Summer Bucket List

Ice cream for dinner
is a very serious matter.

I saw a friend on Facebook was creating her "bucket list" for summer.  What a great idea!  I am loving this summer, the boys are at a great age to do and appreciate so many more things.  I am finally getting over my schedule/bed time nazi ways and am learning to just relax and enjoy things more.  I must say it's really agreeing with me (ok, now I sound like the 75 year old, hip-injured woman I am!).  So today we started out at the zoo (which the boys were pretty much all set with after about a half hour, is that strange, don't all kids love the zoo?), played on the Slip and Slide (my favorite summer activity as a kid, although nowadays, they have a bumper at the end of it - am I right - it's not real Slip and Sliding until you slide off the end and get wet-grass-burn on your chest?!) with the boys across the street, and ended the day with an ice cream dinner - how fun and summery is that?  We went in for a bath and the boys were asleep in 3 minutes.  Now what?  July 4th is right around the corner, and Target already has their Back to School crap all set up - you know how fast the rest of the summer will go....what to do, what to do with these boys?

Catch Fire Flies.  We saw a few the other night as we walked from the car to the house - the boys kept missing them though.  They were thinking the gross moths that were buzzing around the front door, were them.  So we have to have a night where we try to catch fire flies in a jar and let the boys keep them in their rooms as they fall asleep. This will be my plan until I can't fall asleep because I'm worrying about a jar of bugs in my kids' room.  I will make Chris go get them and set them free and hope that the boys forget about them by morning.

We are going to try to go camping next week for a couple of nights.  How fun?!?!  I have such boys-boys - I think they will love it!  But as it's getting closer, I am thinking about packing - old mom style, not new relax-and-enjoy mom.  Tent camping - no beds.  All of us in one tent.  Hmmmm.  No fridge - food in coolers.  Enough food for these puppies I'm raising.  Hmmmm.  Whatever....it'll be a blast!  Or a learning experience.  Probably both.

Buying big boy bikes.  I always remember it seeming like if I got a new bike, it was in the summer time while we were camping.  We are looking now for bikes for the boys  now- they still scoot around on their trikes.  I am sure they won't give me a hard time about keeping their helmets on, right?  Stop laughing. 



He just likes wearing his helmet. 

 Bringing the boys on their first boat ride.  We have a boat that's been "resting" for a few years - since the boys were born actually.  I was a trooper when I was preggers and was out on it (even though I get sea sick).  I am obviously a nervous wreck about bringing them on a boat, because of course Jaws is out there following me and my family (just like in Jaws 4),  we could end up shipwrecked on a deserted island like Gilligan - but I would be shipwrecked with two 3 year olds who still get nervous to pee in the woods, or a giant sea gull could swoop down and steal a son (or both) right off the boat.  It could happen.  Stop laughing.

See!  It says it right there! 
"This time it's personal!"

Train ride with the boys.  This one is actually crossed off our list, we went last week.  But I felt it was worthy of being on the list.  My parents came with the boys and I, and we went into Boston.  We ate at the train station, got back on the train and came home.  It was the perfect outing, I completely recommend it!  It's such a great bang for your buck too, the kids ride free and they think you're better than Santa!  At least for the day.  Well, the few hours you're on the train at least.  Actually, I think my parents got the credit for it.....but anywho....

Days spent at the beach.  This one is obvious but last summer, we would go in the mornings, and I would leave after lunch so they could nap in the car.  Remember?  I was the nap nazi?  Well, they don't nap anymore (sigh....) and have the energy of, well the energy of a 3 year old, so why not let them run, dig and swim at the beach?  I LOVE the beach, they love the beach - it's a no brainer, but now we can play, eat lunch and play some more.  I can't think of a more perfect day!  As long as there's no skinny bitches around. 

Kite flying.  I bought 2 kites.  We will fly them. 

4th of July Parade and Fireworks.  Again, this one seems obvious, but we haven't done it with the boys yet.  I know, I know.  It's even worse because we spend the 4th of July in Plymouth Massachusetts.  Yes, the home of Plymouth freakin' Rock.  It's awful.  In my defense, the boys have been scared of loud noises so it hasn't made sense. (And it was always past their bedtime - schedule nazi strikes again!) The parade?  I have no defense for that one.  But this year will be the year!  Hopefully the fireworks don't scare the shit out of them for life.  Wish me luck.

Water balloon fight.  3 boys + a love of water + a love of balloon popping = summer.  They had better not throw them at me though.  Especially after I have applied self-tanner since I have vowed to stay out of the sun and instead apply smelly-ass lotion all over me, which will streak when the boys ineveitably throw water balloons at me.  I have to do it though, chub looks better tan.  It's science.

Let the boys play in the rain.  I tried this once and they just stared at me like I was crazy.  It was probably because when we're outside in the rain, I'm usually yelling at them to hurry up because mommy's getting wet. 

Bring the boys to the movies.  They haven't been yet and I think they're at an age where they'll like it.  If they don't there's enough food there to bribe them with.

I'm sure there are 1001 other things to put on this list, but I have to go kill this fly that is buzzing around my head.  How annoying is that????

Anywho..... What's on your bucket list?????