4th of July Weekend

We managed to squeeze a lot of things into the weekend.  There was a progressive dinner with some of our neighbors, lots of playtime with the neighborhood kids, fireworks and another relaxing dinner with other friends.

There was some apprehension from us on how Ely would handle the holiday, but he did great.  He was definitely anxious, but there wasn't any destructive behavior thankfully!

I was humbled by the reminder that it shouldn't be so hard for me to not do anything productive (cleaning projects, computer or yard maintenance) for a day.  I decided to take it as a lesson that I should chill out more often.

Also, we are happy to celebrate one year with Ely.  We hope the best for his original family and sent an update to RAGOM's Happy Endings page...

Camping at Kathio

Camping at Kathio

Antie She and I took the girls camping to try out our new tent with the girls.  We headed northwest to Kathio State Park right by Mille Lacs.  We left earlier than planned, didn't encounter too much traffic and made excellent time in getting to the park.  Checking in wasn't a problem and neither was finding our campsite.  As we backed the car into the site though, we noticed a bog and SWARMS of various insects.  

Uh-oh.

Both kids freaked and I fought the urge to panic.  Antie She's legs were covered in horse fly bites from before we got the DEET applied.  Once the repellent was applied, we settled in and got the tent set up.  The girls helped get things organized inside the tent, Antie She worked at the site and I attempted to kill the majority of bugs that had entered our vehicle.  Then it started to rain, which quickly accelerated to a downpour.  Unfortunately I didn't remember that I had opened a tent window right by Antie She's sleeping bag.  Whoops... she got my sleeping bag that night while I slept under towels.  

Due to the rain, we went to a nearby Dairy Queen for dinner and looked around the park.  Thankfully, the rain stopped long enough to get the girls showered and settled in their sleeping bags.  Sofia was the only one who slept through the overnight thunder storm, but it was fine.  

Saturday was our only full day at the park, so we made the most of it.  We went to a nature lecture on the archaeology of the area, climbed the fire tower, went canoeing, made snacks at the playground and beach (where Antie She showed off her fire-making skills) and ended the night with s'mores.  Everyone slept better without the rain and it was a beautiful day!

On Sunday, we headed home fairly early.  Daddy missed us and we needed to prepare for the upcoming week.  The girls told everyone they had a great time and I made notes on what to bring/do differently  next time.

 

 

Weekend with Ely in Hayward

Our weekend away with Ely

Daddy has been visiting Hayward, WI for his job and found a hotel that will take dogs.  We brought Ely to the town's annual MuskyFest.  There was a carnival and street fair we all went to.  We even took Ely for a short paddleboat ride!  The girls got to swim in the pool twice.  Daddy took the girls mini-golfing while I walked Ely around.  Samantha even got 2 holes-in-one!  She was so proud of herself!

It was awesome to realize we can take him with us on a 4+ hour drive.  We love that he's portable and can join us on our adventures!

International Children's Festival 2013

We got to spend the whole day with our friends at the International Children's Festival.  It's a tradition that we've done for a few years.  The dads weren't able to come, but we made the best of it.  We ended up heading back to our friend's house for dinner and got to spend the entire day with them!

I tried to keep the girls out of the house since it's smelly from all the work that's being done.  I'll completely admit that I'm nervous about the chemicals in new carpet, varnishes and paint.  Thankfully, the paint was no-VOC which was the best possible outcome.

 

 

 

Sofia's last days as a preschooler

Sofia's last week as a preschooler included a playdate at a friend's house (with good manners!) and her spring program at school.  Daddy had been out of town, but made it back to see his girl shine. Nana, Papa and Grammy came to watch her too.

Her smile has changed quite a bit since she lost a top tooth in a scooter wipeout last week.  Yesterday she pulled the other top tooth out herself (it had been hanging since the crash) and was very proud of herself.  I saw the fall and remained calm throughout - I was grateful it wasn't worse, but it was scary for me to watch.  Sofia refused to come home afterwards and insisted that we walk Ely.  It was obvious she was in pain, but she got right back on her scooter and moved on.  I think she enjoyed showing off the various cuts and scrapes too.

It's hard to believe that Sofia will start kindergarten already.  As I took her to school this morning, she said, "Two more days of preschool and then it's on to kindergarten at GH".  Wow... she really does understand!  I'm relieved she seems to be handling the transition well so far!

Samantha's final days in 2nd grade

Last week I went to school to see Samantha's class perform a play to thank all the volunteers from the year.  Her friend got to play me with the Art Adventure program, which was hilarious!  Samantha played Mrs. Braun which was a surprise to no one, I'm sure.  Another volunteer asked if I was her mom and when I said yes, he stated that Samantha is in control of her environment.  I laughed and nodded.  I hear so many positive comments from adults who know her. 

Yes, I think this kid is extraordinary.

There was a school picnic, the final chess club tournament and the bags of schoolwork that made their way home.  I'm proud that Samantha got through ALL of it so it's one less thing to do when summer is over.

Memorial Day Weekend 2013

Antie and Uncie came up for a visit so most of our weekend was spent with them, Nana, Papa, Uncle Todd, Aunt Shelly, Jordan and Dylan.  The kids were great, the food was great and the company was even better.  Time flew, but it was a wonderful weekend.

Uncie came on a stroll with me, Ely and the girls.  I guess we forgot to tell Daddy and Antie that we were leaving because they were surprised to find us gone.  Whoops!

On Monday we also paid our respects at Great Grandpa Irving and Great Grandma Rose's graves.  We placed our rocks on the headstone and were silent for a moment.  Then we found Irving's parents graves.  

Since we are preparing to sell our house, we spent most of the day going through the girl's rooms.  They hung in there for hours deciding what to keep and what to discard.  (There was a lot of stuff to go through!)  We did jumping jacks to keep our energy up and completed the task.  The girls and I find the lack of art work on the walls disturbing, but Daddy likes the "clean look".  Slowly, we are making this home into a house to sell and I find myself getting more nostalgic than I care to admit.  As with anything, this too shall pass and it's all part of the process.