Okay, okay. So technically school starts this week which means "summer" is over... but we actually still have a few things planned that we will get in before Labor Day. So, although summer as far as being out of school is over, we are carrying on the summer bucket list until Labor Day. And yes, I am aware that the true end of summer is after that, but I'm just calling that the end of summer as that is also the start of college football... and anyone that know us, knows that once college football starts, we don't do as much on weekends. We have games to watch. We have teams to cheer on to hopeful victories and teams we secretly hope lose just because... cough... USF... cough. Anyway, all that being said... this week and weekend we checked off a few more things on the bucket list.
As far as a few non-bucket list items that we got done this week, it was a busy week. Steven left first thing Monday morning for Melbourne. We knew he would be gone through at least Thursday. Monday night Kenzie started back to dance. She is in a new combo class that focuses on ballet and jazz. She LOVES it. She has a new teacher who is super high energy and bubbly. Kenzie definitely likes her. I remember her from a couple of years ago. She took a year off teaching dance but is back and I think we are lucky to have her as a teacher. I will likely have a dance related post coming up in the next month or so as she settles into her new class. We found out later in the week when we went to Kenzie's Meet The Teacher that a little girl from last year's class will be there too but she didn't make this week. So it will be nice for Kenzie to see a friendly face. Not like she usually doesn't make friends fast though. I never worry about her. The one difficult thing about this class is that it is later. We are actually great with that because it means Steven will make it more often than not but it is also the last time slot of the evening so the class can run long as there is nothing in the studio they are in behind it. So, what was a 45 minute class this year was an hour. I don't know if it will stay that way but it could make Mondays difficult. Not looking forward to this week when Kenzie has her very first day of school and comes home exhausted just to get showered, eat, and turn around to go to an hour of dance. We shall see how she handles it. It also makes keeping Will busy for that long hard. We will work on it. He is generally good natured so we will see how it turns out. I can only feed him for so long though. Haha!
Wednesday we finally had Kenzie's bed delivered. And it looks so great in her room. Nana and Papa came on Saturday to help us hang curtains and then I managed to convince Nana to help me hang everything else in her room so other than a lamp, her room is entirely done. You can read about it HERE if you are interested.
Thursday was Meet the Teacher at Kenzie's school. We have already met the teacher like I have said before, but this let us see her classroom and walk through part of the school with her. We were also able to join the PTA, pick up forms and our car rider sign, and get her a school shirt which she is so excited to wear. Her classroom looks like a lot of fun and she met a few of the kids in her class. The really good news about the entire thing was that Steven finished early in Melbourne and was able to meet us at the school right as we were getting ready to head in. He is going to be taking off work Monday morning to take her to school for her very first day with me and then go to Will's Meet the Teacher (and then again he is going in late on Tuesday so he can take Will with me). Kenzie is super excited about this year. I think she is going to love every minute of it. We also found out about some clubs and when we get the information, we are going to let her apply (with our help) for the STEM club. We think that is right up her alley. They only choose a certain number of kids though from each grade and it is a huge school for an elementary school so she may not be chosen but we will try. If not, there is always next year. If she is even still into that type of thing. Oh! And in awesome news, someone asked on our neighborhood FB page if anyone in the neighborhood had a student in the same kindergarten class. I said yes and we are trying to set up a playdate for the girls to meet so that they can have someone they know in their class. The family lives just down the road from us so it would be so nice if they hit it off and make friends that live in the same neighborhood in their class.
Steven ended up able to take off work on Friday (thanks to Melbourne where he put in his allotted time in 3.5 days) so we decided to usher out the end of summer (as far as no school goes) in the only way we know how. With a beach trip. This was no ordinary beach trip though. We knew we wanted to visit a Gulf Coast beach sometime this summer as it was on our bucket list so we decided that the best way to do this was to go to the #1 beach in America (as ordained by Dr. Beach), Siesta Key. We have never been down there before and although it meant spending more than 5 hours in the car, it was worth it. We set out super early in the morning so that we could be there around 9. We hit a bit of traffic along the way which slowed us of course but we sort of expected it on Friday morning on I-4. The worst part was that just as we got onto 75, Will decided he had to potty but we have reached the point that even though he has a pull up on, he refuses to use it. So, we had to try to find a rest stop. We did but the kid had to wait so long that he ended up using his pull up. He apologized and we could tell he didn't like it. This is a good (and sort of annoying) stage. It is good because he totally has this potty training thing on lock down as he refuses to use his pull up, except at nap and night, but it also means that we have to stop when he says something or he sits there in pain trying to hold it. We made it to the beach right after 9am and immediately sunblocked the kids and walked over to the big concession area where there was a super cute sign I saw on the way in that we wanted to take a picture in front of.
We then loaded everything up in our trusty wagon and set off to find a spot on the beach. We didn't go far past the lifeguard station just so that we didn't have to lug the wagon across the sand too far. There was a mat down to the area of the beach that was prime for setting up a tent so that made it easy. Also, they drag the beach in Siesta Key which makes it so much easier to pull a wagon but the super soft sugar sand doesn't help so we only went a little ways to an open area. It wasn't super crowded when we got there. We had a great parking spot and a good spot on the beach. The kids immediately wanted to set off for the water. We ended up carrying both of them in. Will continually referred to the area where we "jumped waves" as the "deep end" and anytime we would go back to the beach, he would ask for someone to take him into the deep end to jump waves. It was so cute! I think he would have stayed out there forever. We noticed a sandbar at some point and then had the bright idea to try to get to it. Unfortunately for us, it was a bit deep getting there. I ended up having to swim out while holding Will and fighting waves. This beach wasn't as calm as some of the other gulf beaches we have done but the waves were actually perfect. The kids love jumping them and it gives us an awesome workout. Hold a kid and continually jump waves. Let's just say that on Saturday my legs hurt a bit and I didn't feel like I needed to run. Haha! We made it to the sandbar where I had to stop to take a breather. Then I decided to take Will and turn around and go back. By the time I made it, I decided to take Will to the shore and let him play so I could rest. It really took it out of me to swim with him in my arms with the waves and everything.
The kids and I went back to the shore and dug up coquina clams for a while so we could watch them burrow under the sand. I had to look up what they were called but I remember them from gulf beaches when I was little. I don't think we see them often in places like Cocoa. If they are there, we just don't see them. The kids think they are awesome. Kenzie's favorite is to hold them in her hands and see if they will try to burrow through her fingers. She laughs hysterically because it tickles. Even Steven thinks they are awesome. So, after he swam for a bit on his own, he came back to dig them up with us.
Eventually we decided to head back to the tent to eat lunch. We picnicked on the beach, as usual. And as usual, we had to argue with Will as he just wanted to get back in the water. He didn't eat much. Kenzie, on the other hand, had decided that she didn't want to eat her breakfast in the car earlier so she ate everything we packed.
After we ate, we lathered the kids faces and necks back up with sunblock for another round of fun in the water. Unfortunately, I neglected to lather Kenzie's legs so by the time we got home on Friday she had a bit of red on her thighs. By Saturday it was tanned. She has developed quite the tan this year. We went back out in the "deep end" for a while before I brought the kids in to dig up more coquina clams.
Eventually Kenzie decided to use her boogie board. She had a blast. Will didn't want to try it but he did lay on his tummy in the water and let it push him forward. He also laughed any time a wave knocked him over. Until he got knocked over by 3 in a row. He couldn't catch his breath and it scared him. So, he cried. Steven was the one that was watching him then so it was all Daddy's fault. He tried to hide behind me. Will wanted me to take him back to the deep end but I was helping Kenzie with her boogie board so eventually (despite protests) Daddy grabbed him and carried him in. Once the first wave hit him, Steven said he announced it was fun and then wanted to jump them all. Kenzie just rode wave after wave back to shore on her boogie board. The only problem was that her rash guard kept riding up in the back so in addition to her red thighs, she had a strip of red on her back from the sun. It took a bit longer to fade but was fine. I didn't block that at all because I didn't think it would be an issue. It didn't hurt her but I hate that it happened.
We continued to play for a while longer before deciding that we needed to head out for our 2.5 hour drive home. We used the facilities to change and packed up. Our drive home was much easier than to. Not a bit of traffic. Will was asleep about 15 minutes down the road and Kenzie followed just behind. Kenzie woke up after about an hour and a half. Will slept the entire way home. When we got home we watched part of Sing on Netflix. Super cute movie. Will went to bed super easily. Kenzie took a bit longer but it wasn't too bad.
Saturday morning Steven went to the Men's Breakfast at church while the kids and I ran an errand and then played outside. After lunch, Nana and Papa came to help us finish setting up Kenzie's new room. We had dinner at Froggers and then after they left, we finished Sing before bed. It wasn't much of an exciting day but we liked having a "quiet" day at home.
Sunday was another "quiet" day. We went to church in the morning and spent the afternoon working in the yard. Steven mowed and I did the weed eating. We also trimmed the bushes which was long overdue. It's a joint effort. And it's exhausting. But it gives us a chance to get up and move while making the yard look good. Plus the kids get to play outside. Though they eventually went in to play before coming back out. Then we spent some time getting Kenzie ready for her first day of kindergarten. Eek! We had to pack her lunch, get her backpack ready, get her clothes picked out as we have a new routine in the mornings this year that makes her get dressed before she comes out of her room in the morning, and then get the kids in bed early since Monday is set to be a big day.
So, another weekend down. We only have a couple weeks to go until Labor Day but we have some plans to get some more things done before then. This summer is quickly coming to a close. Pray for us this week. It's going to be a big week in our household. I think I'm more nervous than either kid. =)
As far as a few non-bucket list items that we got done this week, it was a busy week. Steven left first thing Monday morning for Melbourne. We knew he would be gone through at least Thursday. Monday night Kenzie started back to dance. She is in a new combo class that focuses on ballet and jazz. She LOVES it. She has a new teacher who is super high energy and bubbly. Kenzie definitely likes her. I remember her from a couple of years ago. She took a year off teaching dance but is back and I think we are lucky to have her as a teacher. I will likely have a dance related post coming up in the next month or so as she settles into her new class. We found out later in the week when we went to Kenzie's Meet The Teacher that a little girl from last year's class will be there too but she didn't make this week. So it will be nice for Kenzie to see a friendly face. Not like she usually doesn't make friends fast though. I never worry about her. The one difficult thing about this class is that it is later. We are actually great with that because it means Steven will make it more often than not but it is also the last time slot of the evening so the class can run long as there is nothing in the studio they are in behind it. So, what was a 45 minute class this year was an hour. I don't know if it will stay that way but it could make Mondays difficult. Not looking forward to this week when Kenzie has her very first day of school and comes home exhausted just to get showered, eat, and turn around to go to an hour of dance. We shall see how she handles it. It also makes keeping Will busy for that long hard. We will work on it. He is generally good natured so we will see how it turns out. I can only feed him for so long though. Haha!
Wednesday we finally had Kenzie's bed delivered. And it looks so great in her room. Nana and Papa came on Saturday to help us hang curtains and then I managed to convince Nana to help me hang everything else in her room so other than a lamp, her room is entirely done. You can read about it HERE if you are interested.
Thursday was Meet the Teacher at Kenzie's school. We have already met the teacher like I have said before, but this let us see her classroom and walk through part of the school with her. We were also able to join the PTA, pick up forms and our car rider sign, and get her a school shirt which she is so excited to wear. Her classroom looks like a lot of fun and she met a few of the kids in her class. The really good news about the entire thing was that Steven finished early in Melbourne and was able to meet us at the school right as we were getting ready to head in. He is going to be taking off work Monday morning to take her to school for her very first day with me and then go to Will's Meet the Teacher (and then again he is going in late on Tuesday so he can take Will with me). Kenzie is super excited about this year. I think she is going to love every minute of it. We also found out about some clubs and when we get the information, we are going to let her apply (with our help) for the STEM club. We think that is right up her alley. They only choose a certain number of kids though from each grade and it is a huge school for an elementary school so she may not be chosen but we will try. If not, there is always next year. If she is even still into that type of thing. Oh! And in awesome news, someone asked on our neighborhood FB page if anyone in the neighborhood had a student in the same kindergarten class. I said yes and we are trying to set up a playdate for the girls to meet so that they can have someone they know in their class. The family lives just down the road from us so it would be so nice if they hit it off and make friends that live in the same neighborhood in their class.
Steven ended up able to take off work on Friday (thanks to Melbourne where he put in his allotted time in 3.5 days) so we decided to usher out the end of summer (as far as no school goes) in the only way we know how. With a beach trip. This was no ordinary beach trip though. We knew we wanted to visit a Gulf Coast beach sometime this summer as it was on our bucket list so we decided that the best way to do this was to go to the #1 beach in America (as ordained by Dr. Beach), Siesta Key. We have never been down there before and although it meant spending more than 5 hours in the car, it was worth it. We set out super early in the morning so that we could be there around 9. We hit a bit of traffic along the way which slowed us of course but we sort of expected it on Friday morning on I-4. The worst part was that just as we got onto 75, Will decided he had to potty but we have reached the point that even though he has a pull up on, he refuses to use it. So, we had to try to find a rest stop. We did but the kid had to wait so long that he ended up using his pull up. He apologized and we could tell he didn't like it. This is a good (and sort of annoying) stage. It is good because he totally has this potty training thing on lock down as he refuses to use his pull up, except at nap and night, but it also means that we have to stop when he says something or he sits there in pain trying to hold it. We made it to the beach right after 9am and immediately sunblocked the kids and walked over to the big concession area where there was a super cute sign I saw on the way in that we wanted to take a picture in front of.
We then loaded everything up in our trusty wagon and set off to find a spot on the beach. We didn't go far past the lifeguard station just so that we didn't have to lug the wagon across the sand too far. There was a mat down to the area of the beach that was prime for setting up a tent so that made it easy. Also, they drag the beach in Siesta Key which makes it so much easier to pull a wagon but the super soft sugar sand doesn't help so we only went a little ways to an open area. It wasn't super crowded when we got there. We had a great parking spot and a good spot on the beach. The kids immediately wanted to set off for the water. We ended up carrying both of them in. Will continually referred to the area where we "jumped waves" as the "deep end" and anytime we would go back to the beach, he would ask for someone to take him into the deep end to jump waves. It was so cute! I think he would have stayed out there forever. We noticed a sandbar at some point and then had the bright idea to try to get to it. Unfortunately for us, it was a bit deep getting there. I ended up having to swim out while holding Will and fighting waves. This beach wasn't as calm as some of the other gulf beaches we have done but the waves were actually perfect. The kids love jumping them and it gives us an awesome workout. Hold a kid and continually jump waves. Let's just say that on Saturday my legs hurt a bit and I didn't feel like I needed to run. Haha! We made it to the sandbar where I had to stop to take a breather. Then I decided to take Will and turn around and go back. By the time I made it, I decided to take Will to the shore and let him play so I could rest. It really took it out of me to swim with him in my arms with the waves and everything.
The kids and I went back to the shore and dug up coquina clams for a while so we could watch them burrow under the sand. I had to look up what they were called but I remember them from gulf beaches when I was little. I don't think we see them often in places like Cocoa. If they are there, we just don't see them. The kids think they are awesome. Kenzie's favorite is to hold them in her hands and see if they will try to burrow through her fingers. She laughs hysterically because it tickles. Even Steven thinks they are awesome. So, after he swam for a bit on his own, he came back to dig them up with us.
Eventually we decided to head back to the tent to eat lunch. We picnicked on the beach, as usual. And as usual, we had to argue with Will as he just wanted to get back in the water. He didn't eat much. Kenzie, on the other hand, had decided that she didn't want to eat her breakfast in the car earlier so she ate everything we packed.
After we ate, we lathered the kids faces and necks back up with sunblock for another round of fun in the water. Unfortunately, I neglected to lather Kenzie's legs so by the time we got home on Friday she had a bit of red on her thighs. By Saturday it was tanned. She has developed quite the tan this year. We went back out in the "deep end" for a while before I brought the kids in to dig up more coquina clams.
Eventually Kenzie decided to use her boogie board. She had a blast. Will didn't want to try it but he did lay on his tummy in the water and let it push him forward. He also laughed any time a wave knocked him over. Until he got knocked over by 3 in a row. He couldn't catch his breath and it scared him. So, he cried. Steven was the one that was watching him then so it was all Daddy's fault. He tried to hide behind me. Will wanted me to take him back to the deep end but I was helping Kenzie with her boogie board so eventually (despite protests) Daddy grabbed him and carried him in. Once the first wave hit him, Steven said he announced it was fun and then wanted to jump them all. Kenzie just rode wave after wave back to shore on her boogie board. The only problem was that her rash guard kept riding up in the back so in addition to her red thighs, she had a strip of red on her back from the sun. It took a bit longer to fade but was fine. I didn't block that at all because I didn't think it would be an issue. It didn't hurt her but I hate that it happened.
We continued to play for a while longer before deciding that we needed to head out for our 2.5 hour drive home. We used the facilities to change and packed up. Our drive home was much easier than to. Not a bit of traffic. Will was asleep about 15 minutes down the road and Kenzie followed just behind. Kenzie woke up after about an hour and a half. Will slept the entire way home. When we got home we watched part of Sing on Netflix. Super cute movie. Will went to bed super easily. Kenzie took a bit longer but it wasn't too bad.
Saturday morning Steven went to the Men's Breakfast at church while the kids and I ran an errand and then played outside. After lunch, Nana and Papa came to help us finish setting up Kenzie's new room. We had dinner at Froggers and then after they left, we finished Sing before bed. It wasn't much of an exciting day but we liked having a "quiet" day at home.
Sunday was another "quiet" day. We went to church in the morning and spent the afternoon working in the yard. Steven mowed and I did the weed eating. We also trimmed the bushes which was long overdue. It's a joint effort. And it's exhausting. But it gives us a chance to get up and move while making the yard look good. Plus the kids get to play outside. Though they eventually went in to play before coming back out. Then we spent some time getting Kenzie ready for her first day of kindergarten. Eek! We had to pack her lunch, get her backpack ready, get her clothes picked out as we have a new routine in the mornings this year that makes her get dressed before she comes out of her room in the morning, and then get the kids in bed early since Monday is set to be a big day.
So, another weekend down. We only have a couple weeks to go until Labor Day but we have some plans to get some more things done before then. This summer is quickly coming to a close. Pray for us this week. It's going to be a big week in our household. I think I'm more nervous than either kid. =)
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