Bucket List

A bucket list is a number of experiences or achievements a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime. It came from the term "kicked the bucket" referring to when someone has passed away. There are thousands of things that could be on one's bucket list and many times I do not realize when an experience is on mine until I am in the process of experiencing it or I plan to experience it. I have a pretty lengthy bucket list. I think my list is realistic and definitely achievable by the end of my lifetime (if I live for another 50 years give or take), I think that is a perk of being an occupational therapist. When writing goals for clients we make sure they are measurable and achievable. Why create a goal someone cannot reach? Instead create goals one can reach and then create new goals to push them further. I feel this way about my bucket list. As I accomplish tasks on my list, I add new ones. Below s my current list of things I wish to accomplish (in no particular order and I am sure as I get older or get to experience new things, I will realize it should have been added to this list a while ago) in the next 50 or so years.

• Visit all 50 states (over 1/2 way there)
• Travel Europe
• Go on a road trip with my best friend Courtney to Sheboygan, WI in a red convertible and a package of Depends
• Volunteer in a 3rd world country
• Adopt a child
• See the Northern Lights
• Visit Manitoba with dad and watch the polar bear migration
• Take my Grandma on a Caribbean cruise and see her swim with a dolphin
• Go on a Disney Cruise
• Throw a dart at a map and travel to wherever it lands or go on a road trip with no planned destination
• Put a lock on a love bridge
• Pay a stranger's tab at a restaurant
• Ride a gondola and eat gelato in Italy
• Go to the Olympics as a spectator
• Spend NYE in NYC
• Collect shot glasses from every continent (All I need is one more from Antarctica; if anyone knows anyone going!)
• Read every James Patterson book written (besides his Juvenile series)
• Attend the Kentucky Derby
• Go skydiving
• See a volcano 
• Go horseback riding
• Go to the World's Fair
• Stand in the 4 corners
• Go on a hot air balloon ride
• Go whale watching
• Visit an elephant sanctuary
• Visit with family in Luca, Italy
• Visit Ghiloni Cafe in Kirkintilloch Glasgow
• Attend Cherry Blossom Festival in DC
• Visit John Denver's Memorial in Aspen, CO
• See the Waterfire in Providence, RI
• Stay at Riverside Inn B&B in Warsaw, KY
• Visit Puget Sound in Washington
• Purchase every item on my Amazon wish list
• Attend a Seattle Seahawks game in Seattle
• Attend a New Orleans Saints game in NOLA
• Be debt free
• Watch the sunrise in one place and set in another
• Visit the Equator
• Stay at a resort in the Maldives
• Experience Christmas in NYC (done 2x!)
• Snorkel in the Caribbean ocean (found out it's one of my favorite things to do)
• Meet a dolphin
• Go on a cruise
• Be a Maid of Honor (2x completed)
• Graduate college
• Go to Disney World and visit all 4 kingdoms
• Go to NYC for World Autism Awareness Day and see the ESB lit blue
• Get a tattoo 

Winter Fest Crafts and Games

This year I volunteered along with one of my co-workers to be chair of the crafts and games at our Winter Fest. This is a time when all of our kids perform their songs they have been working hard on in music therapy and a time for our families to gather to celebrate the season. The theme this year was Christmas around the world. We decided to have our crafts and games split into 5 countries with a game and craft representing the country or holiday celebrated there. We chose Israel, Mexico, Africa, USA, and Sweden. Below are the pictures of the crafts and games we did as well as the posters that were designed by students.

Winter Therapy Ideas

One of my duties as a Occupational Therapy Assistant at my job is to complete a group project weekly. Last week we made water bottle penguins. This was perfect to work on fine motor skills and bilateral coordination. The kids had to hold the water bottles while using their preferred hand to put cottons balls into the bottles. Next I had precut the body, arms, and feet but to work on cutting you could have the kids cut out the pieces themselves, the kids used wet glue to paste them to the water bottle. I found the glue to not want to stick so well so we added a rubber band to help everything stay in place until the glue dried. Next we added the feather and tape around the top and glued the eyes and nose on.

This past week we made Christmas trees out of strips of paper by gluing to construction paper. Each child was given 6 different size strips of paper and were required to sequence the pieces in order from smallest to largest. Once sequenced they glued each piece down and added the trunk and a star. They then dipped a q-tip into white paint and added snow. Really easy and super cute!!!!