life in general

summer fun #26: swimming lessons

it's official.  Our children are fish.  

The kids did awesome in their swimming lessons this year.  Both Conner and Payton moved up a level.  And Anna is doing great with her beginner arm strokes and back floats.

Here are some photos from the last day of swimming lessons:

Payton -- So proud of this kid.  He worked really hard in swimming lessons to improve his arm strokes and floats.  He set a goal for himself to take the swim test on the last day of summer.  At our city pool you have to pass a swim test (one lap arm stroke, one lap elementary backstroke across the width of the pool -- no stopping, no touching the bottom) in order to swim in the big lap pool.  This big pool also holds the brand new giant, twisty water slide which he has watched Conner enjoy all summer.  So after swimming lessons on friday, we went back to the pool in the afternoon for one last swim.  Payton headed straight to the swim test line and was raring to go.  Conner and I watched with baited breath . . . excited/nervous for him.  But mostly so proud that he made the decision to do this all on his own.

Oh, and during the test you can't wear goggles.  Which is huge for Payton.  Remember how sensitive his eyes are to the sun?  Same goes for the water.  

He closed his eyes tight, took a deep breath and pushed off from the edge.  Stroke, stroke, stroke, breath . . stroke, stroke, stroke, breath . . . and pretty soon he had reached the end!  Then he put his skills to use and did his very best elementary backstroke, even bumping into and re-routing around kids who got in his way, and finally made it to the finish by the lifeguard chair.  Woo-hoo Payton!  He actually made it without stopping on his very first try.

But . . . as I suspected (and what was the best decision for everyone) the lifeguard didn't pass him.  He made it back and forth, but he still needs to work on becoming a stronger swimmer.  His little body was exhausted at the end of that test, and I know that I would not feel comfortable sending him into the big pool.  

Conner and I congratulated him on a great job and tried to lift his spirits with lots of encouragement.  A little disappointed and a lot tired, he spent the rest of his time swimming in the small pool and had a great time.  I think it was great for him to see that he could do it, but also to realize that it takes some work to build up the stamina to safely swim in deeper waters.

Like I said, I was so so proud of him that he set a goal and with drive & desire he did his very best to follow through.  Super champ!

 

Anna - As I've mentioned before, this girl's biggest achievement this summer was ditching the water wings.  She doesn't have free reign in the pool, but when we are there she spends half of her time underwater diving for rings, watching her brothers do silly tricks, and swimming like a mermaid.  

 

Conner - Last summer Conner was in the level 4 class.  When we went to sign up this summer they told us that they have changed the numbering of the classes and a 4 was now a 3 1/2.  Conner was not happy.  He was really proud of his level 4 rank and had worked really hard to earn that.  For this over-achieving boy, being bumped down to 3 1/2 was a major bummer.

But . . . it was all good.  He had a fantastic teacher -- Rachel, one of our favorite young women from church (we have quite a few favorites).  She helped fine-tune his strokes to where they are strong, smooth, and precise.  It is so much fun to watch him glide through the water.

This session he finally figured out the diving thing, from a standing position.  And he has got all the strokes down.  It is high on my list to track down a swim team or club when we get to Vegas and sign him up.  He is a swimmer.

Oh, and he easily passed all the requirements to re-enter level 4.  :)

-------------------------------------

I've said this on facebook and I'll say it again . . . . it makes this California girl (and former swim team member) so happy to see my kids love and thrive in the water.

summer fun #4: go to the coast

This is turning into the summer of beaches (May - California, May - Lincoln City, August - Cannon Beach) and I'm liking it quite a bit.  

My mom is in town and she wanted to do something fun with the kids so off to the coast we went.  

Breakfast/lunch at Camp 18 was deeeeee-licious.  Pancakes, sausage, eggs, biscuits and gravy, fried potatoes, mmm-hmm.  Any place that serves cinnamon rolls the size of your head is a guaranteed winner.

There are statues carved from wood all over the restaurant -- inside and out.  Right next to the cashier is a little bear with a chainsaw.  When Payton saw it he jumped and immediately said:  "Rule #862 - never give a chainsaw to a bear."  That boy is a crack-up.

While at Camp 18 you also have to pose with the logger-dude.

And browse the antique logging equipment spread across the property.

Cannon Beach was beautiful as always.

There was this low mist that clung to the beach all day.  I loved it -- very mysterious and romantic looking. 

For the most part it was an overcast day, the sun peeking out here and there.  But the temperatures were perfect -- no extra layers necessary.  There was no wind.  We played for almost 3 hours but could have stayed much, much longer.  In my book, it was a near-perfect day on the Oregon coast.

The kids got to work doing what they love most at the beach . . . digging holes and building damns.

All so they could achieve this . . . "a hot tub".

They later went on to build companion hot tubs which were called Lake Payton and Lake Anna.

In between documenting with photos and video, I got to work doing this

laying on my back, nibbling on Twizzers, and occasionally capturing the action from a lower angle.

{Anna is getting a running head start for her cannon ball into Conner's hot tub}

And after seeing these happy faces, basking in 3 hours of relatively argument-free play, taking some time to relax myself while the kids contentedly played nearby . . . I'm mostly positive that we will need to visit the coast again before the summer is out.

summer fun #20: go to a water park

During our summer fun list brainstorming session, Conner added this one to the list.  I'm so glad we were able to make it happen.  We all had so much fun.

We tried every slide & attraction in the park, avoided sunburns in the 98 degree temps (well, except for one spot on my arm where I had a sunscreen malfunction), and played non-stop for 6 hours.  Payton was a funny one, because he was nervous about several of the slides as we got in line.  He even tried to bail at the last second on a few of them.  But once he made it down the slide he thought it was the best thing ever.

after a full day (and blizzards for dinner) everyone konked out for the drive home.

summer fun #11: frisbee golf

The kids (especially the boys) LOVED this.  As soon as they hit each tee box it was a frenzy of disc throwing and running, throwing and running . . . . Definitely doing this again someday.

But I may practice my frisbee throwing technique first.  Turns out, I'm kind of a spaz.

summer fun #7: trampoline + sprinklers

skin and bones I tell ya.

summer fun list 2011

Happy first day of summer!

We finally put together our summer fun list and from the looks of it, we'll have plenty to keep us busy this year.

This year I decided to put the list on a scrapbook page and it will hang on our fridge all summer long.

We have 28 items on the list with a few blank spaces in case we come up with any new ideas.

Also, I listed a few goals and projects that I would like the kids to accomplish this summer.  

• Conner - complete his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts and learn to cook 2-3 meals by himself.
• Payton - make progress on his Wolf badge and learn to mow the lawn
• Anna - practice reading & phonics (to prepare for kindergarten) and learn to ride a bike.

Anna learned to ride her bike last week immediately after her training wheels were taken off, so I guess we can cross that one off!

In case you can't read the list . . . . 

go to idaho * go to california * cub scouts day camp * go to the coast * be in a parade * go camping * trampoline with sprinklers * hike * lemonade stand * plan and put on mother/son activity * frisbee golf * water balloons * star gazing * complete the summer reading program at the library * walk to bike to get ice cream * keep a summer journal * make summer scrapbooks * homemade popsicles * summer treasure hunt * go to a water park * see Cars 2 * make giant bubbles * plant zinnias * pajama and movie playdate * pick raspberries and make jam * swimming lessons * send fun mail to cousins * daddy/daughter date

As always, some items are things that are already on the calendar, and most of it is stuff we hope to do.  We're not worried about crossing everything off the list.  It just gives us some ideas and direction so we don't waste away the summer.

Are you ready?  I am.  Have a wonderful summer!

  {summer lovelies from pinterest}

************************************************************

To see our list from past years click here:

summer fun 2010

summer fun 2009 - We did things in reverse.  We made a blank scrapbook page and wrote things down as we did them.  

summer fun 2008

summer fun 2007 

august 1st: summer fun so far

ahh, the summer fun continues. 

Here's a few pictures of things we did in July that previously did not make it to the blog.

The much-anticipated, long-planned-for cookie and lemonade stand

 

Yes, I know they are wearing jackets in July.  It was a coooold morning.  I sat outside on the porch and actually had to whip out some hot chocolate.  Don't you love their sign?  Especially the upper left, "Babies Free."  Conner was persistent with his sales pitch.  Shouting down the culdesac with no one in sight, "Lemonade and cookies!  Only 25 cents!  Babies 3 and under free on Saturday and Monday!"

A fun nature walk and picnic lunch at the Audubon Society.  I highly recommend it.

 

A trip to the beach.  Despite the grey weather, we had a great time.  The kids could have stayed there all day digging trenches, jumping in the waves, and rolling around in the sand (Anna).  Breakfast/Lunch at Camp 18 and treats at the candy kitchen make for a delicious day.

 

us + friends + a few random people on the beach (somehow they ended up in every cute photo op, grrr).

A week spent at Cub Scout Day Camp.  The boys were great, everyone got along really well, and they got to do some fun activities.  My primary job was to count heads, enforce the buddy system, and ward off swarms of mosquitoes.  :)

 
We went on our ward campout and it was so great!  From the Primary Pioneer day parade, to our first year with separate mom/dad and kids' tents (no one rolling on me in the middle of the night!), to an entertaining campfire program (which included a silly, costumed, singing, dancing skit that Nicole, Sheila, and myself were asked to do), to the great food and friends who are willing to share their camp cooking skills.

 {corn on the cob, potatoes, shrimp, with lots of garlic, butter, & spice.  No silverware needed.}

Summer is flying by too fast!  Here we are in August already.  But I am comforted by the fact that the kids still have a little more than 5 weeks of vacation left.  And we have done a lot of fun things together and made some fun memories.  Let the good times continue!

july 1st: summer fun so far

Not too bad for the first 2 weeks of summer vacation.

While in California we went on a great hike in Yosemite National Park.  The views were spectacular,

 

At about the half-way mark we made it to a footbridge where we got our first glimpse of Vernal Falls,

 

The entire hike was uphill, and considering this was the first time we've attempted something like this with our family, the kids did great!  I asked them if they'd like to go hiking again when we get home and they all said yes.  Yippee!  This is something I have wanted to do with our family for ages and now it looks like everyone is checked out.

As we walked further the sound of the waterfall got louder, the air got breezier and colder, and soon a damp mist was in the air.  We came around a corner and this was the view,

Isn't that gorgeous?  This is also the point where Payton, my mom, Heidi, Carlee, Preston, and I turned around and headed back down.  Too wet.  The rest of the crew (Dad, Scott, Conner, Anna, and Sam) continued on to the top, yes the very tippy top of the water falls.  As you can imagine, they got soaked.  Anna and my dad didn't actually go to the very top.  They turned around when the trail and steps started getting treacherous and very slippery.  But Anna wanted to keep on going!  They had to make her stop and turn around.  For the return hike I called her "Anna the Brave."  She quite liked that.

Other summer fun things we've done that are not on the list:

*The kids wore Nature Bracelets while on our nature walk to collect leaves, flowers, sticks, and even a lizard tail.

 
* I gave all the girls (mom, heidi, carlee, anna, and me) glitter toes one night.  A sparkly red in honor of the upcoming holiday.  I think Anna is going to get some blue glitter fingers this weekend as well.

*The kids painted t-shirts for the 4th of July, using stencils made from freezer paper.  I got the idea from Family Fun.  It worked great!  I had no idea you could iron freezer paper on your shirt and it would stick.  Definitely adding this one to my bag of tricks.

Okay, that's all the fun I have to share now.  Hope you're having a fun summer as well!
 

summer fun giveaway {winner}

Thanks everyone for your great comments and ideas!  Sounds like a lot of you are making fun plans for the summer.  I'm hoping that this little kit will help you put some of those plans into action!

 

Now, let me put all the names into a bowl.  And my lovely assistant, Anna, will pull one out. 

And the winner is . . . . Patricia!

Woo-hoo!  Congratulations!  You all should read her comment in the post below.  She shares a great idea for summer fun with her 6 year old -- "treasure ice blocks."

Patricia, please e-mail me with your address and I will get this off to you right away!

While we're all here, can I share something we did last week?  It wasn't on our summer fun list, but fun & tasty nonetheless.

Did you know that June 4th was National Donut Day?  Well it was.  I read about it somewhere on the 3rd.  So after the kids went to bed I ran to the grocery store and picked up one dozen donuts (yes, they were a day old. my my kids could care less).  So we had this for breakfast.  And some chocolate milk.

 
 And while the boys were at school we made some donut-inspired cupcakes.

{idea gleaned from the blog eighteen25.  Go check out some of their recent cute kids crafts and party ideas.} 

This week a summer chore system is on my mind.  I have a few ideas floating around, and a few incentives.  Last year it was allll about video game time.  But this year I'm going to give them a few options to diversify their rewards.  There are a few "wishes" out there that I know will be big motivators so I am going use those to my full advantage.  Wa-ha-ha!

Have a great week!

the summer fun list (and a giveaway)

 

Monday night we sat down and made our Summer Fun list for 2010.  

My wish is to live more intentionally, try some things that are a little out of the norm and new, have something to look forward to, and to create memories.

In the list I've included things that are already on our calendar (trips, day camp, etc.)

. . . there are the usual summertime things that we always do (swimming pool, park, ice cream, etc.) and the little things that the kids find so much enjoyment out of (blowing bubbles, etc.), but sometimes I need a visual reminder to make them happen.

. . . and there are projects & outings that I have wanted to do for a while, but never seem to find the time (hike, sunprints, etc.).

Now, will we do everything on the list?  Probably not.  It is just a springboard for ideas.

I love doing this list!  We post it on the fridge and throughout the summer we keep track of the things we have done.  It is great motivation to get out there and do something (big or little), but mostly just to make the most of the time I have with the kids during summer vacation.  The school year will return all too soon.

I made most of the list and then consulted with the kids to get their approval.  All agreed.  And then they had a few ideas to contribute as well.  My favorite was Payton's:  "hold a snake."  So, if anyone out there has a non-poisonous snake or knows where we can get our hands on one, I'd be happy for that information.

Conner wants to open a kids restaurant for other kids to come and buy food that he cooks.  I tried to steer him in the direction of cooking meals for our family for one day, creating menus, etc.  I think that will be a good substitute.

So, as for displaying the list . . . . 

The first year we tried this (2007) I copied Stacy Julian's idea and made a poster just like hers with mini post-its and put it on the fridge.

Another year we didn't put a formal list together and instead I posted a blank Summer Fun scrapbook page on the fridge and wrote things down as we did them.

This year, I'm feeling a little more on the ball and tried to do something cute.

 

closer up

and closer still . . . 

I'm loving all these summer colors!

The plan:  once we complete an activity it gets moved up to the Summer Fun section.  I'll either write or stamp the date on the card as well.  For activities that we do multiple times (pool, park, etc.) I'll write tally marks.  

I think it turned out pretty darn cute.  And pretty darn easy.

More ideas, sharing, and clarifications:

Another take on how to display your list:  a quick & easy poster

I got the idea for the shaving cream from her blog.  Go take a peek.  That day is going to be a hoot. :)  And you can get shaving cream at the dollar store.

In 2008 we kept our list pretty simple.

The BPS class Kidding Around is going to help me with the kids' summer scrapbooks.  This idea has been on my list for the last couple summers, and I even bought albums for the kids.  I think this class will be perfect and provide the ideas, prompts, and everything that I need to get going.

The Penderwicks is a delightful summertime read.  Especially if you have girls.  Although, my boys also  enjoyed it very much.  I highly recommend it.

I didn't put this on my list but I thought it was a great idea if your kids are checked out on a hot glue gun.  Junk sculpture.

Keep your eye on Stacy Julian's blog because I'm sure she will reveal her summer plan soon.  She always has great, creative, cute ideas.

{giveaway}

I want to help someone else get their summer fun list going so I've put together a second set of titles and 36 (blank) summer fun cards with magnets on the back.  All ready to go for display on your fridge.  You just supply the ideas.

Leave me a comment and tell me what is on your Summer Fun list.  I'd love to read more ideas!

I'll choose a random winner on Monday morning.

oh, what do you do in the summertime?

Summer is still on my brain.  Even though it's rainy & 56 degrees outside.

Yesterday we received this summer sundae surprise package in the mail from Scott's employer

6 pints of Ben & Jerry's, caramel, hot fudge & raspberry sauces, nuts, sprinkles, & an ice cream scoop.  Now this gets me in the mood for warmer days.  Yum!

For me, the arrival of summer brings with it feelings of change & renewal & re-energizing.  Kinda like the resolutions we set at the beginning of the year, I see the coming of summer as a chance for a fresh start.  So my mind has been stirring these last few weeks, trying to think of what I want to accomplish this summer, what fun things I want to do with the kids, how we can occupy our time, and just all around have a great time.  A couple friends have recently reminded me of some of the summer organization tips I shared last year (apparently I have a short-term memory).  There were the popsicle jobs (which we did), and the summer fun poster which was a big hit.  We will definitely be doing that again.

So in preparation for summer's arrival (which I hope really does come soon) I wanted to make a list of the things we already have planned to do this summer, the things I want to do, and the silly little things we'll do to fill in the empty spaces of our day.

on the calendar

• trip to CA -- my brother Denver is returning home from his mission to Brazil!  It will be fun to see him, other family members, and we know that CA will not deny us in the sunshine department.
• trip to ID -- Scott's parents have a new house and the new temple will be holding it's open house while we are there.  Anna will get her wish to go inside the temple!  That's even better than visiting Cinderella's castle.
• Phantom of the Opera -- woo-hoo!  This will be my 4th time (San Fran, San Fran, SLC) and Scott's 3rd (San Fran, SLC).  It's just so wonderful, it never gets old.

things I want to do

• swimming lessons -- the kids are taking lessons right now, but I'm sure we will enroll them for 1 or 2 more sessions over the summer
• swim -- I'm thinking that I'll also get a family pass to the pool so we can visit whenever we want all summer long
• beach -- I need to go to the beach!  And our trip to CA/Disneyland was proof enough that our kids love the beach too.
• strawberry picking -- I really want to take the kids to a u-pick strawberry patch.  I've never done it before though, so I welcome any tips you might have.  I'd also like to make freezer jam -- also a newbie to that one, and welcoming your tips!
• hike/walk -- I think it would be so fun to honor & remember the pioneers and take the kids for a good long walk/hike on Pioneer Day.  I can just picture us singing "pioneer children sang as they walked & walked & walked & walked . . " 

to accomplish

• chores -- this is going to happen this summer.  The kids are going to learn how to do chores, it will become a part of their everyday routine, and it will continue into next school year.  (Do you think if I just repeat these statements over & over again it will happen?)
• piano -- Conner will start piano lessons very soon!  And practicing will become a part of his (and mine) daily routine.
• training wheels -- Conner's training wheels are coming off this summer.  Actually, they are already off and Scott is in charge of the torturous process of teaching him to ride his bike.
• potty training -- I'm in charge of the torturous process of potty-training Anna this summer.

for fun

• zoo -- our membership runs out soon, so I'm sure we'll get a few more trips in.
• park -- probably a weekly activity (if not more).
• ice cream -- we love going to the little ice cream shop to enjoy a soft serve cone on a hot day.
• crafts -- Paige helped me stock up on some craft projects from Oriental Trading Company.  They will make for great activities on the inevitable rainy days that surprise us during the summer.
• scrapbooks -- I purchased a 6x6 scrapbook album for each of the kids.  My "plan" is to take one day a week and have them scrapbook their favorite acitivity from the previous week.  I take tons of pictures during the summer so I figure that we can sit down at the computer, have them each pick out one picture, print it out, and with my over-flowing stash of un-loved scrapbook supplies they can just go to town and do whatever they want.  I'm actually really excited about this one.  My kids love crafting so I think it should be a big hit.  We shall see.
• run through the sprinkler -- we have purchased the same sprinkler from Wal-mart 3 years in a row.  It gets enough wear & tear that by the end of the summer we just have to throw it away.
• try different popsicle concoctions in my new popsicle molds
• eat popsicles until they come out our ears

At the end of the summer I'll have to look back at this list and see how much we really did accomplish!

*************************

and for those still wondering about the egg carton . . . . . I only discovered the purpose of the egg carton myself on thursday morning.  I signed up for another class at BPS called A Baker's Dozen.  And in the pre-class assignment we were told to decorate an egg carton.  Okay . . . So I did.  The class started on Thursday and basically for the first couple days I get an e-mail telling me to gather a few specific supplies (all pretty basic) and put them into one of the egg holes.  For example:  26 buttons, or 4 strands of ribbon, or 6 flowers &  6 brads. 

Then she also tells us to put specific photos into numbered envelopes (like today:  4 personality photos of someone you love & a piece of coordinating patterned paper).  All of this is done blindly -- we don't know where the products are going to end up or how it's all going to come together.  But we have been told that by the end of the month we will have 13 completed layouts.  And hey, considering that the total number of layouts I have made in the last year comes to less than 13, I'm all for this.  Get 'er done.

And if anybody else needs some motivation to just scrapbook for pete's sake, registration is open until June 11th.  So far, it's been a low-stress experience, which I like.

what do you do in the summertime?

on a hot, 90 degree day we do this

and treat ourselves with this

The end of summer is upon us and I'm having a hard time letting go!  Yes, I'll be happy to get the kids in school and have a little more quiet during the day.  But I'll miss the {cough} sunny days, trips to the park and the pool, and the freedom of doing whatever.  We have had a great summer and from the beginning we decided to make the most of it.  During a FHE in June we had the boys each tell us two things they wanted to do during the summer and we added that to our own list and the things that were already on the calendar.  Remember Stacy J's idea?  Ours wasn't as cute - just post-it notes stuck to a dry erase board on the fridge, but it got the job done.

Here's our summer fun list for 2007:

• visit grammer Valerie and papa Dennis
• visit grammer Teresa and papa Dan
• go to the library
• swimming
• picnic in the park
• Chuck E. Cheese's
• bowling
• camping
• the zoo
• play tennis
• go to the beach

We didn't quite get to tennis and the beach (sad for me), but I guess the beach will still be there when we find time.

I hope you have had a wonderful, memorable, fun-filled summer too!

summer plan

Recently I've heard or read about people trying to establish a routine or schedule for summer and just plain trying to get their lives organized.  It's also something that I've been thinking about now that summer vacation has began.  I want to make sure we don't waste away our days.  I want to do fun outings with the kids, projects at home, keep them from watching too much tv, and once and for all get them to help out with chores around the house!  I've been mulling over some ideas, trying to come up with a good plan.  But we've got one more upcoming trip so I don't feel like I can really implement anything until we're back home and life is "normal" again. 

Okay, I do have a point to all this rambling.  Stacy Julian posted some really cool ideas on her blog about her family's summer fun schedule and I'm totally inspired at this moment -- we'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow, though ;o) -- so I wanted to share the link.  Maybe it can help someone else, but most of all I just wanted to paste it here to remind me!

http://stacysbigpicture.typepad.com/altogether_too_happy/2007/06/the_plan.html

and here's where she shares a pic & more details of the popsicle jobs - http://stacysbigpicture.typepad.com/altogether_too_happy/2007/06/note-to-self.html