and preparing his project (and felt like homeschooling again), which was a video of Ryan playing the role of Isidor Straus and Dash taking on the job of interviewing him.

 #419-423: fancy buns, hair glitter, a Minnie Mouse hair clip,

pretend earrings that cause a little girl to squeal when she

sees them, and a princess sash.

#424: sitting on Daddy's shoulders

#425: T-Rex restaurant

because it's fun

 

#426: dinosaur hats

because they make the kids smile

 

#427: this guy

just because

 

 

#428: the sweetness of finding

Little One where he fell asleep on the floor.

 

Although, I must admit, the first time any of my
kids have done this as toddlers,

I run to see if they're breathing because it freaks me out.



#429: Cupie Mango, our February guest

(more about him later)

#430: my seasonal frame in my entryway

 #431: a field trip with my son

#432: riding the ferris wheel with him

 

#433: my son's excitement

#434: He runs to get on rides now.

His list of fears and sensory issues have diminished rapidly.

#435: pleasant classmates he spends time with daily

#436: his teacher

We love her.

 #437: clowns

 

Little One did not share my amusement.

 

#438: Monster Trucks

because they're cool

 #439: Justin's vegan peanut butter cups

 

He DOES share my love of these.

 #439: a girl who is going to be the best
teacher one day...she already is

 

 #440: first lost tooth/growing up

(My hate list would also include: growing up.)

 

 #441: the hugging tree at Fort Lonesome Farm

 #442: the doorbell ringing, then just finding this

#443: the daily laughs I was talking about above

 

He was using the last of his orange juice to paint his

legs with the stainless steel straw. He kept dipping

it back into the glass and was so deliberate.

 

#444: for you, taking the time to read my post