End of Summer Bucket List Fun

This is a mega post with WAY too many pictures, but I'm dying to get caught up on the blog and really, this is kind of how the end of summer felt - we were packing in the fun left and right before school started back up!

At the beginning of the summer, Clara and I put together a bucket list of activities that we wanted to do.  I wish I kept a copy of it or took a picture because Clara wrote the entire thing out in marker on construction paper.  

Drive-In Movie Theater

I mentioned this to Clara when we were making our list and then majorly regretted it because none of the movies started before 9:00 PM!  So we put it off all summer until finally the weekend before school started we made it happen by going to see the Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature.  The girls loved the experience, even if the movie was lame.  It's not really our scene though and I don't think we'll be doing this again next summer because I would way rather just go to the regular movie theater.  

Kirby Cove

I've been wanting to do this hike down to Kirby Cove for ages!  We were lucky to have friends decide to come with us.  It was a really great, little hike and beautiful views once we got down to the cove.  We will definitely do this again!

The rope swing at the beach was the real reason this hike has been on my Bay Area bucket list for ages.  Clara loved it.  Rose did not.

Ice Skating at Iceland

Clara has been begging to go to Iceland for ages and ages.  So on a 100+ degree day, I decided it was time to go.  Clara did a great job skating on her own and Rose had fun as long as I held on to her.  Whenever I let go to take a picture she freaked out and literally yelled at me to "put your phone away!!!"

Mini Golf for FHE

Rose only did 2 holes and then gave up and just climbed around castles.  Clara had fun though and legitimately played the whole time.

Sushiritto

I've been really wanting to try Sushiritto in the city.  It's a cross between sushi and a burrito and it was tasty, although I think I will stick with regular sushi.  We got the Geisha's Kiss which is a spicy tuna burrito, but it wasn't spicy at all, which was a little disappointing.  It was fun meeting up with Paul for lunch and the rest of the day the girls and I spent at the Creativity Museum where the girls rode the carousel, made clay figures on wire models, did music videos and dress-up, etc.

Concerts in the Park

We didn't go to as many concerts this summer as we have in the past, mostly just because we weren't around for very many Friday nights, and the earlier concerts we decided not to attend because Clara had early morning swim meets the next morning.  But we sure love the scene and the entertainment at these concerts.  The girls love the music and getting ice cream from the creamery across the street.

Regular Life

Paul has been working so hard all summer on the yards.  He bought a used tiller for a great deal and has been tilling our terrible clay dirt and cleaning everything up.  The other weekend we had a bunch of mulch delivered and Paul and I spent a Saturday hauling 80 wheelbarrowfuls of the stuff to the back yard which he then tilled into the existing dirt.  We are hoping to have grass by the end of September but Paul still has sprinklers to put in first so we will see.

Clara has been keeping up with gymnastics and still loves it.

Clara begged me to get these weird cucumber things at the farmer's market.  I didn't end up doing it but I'm still wondering what they are and how to use them.  

Temple date night for me and Paul.

Ardenwood Historic Farm

This was actually during Clara's first week of school before Rose started preschool but we went to Ardenwood Historic Farm for their Toddler Day.  It was such a fun, pretty place with pigs and chickens and cows.  The kids got to "paint" the barn with water and wash clothes the old-fashioned way.  Rose loved both of those activities and could have stayed all day doing either of them.

Venice Beach

And of course we had a couple of beach days.  These pictures are of my favorite one to Venice Beach.  The girls had a blast and afterwards we went to get dinner at Sam's Chowder House with friends.

And that was the last part of our summer!