Showing posts with label county fair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label county fair. Show all posts

Saturday, September 12, 2015

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? 


Friday, June 13, 2014

Summer List 2014

Taken with iPhone 5S; edited with Camera+
In our neck of the woods, the signs of summer are everywhere:
  • I'm sporting tank tops, shorts, and saltwater sandals. (Who says they are just for kids?!)
  • Our local pool opened this past Sunday. (Woohoo!)
  • School is out!
  • We've been to the splash park four times already.
Because I've got summer on the brain, I created a summer list. (Here's my 2012 list and my 2013 list, in case you missed them.)

I always enjoy the process of brainstorming what we want to do in the next few months and documenting those goals here.

I try hard to keep my list to a manageable number because too many things for me to do in a short period of time = an overwhelmed me = a cranky me.  (Nobody likes cranky me--even me!)

And I know myself well enough to know that if I have several active days with lots of going, going, going (especially if it involves social interaction), I'm going to need down time to recharge.

At the end of each summer, I love looking back at my list and reflecting on what we did and didn't do. (And it's totally okay if we do NOT get everything checked off.)

{2014} Summer List

1 | Get my Nikon D700 repaired and shoot away!

2 | Finish sewing 6 pillows for the family room couches.

3 | Complete our adoption website.

4 | Start a photo journal, adding one new photo per week.

5 | Visit Oregon with Brian's family.

6 | Indulge in a massage.

7 | Host a play date with friends.

8 | Go on at least one date per month with Brian.

9 | Hike with family and/or friends.

10 | Attend a county fair. 

11 | Swim with Noah.

12 | Finish an article about search and rescue dogs and submit to a magazine.

13 | Create a scrapbook layout about Noah's name.

14 | Explore how to build a free little library for our neighborhood (with help from Brian).

What's on your {2014} summer list?


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