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? 

Around Here | July 2015

Wow, it's almost August. Say what?!

July has been a really full month for us. Nearly-every-square-filled-on-the-calendar-kind-of-month. 

It's been a month of playing and eating and camping and celebrating and watching movies and hiking and buying a few baby girl goodies and spending time with family and friends. 

We started the month off celebrating Fourth of July with old friends. It was HOT--totally to be expected in Sacramento in the summer--and Noah loved playing in the pool and eating ice cream. Later on in the evening, he waved sparklers around, and watched fireworks from his godfather Scot's lap. Brian and I had fun catching up with church friends whom we don't see much anymore now that we live in the foothills. 

Noah took swim lessons and gymnastics classes this month. He loved swimming, but wasn't quite sure about gymnastics. (He just wanted to jump in the ball pit, over and over again!)

I attended yoga three times in all--and twice by the river, which was such a treat. (Having a yoga buddy--my sister-in-law, Lori--the second time was great!)

Brian attended a Giants v. Mets game with some firefighter friends. (He was quite happy that night because the Mets won!)

Noah and I spent several mornings with friends at two local splash pads.

Brian and I took Noah to the movie theater for the first time, and he (well, we) loved it. Six thumbs up for Inside Out!

The three of us also tent camped for the first time this month, and we had a great time. Noah rode his Strider bike around the campground and campsite, and along the paved trail that wraps around the perimeter of Sugar Pine Reservoir. Brian and I both agreed that 3 1/2 years old is an absolutely perfect age to tent camp.

We tended to our growing vegetable plants, watering them each day and applying Miracle Gro once a week. Just this week, we harvested our first handful of cherry tomatoes and two yellow zucchinis, with -- fingers crossed -- lots more to come. Liquid fence for the win!

We celebrated Brian's cousin's nuptials in Old Sacramento. (A big thanks to Brian for keeping a close eye on Noah, so I could take photos during the ceremony and reception.)

We attended the Fast Fridays Speedway races in Auburn twice, and Noah loved it. As a kid, Brian attended the races on Friday nights with his family, and so it was really special for him to take Noah out there. (Just keeping it real: Speedway races are not my cup of tea, but it sure makes my boys happy.)

In our front yard last week, I spied a mama deer and her two babies. It's rare that we see twin fawns--and of course, with their white spots and wobbly legs--they are just the cutest!

We attended Brian's mom's family reunion last weekend in the San Joaquin Valley. There, we ate and swam and chatted and posed for photos and played a little basketball. Noah and his cousin, Sammy, loved eating at their very own kids' table! 

And as much as I enjoyed myself this month, there was a part of me, especially this past weekend, that longed for a slower pace...with more down time at home. Some time to just be in and around our home, puttering around in the yard or reading a book in the hammock or drawing hopscotch boxes on the driveway.  

Luckily, a new month starts soon, and August doesn't look to be nearly as busy as July has been. Phew!

Your turn: What are some of your memorable July moments?

Summer List 2015

Over the past few weeks, I've seen a number of summer manifestos online and in magazines. I liked this creative one by blogger Elise Blaha Cripe and this simple one from Ali Edwards. I always enjoy seeing other people's lists as well as creating my own summer list.

In fact, it's becoming a tradition of sorts; this is my fourth year making a list and posting it here on my blog. Here's a look at my previous summer lists: 2012, 2013, 2014.

Just like last year, I've written activities on our list that I think I'd like, Noah would like, and perhaps, Brian would like.

However, there's nothing that says all of us have to do every. single. activity. together.

And even though Noah is nearly a 3-1/2-year-old, (what?) there are a few "firsts" on the list -- like seeing a movie in the theater and taking private swim lessons.

This was the first year that Noah had a suggestion for our summer list. Here's the back story: A few weeks ago, he and I watched as a group of kids tossed water balloons back and forth at the park. He turned to me and said he really wanted to try it. I promised him we'd do it this summer, and as you'll see below, I added it to our summer list.  

In the past, I often felt like if I placed an item on the list, I HAD to check it off by Labor Day. That's not the case anymore. I just brainstorm a bunch of ideas, narrow the list down to 15 or less, and then go with it. If we don't get to one or two of the activities this summer, we can always do it in the fall, winter or even next summer.

Here's a look at our 2015 summer list:

Visit our local splash pad ✅ 

Take private swim lessons ✅

See a movie in the theater

Attend storytime at the library ✅ 

Participate in the library's summer reading program

Work on potty training

Attend Brian's cousin's wedding

Spend time with Noah's cousins

Go tent camping for the first time as a family

Play catch with water balloons

Attend a 4-week gymnastics class

Sell our rental home
Attend our county fair
Listen to some live music 
Finish decorating the nursery 

Your turn: What's on your summer list?

2013 Summer List Update

Swim Lessons | Summer 2013

Even though summer isn't officially over, most kids are back in school, so it's time to share an update to my 2013 Summer List.

In case you missed my original list, I'm posting it here, along with a few thoughts about each activity.

1| Jump into swimming lessons | Noah really likes being in water, but he wasn't sure what to make of swim lessons.  Sure, being with mom and dad, singing songs, and playing with toys was fun, but he wasn't too keen on kicking his legs, scooping with his hands, or blowing bubbles.  Still, it was a good experience, and a few weeks after swim lessons, Noah started kicking his legs and blowing bubbles in the bathtub.  Smile. 
 
2| Spend a day at the zoo | We didn't make it to the zoo this summer, but we have free passes that are good through the end of 2013.  

3| Visit the children's museum | We planned an outing to the children's museum, but then learned they are closed on Mondays.  Plan B: A visit to BusyKidz, a little city for little ones, where Noah shopped for groceries, dined in a restaurant, vacuumed the carpet, and donned a fire helmet.    

4| Go camping | We went on a 2-night camping trip in May, but haven't been back out since.  Right now, the thought of not sleeping for several nights doesn't interest Brian or me, so we're taking a lot of day trips.  Smile.    

5| Play in the yard and at the park | Check and check!  Lately, we've been playing indoors more, though, due to the smoke from the American Fire.

6| Go for a hike | We completed several hikes this summer, including a 6.6 mile hike that borders a nearby country club.  It was quite a hike--with a whopping 24 switchbacks at one point. Brian and I were sore the next day, but we couldn't have asked for better weather or better company, and it was neat getting to check out some million dollar homes. Noah was a trooper, hanging out in the backpack for the 3-hour ride. He said "house" and "horse" and "water"--and towards the very end, "all done." 

7| Spend time with family + friends | Great times.  

8| Attend a county fair | We had fun at the Nevada County Fair. 

9| Visit a local farm stand | We bought fresh fruit and veggies from a new farm, just five minutes down the road.  I love supporting local farmers! 

10| Attend an open gym session at a local gymnastics center | We take Noah nearly every week to an open gym session, and he loves it.

11| Visit the library | We've checked out several batches of board books from the library.  Last week, we found an oversized Goodnight Moon board book and Noah enjoys reading it every night before bed.  
 
12| Complete Assignment #3 for my writing class | I submitted Assignment #3, a completely revised article about geocaching, and received positive feedback from my instructor.  

13| Create a photo wall in our family room | Almost done.  All of the photos are framed and ready to be hung.  I'll post a picture when it is finished.   

14| Sign up for a photography class or workshop | On Saturday, I attended a studio lighting workshop, where I learned more about the lighting options available for my mini-studio.

What have you been up to this summer?