Summer List Update 2015

Now that Labor Day weekend is in the books, it's time to share a summer list update. (This is my original list, which I posted back in mid-June.)

Here's a look at what we did, what we didn't do, and my overall thoughts about this summer.

- Visit our local splash pad | Check! In fact, we visited several times with friends.

- Take private swim lessons  | Done! Noah completed two four-day sessions, and he really enjoyed it. Does he know how to swim? No, but he loved interacting with his teachers, learning more about how to swim, and he certainly feels more comfortable in the water now.  

- See a movie in the theater | Check! Noah saw his first movie, Inside Out, with Brian and me. I'm not sure which one he liked more: the movie or the buttery popcorn.  

- Attend storytime at the library | Yep! Always a favorite -- no matter the season. We drove down to Natomas to participate in a library storytime/musical hour with friends, and then ventured to Roseville for another storytime.  

- Participate in the library's summer reading program | Nope! I totally skipped this one. Not because the reading program isn't great -- it is -- but because I forgot to grab a reading sheet when we were at the library. And by the time I remembered again, it was too late in the summer. Rest assured, we read A LOT of books, though.  

- Work on potty training | Yes. And no. It's a work-in-progress. Some days, Noah is all gung ho about wearing his Paw Patrol undies and using the bathroom. Other days, he just wants a diaper. I know he'll get there eventually, but he's not in any sort of rush. I, on the other hand, would secretly love it if our current box of diapers was our last box of diapers. 

- Attend Brian's cousin's wedding | For sure! Noah, Brian and I attended Gina & Ryan's beautiful wedding in Old Sacramento. I was both a guest and a photographer that night. I had fun, learned A TON, and might actually take photos at another wedding...someday. 

- Spend time with Noah's cousins | Yep! Noah is very lucky to have two cousins who are close to his age.

- Go tent camping for the first time as a family | Check! And we had a blast. Three is a great age to tent camp; Noah loved sleeping in a tent, reading books with a flashlight at bedtime, riding his bike around the campground and on the trails, and boating out on the lake. A summer highlight for sure.
 

- Play catch with water balloons | Splash! There was so much laughing and screaming and throwing and jumping and running. All of our faces -- Brian, Noah and I -- exuded pure joy, and we were absolutely drenched by the end. 

- Attend a 4-week gymnastics class | Completed. While it was a good experience for Noah, he didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I thought he would. The gymnastics place is right across the street from the building where we take music classes, and while driving home one day, Noah asked, "Can we go back to music, mom?" Why yes, yes we can.

- Sell our rental home | Done! And we're so thankful it sold quickly and for more than we were asking.

- Attend our county fair | Oh yes, we did! (That's where I shot the picture above. Noah adored this trick roper -- so much so, that when he asked for volunteers, Noah ran right up on stage.) This was our fifth year attending the Nevada County Fair, and we still love it as much as we did back in 2010. Noah rode a few rides this year (with a parent companion), petted the goats, created crafts in the Kid Zone, and feasted on a homemade corndog.  

- Listen to some live music | Still to come. We have plans to attend a live, outdoor symphony performance this coming weekend. 

- Finish decorating the nursery | In progress. I haven't completed the nursery yet, but Brian and I have set aside a chunk of time to finish it.
   
Although it wasn't on our summer list, I think it's important to mention that this summer Brian was deployed on a wildfire. He served as part of a REM team (REM stands for rapid extraction module; basically, they use ropes to rescue firefighters) on the Hayfork Fire for two weeks in August. We're proud of Brian for his efforts, and happy that he safely returned home to us.

What is your favorite summer 2015 memory?