One-Month-Left Bucket List Update
My annual summer bucket list isn't a list of things I want to do before I die; rather, it's a list of things I want to do before summer kicks the bucket.
Four weeks left...here's how I'm doing!
Plan/Sign Up for 2016-2017 school.
Joshua: I've got to sign him up for college classes and also get curriculum for some subjects he'll still be doing at home.
Lisey: Working on the process of getting her signed up for the tutorial, so that's a little progress.
Sonia and Zoe: Nothing done here yet.
Declutter my house.
I did my linen closet and coat closet already, plus the kids' bathroom, so here's what's left:
my roomthe living room(was very easy because I don't have a lot of storage in the living room)- the kitchen
- Sonia and Zoe's room
- the office (started on this)
- the laundry room
- my bathroom
- the under-stairs closet
Make photo books.
Nothing done here.
Make new chore lists.
Done. It was a little tricky, trying to take into account Joshua's college classes and also his and Lisey's work schedules, but I think I got something workable going.
Teach my kids to do their own laundry.
Done! Definitely still some learning going on. One of my girls accidentally dried a line-dry-only dress this week and now I think it's going to have to go in the hand me down pile because the shrinkage was impressive.
It's ok, though. I knew there would be some casualties, and that's how learning happens.
It's kind of like how you know some dishes will get broken when you give your kids kitchen chores. But the option of not teaching my kids these skills is definitely not preferable.
Better to have some broken dishes and shrunken clothes than to send four kids out into the world with no practical skills!
Power-wash and restain the deck.
Powerwashing is done, thanks to my dad! Staining, not yet. I need more days without rain to embark on that project.
I inadvertently added a project to my list when my dad was over. He was pressure washing my shutters in the driveway, and when I saw how clean the driveway got from the overspray, I thought, ooh, it would be nice if the whole driveway was clean!
And my dad was nice enough to stay long enough to get that done (we tag-teamed on the driveway, which was good because his pressure washer is crazy strong and I think if I was on my own, I'd have peetered out before the whole driveway was finished! Even just the kickback when you turn it on is pretty whoa.)
Paint my front door. And the trim above it.
I painted the trim above the door, but I think I've decided to paint the actual door in the fall, when it won't be such a buggy, hot situation.
(If I took the door off the hinges now, the mosquitoes would eat us alive. And that's assuming we'd survive the waves of heat and humidity entering the house.)
So, I'm crossing this off for now.
Paint my mailbox and post, and buy new numbers for it.
Done! The post is pressure-washed and painted. And I actually bought and installed a new mailbox, because the handle on our old one was broken (actually, it was completely gone.)
I also planted flowers around the bottom of the mailbox and mulched.
It's lookin' pretty swanky out there, if I do say so myself.
Paint my shutters.
Done! I took them down while my dad was here, and he powerwashed them so that they'd be nice and clean for spray painting.
That was a much harder job that I anticipated, especially the taking down and putting back up, but I'm glad I did it.
And I'm even more glad that it's DONE.
Paint my laundry room.
Nope.
Get my kids to the pool at least once a week.
We're averaging more like twice a week, so, I am doing awesome at this thus far.
Keep my kids supplied with books.
Doing pretty well on this.
Go see three movies.
We've been to two so far, which means I'm on track for the summer: We saw the BFG at a matinee, and Alice Through The Looking Glass at the cheap theater.
Also: Finding Dory just arrived at the cheap theater, so I think that's on our agenda very soon.
Write to my grandpa.
My dad went to visit my grandpa, and sadly, he's gone downhill quite a bit of late and can't really see or hear much at all anymore, which means even if I send a letter and have someone else read it to him, he won't get much of it.
(My grandpa and me, back in 2006)
But I was able to have my dad tell my grandpa a few things. And I'm awfully glad I sent letters and pictures while he was still able to enjoy them.
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So. I've got decluttering, photo-book-making, and school-book ordering to do, but I knocked out a LOT of my home-improvement projects.
I am massively relieved about that.
If you have a summer bucket list, feel free to share your progress here each month too (and link us up to your bucket list if you blog!)
Hi Kristen. Thanks for your update. I think I'm about as much through my list as you are through yours. I have a bunch of painting to do which I am nervous about because I haven't done it before, but I'm keeping you in mind for inspiration.
On another note, would you mind posting what the weekly chores are for the kids? I'm always curious to see what other parents have their kids do to help around the house. My kids have chores but I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate more without it being overwhelming for them. Thanks!
Don't mean to butt in but I heard adding a chore one at a time time and test it for 2-3 months is good (depending on your child of course) My oldest cuts the lawn (almost 17) and takes out trash and vacuums (besides putting his clothes away from the laundry, cleaning his room). Like we didn't add cutting grass until this year.
My 12 year old daughter just learned laundry-ing, LOL Like from sorting, washing, hanging, folding, putting away. She did do dishes from last year (a little late I know..... :O) BUT hey they learn super fast at this age....hahaha Oh and she knows how to bathe our toddler 😉 She surprised me one day when I fell sick, bless their heart, it is very good to teach character and they will help you in need, they really will.
My toddler almost 5 now, she is putting her toys away and wiping up her spills, puts her shoes away, setting the table, the little things. And throws the dirty clothes into the washer (reaching real high, too cute) and switching in between loads. I hand her the wet ones (so fun for their sensory, hahaha) and she places them in the dryer ever so carefully (like dishes, lol)...
Some of my examples... And I have not written this in perfect grammar or sentences, kinda just jotted things off my mind 🙂
I completed one project last night; hanging a curtain on our French single door in the kitchen, which involved drilling and installing two curtain rods. I'd made curtains out of an old set of sheets, and that was all I did on it for months. I have a set of double French doors in the living that still need the curtains hung, but this was my "trial and error" door, and I expect the rest to go much faster.
I finished one project - going through a pile of discarded clothes -- but it made me start another, sorting through and discarding unneeded clothes from my closet. So, done, but not yet done.
I still need to finish cleaning out a linen closet. I got it half done.
Several things still need to be done outside, but that's not happening until this heat abates. There's been no cooler spell here, unfortunately, and probably won't be until October.
Hurricane season is building, so one project is to make sure we have some supplies on hand. I keep oil lamps, matches and a wind up radio, but there's more we'll need, such as storing extra ice.
Kudos on all the stuff you got done, but like you, sometimes getting one done makes me add another to the list I hadn't even thought about -- like your driveway episode.
Wow, you are certainly far ahead of me. This morning I thought to myself that it's August and I have nothing to show for it.
Here's and idea for the clothing item that was shrunk - try soaking it in cold water, then stretching it back into shape and dry flat. You may need to repeat this a few times, but it has saved me a few times!!! It works best with knit or cotton fabrics - just an FYI
You've done a lot, especially on the more difficult projects!
My summer list isn't so big ... just to have fun with my kids and go through my stack of papers. I don't have a problem with decluttering in general (in fact, I love seeing things go out the door), but those papers seem to multiply and my stack doesn't seem to shrink. I think I'll set an attainable goal like "get rid of 20 papers a day for the month of August." That seems doable!
I'm sure you've always been a great blessing to your grandfather.
Bravo for teaching your kiddos valuable life skills before sending them off! I was pretty spoiled and didn't do my own laundry until age 17! Yikes! I think it's important to set your kids up for success by letting them fail in a controlled environment at home.
I love that you're spending time with older family members, too. I lost most of my family in the last five years or so, so I know how important it is to stay connected and say everything you need to say.
Amen to the life skills! One of my goals for this up-coming school year is for my kids to make dinner at least once per week! 😉
I would love a post about how you do chores for your kids! My little daughter is just a year old and she likes to stay close when I'm doing housework. She likes to try to fold and move laundry I've just folded, but I'm with you--I don't want to reject her help and have her disinterested later!
In my mind, a bucket list should be fun stuff! So congrats on getting to the pool and seeing the movies. I have spent the past 24 hours making sure the things on my summer list that haven't gotten done yet are now on the schedule for August -- a Phillies game, a trip to the local botanical garden (that has a beer garden) as a date night, and a beach trip. Two, in fact! This has been and will continue to be an awesome summer.
I did do a great job of majoring on the fun for most of June and July (except for last week, where I was a productivity machine!)
But I also know that the school year feels a lot better if I knock out some productive things while I'm not spending time homeschooling. So that's why I like to do a mix of productive and fun.
I agree and things just keep piling when we don't knock some off!
I have three big-for-me projects to get done, in addition to the usual (which always includes dealing with the darn paper).
1. New windows for house. If anyone has done this, what is your opinion of vinyl? There's another provider who uses a "proprietary" wood-something mix, which is much more expensive but that's the company that most of my friends/neighbors/colleagues have been happy with.
2. Update my will. I know what the next step is, I just need to do it.
3. Make some pillowcases and napkins. My cool souvenir napkins are cool souvenirs but lousy napkins. My pillowcases are handsome but don't match the complex explosion of color that my mother considers a suitable bedspread for my place. (In some ways we never grow up in the eyes of our parents, do we?) This is a big deal because it means learning to sew and use a machine. Even so, I figure it will be easier to learn to sew than to find premade ones that match the bedspread.
Wish me luck, y'all.
No personal experience with vinyl windows, but my daughter and son-in-law bought an older house with recently replaced windows, and the new windows are all vinyl. They've had no trouble with them and they look very nice. For what it's worth, that's been their experience. Note: we live in the deep south. That may or may not make a difference; I don't know enough about windows to say.
We have vinyl too. They haven't been problematic at all (11 years and counting), except for one that had a seal break.
When my daughter went to college and became a Resident Assistant (RA) she could not believe how many kids did not know how to do laundry!
When I was 15, I came home from camp to learn that my mother started a full time job the next day and the instructions on how to do laundry were in the laundry room. Talk about shock! But we all learned.
Thanks for teaching your kids a valuable tool!!
Still send letters to your grandfather. He will probably get more out of them than you may realize even though it may vary from time to time. I am older than you so I have had quite a lot of experience in the areas of declining elderly relatives. Even when you think they can't hear, they pick up more than you think. And even if they have dementia and don't respond, some part inside can still be reached. Studies have shown this and I have also found this true from personal experience. But it is very good that you wrote letters when he could appreciate them fully. I'm sure you made his day every time he got one.
My Grandma is 94 1/2. While she loves email she has started to not check it anymore. She enjoys the instant gratification of a text instead. We got her an ipad and she loves it. She takes classes at the assisted living place for the ipad but she loves computers and figuring out stuff. What she loves most is FaceTime. She FaceTimes her kids, grandkids and great grandkids every week. She gets such joy from talking to everyone for a few minutes and seeing them. She really doesn't use the phone any more she can never hear right with her hearing aids and the phone but the ipad and FaceTime work great. Maybe you could FaceTime your Grandfather. Just a thought.
Love the look of a clean driveway. Not sure if needed in your area, but after we cleaned ours we needed to apply a sealer. We did half last summer and ran out of time, but it still looked great this year, we are finishing this year.
Please don't waste your money on Secret Life of Pets. It was horrible. We walked out at the 30 min mark.
This little white rabbit is the evil guy in it. It's played by a man who is a comedian and is black.
Makes the evil guy a black gangster.....who is excited when the pets claim to have KILLED THEIR OWNERS. The cute scene from the previews lasts 2 minutes.
My kids didn't even pout when we pulled them out. (and my kids are spoiled and would normally have pouted about such a thing). The movie is blah. Several friends who didn't see my warning said, C- at best. Not worth the money. Redbox later if you must watch such a terrible movie.
I'm sorry about your grandfather's decline. That's tough when you love them as much as you obviously do. I miss my grandparents terribly sometimes, and now my husband only has one grandparent left. 🙁
I guess I should shoot her a quick email with lots of pics while she can enjoy it still! Thanks for the reminder.
You are one woman, you cease to amaze me! You cracked me up a few times too! My 12 year old just learned this year to sort and wash and fold/hang. Putting some away as well. I do agree that you gotta let the mistakes happen, even as adults we break dishes and ruin our clothes.... LIFE... Your kid have grown! I haven't been here in awhile but do love your bucket lists! And home repairs, which I still need help in echm (more like a push)... I need to repaint my kitchen, do I just paint over, if it is the same color (in a rental so no choice here). What if I filled a hole or two? Anyways we have 2 more weeks for the older kids and school is on the way! Ahhhh...
my list 1: Dentist cleanings for 3 kiddos
2: 1 list of school supplies
3: school shoes/uniforms
4: Ortho evaluation (for the 2nd kid)
5: Sky Zone (Library gave a pass)
6: A sleep over or two
7: Chuckie Cheese (on my email I got 50 free tokens as I signed up!)
8: And I heard of a small Space/Planetarium close to our house that is rather inexpensive and at night they bring out telescopes and the Instructors (however you call them) would point out stars and planets for you!) And watching is for free/ and entrance is around $4 dollars a person :O (OK, I guess you can tell I'm excited about this imparticular)
OK, BTW this is a bucket list for the next 2 weeks!
And I will try to paint my kitchen......when it cools down so I can open the windows 😉 (September-ish)
I'm doing pretty well on my school goals (I'm working on a PhD in history). I wanted to read a big chunk of my comps lists and plan out my grant proposals for the fall. I got a slow start because of vacation and Bible school, but I am rocking right along now. I wish I could get more done. I would have liked to work through all the books and make my study aids. But there are only so many hours in the day, and the kids are out of school and daycare.
My parenting goals were to potty train our two year old. I also, like you, try to get to the pool each week. Also the library, and I wanted to do a science experiment. I'm doing well on this. James potty trained super fast (maybe being the second kid helps?) and we've been to the pool and library multiple times per week. I fell off doing the science experiments with our rising first grader, but he's in Lego camp this week so he'll survive.
I was hoping to lose that last fifteen pounds of baby weight this summer, but I have failed miserably at this one. After three babies you would think I could remember that I just do not get back to my regular body until I wean. This one will have to wait until next summer.
I also wanted to completely reorg our weekend house to better fit our growing family. This one is done!
Finally I wanted to lead a successful session of Financial Peace University at our church. We're set to start this weekend with five families. I think I'm ready, which means my work is pretty much done, which means I'm crossing this one off too.
Somehow there are only three more weeks in summer! I start back in class on Aug 24. Time to hussle!
I'm very impressed you're working on your PhD with several small kids at home. You go!
I did not get as much done as I wanted to, thanks to picking up extra shifts at work. Of course, school starts Thursday for my kids! My son read quite a few books, and is almost done with the first Percy Jackson book (he's going into 3rd grade). We went to the amusement park, camped in the backyard, went swimming, caught fireflies, had a sleepover, and watched fireworks. I did move most of my kids' toys into our basement to create a "toy library" and reduce the clutter in our living spaces. The kids have to take one toy, play with it, and return it to the library before getting another. Other than that, I have not done any of the organizational things on my bucket list.