It's been a long time I'm away from blogging. I do miss it a lot when I'm too busy to write down my daily life. Now my life has slowed down a little bit after we're used to our summer schedule. I decided to come back and resume my mommy diary. It's hard to believe more than two weeks of summer has gone. We still have lot on our summer to do list need to be checked off. In the mean while we have quite a few accomplished.
Movie (in the park/theater) Sprinkler water play in backyard (looking forwad to a super hot day) bubble (part of the water play day, but girls have been playing bubbles a few times in the yard) story time at library (to be done on 8/10 and 8/11 when library has story telling festival) fly a kite (need a new one, old ones are all broken) Make homemade play-doh (Yes, done, super success, even 11 year old neighbour loves it) Bake a cake/cookie (need to plan this soon) Build a fort/tent in the living room/back yard Go bowling farmer's market (was there for a birthday party, really cool, need to go again) candy landDay water balloon fight. Create a “mini-me museum day zoo day (done, on the first day kids out of school) Biking or hiking on a bike trail. Fishing contest (done, Sophia won the first place) build and grow (did once, will do more) do paper crafts (folding, flower) make a loom and yarn flower sew summer quilts for Olivia and Lucas (will start to design this week) B&N bookstore trip
Summer here in US is much longer that summer in China when I was a kid. Now we're almost half way done with summer, 4 out of 11 weeks. We've done lots of fun stuff but still have quite a few to do on the list.
Here is our summer to do list
1 Local zoo Done 2 Children museum (Dora show??) 3 Science center 4 Community park Festival Done 5 Fireworks on 4th Done 6 Fishing contest Done 7 Kids workshop at home improvement store Done, but we will do more 8 Beach at Erie went this weekend 9 Biking I need a bike 10 Library story time and reading club doing it everyweek now 11 Swimming in outdoor pool Done, but we will do more 12 Movies at park Will do this in two weeks 13 Local farmer's market Been there a couple times but thinking about doing some U pick there 14 Boating in lakes Done, will definitely do more because we paid a two-year registration fee 15 Idlewild park 16 road trip 17 explore different playground 18 BBQ in backyard Did once but want to do more
The zoo trip was a big success. We went there first week of summer and arrived at the gate when it was just open. There were very few people there that early. The weather was perfect to explore the zoo, lower 70s with not much sun. The baby elephants were every active playing in the water. We didn't have to fight the crowd to see penguins, that was girls' favorite party. We all ventured the stingray tunnel for the first time.
Community park Festival was a week before the 4th. It was not as big as last year, but it has all the things we like to play. The girls did the big jumping castles, climbing inflatables, trackless trains, cookie making, pony rides. Again the weather was perfect, lower 70s. But the grass was a bit muddy since it rained the day before. We watched the fireworks at our front porch afterward. As requested by Sophia we did our own fireworks on the 4th.
Fishing contest is a new thing we did this year. It was at the local sports club. With the help of dad and granddad, Sophia and Olivia both got a couple of blue crappies. It definitely makes Sophia proud when she got her first fish. We ate hot dog after the contest. It was great summer outdoor activity, we will do it again next year even we know we can't win.
We did a couple workshops at Lowe's this summer. Since Sophia started to read, she read instructions and does most of the building by herself now. Olivia needs quite a lot of help. But both of them enjoy going to Lowe's to build things and bring back fun toys. I still need to sew patches to their aprons.
We did picture book picnic at our local library last year, Sophia loved it. So we are doing it again this year. It's even better that they not only are doing stories and songs this year, they added a little show for kids to do themselves. Amazingly Lucas enjoys the stories, too. Olivia definitely eats better outside on a picnic blanket.
Olivia's another favorite thing is local farmer's market. She likes the fresh strawberries, she likes to look at flowers, she likes the little unique playground with wooden pirate ship and tractor, she likes the yummy fresh cookies. She always asks to look at the animals especially the big white rooster. She can never leave without looking at him.
Lucas must loves water. He is very active when we put him in the pool. We went to lake Erie over the weekend.
We did some boating at Lake Arther last weekend. Girls were a little neverous to be on a small boat in a huge lake. But they're getting used to it and started to have fun at the end. We'll watch the weather and go again if it's not too hot or too cold.
I still have lots of things on the list that we like to do in the rest of the summer. Sophia, for the first time asked me to take her to a movie. I think we'll start with movies in the park and see if she likes it. I will be sure to spray some OFF before we go. Museums and amusement parks are also on the list. I think I will pick a rainy day to go to museum, a not too hot weekday to go to amusement park. We will do zoo again if a nice day comes up before our membership expires at the end of July.
I haven't been actively posting because I was trying to catch up in the house, cleaning. Wzg thinks that to clean the house is always a loosing game because kids can make a huge mess in seconds, cleaning could easily cost me whole night. But I just can't give up, I need a nice and clean house for the holiday. Now I need to catch up here with my blog, there are so many exiting things happened in the last two months.
Halloween: Sophia was super girl, she looks very pretty in blue and red. I will definitely consider deep and rich blue when I shop her wardrobe next time. Olivia was fairy, she was the cutest fairy ever, she won the third place of cutest category in our community park costume contest. Lucas, his first Halloween, I put him in skeleton pjs, which is very practical for a baby, he was a chubby skeleton.
Thanksgiving: We went to New York city to see the Macy's parade. It was so much fun, especially when we have VIP window seats to watch parade inside. Sophia sat for the whole parade, loved the balloons, Olivia wasn't that patient and kept walking around and playing with boys. We also went to the American girl Place and the world biggest Toys R Us. Girls loved everything about the trip, even the subway and the crowd was a little overwhelming at the beginning of the trip, they were getting used to it at the end.
Christmas: We decided to stay home so that Santa could find our house (yes, Sophia and Olivia are both very into Santa now). When kids got to see Santa at my office Christmas party Sophia was very sure what wanted for Christmas, and her request was very reasonable. Olivia has been constantly changing, she asked for a boots doll at the beginning, then silly bands, then she asked for a party, I don't know how Santa could throw her a party but I will throw one for her. Since they have been good for the whole year, Santa brought exactly what they wanted. Sophia got a Fancy Nancy Christmas book and little calico critters. Olivia got a Boots doll and Zhuzhu pet playset. Lucas got a baby toy, well, he doesn't care. I love holidays, because kids are happy.
New Year: It's coming. I can't believe how time flies. Another year is coming, we will have a party to celebrate at our house (for Olivia).
Birthdays: Girls' birthdays are coming, still thinking if we're going to throw party for that.
