Summer Bucket List 2013: Making Progress

Anyone who knows me knows I love a good list. I don't go anywhere without my trusty notebook tucked away into the deepest depths of my diaper bag. Anyone who knows me also knows that if I don't write it down, I probably won't remember it. So. Again, my lil' notebook must be readily handy. 

Thus, it should come as no surprise that I love me a good, seasonal bucket list. Not only does it hold the promise of fun summer activities, it allows me to keep track of what we have done and what we hope to do before Labor Day arrives. 

You may remember when I first posted our 2013 Summer Bucket List. Well, I am happy to report we've been busy having sweet, summer fun 'round these parts and have checked off almost everything on our list! And now, for my own memory's sake, some photographic documentation of some of our bucket list adventures: 

• What's summer without running through the sprinklers? (Apparently, summer fun does NOT require sprinkler running for my Rals, who refused to get anywhere near it):

• I think donut picnics should be a monthly occurrence from here on out!

• We read a lot of books together in our home, but there was something extra special about doing it outside during our outdoor story time. 

• Last summer, I took Banks to see his first movie and couldn't wait to do it again this year! On our second annual Momma Movie Date, we saw "Monster's University," which was entertaining for all ages. And my ever-inquisitive little buddy even obeyed our pre-movie discussion about holding all questions until the end of the film. He sat quietly, snacking on popcorn and Skittles, while totally focused on the movie. Next up on the movie agenda, "Planes"! 

• Sometimes parents get to have all the fun! After a delicious 9th anniversary dinner (and several glasses of wine), my hub and I opted to continue the excitement...at Carowinds! We showed up two hours before closing time and rode every rollercoaster in sight over and over. It was an anniversary I'll never forget!

• One of my favorite memories from this summer so far is the water balloon ambush the kids and I pulled off. Such a surprise! And such a blast!

• Sometimes, you just gotta mix things up for breakfast, right? I mean, oatmeal and waffles can get a little boring morning after morning after morning. Enter: banana split breakfast. Yummy!

• We let our artistic side shine through one day last week with some family face-painting. Ta da!

• Sometimes it can be a little tricky to find activities that are fun and educational for both a toddler and pre-schooler, which is why we have frequented a few different children's museums this summer: Fun for all ages!

• We started a new family tradition this year for Father's Day, which just so happened to be an item on our Summer Bucket List: backyard s'mores. Mmmmm!!!

• We are also big fans of library story time, particularly when stories end with dancing and bubbles!

• Just this week, we crossed another item off our list: Backyard Bowling. Banks was getting strikes left and right, while Raleigh had a few mulch gutter balls. 

• If there's one thing Fort Mill is known for, it's the delicious strawberries that abound! So. Checking off strawberry picking from our bucket list was easy peasy!

• My little buddy, and little lady, too, love collecting rocks. Throw rocks and painting together in one activity? Well, it was a fun afternoon for this duo. 

• One of the things I love most about my family is that we are really active; so, it's been really fun spending time hiking the greenway that lies just across from our neighborhood...before the sweltering South Carolina sun heats things up by mid-morning, that is!

• Hear ye. Hear ye. Please stand as we welcome King Banks and Queen Raleigh, my royalty sporting their summery flower and fern crowns. 

• My little crafters (and peanut butter lovers) seemed to really enjoy making a bird feeder using peanut butter and bird seed, which now hangs from one of the trees in our backyard. 

• Given that anything and everything sports-related is always a big hit with my two-some, they were excited to see a few different baseball games this summer: One involved watching their Daddy play on our church's softball team and another included the experience of Banks standing on the field during the National Anthem during a Charlotte Knights game. Play ball!

• Another one of my favorite summer traditions for our little family? Puddle-jumping. Banks and I started this tradition last summer and continued the fun this year (while Raleigh was napping away). What could be more fun than throwing on a swimsuit, dancing in the rain, and jumping in every puddle in sight during the middle of a summer storm?! Nothin', I tell ya. Nothin'.

• Given that I take hundreds of photos every month, it should come as no surprise that Banks thoroughly enjoyed acting as kiddo photog for the day. He captured some great shots!

In addition, we have managed to check off: building sandcastles during our trip to the beach, continuing our annual tradition of making cement footprints as part of our outdoor decor, and allowing the kids to choose the dinner menu (breakfast for dinner: their favorite!). 

While we still have a few more items to check off our list before Labor Day, we've had a great time so far with all these Summer Bucket List adventures. Hopefully, we'll finish up with a few of our must-do summer activities before it's time to generate a new list for Fall!