Summer Bucket list: Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo, First Day of Summer Bucket List 2015 > > My younger son graduated kindergarten, we actually call it the end of year celebration ceremony (we believe you don't "graduate" until high school and then college. We want to hold school standards in a high regard, and if the kids keep having these "graduation ceremonies" then they will start to lose their value. (Their 8th grade graduations will be recognized with a small family dinner at a restaurant of their choice.) 

Younger sons first day of summer starts this Monday, or my older son still has one additional week of school. I asked my younger son what he wants to do on his first day of summer, he said let's go to culvers for ice cream. I said are you sure there isn't more you want to do, we have a whole day of fun we can have, so he said let's go to the zoo. 




And so we did, on Monday we hit the zoo first thing in the morning with our popcorn made it home. We saw the animals that he wanted to see and that he picked. Baby girl did not mind at all her brother making all the decisions that day. Then we drove straight to culvers and thankfully since it's about 30 minutes from the zoo both the kids took a nap in the car on the way there. 

> > It was an all fun day! > > 

Tuesday we were bums, and got started on Father's Day gifts (which is coming up this Sunday) and I finished my sanding and painting of frames. Its gonna be a rainy week to boot. 

I had looked up some ideas on Pinterest and questions to ask the kid regarding their dad. And I knew I would make the handmade card for him. That night of making Father's Day cards, baby girl told her dad she's going to make him a card with the sun on it. Well that was not on our list, so of course we added that to the list and made her card the next day.

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud


Lincoln Park Zoo, First Day of Summer Bucket List 2015

Encouraging Learning About Nature with Sidewalk Chalk: Easy Toddler Activities

Encouraging Learning About Nature with Sidewalk Chalk: Easy Toddler Activities, a photo by areyousureaboutthatblog on Flickr.

Baby girl often asks " play with me" or "stay with me." And I'm happy to oblige. I see my 8 year old older son and I know these days are fleeting.

We love our go to staple activity of sidewalk chalk. It's easy to store, long lasting, and hours (with endless ideas for play) kind of fun.

Today baby girl asked me to draw something for her. We had just received some "new To me" hand me down books from my brother. A wonderful book was included on amphibians and reptiles. I found my favorite, red eyed tree frog, and began to draw. I asked baby girl "where's the frogs nose," "where's his tail," and "his eyes, mouth?"

Some body parts were evident, some weren't pictured. We talked about his colors, spots, features, etc. She asked to "help you" color in his body... She has the yellow parts covered!

I've learned over my time with the kids that they learn through reading and being read too, but so much of their learning is thru observation, and being immersed in conversation of "something" - in this case, a red eyed tree frog.

The proof is in the pudding - so the saying goes - a few days later baby girl was thumbing thru this same book I left laying in the kitchen table, and she told ME: "mama, this is a red eyed tree frog, here's his eye, here's his toe, he has no tail, it's gone!" She's 2 am a half 1/2 years old... And amazing!!

See more of our learning and fun at areyousureaboutthatblog.blogspot.com

Make mistakes. Breathe, reflect. And Laugh.Out.Loud