Despite the lack of sunshine we've been able to bask in so far this summer, we have been making the most of our first two weeks of glorious summer break. I love being home with the kids and feel like we are living some good years. Mila has discovered she loves to sleep in, crawling out of bed with sleepy eyes and wild hair close to 9:00 most mornings (Cruz is still my early bird), and we usually lure them in when the street lights kick on just after 9:30 most nights. Last night, I was at Angie's for IF:Table and Beau decided to host a neighborhood wiffle ball tournament in our backyard while I was away. Katy and I pulled up in the driveway to find pizza boxes on the tailgate of the truck, squirt guns basketballs strewn all over the yard, spray-painted bases on the grass, and kids having the time of their lives on the trampoline. I've said it so often this summer, but I can almost watch the summertime childhood memories forever etched on their little hearts. I carry my own favorite memories with me, and it's so special to have a front row seat to watching them make theirs.
And while the impromptu, backyard-wiffle-ball-dad-nights and mojito-backyard-barbecue-with-the-Pattersons have seemed to fill some of our highlight reel so far this summer, our summer bucket list sure creates so many opportunities for good summer memories to be had. I like to display our bucket list right in the center of our house because it gives us some accountability and always creates fun conversations for guests, but added a new way for the kids to record their memories in a tangible way they could keep and look at throughout the years. Thanks to one of my favorite summertime inspirations, Kelle Hampton, I ordered these blank passport books and stamps from Amazon, and gifted myself a Polaroid Zip bluetooth printer for Mother's Day. The zip is so fun! It's small enough to stick in my purse and takes about two minutes to print a sticky-back photo for their books, their walls, or cute little mementos to keep around the house. Every time we check something off our bucket list, the kids fill in that page of their passport book, adding in a favorite memory or drawing a picture of something that stands out.
So what have we checked off so far this summer?
|| We biked to the farmer's market on a beautiful Saturday morning. We love family bike rides, and especially love when we can stop at fun pit stops to refuel! We spread out a blanket, had our favorite breakfast burritos and strawberry smoothies from Cottonwood, and played frisbee until it landed right next to a yellow lab who chewed it in half. :)
|| We signed up for summer reading at the library and have already earned several beads for our reading chains. The kids love our weekly library visits and so do I! We check out new books, find a cozy place in a back corner to read, and usually do the weekly craft they have set up. Cruz has already read three chapter books in the two weeks he's been out of school, and Mila and I are checking out lots of books about summer and gardens. Our favorites have been Seed School, the Maple series, and Daddy, Me, and the Magic Hour.
|| After library, we grabbed lunch at one of the oldest restaurants in Cedar Falls - Maid-Rite! We grabbed three red vinyl seats at the counter, ordered chocolate shakes and cheese balls and maid-rites, and had a ball.
|| While we haven't had too many days in the eighties for good pool weather, we have taken advantage of some beautiful afternoons to picnic and play. After some excellent dentist appointments last week, we had a picnic and nature scavenger hunt at Katoski and Hartman, two of our favorite places to be in the woods. Highlights of our hunt included hundreds of snails that must have been hunting or mating (they were everywhere!), a perfect heart-shaped rock discovered by nature boy, Cruz, and a family of deer including a spotted little baby that looked just like Bambi.
|| I made my best batch of Mom's potato salad and shared with our family after Mila's dance recital last weekend. And still enjoyed leftovers for a week!
|| We painted kindness rocks on the deck this week and have plans to spread a few around town and the neighborhood as we adventure throughout our summer. But for now I just like to look at them!
Hoping for more sunshine and pool weather as we officially kick off summertime on Friday. Soon enough we'll be hot and humid and full of mosquito bites, I'm sure!
No comments:
Post a Comment