As I've mentioned in the magazine, my boys and I have a Summer Bucket list each year. It's filled with activities that my boys want to accomplish. This year's list was pretty long. I hope this isn't a yearly trend.

On this year's bucket list:

• See Crater Lake - the boys wanted to see this wonderful national park. Read about our roadtrip to Crater Lake and see the pictures in the Aug/Sep issue of MOM.
• Watch a drive-in movie - we went to Motor Vu Drive-in in Dallas, OR to watch Toy Story 3. Boys had a total blast!
• Eat astronaut food - this one was easier than I first thought. I purchased freeze dried meals, cooked them according to directions, and voila! Astronaut food for dinner. This accomplishement earned me a "you are the coolest mom ever!" comment from Colby.
• Camp in a yurt - WOW! Can I just say how much yurts rock?! For a single mom and two boys, it is a safe alternative to camping. We are already planning more yurt outings.

The final item was accomlished tonight. My boys wanted to ride a train for the very first time. We drove up to the Salem train station and rode the Amtrak home. We took along a friend who'd never been on a train. We all had a blast and ate ice cream during the train ride. I do want to apologize to all the passengers who actually stayed in their seats during the trip...my kids wanted to walk all the way the to the front AND back of the train...over and over. How's your Summer Bucket List coming along?