Summer, Summer, Summertime!

We are loving this wonderfully hot weather and taking full advantage of it by getting outside as much as we can. I'm considering this my summer of exploring our wonderful city. We've lived here for 4 1/2 years and I cannot believe the things that I haven't done since living here! So, with no school and laid-back summer days we are checking out all that is in our backyard and plugging away at our summer goals!

My new favorite spot to take the boys is down by the beach (7 minutes from my house!) on the boardwalk. We walk (well...I walk, Ry strolls, and Z and K run) the boardwalk and then we play on the beach or visit the beach park. (Summer Goal #8-Check!) The coolest thing about this spot is the sea life. This seal pictured below is named "Billy" and he has a permanent resting spot at the end of the dock there. You can literally walk 10 feet from him and he just lays there. (The city is also just finishing up an environmental education center at this beach. From what I hear they'll have marine life kids can touch and other hands-on exhibits. I also hear that it's FREE!)
When we went to visit Billy the seal for the first time Kaden asked:
"Mommy, can I touch him?"
Me: "Nope, he's a wild animal."
Kaden: "Well, I'm wild!"

I love going on adventures with Kaden. I'm always cracking up!

This is kind of hard to see, but the posts of the pier were COVERED in starfish (they're purple and orange in this picture.) I thought it was a little creepy...

At a different beach spot that's about 10 minutes from our house, we had a ton of fun building sand castles (Summer Goal #2-Check!) and splashing in the water. I wasn't sure how a beach day would go with a baby that's crawling and puts everything in his mouth, but Ry had a great time just sitting in one spot the whole time playing with a shovel and a bucket...and he only put a little bit of sand in his mouth.

I recently read a statistic saying that people are 80% more likely to accomplish their goals if they write them down. Brainstorming our Summer list was so fun this year and it has really helped to motivate all of us to get out of the house and do new things. I think we'll try this for each new season! You should try it, too!