Take Me Out to the Ball Game

One of the items on our family summer bucket list was going to a baseball game. We put this on our list because our son is playing coach pitch baseball over the summer and my husband is coaching. We thought it would be fun for them to go see a game being played. So my husband and son went with my father-in-law to see the Rainiers this weekend.

We drove up to Tacoma to see the Rainiers play on a lovely rainy afternoon. Just like Washington to be 60 and rainy in late June.  Luckily it was not raining too hard and so they were not to uncomfortable hanging out and watching the game. All reported that it was fun to go see the game. We will probably do this again next year when my daughter might be able to sit through a game so we can all go.

You can check out our whole summer bucket list to see what other ideas we have for the summer and what we have already completed. 

Taking Off the Training Wheels

Do you want to know the best secret about how to teach your kid to ride without training wheels? It is awesome and works so well. Well I will tell you but first you have to hear about how well it worked for us.

A few months ago my son told me he wanted to try riding his bike with out the training wheels. So we tried the way that my Dad taught me. You know with me walking/running along side him holding on, poised to let go as soon as he was going fast enough. Well that failed miserably. I was way to scared that he would fall because I could feel him leaning way over to the side and he was getting frustrated that I would not let go. Lets just say that experiment ended in lots of tears from both of us.

So my Mom tried the same technique to no avail. My husband might have tried too but I can't really remember. When all was said and done we put the training wheels back on and decided we were just not ready for this step yet.

About a month later during the pouring rain we were playing with one of Aiden's friends and I was chatting with the friend's Mom. She told me that her kids learned to ride without the training wheels by taking the training wheels off BUT ALSO TAKING THE PEDALS OFF!! Just make sure feet can touch the ground so they can use them to push the bike. Who knew (maybe you did but our family definitely did not).

So a few days ago it finially showed some signs of summer here and my husband took the pedals and training wheels off. This was in the evening right before bed and so my son practiced inside (I know what were we doing with that). Over the next two days he probably practiced a total of 15 minutes.

Yesterday he came to me and said I can balance now put the pedals back on. Lets just say I was sceptical that he was really going to be ready after this little time but we did it. Outside he went with my husband and pedals but no training wheels. Guess what...he could ride the bike! No falling and no false starts! OH MY GOSH!! SO EXCITED!

For my daughter (who is two) we are not even going to start her with training wheels, straight from trike to bike (no pedals or training wheels). Just make sure her feet can fully touch the floor.

One summer bucket list item down 69 to go!

Summer Bucket List: Challenge

I recently joined a summer bucket list challenge which means I needed to make a bucket list! My plan is to write a list and then create new blog posts to go with them when I finish one and then link it up to the list. So here goes.

1. Library Summer Reading Programs
2. Star gazing
3. Camping (even if it is in the back yard)
4. Daily journal for the 5 year old, picture for the two year old
5. Eat a Rainbow Challenge
6. Summer scavenger hunt
7. Run in the sprinkler
8. Plant child friendly garden
9. Dinosaur eggs
10. Mountain dew glow bottle
11. Forts!
12. Pick Strawberries
13. Pick Raspberries, marionberries, blueberries, peaches
14. Watch fireworks
15. Catch bugs and talk about parts of an insect, draw pictures of them
16. Popsicle stick puzzles
17. Have a tea party, invite kids friends
18. Go to the fish hatchery
19. Make Moon Sand
20. Make playdoh
21. Photo shoot of the kids with funny props
22. cloud watching/naming-talk about weather cycle
23. Make a volcano
24. Go visit Mt. St. Helens (active volcano)
25. Balloon tennis
26. diversity with eggs
27. moon cycles with oreos (this will be a major treat for my kids!)
28. Make dry erase letter tracers/word tracers
29. Pick an animal day
30. Play hotel
31. Use vinegar to blow up balloons
32. Make animals out of hand and foot prints
33. Picnic
34. Kayaking
35. World learning day
36. Yoga 2 times a week
37. Fly our kite
38. Bubble snakes
39. Make humming bird feeder
40. Sandpaper art grocery bags
41. Water fight!
42. Family contribution chart (chore chart by another name)
43. Eye spy bottle
44. Go swimming
45. Load and Tote (see http://creativewithkids.com/toddlerhood-the-load-and-tote-phase/)
46. Build with blocks/knock them down
47. Go to the farmers market
48. Fill the sensory table with something new at least every other week if not more
49. Homemade shrinky dinks (http://creativewithkids.com/recycled-plastic-shrinky-dinks/)
50. Yarn obstacle course in the hall
51. Bubble painting
52. Do at least 10 science projects (ideas: http://blogs.babble.com/the-new-home-ec/2012/06/04/25-at-home-science-experiments/)
53. Giant ice cube dig
54. Fairies in a jar
55. make ice cream
56. water balloon target practice
57. sidewalk chalk
58. baseball game
59. glow bubbles
60. beach
61. Make pie
62. Go to a concert in the park
63. Hula hoop
64. Learn to ride bike without training wheels (5 year old)
65. Go to OMSI
66. Go to a theme park
67. See a waterfall
68.  Make rocket packs
69. Watch a meteor shower
70. Make gak

I reserve the right to add to this list as I see fit ;)


Thanks to Cuegly for many of these ideas. Pintrest is awesome too! Keep in mind that this list will get filled in with links/pictures as I go (and maybe more ideas).

Summer Challenges

Around the blogosphere summer challenges are sprouting up as quickly as the dandelions in my yard. However, the challenges are much more welcome. I love that they provide us with something to aspire to over the summer so that we don't get sucked into the feeling that there is so much time now we will manage to get it all done.

We are getting involved in a summer reading challenge, not just the one through our local library, although we are doing that as well. There is a really fun site that is all about kids books. The blogger is providing a list of summer reading challenges and we are going to try and keep up. We do a lot of reading in our family already but I am hoping will bring a new spice to our summer reading. You can check out this challenge over at the link: http://delightfulchildrensbooks.com/2012/05/24/summer-reading-challenge/

There is also the 30 day Mom challenge which is a list of things that should help make people connect with their kids and find joy in each moment a little more.

There is a summer bucket list challenge where they provide resources and you can follow along with their bucket list or create your own. I am going to do this one but need to have a few days to put together my bucket list ;) I will post it here when I am done for all to see and then I will update it when we have completed something of the list.

Last but not least the challenge that we are doing in our family is a rainbow of foods challenge. Technically this will probably be included in our bucket list. :) We are creating a place-mat that has a rainbow on it and laminating it. Each day when the kids eat their meals and snacks they get to find the colors and use dry erase markers to color part of the rainbow. At the end of the day we will see how much of the rainbow they have filled in and they can get a sticker if they have at least 5 colors (this is going to challenge me to make sure to provide enough variety in color). I think we will do a small reward at the end of the week if we have at least 5 stickers. Like maybe a special outing or movie night with treats like dark chocolate and popcorn or something. Feel free to print out this rainbow and follow along with us.

Feel Free to Print Me

What is on your bucket list for the summer? What big plans do you have? Are you doing any challenges?