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Time flies and before you know it your son will be…ELEVEN years old.  I can’t believe that my son, Brock, will turn 11 next month.  I interviewed him to find out what he considers to be some of the most memorable activities we’ve done together.  After the interview he added that he finds our shared mom-son activities to be “adventurous”.  I hope that you find inspiration, adventure, and blessings in Brock’s list of the top 5 things to do with your son before he’s 11.

1.  See The World

Brock ranked “taking trips” as his #1 activity.

Start Early

I believe that you CAN travel with children.  Having kids doesn’t mean that you are confined to your home.  It’s been my observation that children who are accustomed to travel learn patience and adaptability.

While I was on maternity leave I would pack my son into my little red Saturn (I loved that car and loved that it had a convenient 3rd door!).  We would head up to my hometown of Onekama, MI, and spend time with my parents and sister.  Even without all of the items on the baby shower registry, we survived.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Boats)

As an infant, Brock traveled by train to Chicago for a weekend get-away where we met up with his Aunt and Uncle.  When he was one year old we took the Lake Express car ferry to Milwaukee, WI.  Around 20 months old we went to Kauai.  At age 3, the Florida Keys.  A few years ago he was in Mexico and then Florida again.  We also take road trips which are so much fun!

Our road trip destinations have included Detroit, for Tigers games, Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky, and trips “up north” to places like Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island, and the Upper Peninsula (U.P.).  By the way…in Michigan “up north” is a destination.  Basically “up north” is anywhere north of where you are at the moment.

Summer 2016

Brock sites our trip last summer as his all time favorite.  This trip included a different car ferry to Wisconsin.  This one, The Badger, sails between Ludington, MI, and Manitowoc, WI.  From Manitowoc we drove north to Green Bay for a tour of Lambeau Field.

 

The Packer’s stadium is a genuine masterpiece.  Truth be told, I’m not really that into football.  However, I am NOW a Packers fan!  I recommend spending the entire day at Lambeau Field.  Go on the Legendary Tour.  It’s the best because you get all of the tours wrapped into one.

When you get hungry, which you will because you’ll do a lot of walking, there is a wonderful onsite restaurant, 1919 Kitchen & Tap.  I’m a foodie so trust me; they have excellent food at a very reasonable price.

One other side note…be prepared to get autographs from the players.  We had no idea this would be a possibility.  We were lucky enough to have a Sharpie in the car and Brock came away with autographs on his Packers football.

From Green Bay we continued north with a stop at Pine Mountain Ski Jump; home to one of the largest ski jumps in the world.

To get some exercise, we climbed to the top.  It didn’t seem very windy on the ground.  Higher up, you could feel the structure moving.

My mission was to make it all the way to Copper Harbor, Michigan, that night.  We stayed at a local motel called the Brockway Inn.  (How could we stay anywhere else?  If the lodging options include Brock in the name, we’ll stay there)  Within walking distance of Brockway Inn is a super cute mini-golf course.  BTW…it is BYOB after 3pm 🙂

 

2.  Spend Time with Your Son in the Kitchen

Brock ranked “baking” as his second favorite activity.

Get your son comfortable cooking and baking when he’s young.  It’s a good way to have together time while teaching life skills.

Cooking or Baking

Cooking is for me what baking is for Brock.  He loves baking cookies.  Chocolate chip, molasses, oatmeal, and peanut butter are some of his favorites.  I started him young and he is now very competent in the kitchen.  His competencies include pancakes and waffles from scratch.  This year he started making his own scrambled eggs.

Brock has been baking since he was in his highchair.  He had his hands on spoons, measuring cups, and the electric mixer.  One time we were making homemade pumpkin cheesecake and I turned my back to rinse my hands at the sink.  Immediately I knew that was a bad move.  I heard the mixer and let’s just say that pumpkin cheesecake batter can travel quite far.

3.  Take A Class Together

Ranked #3 on Brock’s list is “boating.”

Learn

Find an opportunity to take a class together.

We realized early-on that boating was going to be one of Brock’s favorite activities.  Since our family spends a lot of time boating, I knew it would be a good idea for us to get our boater’s licenses.

I am so proud of him.  The length of the class is a struggle for most adults.  At age 8, he handled the 6 hour class like a champ.  After approximately 5 hours of class there’s a 60 question test.  If you pass, you get your boater’s license.  Each of us earned our boater’s license!

One of Brock’s favorite boating memories is when one of my friends, her son, Brock, and I took the boat for an afternoon cruise.  We were two moms, two boys, and a boat.  By the way, Brock is an excellent boat driver and loves to be the Captain.

4.  Share A Sport with Your Son

Brock ranked “snowboarding” as his #4 favorite.

Having a shared sport is a great way to make memories while exercising.

Tennis and golf are a couple of sports we share.  Snowboarding is another.

Your Sport May Not Be His Sport

Brock started skiing when he was 2.  It was at age 5 that he converted to snowboarding.

One day he was in kid’s ski school and I was off with a friend.  I looked up to find him, at age 4, on a lift all by himself.  I was mortified not only by the fact that he was on a lift alone, but also by the fact that he was twisting around, watching the snowboarders in the terrain park.

One the way home that afternoon we agreed that the following winter he would be able to start snowboarding.  The following year with Brock on his board, and me on skis…I quickly became impatient as I waited for him to adjust his bindings every time we were at the top of the hill.

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!  One winter of waiting on him to get his bindings set was all it took.  The next year I decided to learn how to snowboard.  Brock’s learning curve was much shorter than mine.  I am still learning and I have a great mentor.  Brock encourages me to try new techniques and is my biggest fan.

5.  Go Swimming, Son!

Ranked #5 on Brock’s list is “swimming”.

Cannonball!!!

Make sure your son learns how to swim.  The practical reasons for knowing how to swim are obvious.  What about the fact that it is just plain fun?  Be a kid for a few hours and go swimming together.

Summer for us means spending hours and hours in the pool.  “Mom, watch me!”  “Hey Mom, look at this!” “Mom, Mom, Mom…”.

By the way…if your son is swimming, he won’t be on his electronics.  He’ll sleep really well too.

I would love to see your comments below:  What are your top 5 favorite mom-son activities?  What does your son say are his top 5 favorite mom-son activities?

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Melissa Myers

Melissa is Sunkissed and Blessed. She shares her experiences and ideas for living a blessed life full of abundance and gratitude.  Connect with Melissa below or at: sunkissedandblessed@gmail.com.
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