Summer Bucket List
by Minivan Mama on June 24, 2011
I got the idea of a Summer Bucket List from Allie over at Wonderfully Made (a blog from a really great ministry devoted to helping young women know their true value and worth in a world that puts so much emphasis on outward beauty and superficial accomplishments).
The official first day of summer was just a couple of days ago (even though it’s been a ka-thousand degrees here every day for a month), so it’s a perfect opportunity to think purposefully about the next 3 months and how you want to spend them. There are no rules for the list. Allie says,
If we want to have a fun, fabulous, meaningful life, I believe it helps to plan for it! Our shared calling on this beautifully broken earth is to ENJOY God and GLORIFY Him. Now and forever. What are some of the things you love? Things that make you feel fully alive and free – and inspire you to live with your arms and heart wide open?
So here is Minivan Mama’s Summer Bucket List, and I encourage you to share yours!
1. Take kids “hiking” on the Natchez Trace. Pack a picnic lunch and collect leaves or rocks.
2. Go on a mini-vacation, just the four of us… maybe Chattanooga, or Cheaha State Park….
3. Learn to bake bread. Not even by hand either. Just get the bread that my super nice Home Bakery Supreme Bread Machine bakes to turn out more like bread and less like that lumpy, heavy brick that I keep getting.
4. Practice reading and writing with Sam.
5. Bring both kids to the barn with me to brush/bathe/pet/love on Lillie. Maybe convince Sam to ride her before the summer’s out.
6. Take at least one overnight with the Clay. Even if it’s just to the Hampton Inn.
7. See NKOTBSB with my college besties. Jealous???
8. Read a real book.
9. Set up a lemonade stand with the kids and then let them decide how to use our profits to help somebody who needs it.
10. Go to Disney World!
3 comments
Great idea! Here are some of mine (in no particular order):
1. Talk my son into being on a swim team and force him to like it (done….and he LOVES it)
2. Do “school” at least 4 times a week with my son. So far so good and we saw immediate results with the deliberate school just 1 week in.
3. Sign up and take the surfing lessons that I have already paid for through Groupon.
4. Go to Disney World with the ENTIRE family (both sets of in-laws & siblings)…..done and everyone lived to tell the story.
5. Read a book or two that does not include pictures or an accounting references.
6. Read my Bible everyday (and not just because it is on my list, because I want to)
7. Go on at least 3 dates with my awesome hubby – hey big man, are you listening?
8. I guess I should make it down to the beach at least once this summer given that it is around 40 min away (I prefer the pool – but my 5yo loves the sand and waves).
9. Develop relationships with non-believers and talk about Jesus with them.
10. Cuddle and love on both my men (husband and son).
by Dana on June 24, 2011 at 9:33 am. #
Dana, What resources are you using for school? This is something I definitely want to do with Sam. He is so bored and pretty eager to learn, I just need some sort of curriculum…
by Minivan Mama on June 24, 2011 at 10:11 am. #
I wouldn’t call what we do curriculum, just a hodge podge of books. The only thing his 4k teacher asked us to work on was handwriting. I found a Spiderman handwriting book at the dollar tree….two things at once learn how to write letters better and read super hero words a bonus at our house. Second I found a Disney math book also at the dollar tree. We are also using a summer bridge activities book from barnes and nobles (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summer-bridge-grades-k-1-carson-dellosa-publishing-staff/1019673474?ean=9781604188189&itm=1&usri=summer%2bbridge%2bgrades%2bk%2b1). This summer bridge book has reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and fitness. We ignore the fitness (I mean I think a 1 hour swim practice a day is better than their ideas!). At this point in the book we are only on reading, writing, and math. He does one worksheet from each book a day. Not sure if this will be an issue for Sam, but we have found it is better to tear the page out of the book rather than give him the book and ask him to do one page…..there is something daunting about receiving a whole book. After the worksheets we have a sightword flash card set that we continually add new words to and we also have him “read” us 2 books a day from a Clifford phonics collection or anything else he chooses from the library. One old book from the previous day and one new one. I say read in ” ” because I am pretty sure he has decided to work on his memory and picture deducing skills rather than actual reading skills – but I’ll take it. Assuming he stays on task this takes about 20 to 30 min. a day (but that is a big assumption). Good-luck!
by Dana on June 25, 2011 at 1:29 pm. #