Summer Bucket List Re-Cap

The fires are far far away now, but I'm thinking of those who are still in harms way - especially those fire fighters. I feel so grateful to them. Lots of people have made great "thank you" signs and posted them around town, others have used their car windows. My favorite is in sidewalk chalk up a street the fire fighters were using frequently when the fires were closer to home.

I think my FFS is all but gone. (Fire Fatigue Syndrome - I made that up last week.) I'm no longer waking up to the smell of smoke. The sky was blue today. I haven't heard a helicopter fly over my house in two days. It's nice.

The only thing nicer is that school is officially in full swing. When it was postponed last Monday I let the kids invite some friends over. That was not such a fun day. I was suffering from FFS at the time. Everything was stinky, the kids couldn't play outside due to the air qulaity, I was exhausted from the whole evacuation ordeal and now I had all this stuff to unpack and instead of the kids being in school they were home. Blech. Surprisingly, they weren't that happy about it either. Kate in particular wouldn't let me mention anything to do with school all summer long, but that day she actually said she was tired of summer. Tired of summer! That's when you know it's time to go back to school!

So when school was canceled again on Tuesday I took the kids to the California Science Center near downtown LA per William's summer long request. I really wanted to escape the smoke smell if possible and luckily it was better down there. I was super tired and felt a little nauseous but we had a good time on that last day of summer. The hurricane simulator was cool, the little ice cream carts outside are always a highlight and Will was in heaven in his heelies on those floors. The "baby" even cooperated with only ONE royal fit when I didn't let her cut everyone in line waiting to try out the drunk driving simulator. (She's got a thing for steering wheels.)

My nausea only got worse as we were driving home. I ended up in the bathroom that night having some alone time with the porcelain barf receptor. With everything else that had happened in the previous five days it was not a happy time.

But that's all behind me now! Happy days are here again (sing it!) and now that summer has officially come to an end, I can't resist looking back and doing a little review of My Summer Bucket List.

We did NOT have a library/park day/ice cream day each week tho' we did frequent all three more than once. (Thank goodness for BR 31 Flavors $1 scoop night on Tuesdays!)

We did NOT visit an art museum, but we did visit a Natural History, Science and Children's Museum.

We did NOT plant a garden, but we did plant some tomatoes, flowers and cactus. We tore up a spot for cantaloupe, but never planted the seedlings which are now dead and just yesterday I finally transferred the cucumber from it's little pot to a big one. (It's California so I think despite the late date we'll still get some cukes!)

We did slip-n-slide, bubbles and wading pool. We also did water balloons.

We never grilled. Not once. To be fair, I don't know why I put it on the list. It sounded like a summery thing to do I guess, but we really only enjoy grilling when the weather is cool. I know the idea is to grill outside so the oven doesn't heat up your house, but we have AC for crying out loud so why would we want to cook over the heat in the heat outside, you know?

We did some great de-junking, the most effective de-junk-athon was held just yesterday actually. The evacuation was something of an impetus. I don't want to have to sort through and pack up so much stuff in a hurry like that ever again!

We did a lemonade and book stand.

I only gave one laundry lesson to my oldest daughter, but that's a start!

Already covered the Natural History Museum . . .

Kids did lots of biking.

Had a game and movie day in our jammies.

De-junked the craft cupboard 90%.

Decided the zoo is too hot in the summer. Bummed that we missed the Aquarium too.

Due to the siting of a very large mountain lion in our neighborhood we passed on outdoor night games.

Visited a pick your own fruit farm and did all the fun "living history" activities there too.

We went to the beach and pool lots and lots. (To the point that no one wanted to go anymore - that's another sign that it's time for school to start!)

The end of summer block party came in the form of a neighborhood evacuation. (I've never talked to so many of my neighbors at the same time!)

My kids made a lot of their own food. We're still working on learning to clean up after ourselves.

Did tie dye. (Kids wear them to bed almost every night.)

Went to the Farmer's Market. Not as much as I would have liked, but I did get Babaganoush this summer so I'm happy.

No observatory, but we just went last spring so it's not a big loss.

I keep hemming and hawing over the trampoline but while on our last family reunion/vacation there was a two year old girl who broke her leg on one so that kind of put a damper on things.

We only attended ONE outdoor concert which makes me sad. Last year we had a much stronger record. I LOVE live outdoor music.

So we pretty much didn't do anything else on our list, but let me tell you what we DID do that WASN'T on the list(besides the excitment of the fire):

We went to the BEST family camp in Utah for our annual Reynolds reunion the second week in August. Hopefully I will post pictures soon. While there:

Will did what he has been talking about doing all summer long - he went fishing. He did catch a fish and we all shared it for breakfast the next morning.

Kate did a very difficult rock climb and ropes course only for people 11 and up. She also took a hike to a waterfall and stood underneath it in her clothes. So fun!

Brandon and I did the same hike and ropes course as Kate which is why I know it was hard. I also did some other rock climbing walls with Will and Elizabeth who were NATURALS. Both of them were like little geckos.

Of the bajillion families up there that week I am proud to say our family placed 3rd place in the family follies which you can't really appreciate unless you've been there.

Lots to say about the week in Utah.

Can't forget the two weeks in Iowa at the beginning of summer and the two weeks of Johnson's camp which is always a highlight for the kids. (Their house did NOT burn down by the way . . .)

All in all, considering I don't have a nanny or even a regular babysitter it was a GREAT summer! I endured to the end and enjoyed (almost) every minute with my fun, cute, energetic, creative kids.