Summer Bucket List

Catch Blog Up: Check
Lighten Work Schedule for Summer: Check
Sign a million field trip forms: Check
Confirm that each child has multiple bathing suits: Check.

Signs of summer are closing in! With only 6 (technically 5 1/2) days of school left its that time of year again. The time where this mom needs to step up to the plate and make sure I don't have two very bored kids making me one very crazy mama. Compliments of creative friends, an awesome local menagerie of cheap things to do, and the power of pinterest I present... the Maddex Family Summer Bucket List. Its gonna be a good summer.



For the most part its self explanatory but here are few explanations if you are interested in stealing some ideas:

• Tijuana Flats tiles - if you go into your local Tijuana Flats and look up you will see lots of crazy tiles. If you bring one in painted they will put it up, at least for awhile. Think of it as the world's cheapest art gallery. Tiles are approx $3 a piece at your local home store. 
• Famous Art Recreated - creative learning right here. This requires an internet search or library book of famous artists and the "styles" they represent. Then the kids can make their own painting in that same style - Impressionist, Cubist, Modernist, etc. 
• Read with the Rays - this is an awesome program between the library system and the Tampa Bay Rays. Kids read books, completing certain time guidelines, get it signed off by parents and then a local librarian, in order to move around the bases. Reach home plate - get a free ticket to a game! 
• Ice Cube Super Hero Rescue - freeze a giant block of ice with action figures in it, use water guns to "rescue them". In our house it will be done race style. But doesn't need to be. 
• A Day in the Life Of movie - the beauty of that old digital video camera we completely do not use anymore. Encouraging the kids to find the things that are interesting or silly about their life, by making a movie about one day in their life. 
• Postcard Round Up - we are going to send FL postcards to every out of state friend/relative we can think of with a request to send one back. Good way to collect postcards and learn a little more about other states! And practice our letter writing skills! 

So that's it! We always love company so if you want to join us on any of our Summer Adventures let us know!

PS - its a  loud and colorful list so it can be printed and placed in an 11x14 frame that will allow the kids to use a dry erase marker and check items off as completed! 

Roll Out the Red Carpet

Ladies and gentlemen roll out the red carpet please. Tori turned twelve and FINALLY got her birthday party after a delay due to illness.

Tori wanted a movie night sleepover so we literally rolled out the red carpet, hung the theater curtains, stocked up on junk food and celebrated movie star style!

They watched a movie, ate tons of junk, played a couple games and went home exhausted with diva glasses and Starbucks card. And mama sighed a huge sigh of relief that another year of girl birthday drama has passed!

Reunited: A Family Fun weekend

So the title leads you to believe we recently attended a family reunion but...not true. However we did have an awesome reunion with some friends that moved WAY WAY too far away. As in Canada. Seriously, its cold there. But alas they moved there anyway.

The good news is they also came back to visit. So we packed up our bags and our beach gear and met them in Vero Beach. They go to the Disney Vero Resort every year and it was nothing short of perfection. The weather was AMAZING, the company was wonderful and the atmosphere so family friendly. The older kids could essentially wander the grounds/activities together and check in.



Tristan and his best friend Charles were reunited and that alone was priceless.




Thankfully his sister, Justine, and Tori also get a long famously, even if there is a bit of an age gap!



We had no match for this cutie but he sure was entertaining!



The kids even got to see a giant sea turtle while out on a jet ski!



All in all it was a much needed break from our usual busyness. It was fantastic to just relax for almost 3 whole days. Can't wait to do it again next year!

Wedding Bells have Rung!

Two weekends in a row = two weddings in a row. I have to be honest, I don't usually love weddings. I love the idea of them. But they are costly - for the people throwing them of course but for those attending as well. Gift, babysitter, a dress I currently fit into, etc...and usually its a bunch of people you don't know and you try to make conversation but run out of things to say quickly OR you know everybody and its kind of like that class/family reunion you dreaded and skipped for a reason. That being said I attended two WONDERFUL weddings this past month.

The first was for my friend Summer. Things I loved about this wedding: EVERYONE in the wedding party wore Converse Chuck Taylors in some form of teal/purple/grey, the absolutely gorgeous bay front location, the delicious chicken marsala, the lovely red wine all the way from a California vineyard I took home as a parting gift, catching up with another old friend at dinner, and above all else - the absolutely outstanding amount of happiness in that room. While the number of attendees was rather small for an American wedding, each and every person in that room was there because they had been a part of the happy couple's lives for an insanely long time and knew that no matter what we as a country allow legally or not - this was truly a celebration of two lives becoming one family. Congratulations again to the happy brides!



The second wedding I was the photographer. Is it lame that I still think that's exciting to say and it was almost 3 weeks ago already?!? Okay this wedding also awesome - gorgeous weather, gorgeous couple, small intimate setting. Oh and the most creative two women I have ever seen in my life creating the most amazing DIY wedding I can imagine. I mean everything about this wedding was DIY - the food, the favors, the flowers, the signs, the candle lanterns - the bride herself was wearing a dress that her mom made and jewelry handcrafted by her sister in law. AMAZING. And I think the pics came out ok if I do say so myself, and I do.








To see more of these two lovely ladies creations check them out in their Etsy shop: Oh Koey!

Closing Ceremonies

12

At the park with the requested cookie cake!

Live from the ball fields...

Desperate times call for desperate measures. My blogging record has sucked for awhile now but compliments of a new app it might get better!!

I am sitting on a softball field watching Tori's team warm up. I have literally spent 13 of the last 14 days on a ball field at some point. They kindly gave us mothers day off!! It's tournament season. Tristan's team is kicking butt and taking names. Tori's team on the other hand is the bad news bears version but at least she gets some fresh air and exercise!(**Update: in an unexpected turn of events they played awesome - and won - and I do mean WON - final score: 17-1**)

In other news our crazy sod is finally growing in and the yard work is, at least for the immediate future, complete. Both kids are eagerly anticipating a weekend mini vacation to see some visiting Canadian friends on the east coast as well as the end of school. Tristan is also eager to find out if he made the all star team and Tori is looking forward to middle school church camp.

We had a lovely mothers day and enjoyed family time, a BBQ, some boating and some cookie cake.

And lastly my baby girl turned 12. Twelve. That's old. I mean seriously old. As in my chipmunk cheeked curly haired baby doll has turned into this long lanky freakishly smart young woman. And I should tell you while I am completely freaked out that I am only a year away from having a teenager, I am also insanely proud of who she is becoming. Of her compassion and intelligence and her loyalty and her desire to seek God.

Well it's time to play ball so I am off!! Happy Tuesday all!!