Summer Bucket List Series: Summer days...

We are continuing on with our Summer Bucket list (friends, frugal, free and fun!) ... But I have to say we have had ALOT of RAIN the past few weeks. Kinda putting a damper on things over here. =) Here are some fun things we have been up to!

Oh man, the kids had so much fun at Baseball day! Sadly we got rained out, but they loved it! It was their first time... and we are definately going to do that again.

We have only made it to the pool twice! But here are their awesome new hoody towels I made them! I am very proud... First wearable sewing project. =) (only $10 each)

  

Here they are on the first day at the pool...=)

Kt, having some fun at Tennis Day... although it was short lived. This was one day we SHOULD have gone to the pool ( oh wait, we did!)... it was to hot, and the kids just weren't into it... 90 degrees at 10am.

                                              A little fourth of July fun at our friends house!

I took them to ride bikes, on a level road for an hour the other day. Where we live our street is really bumpy and on a slight hill. So we decided to take KT down to practice without her training wheels. I brought everything but the wrench. =( training wheels are still on...But they had fun riding and racing around!

A few weeks ago we entered the local Pet Show Extravaganza. It was alot of fun! What Pet's you say?

Why, our Hamster and Rabbit of course! =)

We actually have 2 rabbits, but one is shy. So we left her home. Here are the kids with Rootbear the Rabbit, and Super Hammy the Hamster. =)

Yes, that's right we entered Hammy for the category of Best pet trick. He competed against more than 20 dogs, and brought home 3RD place and a $25 Gift card to the BX ( He; in his amazing cape, went  through a little hoop)!!!  Have you ever seen a hamster wearing a cape?

                                     Rootbeer, didn't win, but the kids had the BEST day!

                                                                     Yeah Super Hammy!

I made some fun summer snacks, and we shared them with our friends over 2 days of playdates!

These were a hit, and I can't remember where I saw these, but it wasn't my idea. =)

We finally made it to the strawberry fields on it's last weekend open. With the weather the way it's been,  we are so thankful we had a chance to go. The kids of course loved it! We went with some of our friends.  Afterwards, we went straight home and made strawberry smoothies!

Oh! An here is one of the first Welcome to summer fun foods I served! Watermelon Waffles.
They turned out great!  A little food coloring and chocolate chips... yummy!

I hope you are having a wonderful summer, and enjoying all the fun summer things on your bucket list! Take time to enjoy your kids...

Next week is our Camping Adventure!

Field of Poppy's

                              My Children love "The Field with Poppies" by Van Gough.

And one of their Favorite Stories is Katie meets the impressionists

From Publishers Weekly

On Grandma's birthday, Katie goes with her to a museum and encounters some of the subjects in five paintings: two each by Monet and Renoir and one by Degas. She closes her eyes in front of one painting and opens them to find she's a guest in Monet's The Luncheon. There she gathers flowers for a birthday bouquet to give Grandma, but they don't fare too well on the crossing back into the museum. Next, her mission whisks her into three more works of art, including Renoir's Her First Evening Out, where the girl inadvertently wanders onstage during a performance by, as the artwork soon reveals, Degas's ballet dancers. Though Mayhew (Koshka's Tales) offers a breezy introduction to this school of painting, the book's duplication of works by two artists limits the scope of the lesson. Mayhew's softly focused watercolors approach the precious and his renditions of the characters frolicking through the fields present a jarring juxtaposition to the subjects represented in the original works (reproduced here on the museum walls). Ages 4-7.

Every summer there is a Field of poppies  in our area. Something we look forward to now each year....And Here are some pictures of our day .....

This one is my favorite. =) I bought the chair the weekend before at the yard sale for $10! Love it.

Thank you visiting! =)

Pets in a Jar Unit Study

A few months ago I found this book at the Used Bookstore. It was exactly what I was looking for since the kids have been collecting creatures outside.... The book is Awesome!! 

Pets in a Jar By Seymour Simon 

I had various sizes of Jars, and we went to the hardware store and bought window screen ($3) , some large rubber bands, and scissors and began making little "homes" for the creatures . =)

We placed them in a shaded area in the dining room.

Here we have a wooly caterpillar, grasshoppers, and  some ladybugs.

The book also tells you how to set the little guys free, how to breed them, and keep them for a while...

Here are Kt's Lady Bugs. Did you know they are meat eaters? =)

If you set them up in an area where your family walks by often,  you will find that the whole family will enjoy visiting your new house pets. Hours have been spent watching these little guys...

Here, our wooly caterpillar made his cacoon!! This was BIG news!

And just 2 days ago he hatched! It began to feel like it never would hatch... it took a few weeks.  We were all so excited!!!!!!!

what's really cool is we can see inside the cacoon, and his fur from being a caterpillar is still in there. Very neat.

The past 2 days though, Tiger moth hasn't moved... AT ALL. I did nudge him a few times, and he is alive... =)

We looked up on the internet what kind of moth it was. Aren't they pretty?

If you have a chance, invite some of God's tiny creatures into your home! It's a wonderful experience for ALL.

Some other fun BUG books:

I love Bugs

Pet Bugs

Have a great weekend!