Summer Bucket List

Summer is here and now starts of daunting task of keeping two little kids happy for the next two and a half months. Thus the Summer Bucket List has been compiling in my head. It isn't complete but it's getting there. Here's what I have so far:

1. Swimming Lessons for Wesley
2. Zoo Trip(s)
3. Geocaching
4. Trips to the pool
5. Colorado Vacation
6. Fishing
7. Hiking
8. Wildlife Park

I wanted to get started on the list so I started at number one. Called around and found out that the new YMCA, that's fairly close to us, is offering swimming lessons for preschoolers. Went in there today and discovered that it's nearly the same price for a family membership as it is to just get the kids in there for swim lessons. So now we have a lovely family membership to the YMCA for the summer and I couldn't be more thrilled. We took a tour of the facility and I am so excited to start going with and without the kids. The pool looks great for the kids and the workout facility looks like a blast for me. I'm trying to figure out a way to escape without the kids that doesn't involve getting up at 5:30 am.

In the meantime we thoroughly enjoyed the indoor pool today (the outdoor pool was closed because it wasn't 80 degrees). It was the first time the kids have ever been in a big, non kiddie pool. It took some coaxing to get Greta in but after awhile both were hamming it up in the water. Swimming lessons start June 11th for Wesley, Greta will go next summer as she's too young and they don't offer any for her age group at this YMCA. I expect to be at the pool several times a week. And if today was any indicator, we will all be pretty exhausted by the end of the summer.

Last weekend we attempted a little Geocaching. If you aren't familiar with geocaching I'll sum it up for you. Someone creates a "cache" or what I call a treasure box. They put "swag" in it, or treasure. Then they hide the treasure box somewhere. Anywhere. Then they get on the website (www.geocaching.com) and put in the coordinates to their treasure box. You then plug those coordinates into your GPS (or Hubby's smart phone in our instance) and walk around until you find the cache. Once you find it, you open it up and write down your name and date on the little sheet of paper inside. Then if you want, you can trade out a piece of swag for one that you brought.

So off we went this past Monday in hopes of introducing the kids to the wonderful world of geocaching. I picked three easy caches all within a few miles of each other (they are EVERYWHERE folks). Got to the first one and hunted all over that bridge for something, anything....but there was nothing. I climbed completely under the bridge and even found the perfect spot but it was gone. Strike one. So we headed to the next coordinates and once again found nothing. Talk about frustrating. The kids where getting bored and tired and I think even the Hubby was starting to think I was nuts. We headed out to the last coordinates which happened to be in a cemetery. Now mind you it was Memorial Day. Perhaps not the greatest idea to be tromping around a cemetery on Memorial Day but it was empty so we went ahead.  Found the tree with the cache but also found it to be inhabited by a very angry mommy bird who wasn't about to let me near it. So we completely striked out. But, as one of my favorite movie quotes says "Never give up, never surrender," we will head out again soon to find some hidden treasure and this time we will not give up until we find one.