Summers End

We have officially reached our last day of summer. There is no better time than now to look back over our bucket list we had at the beginning of summer. Just a few weeks ago I was looking over this list thinking how are we ever going to get through this. I never would have thought we would have gotten as far as we did.

We managed to get 45 things crossed off our list! There was a lot of things on our list that we didn't get to, but several surprise outings came up along our journey this summer so we were able to substitute some of those for the items on our list.

Below is all we got accomplished.

Our List

1. camping

2. visit Vinny and Sophia (their cousins)

3. Bradford beach

4. Random Lake beach

5. Fire works

6. Go to grandpa's cabin up north

7. Go fishing

8. Zoo
9. See a parade

10. Sprinkler parks (1, 2)

11. Regner Park

12. Bonfire with s'mores

13. Make Popsicle's

14. Pick strawberries

15. Go out for ice cream

16. Library adventures (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

17. Help mom pick veggies from garden

18. Go for a bike ride

19. Harrington beach

20. Picnic dinner

21. Feed fish at a pond

22. Picnic lunch

23. Water gun fight

24. Geo caching (1, 2)

25. Make smoothies

26. Lemonade stand

27. Go hiking

28. Day trip to Bay Beach

29.Breakfast picnic

 30. Have friend over for ice cream sundaes

31. Visit Pioneer Village

32. Water balloon fight

33. State Fair

34. Play at possibilities playground

35. Visit great grandma Krocka

36. Take a long boat ride

37. Catch bugs

39. Play at Port outdoor pool

40. Go to drive in theater

41. Visit Farmers market

42. Find a treasure at a rummage sale

43. Send a post card

44. Find a treat at a candy store

45. Discovery World

46. Lunch with Dad

47. Card board  box fort

48. Make and use side walk paint

49. Fly kites

50. Camera day (everyone gets their own disposable camera to take their own pictures with )

Here are the extra things we did this summer that weren't on our list:
1. 4- Wheeling with Grandpa
2.  Mulberry Farm
3. Timber Rattler Game
4. Saukville Night Out
5. Milwaukee Air Show
6. Jumping Country
7. Bookworm gardens

This summer I made sure to take plenty of pictures of each outing we had. I uploaded all the pictures to a photo book for the kids to have as a memory and a way to look back at all that we did.

My goal now is to have a bookshelf full of these books by the time the kids are well into their teens....or at least until they grow tired of these special Mommy summer adventures.

Beach

 

 

 

Tonight I'm wishing I'd taken the kids to Harrington Beach way sooner than  5 days before school starts back up. We stopped briefly on our way home from errands as a special treat. I brought our big bucket of sand toys and no swim suits, cause I figure they'd last a few minutes and want to leave.

 

 

 

 

Boy was I wrong. They had a blast. At first just playing in the sand, then slowly venturing in to the lake til they were waist deep in the water. A few times they glanced over at me as if asking, Is it really ok to go in with my clothes on? A quick nod gave them enough reassurance to head right in.

 

 

 

 

Its been years since I've been down to the beach and I forgot just how great it is. And to think its just about in my backyard!

 

 

We may just have to head back this fall for some walking on the trails to see what else they have to offer.


 

Happy Swinging

Peace, was what was in my backyard today. No fighting over who got to swing first, or when it was time to switch. Instead everyone got to swing at the same time...HEAVEN!

 

 

Steve was a busy man on Saturday. While I was at work he managed to get the extension on our play set all done.

 

 

 

And now we have plenty of room to swing, not only for our 4, but for a few others as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Testing me

Well Miss Lainey sure tested me today just to see how freaked out I'd get, and she won.

I took the kids to home depot this morning to pick up some wood for their swing set. All the kids were sitting on the bottom of a cart. Not a regular shopping cart, but one of the big ones used to get wood with the flat bottom. We were stopped in the middle of an isle, the next thing I know Lainey is laying on the ground crying.

I immediately kneeled down to scoop her up and the next thing I know she is out cold, limp in my arms! Panic set in. I laid her back down on the ground, then picked her back up, yelled at the kids lets go! Seconds later she had come to as we were racing down the isle her little eyes looking up at me as if saying, what the heck just happened. I asked her "Lainey are you ok?" and got the sweetest little response back "Ya"

When we had gotten to the store I let all the kids pick out a treat, they were going to get it if they were good in the store. As we were rushing back out they all had their hands gripped on their goodies, but unfortunately I didn't want to stop to pay for them so in a panic they were forced to drop their goodies as we were running out.

I called the Doctor to give her a heads up we were coming. Once there she looked Lainey all over.  Other than a little bruise that had already formed on her forehead, she was just fine. Phew! I was still really concerned with her episode of passing out and did she possibly get a concussion. The Doctor reassured me that since the fall was from such a low distance, only a few inches up, and her normal behavior immediately after the event she felt a concussion did not occur. She said often times when kids get hurt, are extremely upset, or just want attention they hold their breath causing them to pass out. In Lainey's case the initial shock of her falling and hitting her head must have been enough to freak her out to hold her breath. The bad news is that once kids learn how to do this behavior it tends to repeat itself.  I sure hope she doesn't do it again, cause once was enough!

I am so relieved that she is just fine, and all turned out ok. From now on I may just have to bring in my 5 point harness stroller to keep her tied down.

I felt so bad, that I couldn't say no when she wanted the pudding cup BEFORE dinner was served.

Timber Rattlers

Today we took the kids to their first Minor League baseball game. It was also a first for me too. I must say it was pretty neat. I'm used to going to Brewer games and walking up to a GIGANTIC stadium filled with rows and rows of seats. Seats so high up that you can barley see the players. This was not the case today. Instead we walked up to what felt like a mini stadium with only about 30 rows of seats. Our seats were awesome. We were midway up behind the home plate and we could actually see the players.

 

The down fall was that there was no shade making it a little warm, so all the kids got new hats to help block the sun.

The bottom of the 9th score was Rattlers 3,  Chiefs 4 and we were cheering our loudest in hopes they could pull off a win, and we couldn't help but notice the dark clouds rolling in.

 Hurry Rattlers hit that ball!

Unfortunately they couldn't pull it off, and with clouds now above our heads we quickly headed to our cars and got in just as the sky opened up on us.

It was a great day, spent with great people and we can't wait to do it again.

 

 I couldn't help but take a quick picture of the skies on our drive home.

A day in my life...

Need I say More?

Life is good!

Always a great day when you can relax with your feet up on a lawn chair while watching the kids play outside.

Life is Good!

Busy, Busy Day!

We started our day bright and early and headed out to Mulberry Farm to meet up with my sister and her 2 kids. I was secretly praying the hour and ten minute ride and $9 per person rate even for kids was going to be worth it.

Once we got there and started on our tour, I was quickly relieved to find it was WELL worth it.

The tour started with each kid taking a pony ride. Unfortunately Landon was too scared to give it a whirl so he sat out.

Next came a hay ride.

Followed by checking out the pigs,



,

The goats and the...

Chickens that everyone loved running after and trying to pick up!

 And how could I forget the big corn pile.

Mackenzie even got picked to do a little modeling for a catalog photo shoot that was going on.

We came home, rested for an hour then headed out to Saukville for the National Night Out and took a picture with our favorite Police Reserve, Grandpa Krocka.

Leave it to Michael to make the climb up to the top of the rock wall again this year.

State Fair

We finally made it to State fair yesterday. Lainey was so excited to see the cows up close as opposed to driving by in the car yelling COW!

Of course you can't go to state fair a not take a ride down the giant pig.

Or watch the famous pig races!

The kids loved playing in the corn pile. I admit, I LOVED the corn pile too, when it was time to leave it was much easier to get the corn off them as opposed to leaving a sand pile. 

Maybe I need to change my sandbox over to a corn box...Just a thought :)

Sleeping out back

While cleaning out the garage Yesterday Steve came across our old tent. He asked the boys if they want to have a camp out out back and of course they said YES!

So we set it up and pulled out our pillow mats we had made this winter so they would have something soft to sleep on. Next came the piles of pillows to rest their heads on and blankets to keep warm with. The night began with Steve, Michael, Landon and Mackenzie in the tent. After about 30 minutes Mackenzie joined me and Lainey back inside.

My 3 boys made it all night in the tent. Now we shall see when they start asking to do it again.

Fly!

We went to bed thinking we were going to give Geo Caching another go at this morning with a coworker of mine, but when that fell thru we opted to head down to the lakefront for the air show

We have never been there before, so we weren't sure what to expect.

 

At 10 am the streets were packed full, but we quickly found a spot on top of a hill and settled in to watch the action.

Within minutes the first set of planes were flying above us doing all kinds of tricks.

We then made our way down to the lake for a better look, but quickly learned there were too many people  and trees to see much of anything, so back up the big hill we went. We watched a few more planes race then retreated back to the car.

 

Don't like your bed?

Ah to be a kid and be able to sleep in any spot and not wake up with an achy  back. A few weeks ago we took the rail off the front of Lainey's crib since she was having too much fun climbing over it.

Some nights she stays in her bed and has no problems going to sleep. Other times, like last night she gets right back up after we put her down and starts playing with toys.

Believe it or not, but her room was clean when she went to bed, but tonight she felt the need to pull some extra sheets out of the dresser, throw some books on the floor as well as empty out a toy basket. I never know what I'm going to find the next morning until I open up the door.

Clearly so was so exhausted after making a mess that she passed out cold on the floor among it all.

But hey who could stay mad at a peaceful sleeping baby.

Candy!

We headed up north 2 weekends ago to my grandparents cabin for a little R&R. There is one place that is always on the top of our list to visit.

The good old candy store.

Everyone grabs their own basket and makes a run for the candy! Even Miss Lainey got to join in the fun this year, and oh how she loved that little basket.

There is so much candy to choose from, I think they could spend all day in there.



This year they had a limit to 3 items of candy each. It was fun to watch them pick one out, and then put it back as they knew they had to choose wisely.

In the end we made it out with NO complaints of their allotted amount of candy, and very happy kids for the car ride home.