happy family – Thinker Mommy

Happy Family Summer Bucket List: Week 5 and 6

Unfortunately this turned out to be the weeks of crappy picture taking, for various reasons. But, I’ve decided to add in random nonsensical pictures to try to make up for it. You are welcome.

1. Have a Picnic – We did have a picnic with a parents group through Meetup but we didn’t bring any of the food so although we’re marking it off (because otherwise we’d be falling behind on our bucket list!), we’re still planning on having another one. Also we need a second picnic because Mommy obviously forgot to take any pictures. Oops. The picture above is Number 2’s first time in a swing!!

2. Attend a Baseball Game – Well, we were going to do this. There was a vintage baseball game being held by the local historical society nearby which looked awesome. But when we saw the 90 degree weather forecast and not a speck of shade to hide in at the field, we decided to pass on this one and Daddy and I had an Adult Movie Date instead (World War Z!!). Daddy and I wore zombie shirts because why not? (I forgot to take a picture when we were wearing them, of course). I know mine is a little scary. O and I had a discussion about the happy skeleton’s long lollipop after I came home and changed into something better for running around in public with kids in tow.

3. Play with Bubbles – O only wanted to play with bubbles while sitting on the potty so you probably wouldn’t want to see these pictures. After leaning over to pop or try to pick up the bubbles that landed on the floor and simultaneously spilling her “bubble juice” all over her clothes, diaper and the floor, we moved the bubble blowing to the bathtub, but again, pictures wouldn’t be suitable for the internet. But I promise, bubbles were blown. I love how Number 2 looks like he’s about to do a little jig dance in the picture above, haha.

4. Visit Sandy Hook – Well, I posted some pictures of this in my last post but I have more. Highlights from the beach trip:

In lieu of a rolling cart with beach wheels, Daddy had a “brilliant idea” (we should all be scared when these words are uttered). Unfortunately using a sled to drag our heavy cooler, tent, chairs, assorted towels, diapers and clothing, etc did not work.
Number 2 tried to eat sand, as predicted. He didn’t seem that bothered by it either (shudder).
O would not go anywhere near the water unless she was being carried and we swore not to put her down. Not even all the shells along the water line were enough to persuade her.
Number 2 headed straight for the water but was more than a little shocked when he got wet. After the waves pulled back though, he tried to march into the ocean again. Repeat.
Our SPF50 protected beach tent was perfect once again, especially for privacy while nursing!

Our 2013 Summer Bucket List for a Happy Family

Yes, Daddy has a funny smile but since the blog writer and the babies look great, this photo wins.

I love being creative, Pinterest sucks away hours of my life, I’ve been hoarding Family Fun, Crochet Today and other crafty magazines for as long as I can remember, and I’ve got about 5 million bookmarks on my laptop. But, I’m also the type of person that needs sticky notes in every room just to remember to take my vitamins. Too often I read an article and say, “We should totally do that!” and then completely forget about it. Or, after the kids are asleep, I think to myself, “Oh man, we should have done X fun thing today!” but, of course, it’s too late. So, when I found out about The Summer Bucket List Challenge last year and again this year, I joined excitedly – an easy way to ensure we’re not missing out on those special little things that create memories and make childhood magical? Yes, please! Plus, there are honestly no cons; it’s all-inclusive, pure fun.

But I still have a few other reasons why I like the Bucket List Challenge anyway:

Literally writing out and displaying our Bucket List in the living room, where we’ll walk past the list multiple times a day, makes it impossible not think about which activity you could make time for (and for visually oriented people like me it’s even better).
Since the Summer Bucket List Challenge is public, that makes everyone online my new accountability partners.
I’m addicted to photo books and The Bucket List will make a great one!
Did I mention I’m also an obsessive list maker?

This year’s Summer Bucket List Challenge, sponsored by The Happy Family Movement, begins on May 20 and lasts until Labor Day, Sept 2. (It’s free and fun so if you haven’t signed up yet, click here now – you won’t regret it). That time frame gives us exactly 3 months and 13 days to create some serious summer memories. Now, 13 has always held a special place in our family – it’s the day Nick and I decided to get married and we always try to do something small and special whenever a 13th falls on a Friday. So… I’m pretty sure this is some sort of cosmic sign that we’re destined to have The Best Summer Ever thanks to our Bucket List!

If you’re a long-time follower of my blog, I admit we did not publicly participate much last year because Number 2 arrived and the season turned out to be an overwhelming blur of preparing, caring and adjusting – more so than I ever imagined it would be. But, now that we’ve had time to get used to our new family dynamic and Number 2 is a little older and less demanding, we are SO READY!

What to do with 15 weeks, 105 days or 2,520 hours of potential fun? In order to make sure our list wasn’t overwhelming, my husband and I voted on 2 activities per week (or 30 total), with the option to add more (which we quickly did). We also decided we should add in some Adult Only dates too because we’re terrible at making them happen and because happy parents = a happy family. So, (drum roll, please) here is our 2013 Summer Bucket List: