Our Summer Bucket List

I nearly scared my family to death last night.  Dinner dishes were finished, and we were winding down the day.   That’s when I made the announcement: “I’m calling a family meeting.”

Color drained from everyone’s face.  Something must be terribly wrong in order for the patriarch to gather everyone together in the same room and actually talk to each other.  At least that’s what everyone thought.

But I had a surprise.  On my church’s Facebook page, I had noticed an idea designed to make the summer season special.  It suggested that we call our family together and create a family bucket list- a list of fun things each individual member would like to do before summer ends.

My family is a little atypical.  Besides my wife and I, our oldest son and his family are temporarily living with us while they prepare to move into their own house.  So, we have Margaret and I, Jesse and Carrie (adults), and their two princesses, Rylynn (age 6) and Ashlynn (age 2).

We turned off the TV, put down our smartphones, and sat down in the living room.  I had a pad and pen, and I explained the rules.  Rylynn would start, then we would go around in a circle twice, each person adding something they would like to do this summer.  Ashie was excused because she can’t talk very well.

Here is my family’s summer bucket list:

Rylynn

1. Go swimming at the community pool where she learned to swim last year.

2. Visit a petting zoo

Carrie

1. Visit and explore a city in Florida that she hasn’t been to

2. Go to Disney and shop in Orlando

Jesse

1. Visit and explore a new city in Florida

2. Go deep sea fishing

Margaret

1. Go to the beach

2. Visit a Florida state park we haven’t yet visited

George

1. Go kayaking

2. Go fishing off the old Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay

As we talked and wished, we all noticed how much fun this was.  It was cool to sit down and talk to each other using our voices instead of text on a screen.  I carefully recorded everyone’s items, and they are now prominently displayed on our refrigerator.

Summer has begun, and the clock is ticking.  Anybody know where I can borrow a kayak?