Summer Goals

We decided to make some fun summer goals for us this year

-Larry and I have garden and decorating our walls. I'd love to get our front yard super pretty. If we can include our back yard, I'd like to, but the front takes priority this year. I'd also like to finally get our decorations out of the basement and get them put up.

-All kids have a swimming goal. Cara finished the first level of swim lessons this week. I plan to enroll Gwen and Lucy into level one and enroll Cara in level 2 at the same time at some point this summer (the soonest I can get them in). I would love it if I felt comfortable with them not NEEDING floaties by the end of the Summer. Pierce, we just want him to have more fun in the pool, be okay with having his floaties, and being on his own more. So far he's doing good (Larry took them swimming while Cara had her final lesson and he was the only one willing to go down the water slide...and multiple times!). I plan on us going to our pool at least twice a week, but hopefully more. And maybe going to Cowabunga Bay once they are done with their lessons to celebrate (if they all pass).

-They also have a "wheels" goal. I'd like to have Cara definitely riding a training wheel bike, but if we can up her to just two wheels that would be ideal. Gwen I'd like her to be comfortable on a training wheel bike (but also, if she can go without them, that would be great!). Lucy and Pierce I'd like to have on the balance bike so they can move on quickly too. I'd also like to see if we can include roller skating in this as well. We'll see if that's not too ambitious

-Cara has two additional goals: one of learning to tie shoes (I think this would be good and she's ready to learn this skill). The second is a reading "challenge" (not necessarily goal), if she can read 500 pages she gets to pick a treat, but she has to tell us about what she read so we know she's working on comprehension skills as well.

-Gwen has an additional goal of learning to pump on a swing. She claims she can do it, but never does and asks us to push her all the time.

-Lucy has an additional goal of lessening her bug phobia. She's WAY too scared of bugs (like won't walk on the grass and screams and cries for us to carry her everywhere outside, because that's where all the bugs go). So my plan is to get bug books from the library, find a bug museum, and expose her to as many good bugs in our yard (potato bugs, lady bugs, grasshoppers, ants, etc.)

-I also have a plan to pick a day each week (I'm debating between Wednesdays or Fridays) and take a longer break to take the kids to a playground during nap time. I want to try to do a different one each week. Just something to really spend time together and get outside the house more.

I think we're about to have an excellent Summer. Now if the weather would cooperate!