10 Things I Want to Do This Summer

Okay...I know, I know, I know...some of you have a month or longer to go but I have been enjoying summer break for a week now!  Actually...I've been incredibly busy, but some of that business was taken care of in my pajamas while watching reruns of Will and Grace.  Today I'm linking up with Deanna Jump to talk about some of the things I'd like to do this summer.  It won't be long before August will be here and the excitement of the new year and blitz of activities will make summer seem like a distant memory.   Wanna join in the fun?  Click the picture below to see Deanna's original post.

 

 

1.  I want to spend some quality time with these two amazing kids.  It is not easy handling a toddler and a teenager, but as the summer rolls by Joey will turn 15 (holy cow!) and Sophie will be three.  I hope that we'll get to spend many nights sitting outside around a fire pit roasting marshmallows, catching fireflies and laughing together.  During the school year we have to sneak in moments like that.  I hope to have TONS of them in the next two and a half months.

 

2.  This summer I am going to date my husband.  That's right.  We are going to set aside time to just do things together.  Not talk about bills and the kids and dream about retirement, but actually leave the house without kids and do something we both enjoy.  Pedicures, a couple's massage, watch a sci-fi movie at one of those theaters that you can eat a full meal in...you know, a DATE!  :-)

 

3.  This summer I'm striving to eat healthier and move more.  It's been about 3 years since I've taken that statement seriously.  At that time I looked at the scale and realized I had lost 150 pounds from my highest weight.  I've gained a little bit of that back, but know that with a little focus I can feel that good and be that healthy again.  Besides going to water aerobics classes is a really self-esteem boost for me.  I'm always the youngest chick there! :-)

4.  This summer I'll be presenting at Denise Gagne and Artie Almeida's Summer Music Educator's Conference.  I'm SO excited about this.  I'm also going to be presenting at the state teachers association leadership symposium.  I hope that both of these events will be filled with great connections with other teachers.  Collaboration is key to being an awesome teacher and I've only got 11 more years until retirement.  I've got to get moving!

 

5.  See this little princess?  Another one of my goals this summer is to learn how to French braid her hair.  I know, that may seem like a trivial thing but until a few months ago her hair was so thin that it was difficult to do anything with.  Right now I can do a brilliant ponytail and adorable pigtails but that's it.  So, I'm gonna find a few videos and figure out how to bribe her to sit still and I'm going to learn to do hair!  Any tips?

6.  I love creating products that help make other teachers' lives easier.  If you are a music teacher you might have visited my Bulletin Boards for the Music Classroom website sometime.  About a year and half ago I joined TeachersPayTeachers and posted many of my resources there.  Usually I can only spend a little bit of weekend time working on projects, but this summer I have a big list of things I'd like to get ready.  My composer of the month series has been wildly popular and I hope to have a whole new year's worth of kits ready to go by the time school starts. 

 

7.  Okay...I have a confession to make.  I'm kind of a closet gamer.  I love video games.  I actually spend a great deal of the school year avoiding them completely because...well...I...uhm...errr....I tend to get addicted quite quickly!  Several years ago I think I lost an entire month of my life to The Sims.  LOL!  No kidding!  I also used to be Tracy Nightstar, earth controller, in a game called City of Heroes.   Now I don't have time to pick up a new game, but I want to spend some time gaming with my hubby and son this summer.  Last summer we spent some time shooting zombies.  I can't wait to see what game they'll teach me this summer.

 

8.  This summer I am going to spend more time with my extended family.  Growing up in rural Missouri my aunts and uncles all lived on the same hill of the same gravel road.  It wasn't exactly like Walton's Mountain, but we were all just right there.  Summer days were spent playing with the cousins, sneaking in a second supper at Aunt Marsha's house, riding bikes to Grandma's and celebrating every single holiday and birthday with food and fun.  Now that grandma has been paroled to Jesus, the family doesn't get together very much.  This summer I am going to create opportunities for that kind of fellowship to happen not just with my brothers and their families but with my cousins too.  Wish me luck!  We are quite a rowdy crew!

Oh...in the picture above I'm the cute one with the insanely inappropriate shorts on the right.  What on earth was I thinking? :-)

 

 

9.  This summer I am looking forward to some leisurely quiet time.  In the blur of spring and with all of the end of the year performances and activities I've let my quiet times become quiet seconds.  I'm looking forward to taking a cup of tea outside and starting each day with a leisurely time of reading and praying and focusing on what's really important.

10.  I love binge watching tv!  Shhhh!  Don't tell!  I'll piddle on the computer, color with Sophie or cut fruits and veggies or some task while I'm watching but I love to sit and watch an entire season of a show!  This summer I need to catch up on Bones, watch the new season of Orange is the New Black, start Mike and Molly (folks say that I will like it), rewatch some Little House on the Prairie and introduce my daughter to a couple of Disney princess.  There are lots of movies I'm going to see this summer too.  I'm such a junior high boy when it comes to movies.  I've already watched Godzilla, Spiderman 2 and the new X-men movies and it is not even June!

What are your summer plans?  What things do you want to make happen during these sunny days?  Link up with the linky party or leave your ideas in the comments below.  I hope you have the best summer ever!