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Reading, Writing, & Summer Bucket Lists!

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I sat down to write and my mind was pretty much blank, mostly from being tired in all the good ways that involve playing and sunshine and long runs and family and much more!

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But that also means at this very moment I don’t have a lot to say. I have a lot swirling around in my mind and I know it will come out at some point, but right now, I’m good with letting it process while I get attacked by light-sabers and toddler slobber!

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Don’t worry – I’m not sitting in front of a computer frustrated! I’ve been keeping plenty busy, especially with these two things:

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1. Summer Bucket Lists

The Hubby challenged each of us – minus Double J, obviously – to make up “summer bucket lists” with all the fun things we want to do this summer. The boys made lists of 50+ items each {including building a Lego city with all of their Lego sets as seen above}! The Hubby and I have 100+ on each of our lists. They involve travel and games and food and dates and all sorts of other things! A lot of fun ideas for the boys’ lists came from KidVentures and Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids. Mine also includes some projects I want to do around the house and a whole lot of this…

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2. Reading

I pretty much just want to sit on the deck and read all day long. I have SO many good books waiting to be read on my Kindle! This past weekend I finished 24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life {which is only $2.99 for Kindle!}. It’s about the importance of a Sabbath and I found it very refreshing and inspiring! I’m over halfway done with Start by Jon Acuff, the first book I’ve read by him. I now must read everything else he has ever written because he is freaking hilarious AND motivating. I have a bajillion other books I want to read this summer as well, so I’m sneaking in reading time whenever I can! I’ll keep you updated as I check them off my list!

One other thing has kept me a little distracted from writing this week and that would be the little old half-marathon I’m running this weekend. No big deal. But since we’re talking about it, would you please say a few prayers for me and all others running, for the weather to cooperate {storms in the forecast}, and for the fundraising I’m doing for Team Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child?!

Team Samaritan's Purse OCC

We only have a few days left and we still need over $300 to reach our goal! I would so appreciate if you can donate any amount and any help you provide in spreading word about our fundraiser!

There you go! A little update on life here at Home with the Boys!

What’s happening in your neck of the woods? What things are keeping you the busiest these days?

Swimming Pool Nostalgia

Lots of good memories are made in the summer.

Many of those memories from my childhood happened at our local kiddie swimming pool. This pool was great because it had a maximum depth of two feet {perfect for the young ones} and it was free!

The pool is still there and still free, so we had to go back there with the boys when we visited my hometown a few weeks ago! It was super hot that day and we didn’t stay long, but it was a great way way for all of us to cool off!

More great memories made at the pool! Love sharing a favorite childhood place with my own children!

What favorite childhood places have you shared with your children?

Boys of Summer

This is how my guys enjoy summer…

And I’m enjoying these moments as well!

How is your family enjoying this summer?

FYI: I’m loving the book Fifteen Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids for great creative outdoor activities to do with the kiddos! Check it out if you are stuck in a rut!

 

*This post contains affiliate links.

Summer School! {Giveaway!}

We were in need of routine and structure. That was obvious.

The Hubby started work. We needed a distraction to not miss him like crazy.

I decided it was time for “Summer School” to begin!

We’re not diving into our 2012-2013 curriculum completely yet, but taking more of a child-led approach for the month of July to get back into the swing of learning!

Here are some of the things we’re doing…

*Making lists!

The boys each have a little Avengers notebook. In the notebook, they keep a list of things they would like to learn, read about, draw, make, or do. Every day we try to cross a few things off each list!

Reading about and drawing different animals show up on the list a lot :) {I ended up drawing the boa constrictor and Big J added the details!}

*Fun workbooks!

Little J has a few fun workbooks that focus on numbers, letters, colors, and letter sounds. I found a workbook for Big J that involves drawing and creative writing. We have lots have activity books around the house with word finds and other age-appropriate activities, so we’re pulling them out!

*Educational games!

Math Bingo! Rush Hour Jr.! Alphabet Bingo! Bananagrams! There are so many games to choose from that also help sharpen their little minds! We’re making time to actually play them this month! That is one of my goals in general as well, not just this month!

*DVDs!

We especially love What’s in the Bible? DVDs for entertainment AND Bible education! I honestly would enjoy watching them even if the kids weren’t around. And with heat indexes over 100 for days and days, we need a few great videos here and there to keep us sane while we stay cool inside! We also watch documentaries on Netflix and lots of Wild Kratts!

And last, but not least…actually, my favorite of all…

*The Olympics!

There is really nothing quite like the Olympic Games, right?! I’ve always loved them, maybe even obsessed over them a bit. Now, I’m even more excited to share the wonder of these games with the kiddos! And Big J is already almost excited as The Hubby and I!

We’ve been counting down the days until Opening Ceremonies, watching Olympic trials on TV, and I’ve been preparing for four weeks of Olympic-themed lessons thanks to this…

Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett has the BEST way to make the Olympics into an awesome learning experience!

First of all, you’ll want to get the Olympics 2012 study! Starting July 16th {two weeks before the London games begin}, you can work through lower or upper level activities to learn about the history of the Olympics, the sports included, the countries competing, and more! Spelling, history. science, math – these studies have everything! During the Olympics, the lessons will also include medal counts and more!

To add to the fun, Unit Studies has a FREE Olympic lapbook download! AND you can join a Facebook co-op of other homeschool families doing the same unit study during the Olympics to share ideas! You can join the group now, but the co-op part won’t start until July 30th {weeks 3 & 4 of the study}!

I’ve never worked through a unit study before, but Unit Studies has made me a big fan with this Olympics 2012 study! I love the cross-curricular learning and cannot wait to get started July 16th!

Want to work through the Olympics 2012 study along with us?!

You can win one today!

Just leave a comment telling me how your family handles school in the summer! Do you take a complete break? School year-round? I would love to hear your ideas!

For optional extra entries, you can share this post {using the direct link} on Twitter, Facebook, and/or your blog!

For Twitter, just copy and paste this tweet: I want to turn the Olympics into a fun learning experience for my kids with @unitstudies & @homewiththeboys! http://bit.ly/Nbre0A

Just leave a separate comment for each way you share!

This giveaway will be open until Monday, July 9th at 9:00 p.m. CST! One winner will be chosen at random and notified by email!

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*This post contains affiliate links.

**I received this unit study to review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post and all opinions are 100% my own!

Sunbathing Baby

Somebody thought it was time he join his brothers for some backyard pool fun…

The chub! The cheeks! The smiles! This baby boy has stolen my heart!

Happy 4th of July!

A little patriotic music for this special day…

{I especially love the fourth verse!}

My country tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died!
Land of the Pilgrim’s pride!
From every mountain side,
Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love.
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture fills
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom’s song.
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our father’s God to, Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!

We’re celebrating the day with patriotic books, music, food, and family! How about you?

Happy Fourth of July, friends! God bless America!

Fourth of July Fruity Ice

I found some star ice cube trays in Target dollar aisle {LOVE that place!} this weekend and I knew I would find something fun to do with them for this 4th of July!

A little water in each star…

A berry in each star {I used raspberries & blueberries – perfect size!}…

And look at these cute party ice cubes!

Throw a few in a glass of Sprite or lemonade…

And you’re ready for a refreshing, festive Fourth of July drink!

Now, hurry over to Target to get your own star ice cube trays before tomorrow!

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What kinds of patriotic food or drink do you enjoy for Independence Day?

I’m linking up with Tasty Tuesday over at Beauty and Bedlam today! Join the fun!

The Great Water Balloon Alternative

Broken water balloon pieces, be gone!

I really do think the idea of water balloon fights is fun, but I DO NOT like picking up the pieces afterwards. I know, I’m such a party pooper.

But alas, I have found an alternative and the water fun can commence!

Sponge Balls!

I saw this idea on Pinterest, but none of the links I found had tutorials, so I made my own!

Here is what you need:

Colorful sponges, twine or string, & scissors

And here is what you do:

While the sponges are damp, cut them into strips the long way. Make sure they are damp when you do this – dry sponges are not fun to work with! You can cut the sponges in fourths or fifths or sixths – it’s up to you! I did some in fourths and some in sixths – they all turned out fine!

Pick up eight to ten sponge strips and hold them in the middle.

Use a piece of string or twine to tie the sponge strips together TIGHTLY. The tighter the better. And make sure you knot it well!

Trim the string or twine and you’re done!

Stick the sponges in a bowl of water…

And let the water games begin! We used these for Little J’s backyard birthday party this past weekend and the kids LOVED them! Sponge balls would be really fun to take in the pool as well!

Grab some inexpensive sponges and make your own sponge balls today!

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What are your favorite water activities with your kiddos?

Few and Far Between

I know, I know…I keep leaving you hanging over here.

We’ve been a little busy shooting hoops…

Spending time with family and old friends…

Seeing Yancy live in concert…

Roasting marshmallows…

Trying out new golf clubs…

Playing in the water to beat the heat…

Relaxing…

And doing everything else that makes summer awesome!

The Hubby starts his residency July 1st, so we’re making the most of our family time together while we can! We even took an AWESOME vacation together last weekend to the Great Wolf Lodge – watch for more on that here Monday!

Stay tuned for more regular posts here starting July 1 – I have lots to share! Recipes, activities, books…you’ll just have to stick around to find out! Thank you for continuing to be a part of the Home with the Boys community!

Happy weekend! Enjoy every minute of it!

We Love a Good Parade!

Last weekend, the boys and I headed back to the town where I taught elementary music for their community Fun Days and, specifically, for the parade!

The boys haven’t been to many parades, but they quickly remembered just how much fun they are!

AND they had their first funnel cake – which means I have succeeded as a mother.

The boys’ favorite parts – the tractors and fire trucks. And the candy. Of course.

My favorite parts – the marching band and seeing lots of former colleagues and students! And the funnel cake. Of course.

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Have you been to a parade lately? What are your favorite parts?