Summer Bucket List

We're not really traveling this summer...there are a lot of ministry things going on, and we don't really have the funds for it since we're still finishing the house projects.  And we're visiting a supporting church in OH in October, and we're saving to stop at the Ark on the way home.

But I have five energetic kids who no longer have school to occupy their mornings, so I knew we needed a summer plan.  I scoured some websites like Mommy Poppins and other urban bloggers for the best things to do with kids, and I limited it to the free stuff. 

Mondays are Ben's "day off", so we alternated those days with outings that require Daddy's help, and with house work projects.  This coming week we are finally getting to replae our garage door!!!

Tuesdays are library and reading days.  Maybe I will even get to sneak in a book or two this summer!  The kids were thrilled for summer reading program to start, and we have a great "small town feel" library branch.  However, the prizes are kinda lame this year, and the theme doesn't thrill me - it's "Turn it Up" and its all about music.  Most of the recommended books are NOT on my recommendation list!  But we are finding other things to read, and Nolan is really taking off in reading too.

Wednesday is our outing day.  A lot of attractions have free days on Wednesday, and we don't have any other committments that day.  I can wear the kids out, stay out as long as needed, and collapse when we get home!

Thursday nights are Bible study nights, and its at our house for now.  So we're not going anywhere on Thursdays.  We have piano lessons, a baskeball hoop out back, a patch of grass, and a whole closet full of games!

My assigned summer project from Ben was to finish teaching the kids to ride bikes with no training wheels.  So we will probably spend Fridays at Van Cortlandt Park, working through this one kid at a time.  I already feel tired!

Summer Bucket List items:

• Orchard Beach (the only beach in Da Bronx)
• Little Red Lighthouse (under the GW Bridge, but we need to park and walk in)
• Hike the Palisades
• Explore Fort Tryon Park
• Try the Van Cortlandt Park Pool
• Take a day trip to Lake Taghanic upstate
• Visit Ben's parents
• Visit the splash pad on top of the American Museum of Natural History
• The AMNH is free for a donation, so we will head there on a super hot day to explore while staying cool
• Bronx Zoo (an old favorite)
• Cow Appreciation Day at the largest CFA (in Manhattan)
• Ride the tram to Roosevelt Island and have a picnic
• Explore the Bartow-Pell Mansion and Carriage House in Pelham Bay
• Visit the Bank Street Bookstore in the Upper West Side
• Visit the Strand Bookstore in Union Square
• Visit the Ninendo NYC store in Rockefeller Center
• Explore new splash pads - like St. James Park, Pelham Bay, DeVoe Park, etc.

We'll see how much we get done!