The List

I have printed and probably pinned a whole bunch of summer activity lists for us to accomplish off of Pinterest.  Some of them are quite impossible for us to do, or frankly, I am just not willing to even try to do. I always have the best of intentions of making "lesson plans" so to speak each day and we always end up getting just as off track with those as we do the weekly menus I create. I am attempting to adapt to this fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants personality, but takes a lot of getting used to for this planner. It does help to be very pregnant in 104 degree summer weather to help me feel just fine about letting go and even taking a daily nap.  I am making peace with the fact that I might not make the 101 things to do this summer Pinterest challenge. But, we are staying busy, we are happy, entertained, and all worn out at the end of the day. So, here is a taste of our "Things to Do this Summer" off the cuff checklist. 

1. Visit every single park in our area that has a wooden train.

2. Make bath time modern art with shaving cream paint and not worry one bit about the mess or the food coloring stains on my shower curtains.

3. Hire a paper boy who loves his job.

4. Have a lot of friends with summer birthdays and attend as many parties as possible. 

 I have to confess that we went to a few that the super excited boys referred to as "my friend's birthday party." When we asked them what their "friend's" name was they had absolutely no idea. There was cake and playtime and probably juice boxes. That is how you become their friend.

5. Learn how to build real things out of Legos instead of just towers for little brothers to knock down. I was proud of Alden's first Lego car.

 6. Stay active and learn to be acrobats without busting our heads open.

 7. Counteract all physical activity by eating as many treats as possible. Have your parents vow to end the endless sugar cycle everyday only to succumb to inevitable weakness because they like the treats just as much as the kids. (Even Mr. Paleo Diet)

7. Play dress-up "boy style."

8. Go to a baseball game and actually sit through the whole thing. Wait. Maybe sit is a strong word. But we made it through the whole game without leaving early.

9. Play TBall.  (And do a GREAT job!)

10. Take long, summer afternoon naps. All three of us.

11. See how many kids and stuffed animals you can rock to sleep at the same time with a pregnant belly before someone falls off. 

12. Put as many new foods as possible on your kids' plates to force them to eat at least one vegetable you got at the farmer's market.  Success: Alden = squash Spencer = avocado

13. Attend Vacation Bible School for the first time.  I asked Alden if he learned anything about Jesus. He said he just did crafts.  Hum...

14. Get ready for baby brother. The instructions said I needed another adult to help me put this together.  I looked around and all I could find was a four year old with a plastic hammer and Spiderman pajamas. Kind of the same thing actually.  Seemed to work.

                                               

15. Succumb to creating every craft for toddlers and preschoolers you can find on Pinterest and trying it out.  That is a success! These are my play dough mats I made with my new laminator (oh, how this teacher missed having a laminator!). Each one of the boys has a "learning bag" with ziplock bag games, puzzles, workbooks, stickers, and art supplies. They love it and actually pay attention and want to do it. Spencer especially loves his Thomas shape matching wheel and actually recited all of his shapes to the lady at the farmer's market correctly. One of them listens! He actually listens!

On a side note, Alden had his four year check-up. The doctor drew shapes and had him identify them. She drew a square. He said it was a rectangle. She said that it wasn't a rectangle but was a special kind of rectangle with four sides. He says, "Uh, is it a trapezoid?" She let him go with that answer and told me that she would work on her drawing abilities.

16. Try to see fireworks and cry the whole time once they start. Alden said it gave him a "firework headache." Spencer said they were "too loud." Alden said they weren't his favorite colors. Spencer said he wanted pink ones.

17. Be interviewed for the evening news about the farmer's market and swimming at the YMCA in the same week.

18. See how big the baby (who was supposed to have trouble growing) could get before he actually comes. Right now, we are estimated at 7 lbs. 10 oz. at 36 weeks! I think that single vein in the umbilical cord is working just fine. Everything is measuring two weeks ahead except for his height which is on time. So, apparently we are short and pudgy with tons of hair. Can't WAIT to meet this little guy.

19. Learn to share with our best friend.

                                      

20. Scare your mother. 

You are supposed to be on the inflatable slide. Mom is at the bottom waiting with camera for you to come down. You don't show up. Mom gets the staff to crawl up the inflatable slide to look for you. You are not there. Panic. Oh, wait, you have snuck under the gate and are taking a race car ride with the manager of the play place.  

21. Make a list of places I will never go with two/three kids by myself.  #1 is the inflatable play place.

22. Go to $2 summer movie flicks. With the help of Popcorn, we have seen: Madagascar 3, Kung Fu Panda, and The Lorax. 

                                     

22. SWIM!!! So proud of him!