Summer Break 2012 - crossing things off

Last week we crossed a couple of items off of our list.  [I'm going to have to pick up the pace for sure if we're going to finish the list!]  There was an absolutely beautiful mid-70's and sunny kind of day and we jumped on the fabulousness of it and headed to the zoo.   My parents give us a zoo membership each Christmas and we really love the flexibility of it - no guilt in only staying for an hour or two when you can come back anytime you want.  However, this was definitely not a short trip.  I have to say that this trip was fantastic!  I packed a backpack - and it had lots of room leftover!  A definite perk of the boys getting older is being able to travel a little lighter.  It makes spontaneity more do-able and not so "oh no, what did I forget?" scary.

The other really great part of this trip was that Seth really wanted to watch the animals.  Normally he walks up, says, "Oh, there's the lion.  Let's go."  And off we go.  But, this time he could read the signs and really wanted to watch the animals.  I think he would've spent an hour watching the otters get in and out of their little pool.   It was a really fun time.  I might have to take something else off of the list and "Zoo" again. 

To me this sily picture screams, "Yo! We're at the zoo."

If you know me, you know this wasn't the highlight of the trip for me, but they have two new aviaries, one with more 'domestic' birds and one with more exotic birds.  I think.  We walked by and I kindly pointed them out.  We did NOT go in. 

To me, these nasty bats and the birds are pretty much on par.  However, Seth was telling me about a show and tell at school where a classmate brought a hairless cat.  I was ready to go on and on about how gross that must have been when Seth just calmly looked at me and answered my 'was it hideously ugly' question with, "Well, that IS the way God make it."  Okay, got me there.  So I really do try to remember that God made all of these creatures, so it's not my place to discuss how gross some of them are.

The train ride is always a highlight of the trip.  You really don't see much but you are ON the train!

Max sits with Mommy on the train.  I love how he is so sweetly holding my hand (and looking up at me).  He is just a really sweet little guy.  He loves the 'choo choo.'

I really thought these were his sunglasses, but looking at this picture, maybe I'm wrong?

As much as I don't like birds, I do like tigers.  Not sure why.  They are just big and beautiful.  The zoo has a newer setup where you can get really close to the tigers.  Yes, it is very thick glass.  We have visited a few times since they updated this exhibit, but the tigers are never very social.  This day, they were pacing back and forth right in front of the glass.  It was pretty awesome to see. 

Yes, that is Max in his stroller nearly looking the tiger in the eyes.  He wasn't even bothered by it.  Not knowing that the tiger could really hurt you is probably a good thing, huh?  Max noticed a lot more of the animals this trip.  He would wave his sweet little wave and yell, "Hi, Buddy!" 

 It was definitely one of my favorite zoo trips!  Here's to hoping the rest of our summer list provides for some equally fun memories!

Later that week we were also able to mark "Dunkin Donuts" off the list.  Friday, June 1st was National Donut Day.  They gave away a free donut with a drink purchase.  So, after Luke's tumbling class we all had donuts for lunch.  Then the boys had nuggets for dessert.  Some days you have to mix it up!  NO idea who that fourth donut belongs to.  You know, the one with the coffee.  Hmmm....

Summer break - the list

There's a show that my boys love to watch and the theme song starts out, "There's a hundred and four days of summer vacation, then school comes along just to end it..."

So, I decided to count how many days there are for my boys.  They will be on a 'balanced' schedule next year which means they go back really early but get two whole weeks in the fall and two whole weeks in the spring.  That leaves us only 76 days of summer vacation, including the weekends!

I must admit that I never feel like I spend enough time with the boys.  Even being home with them, I feel like I am always doing something else and we aren't really making "enough" memories together.  Oddly, I'm not even sure I know what that means.  Or what I can do that will change that feeling for me. 


I don't think enough people are honest enough about what it's like to be at home.  I ran into someone recently that I hadn't talked to for years and told him I was a stay at home mom to three boys, almost 2, 4, and 6, and he said, "well, I guess that's great for you."  And I fake smiled and nodded like a crazy woman, because I think that's what people expect. 

And yes, it is great for me.  There is NOWHERE I would rather be.  My two youngest boys can be playing just fine in the other room and all of a sudden one of them comes running to me and just needs a hug.  I give that huge hug and he runs back to play.  Knowing that he needed that hug and I was the one who got to give it to him, is an awesome reminder of how blessed I am to be at home.

On the other hand, I have threatened to revamp my wardrobe to include only black and white striped  shirts and grab a whistle because I often feel more like a referree than a love giving momma.  Then there's the begging and groveling that I do when it's time to pick up toys.  That usually ends in a lot of yelling and threatening on my part.

Of course, I'd love to be paid for the hard work that I do.  Even appreciated, or respected.  I have a (newer to me) phrase lately - "respect the clean!"  Meaning, if I go to the trouble to actually clean it, could it please stay that way for more than 4.3 seconds?  There's not much motivation to scrub the bathroom sink when the very next time the boys brush their teeth there's more toothpaste visible than sink. 

I found this blog article recently and the comparison to having a career and being a stay at home mom made me chuckle.

Hmmm, I think I digressed a bit.  All this was to say that the boys and I made a list of things we want to do this summer.  For me, if it's written down it's more likely to happen.   Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone with just a list so I made it into a little poster. 

So, watch for updates on how we spend our days.  And if you have any great suggestions for things we should do, please send them my way. 
Happy summer to all....