Summer Bucket List

They're all over the internet...

I think the first one I came across was this one called the "Summer of Awesome".  I loved the idea but was just back to work and knew I'd have no vacation time to use.  I figured I had enough on my plate just adjusting to going back to work.

This year, with help from Pinterest I came across similar ideas here and here.  Now, I'm not setting up anything nearly as crafty but have decided that a summer bucket list is in order.  The kids are going to be home all summer with Damian and I'm hopeful that this will help give us ideas of some fun things to do.

So here they are, in no particular order, our 2012 Summer Bucket List.

1. Biodome in Montreal 
2. Farmers Markets 
3. Busker Festival 
4. Have a picnic 
5. Visit Mackenzie King Estates 
6. Fly a kite 
7. Watch planes take off 
8. Pick strawberries and make strawberry shortcake 
9. Run through the sprinkler
10. Play at a splash pad
11. Visit a waterpark
12. Go on a family bike ride
13. Changing of the Guard on Parliament Hill
14. RCMP Sunset Ceremony (June 26-30)
15. Play a game of mini golf
16. Go for a walk on the beach
17. Blow bubbles
18. Dragon Boat festival (June 22-24)
19. Build a sandcastle
20. Paint a work of art outside
21. Go for a walk in the rain 
22. Go bowling 
23. Go fishing 
24. Go for a boat ride 
25. Watch hot air balloons take off 
26. Cosmic adventures 
27. Tall Ships Festival 
28. Play Daddy's tire game  
29. Enjoy a root beer or orange soda float 
30. Prepare our entire dinner by campfire 
31. Prepare an entire meal from food from the farmers market 
32. Go to a fair 
33. Skip rocks 
34. Feed some ducks 
35. Backyard camping 

 

We live in mosquito country

Recently Darcy went through a very short lived, extreme nature lover phase.

One night she came out of her room to complain to me that a mosquito was buzzing in her ear while she tried to fall asleep.  When I went in to try and get rid of the problem, she begged me to try not to kill it.  I was told to just trap it and then go set it free.  Really?  Although that's standard protocol for ladybugs around here, we we're talking about mosquitoes.  I told her we'd have to see, but I was pretty sure that if I trapped it while slapping my hands together, I might accidentally smuck it.

The following day after school Damian was chasing a mosquito and Darcy kept hollering "run mosquito, run" whenever Damian was closing in...   This is how the story was told to me:

"Run mosquito, run!"

SLAP!

"Run mosquito, run!"

SLAP!

"Run mosquito, run!"

SLAP!

SLAP!  "Gotcha!"

"Oh man, I should've waited to take my bite because I couldn't warn him with my mouth full."


Lately she's been complaining about how itchy her mosquito bites are so we I think the season for mosquito hunting has already re-opened.

better than...hmmm....

Oh.

My.

Gosh.


Best part of my day:
Fudgey Caramel Brownies...


Absolutely heavenly.


Second best part: 
I didn't even have to make them!


A couple weeks ago we had Poppa and Lolo over for dinner.  My desserts were a total bust.  I had tried to make butter tarts, they didn't set.  As a back up I quickly whipped up a batch of mint chocolate brownies which I obviously didn't cook long enough either.  Both desserts were completely edible and really quite delicious but neither turned out the way they were supposed to.

Today was the first Sunday of the month and we headed to Poppa's for lunch.  I hope it was my previous brownie failure that inspired today's dessert and not the opportunity to show me up, because oh my, the brownie we had today was better than any brownie I've ever had!

I thought they were the Knock you Naked Brownies I had pinned from The Pioneer Woman, but the recipe Poppa used was actually these Fudgey Caramel Brownies from Recipe Girl.  I can't recommend these enough.  They're AMAZING!!!

Gloucester Fair

On Wednesday May 23rd the Gloucester Fair opened their doors to special needs children.  Damian and Caelan attended with his OCTC classmates. Most of Caelan's time was spent riding in these cars and the motorcycles right beside them.  Luckily the line ups were very short.  He also went on a ferris wheel and a spinning monkey ride.  They spent some time in the petting zoo but Caelan didn't pet anything.  The Gloucester Fair is held at the Rideau Carleton Raceway so of course there were lots of horses to be seen too!

new beginnings

Okay so admittedly I was a very bad blogger in May.

Only around a dozen posts in the entire month.  Embarassing.

I'm looking foward to June being a new beginning, but it's also the start of summer and it's looking pretty busy already.  Look at me, enough with the excuses! 

Big breath.  Positive thinking.

Here's hoping for more posts going forward!