Spring and Summer List

This is the official list of things that Julian and I want to accomplish this spring and summer. We know it is probably impossible to do it all, but we are hoping to do most of it. We already crossed out a couple! But, even if we don't get to do everything on our list, we can keep it for next summer. I am definitely a list sorta girl!! For real, though, I feel like summer flies by! If I don't have some goals in mind, the time will just slip on by! Ok here is the official Barker 2012 spring and summer to list that's hanging on our fridge:
(Bolded means accomplished)

* Attend a Blue Claws Game (we are planning to go on July 15)
* Attend Point Pleasant Environment Day (we did this in April)
* Visit Sesame Place
* Storybook Land in Little Egg Harbor
* Go to Jenkinson's Aquarium (we went in March)
* Go to the Boardwalk
* Go to the Splash Park in Colts Neck
* Take Duke and Ellie to the Dog Beach



* Swim in the new Arzonico pool
* Have Eloise dedicated at our church
*Hoffmans! (We do this way too much)
* Volunteer for VBS (went to the first meeting and I will be teaching 1st and 2nd)
* Go to the Please Touch Museum
* Beach!!!
* Picnic at Riverfront Park
* Summerfest!!
* Visit the Popcorn Park Zoo (went earlier this year)
* visit the Philadelphia and/or Cape May Zoo
* Hershey Park
* Rita's Italian Ice
* Six Flags Jungle Safari
* Peach Picking
*Easter Egg Hunt
* Attend the Memorial Day Parade on Bridge Ave.
*Bike Rides




So, that is 25 things on our list.  We have accomplished 8 so far! We have a date picked out for some of the things on that list, so we should be able to accomplish most of it! I love summer and can't wait to enjoy every second of it :)

18 school days left

I.can.not. believe that there are only 18 more days of school until SUMMER!! I am so excited.

Anyway, lots of things have been going on.  I had my first night away from Eloise. Yes, there have been times someone else has put her to bed because I was out.  But, I have never, slept away.  It went smoothly, and we had a good night away.  Eloise has been giving Julian and myself hard times about bedtime lately (depending on how over tired she is) So I figured she would be giving my mom a hard time, too.  She let her stay up way past her bedtime playing with Pop and Aunt NiNi in the basement and was over tired and pitched a fit about bed.  But, she eventually fell asleep and all was good :)

Once I heard she was sleeping, I felt more relaxed. I was able to enjoy the wedding and my vodka tonics a little more! It was nice to be away for the night and we even celebrated Mother's day with  Kelly and Jeff at Ihop the next morning (how classy).  It was nice to sit and talk with them and get some pancakes and bacon that I didn't have to make myself. We took our time and probably didn't get home until around 11:30-12:00.  We didn't do anything really special for Mother's day because we were all hungover and cranky (Ellie girl included...a too much fun hangover). We went to Sea Bright for dinner and saw Mike and Jen. It was a nice day.

Besides that, Eloise's vocabulary has really blown up.  I am amazed at the things she says.  She is putting together two word sentences and I am sure she is going to grow up to be one of those kids who thinks she's the smartest thing EVER because I keep boosting her little ego about it ;).  She will see my shoes on the stairs and say "Mama Shoes".  She refers to herself as Ellie (totes adorbs) and can name people by looking at pictures.  Any kid her age or younger is still "baby" and Duke is her best friend BY FAR.  Their relationship has really blossomed and she'll find a ball and entertain herself and Duke for a good 10 minutes throwing it for him and then making him drop it for her so she can run around with it and he chases her, she laughs hysterically to where I think she can't breathe and then throws it again. 

Julian, Eloise, and I joined the church down the road from us and we are so blessed that we found it when we did.  I just feel we are exactly where we need to be (as far as church is concerned).  It is a small church but growing by leaps and bounds and I am super psyched that we get to be apart of the growth.  There are a lot of young families and the pastor has a gift for speaking.  The music is good and the people are so incredibly nice.  Julian joined the softball team and has really been enjoying it.  He has become friends with the guys and they are all around the same age with young kids.  I am now on nursery rotation and will sit down in the nursery with the kiddo's about every 5-6 weeks.  I am also planning on volunteering for Vacation Bible School, so we will see where my teaching skills can come in handy this summer.  I am really excited to not only be a part of our church more, but it's really helped us become more apart of our community.  We are feeling more connected. We always liked living in Point Pleasant, but joining Life Chapel and having a baby, and doing things with her, really makes you LOVE your town. I love that I can walk to my park and that everyone bikes everywhere.  I love that they are putting a frozen yogurt place down the street and that Hickory Hog is now closer. We are really learning to appreciate more about what we have and not worrying about what we don't have. 

Summer weekends are booking up fast and I can't even believe it.  Time flies.  I might need a new planner with all the use it's been getting lately. 

(Pictures are giving me issues...they're coming later)