Summer Bucket List

I am a fairly dedicated to-do list user. But when it comes to bucket lists--I guess not so much. I got this summer bucket list print-out at the beginning of the summer and here it is on the last day of summer break, still completely empty.

If I HAD generated a summer bucket list in a more timely manner, this is what I might have included:
1) Potty-train Mika
I can't check this one off--we tried and failed.
2) Hiking--check
We didn't do as much as we would have liked, but we did make it to Alberta Falls and did part of the Cub Lake trail in Rocky Mountain National Park (back in June).

Alberta Falls:

Cub Lake:

3) Find some fireworks--check
(and look good doing it)

Also, eat fudgsicles while you are waiting for them to start.

4) Take the family to Steamboat Springs and do some hiking there--check
5) Teach Mika to ride her tricycle and take off Ramona's training wheels--didn't happen
6) Plant a garden, harvest, and eat--check

7) Get the girls some inflatable balloon animals (and wait in a long line for them while eating cotton candy)--check

 (Princess Celestia and Princess Luna from My Little Pony)

In addition, do some painting and tour a school bus.

 (Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor from My Little Pony)

 8) Sign Ramona up for swimming lessons--check

9) Do a daddy/daughter campout in the backyard--check

(and enjoy spooky stories told by Mika)

10) Play in a string trio for a wedding in Estes Park--check
(And let Ramona add her own composition to the music)

It seems that my after-the-fact summer bucket list and my actual to-do list have a lot in common: Not everything gets checked off, and a few items (usually the more tedious ones) stay on the list for a long time. Maybe some of these bucket list items belong on my to-do list instead?

List or no list, though, I am more than satisfied with the Dixon Summer of 2014 and all of its fun memories. Bring on the school year!

Welcome to our Jungle

Jii and Baachan used some of their summer vacation to come and visit us before their classes get started at Illinois State. But it probably didn't feel like much of a vacation to them--I'm guessing that a stay at our house feels like a jungle safari compared to their relatively tranquil lifestyle. Thankfully, our native wildlife was welcoming and affectionate toward them.

During their jungle adventure, Jii and Baachan even came with us to the nearby "zoo": Swetsville Zoo, just down the road from our house.

All of the residents here were formed from inanimate car parts.

While he was here, Jii did more than his fair share of dolly-playing . . .

. . . reading . . .

. . . and Candyland facilitating.

Baachan, on the other hand, did a lot of cooking. We had a big feast with tempura . . .

. . . and another meal with gyoza. Ramona helped make some, too.

We spent most of a Saturday together in Westminster. Ramona and Mika loved playing at the Peter Pan park, complete with pirate ship, mermaid lagoon, Big Ben, London Bridge, and Tick Tock Croc.

For lunch Jii and Baachan treated us to Vietnamese noodles (at a place with a fish tank).

Mika of course saved some of the noodles for her hair.

Dessert was mochi-covered ice cream treats from the oriental supermarket.

Mika ate most of the mochi off first, leaving her with a big, melting ice cream ball. She got plenty of that in her hair, too.

On Sunday I had a marathon of church meetings so we didn't have time to take our usual before-church group photo. But a thoughtful friend of mine stopped us at the end of church and asked if she could take a three-generation photo of Baachan, me, and Paula. Here Paula is wearing the dress that used to be mine when I was a baby (and gnawing on my keys).

Here is a picture of baby Mika wearing the same dress in June 2012:

Ramona showed off some piano skills and performed a couple of recitals for Baachan. Jii played along on violin and I played along on cello.

Program One: Three Blind Mice, Hot Cross Buns, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Here Comes the Bride
Program Two: Repeat of Program One, + Here We Go Up the Hill, I am a Child of God, Bile 'Em Cabbage

On their last day here, Jii went with me to take Ramona and Mika to an end-of-summer library party. There was a mini petting zoo (which the girls mostly just observed) . . .

. . . and some complimentary frozen yogurt. M&M's for Ramona (she still calls them "edamins"), sprinkles for Mika.

That afternoon I set Paula up for a little photo shoot in the Japanese jinbei outfits.

Let's flashback to Mika, age 9 months, wearing the same outfit two years ago:

And another flashback from FOUR years ago--baby Ramona at 13 months:

Time has flown--thanks for coming along for the ride (safari and all), Jii and Baachan!