I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things I want LeLe and Little Bug to experience as they grow up. Not so much when they are teenagers, but that 2-12 year old period of their lives. I remember some experiences as a child that really meant something to me, and still look back on fondly. I’m calling this the Cereal Kids Bucket List. I will probably add to the list as we go along, but I have a solid start here:

1) Go to Disneyland. Mr. Cereal and I are Disney freaks. We love Disneyland, we went there for our honeymoon and Mr. Cereal surprised me with a trip there for my 30th birthday. It is our special place with tons of good memories, and we both love the magic of it. I can’t wait to share this magic with our kids. LeLe loves Minnie right now and she would be thrilled to see her in person. Little Bug is still too little to know anything about Disney or Disneyland, but he does love thrills, so I can imagine that Disneyland will be an exciting place for him!

2) Get a dog. When I was a kid, I always wanted my own dog, or at least to have a say in the next dog we got. I think it would be so cool to be able to answer yes when LeLe or Little Bugs asks for a puppy/dog.

3) Take a road trip. Right now long trips in the car are pretty miserable because Little Bug hates the car. But my dream scenario right now is a road trip around Oregon to see a series of 6 waterfalls. LeLe loves waterfalls and this would be a three day trip, which is a great timeline. There are two towns along the way that are awesome, so we could extend our trip to a week and make some really amazing memories!

4) Take a train trip. I love trains and so does LeLe. She has been asking me to go on a train for the last few months, and pretty soon I am going to plan out a day trip for Lele and I to take the train north to Portland. We can go to the big children’s museum and hop on the train back home at the end of the day.

5) Go to a professional sporting event. This is wide open with possibilities for us with the number of teams that are close by. I remember going to a Trailblazers basketball game when I was 11 and it was such a great experience. We got to meet one of the players and I was beside myself with excitement. I want my kids to feel that kind of excitement.

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6) Go to a concert that LeLe and Little Bug choose. This could get risky, but I want them to choose a band/singer/ballet/etc that they want to see and we will take them to it. Concerts are one of those experiences that can really inspire you and I would love to see what they choose, and how it makes them feel to experience it.

7) Play hooky from school. One of the things I have looked forward to the most when becoming a parent is being able to take LeLe or Little Bug out of school for a day to go to a movie, or to the beach, or just to ice cream. It’s all about the element of surprise here, and making sure that whatever activity I choose is something they really enjoy.

8) Build a fort or tree house. I always wanted a tree house when I was a kid and I remember when my dad finally built us one. It was a spectacular day when we finally got to climb the ladder into the tree house. If we don’t have a tree to build in, we can build a fort instead and hide out in there.

9) Ride the Santa Express. We have the Mt. Hood scenic railroad in Oregon. In November and December, they have specific days and times that they change the train over to the Santa Express. Families are encouraged to come in pajamas and the train attendants are dressed up and serve hot chocolate. At the midway point, the kids get to meet Santa and then it’s back onto the train to the station. I did this as a kid and it was ridiculously exciting and fun.

10) Decorate their rooms however they want. I always shared a room and the walls were always a boring white. I remember wanting to be able to have some control over my space, but it never was an option. I’d love to sit down with them and see what they would like to have, then come up with a plan to make it happen. I think it’s important for them to have a space that they love.

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I know as my kids get older, this list will change and more things will float onto it. Do you have any bucket list items for your kids to experience?