{ summer fun list - #13 }

Summer Fun List #13 - Win a prize at the Parkville Carnival

T & CJ were head over heels that they won prizes at this year's carnival. We

intentionally directed them to two of the "coolest games" - the fishing game &

dart game. Those two games were guaranteed to win prizes...which meant

that we were guaranteed not to hear any whining on the way home.

{ summer fun list - #12 }

Summer Fun List #12 - Go to an outdoor movie

My original intent for this activity was to attend a free outdoor family movie

that many of the local shopping districts offer but instead all we had to do

was just walk outside our front door. Our neighbors were able to score a

movie projector that is just perfect for outdoor movies. After trying out different

surfaces used as screens, we finally found that an plain white bed sheet works

the best and makes it even more fun & nostalgic. We have seen several movies so far and

plan to use it a lot when it gets cooler. It will be perfect on Halloween Night

for the Monday Night Chiefs-Chargers game!

[ summer fun list - #12 }

Summer Fun List #12 - Pick up some peaches in Waverly

I just love this summer tradition! We always had plenty of fresh peaches from Waverly

growing up as the orchards were on the way to/from my Aunt Mildred's house.

Now my boys love it too...CJ can gobble up a few big juicy ones in no time. :)

{ summer fun list - #11 }

Summer Fun List #11 - Play croquet with Gigi

We love us a good croquet game! J's family are all fierce competitors so there is

never a dull moment when we are playing. This summer T has really got

into the game playing by the actual rules instead of his own.

{ summer fun list - #10 }

Summer Fun List #10 - Decorate Bikes for 4th of July

The boys each decorated their own bikes for the Fourth of July parade. After getting

frustrated with the streamers that just kept on falling on when they would

ride, they both decided that flags held up with lots of scotch tape was the way to go.

{ summer fun list - #9 }

Summer Fun List #9 - Make Tie-Dyed T-shirts

I have always wanted to make Tied-Dyed T's with the boys so this activity was high on my list this year. It was the perfect activity to do before Fourth of July with the boys & made for easy fashions on the day of.

{ summer fun list - #8 }

Summer Fun List #8 - Create a signature summer cocktail

Most of the time my beverage choices are pretty plain & simple, so this summer I wanted to create a new summer cocktail. After seeing a recipe for a Black & Blue Mojito, made with blueberries & blackberries, I decided to change it up just a bit and use raspberries instead of the blackberries. It turned out to be exactly what I had envisioned...refreshing, fruity & delicious...and just perfect for the Fourth of July weekend.

3 raspberries

10 blueberries

couple springs of fresh mint from garden

1 oz simple syrup (I purchased mine from the liquor store for convenience but you can simply make your own)

1 oz lime juice (I used Rose's lime juice)

Using a muddle, smash berries & mint with juice & syrup.

2 oz white rum (I used Oronoco)

Add rum to berry mixture & stir. Add crushed ice to serve.

[ summer fun list - #7 }

Summer Fun List #7 - Eat lots of popsicles

When compiling our summer fun list, T was very adamant that he wanted to eat a lot of popsicles. We should have added "Eat a popsicle every day" to our list instead as the boys just can't get enough lately. They like to sneak one in all the time during the course of the day...especially CJ. It just wouldn't be summer without popsicles!

{ summer fun list - #7 }

Summer Fun List #7 - Attend a concert at Zona Rosa

Zona Rosa has free outdoor concerts every Thursday, Friday & Saturday night June-September which are always a good entertainment option for families. We all loved the tunes of this reggae-style band this evening and the boys were even asked to go up and jam with them. CJ was in complete awe!

[ summer fun list - #6 }

Summer Fun List #6 - Find a Toad

We find TONS of toads/frogs in our yard, so this task was an easy one. This particular night, the kids found a cute baby toad that all of the neighborhood kids insisted on toting around. Lucky for the toad, he was able to go back home in one piece and still alive!

{ summer fun list - #5 }

Summer Fun List #5 - Have a water gun fight

The boys absolutely love having water gun fights with the neighborhood kids. I just love hearing their constant laughter when they are running all over the place. This year, T just had to have a big Soaker Gun that would rival all of the bigger kids. CJ is not much in the water guns, but instead uses the hose as a sneak tactic when the kids are not expecting it.

{ summer fun list - #4 }

Summer Fun List #4 - Visit Ron & Janet's hot dog stand

Our most awesome neighbors, Ron & Janet, have a hot dog stand at Zona Rosa that we all love to visit in the summertime. They serve a mean hot dog!

( summer fun list - #3 )

We all went fishing at Smithville Lake over Memorial Day weekend. The only thing that J caught was a sunburn.

( summer fun list #2 }

The brownies on a stick were a huge hit here at the B household and so simple to make. Just whip up a box of brownies, let cool, cut brownies out, insert popsicle sticks and then drizzle with melted candy chips/almond bark and top it off with tons of sprinkles. The boys liked them so much that they wanted to share them with their neighborhood friends.

{ summer fun list #1 }

We are back with our Summer Fun List with lots of fun things planned for the coming summer months. I had lots of fun creating our list this year as the boys played a big part in coming up with the list and had some really cute & clever ideas. Instead of a standard checklist this year, I decided to be a lil' creative and make 3 "Summer Fun" jars jam-packed with ideas for simple & fun games/activities, tasty treats & fun places to go. More pictures to come...

T received approximately 100 tadpoles from his grandma & grandpa for preschool graduation so him & CJ are playing mommy & daddy to them by feeding them, changing the water and watching them grow. After a month, we finally had one of them turn into an itty-bitty frog that we released in our wooded backyard. One down....99 to go!

{ summer fun list - #39 }

{ summer fun list - #77 }

{ summer fun list - #59)

CJ's 1st Horse Ride

{ summer fun list - #81)

My original idea was to dress up as superheroes for the day, but my idea turned even better when we made a visit to our local library earlier this summer. We happened to stumble across a face painting class while returning our books and T was more than happy to be one of their models. He was so excited about being Spiderman & was not shy about acting the part - in the grocery store, the pharmacy, at home, etc. He insisted on keeping the makeup on the entire day - even during his baseball game later that night. :)

{ summer fun list - #43 }

Our town throws a fabulous small-town Fourth of July parade every year, and lucky for us, the parade starts at the entrance of our neighborhood so we don't have far to venture. As usual, we geared up in lots of red, white & blue, and watched the parade with lots of our friends & neighbors. This year, the parade was loaded with lots of free give-outs, i.e. beads, recycling bags, t-shirts, oscar meyer weiner whistles, bottled water, tons & tons of candy, and ultra-cool headbands.