Z is for...

...Zip-a-dee-doo-dah! I finished up with a few days to spare. So hopefully anyone following and using my suggestions this summer still have time to plan a day or two of letter Z. :)

It's the end of the alphabet, but the beginning of the story can be read here.

Places to go that start with Z:
*towns/cities near you (we have the whopping town of Zearing not too far away...)
*Zanzibars Coffee Adventure (not only coffee, but yummy snacks)
*Z'Mariks Noodle Cafe
*Zombie Burger (only if your child will not be given nightmares by the many zombies on the walls)
*Zuzap
*Zeus Stained Glass Studio (maybe they'd let your child watch how they make their artwork)
*zoo

Things to do that begin with Z:
*play dates with Zachary, Zeke, Zane, or Zoe
*watch TV shows such as "Zoey 101" or "Zoboomafoo"
*find your child's zen place (what makes them relaxed and calm?)
*read books starting with Z (Za-za's Baby Brother)
*catch some Zzzzz's
*zone out
*read the story of Zacchaeus, Zechariah, Zebulun, and Zion in the Bible
*zoom around the yard in zig-zags
*practice writing the word "zero"
*find zebras (at the zoo, in books, on toys, etc.)
*zip down a zipline (at the state fair or at Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins)
*play with Zoobles
*watch movies like Zathura or The Zookeeper
*wear clothes with zippers
*do Zumba as a family

Foods that start with Z:
Zebra Cakes (Little Debbie)
Zero bars
zest (of lemon or orange)
Zingers!
ziti
zucchini

Favorite Z Bible verses:
"Zacchaeus you come down, for I'm going to your house today." Luke 19:5 (you can talk about how Jesus loves everyone, even those that others dislike).

These are the letter Z pics that L took a few summers ago. The first is of a shadow from a basketball hoop at a park. The second is a very wavy, stylistic Z we found on some playground equipment.

Woo-hoo! Now you can all start planning your ABC summers for next year. :) However, I am not finished with this blog. I'll still be posting various things I do with my children throughout the year. And I'm sure I'll have to share random thoughts I have once in a while. Please continue to share this blog with your friends. Moms need to share ideas!

Y & Z pics 2013

Officially the end of E's ABC photography summer. Boo. :( On the other hand, she has become quite the little photographer in the last couple months. I had to throw in a great photo she took of a monarch on our hydrangeas this morning. I'm so proud of her!

The yoga mat Y:

The yarn Y:

The zoo animals Z:

The Zoobles Z:

And finally, E's beautiful monarch shot. :)

I'll be making E a digital scrapbook of all her ABC photos from this summer. She's excited to have it. Stay tuned for my suggestion for the letter Z!

*For those new to my blog, check out the beginnings of ABC Summers here.*

Y is for...

...yippee! The school year is only one week away here, and I'm going to finish up these ABC posts. :)

Places to go that start with Y:
*visit towns/cities starting with Y
*Yo 2 Go
*YMCA
*yacht club (if you are lucky enough to live near one)
*Ye Old Mill ride at the Iowa State Fair
*Yoga in the Park (Saturday mornings at Gray's Lake)
*Younkers

Things to do that begin with Y:
*play Yahtzee
*yoga
*crafts with yarn
*play with yo-yos in the yard
*sing "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
*listen to Yanni or songs like "Yellow Submarine," by The Beatles, "Yellow Reflector," by Justin Roberts, or "Your Song," by Elton John
*wear yellow or yoga pants
*have a "yes" day (within reason)
*learn a word in Yiddish
*use Young Living essential oils
*take a donation to the Young Women's Resource Center or YESS (Youth Emergency Services & Shelter)
*watch kids' shows such as "Yo Gabba Gabba"
*read a book about Yellowstone National Park or You Are Special
*yawn
*watch Yogi Bear, or Yours, Mine, & Ours
*show your child(ren) what a yin-yang is
*look at a calendar and talk about the year

Foods that start with Y:
yams
yellow squash
yogurt
yolk (egg)
York Peppermint Patties

Favorite Y Bible verses:
"Don't use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing." Ephesians 4:29
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

We were proud of the Y's we found during L's ABC photography summer. The top photo is a y-joint in some pipes in our basement storage room. The middle photo is an awesome stick that we found in the grass. And the bottom photo is an amazing tree stump with a Y right in the middle of it!

We are going to wrap up these ABC posts in the next couple days! I'll also be posting the last photos that E has taken for her photography summer. Back to school in 7 days!

*For those new to my blog, check out the beginnings of ABC Summers here.*

VWX pics 2013

V and X were a bit challenging...

The vent (covers) V:

The vacuum hose V (as styled by my daughter):

The water bottle W:

The wrench W:

The x-ray X (these are from clip art because we have no real x-rays here):

*For those new to my blog, check out the beginnings of ABC Summers here.*

X is for...

... hmmm... well, not very much at all. This could quite possibly end up the shortest letter post. Bear with me, as I'll likely have to stretch the imagination.

If you have no idea what I'm blogging about, check out my ABC summer story here.

Places to go that start with X:
*towns/cities... you may have to reach by just finding names of places with X in them
*there are restaurants around the world that start with X (mostly Asian restaurants), but none around here - sounds like and eXcuse to travel!

Things to do that start with X:
*treasure hunt with "X" marks the spot (we did this at the Iowa State Fair during my son's ABC summer... we marked places on the map for him to find, with the ultimate "spot" being the giant slide)
*play a xylophone
*eXplore
*draw X-rays of each other (trace your body or body parts on black paper and draw in the bones with white chalk or crayon)
*follow the pirate's "X" marks the spot theme and watch The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything or read The Night Pirates
*write a note with X's and O's
*draw a picture using the color xanthic (sort of a neon yellow)
*play date with Xyola (you may not know one, but we actually do!)
*maybe you'd allow your child(ren) to watch X-Men... I wouldn't, but I'm not into superheroes; there's always Xanadu, if that's more your speed... Or, my final movie suggestion would be X Games 3D: The Movie
*listen to Justin Roberts' "2 x 4" and talk about how we use X's for measurements and multiplication

Foods that start with X:
Xavier soup (Italian)
Xigua is the Mandarin Chinese word for watermelon (perfect if you have some leftovers from your W day(s)!)
Xtra gum
Xylocarp (a hard & woody fruit like coconut)

Favorite Bible verses that include the letter X:
"Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless - that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-10
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Romans 13:1

Finding X's for our ABC photography summer was easier than writing this list! The first is the side of a bedside table we have in our guest room. The other is obviously a banana peel; the fun thing is that we didn't have to move the peel from its spot on the table to take the picture. It made the perfect X!

Only two more letters to go!

*For those new to my blog, check out the beginnings of ABC Summers here.*

W is for...

...whatever. Sorry, I was thinking like a tween. ;)

New to my blog? Check out the beginning here.

Places to go that start with W:
*towns/cities (Walla Walla, WA would be wonderful!)
*Wagner Park for Movies Under the Stars
*Waterfront Seafood
*Waveland Cafe
*Wendy's
*Walnut Woods
*Watercrest Park
*Water Works Park
*Westside Park
*Westwinds Park
*Westwood Elementary playground
*Wheeler Horse Barn
*Woodward's Picket Fence Creamery
*windmills (DMAAC pond for a modern one, or Elk Horn, Kimballton, or Pella the old Dutch style)
*Watermelon Day in Stanhope
*Wayback Records (to show your child(ren) what a vinyl record is)
*Wells Fargo Arena (for a show, concert, festival, etc.)
*Wesley Woods (to camp)
*White Water University Water Park (currently being remodeled - scheduled to reopen in summer 2014)
*Whole Foods
*wading pools

Things to do that begin with W:
*play Wii, Wits & Wagers, or Whatzit?
*water fight
*wear white, watches, wool, well-worn clothing, etc.
*watch movies like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory or The Wizard of Oz
*go for a walk in the woods
*watch your wedding video with your child(ren)
*go west (however far you want)
*whisper
*whistle while you work (do chores)
*play dates with William, Willow, or Walt
*wash windows
*listen to songs starting with W ("Words," by Hawk Nelson, "We Go Duck," "Why Not a Spark?" "Where Were You" "Willy Was a Whale," "Walking on the Lake," "What's He Doing up There?" by Justin Roberts) or artists starting with W, like Weird Al Yankovich
*watch TV shows like "The Wiggles," "Wild Kratts," "Wishbone," "Woody Woodpecker," "Word World," and "WordGirl"
*read books that begin with W (Where the Wild Things Are, Who Said Whoo? or  Where the Sidewalk Ends)
*draw with colors like wheat, white, or wisteria

Food that starts with W:
wafers
waffles
waldorf salad
walnuts
watermelon
Western omelettes
wheat
Wheat Thins
Wheaties
white rice
whole grains
wild berries
Wisconsin cheese
wontons

Favorite W Bible verses:
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with the humble is wisdom." Proverbs 11:2
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid." Proverbs 12:1 (my kids love that this verse has two words that we do not use in our house... it cracks them up)
"Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all you heart." Ephesians 6:6

This is the W that we found during L's ABC summer of photography. It is part of the sails on a model sailboat we have sitting on a bookshelf.