I always give myself a week or so after school ends to decompress after the long school year. This year proved to be more challenging as Builder Boy entered the world of big-boy school and quite suddenly, I found myself going from teacher who is a parent to a parent who is a teacher. This was a change and at times quite challenging. Add to that the other two jobs, a new job for Remodel Man, and the desire to always be a better mother, teacher, wife, sister, daughter-you have one stressed out Renovation Girl. My week is over now and now comes the summer bucket list.
My friend Shayne recently wrote about this-how one minute school is letting out and the next, you find yourself walking your kids to the bus stop for a new year of school full of regret for all of the summer things you didn't get around to doing. I feel that way, too. These summer months fly by in a flash and I don't want to miss out on all the wonderful and unique experiences that summer offers. Some items we have already accomplished (go us!!), some we will do again and again, and others we need to make the time for without fail. So here it is...my summer bucket list:
1. Organize my craft room and get crafting. I have some sewing projects that I need to do and want to do and right now, you can barely walk into that room.
2. Purge the basement and third floor. While I realize I can't do this entire project in one summer (yea, it's that bad...), I would like to make a considerable effort to purge and organize.
3. Rethink my entire year of lessons for school. Argh...I'll think about this one later.
4. Go to the zoo-we have two near us. We've already gone to Oglebay's The Good Zoo this week, but we'd also like to go to the Pittsburgh Zoo.
5. Pool time-lots of it. This is another one we've already accomplished, some days we even went twice. We're lucky that lots of Anthony's friends belong to the same swim club this year, so it's lots of fun to hang out and watch the kids play together.
6. Kennywood. Not from around here? Kennywood is our local amusement park and if you're a true Pittsburgher, you never miss a summer! Potato patch french fries, two wooden roller coasters, waffle ice cream sandwiches-yum!
7. Idlewild. Not sure we'll get around to this one or not, but Idlewild is Kennywood's sister park, but for the younger set. Storybook Forest, a jungle area for kids to explore and climb, plus a huge water park.
8. Baseball. Not going to lie to ya, I'm not a baseball fan. I love the experience of going to a game, but the actual game, not so much. We can blame it on the fact that I live in Pittsburgh (ya know, home to the Pittsburgh Pirates...usually the nation's most losing team, although apparently things are going better this year!). But to sit at PNC Park, overlooking the river and our beautiful city, waiting for the fireworks while you eat your way through the innings, cheering for your favorite pierogi during the Pierogi races, it's just too fun to miss! We're lucky to have the Washington Wild Things, a minor league team, playing 10 minutes from us. If the weather breaks, we'll be heading that way tonight.
9. Working on reading and writing with Builder Boy. Started this already...slow going, but going nonetheless.
10. Play time-lots of it. I want to spend more time playing and less time separated by television and computer screens.
11. Playdates for Builder Boy. I'm fun and all (okay, well, not really), but the dude needs to be with kiddos his own age.
12. Campfires-n-s'mores. This is a favorite summer night activity...we've already done two. One at the neighbor's, one at our house. I just love sitting by the fire, watching is crackle and burn, all the while knowing oI get to sleep in a bed in a house and not on a tent floor. (Clearly, I am not the camping type, but I love a campfire!)
13. Lego Museum. We discovered that there is a Lego museum about 45 minutes from us. This was one of the first items to go on our list. Builder Boy will be in heaven!
14. Movies, of both the theater and drive-in experience. We managed to see Kung Fu Panda a few weeks ago at the drive-in (don't ask how it was...I slept through it...). We still have yet to see: the new Pirates, Judy Moody, the Jim Carey penguin one, the zookeeper one, the new Winnie the Pooh, and Cars II!!!! It's going to be a great summer for movies!
15. Crafts and other educational things. While I like the summer, I also know how stupid it can make us...kind of like that commercial for one of those learning centers where the letters are falling out of the kids ears, so I want to provide some educational things for Builder Boy to do. But shhhhh, don't tell Builder Boy it's educational.
16. Stay pregnant. Sigh...no comment.
So that's the beginning of our bucket list. What's on your list for this summer???
Finish The Hunger Games trilogy, read The New Testament (then pass a test and get Continuing Ed Credits so I don't get fired), get my 3 classes up and running on Moodle (kids are getting iPads next year at school), work on new AP Gov homework assignments (this list has way too much work on it!!!!), visit Pittsburgh (Kennywood, Ducky Tour, Pirates Game, see lots of family and friends.....hopefully we'll see you!), and lots of weekend trips to Disney.
Posted by: Alexis | June 16, 2011 at 09:34 PM
Thanks for the link. :) You have a great list!
We've not been to Oglebay's zoo before, but Todd's dad is taking the whole family to Oglebay in a few weeks, so we'll get to see it. I've heard it's really nice.
Posted by: Shayne | June 16, 2011 at 10:32 PM