Adventures with my daughters and their friends

I was gone for a business trip all of last week.  Daddy did great single-parenting all week and there were no problems.  The grandparents all helped out too.  We really are blessed to have all the support we do.  I missed my family so much travelling, but it was good to know they're fine without me.  It was wonderful to have everyone pick me up from the airport, so thanks for making that happen!

I was so happy to be home... I forgot how lonely the road can be.

Yesterday we rode our bikes for a picnic at a park.  It was cold and windy, but we still made it fun playing games.  Then I took Samantha to the library and out to a bookstore.  We spent the rest of the day simply relaxing.

Today we began the day with some relaxation and a bike ride to tire Ely out.  Then I took the girls and their friends to a nearby zoo.  There were 5 girls total and they were all fantastic.  After we dropped the last friend off, the girls and I talked about the challenges and what we'll do differently next time.  I was really impressed with everyone's behavior as well as my own.  We ran out of time, but we all had fun and got plenty of exercise walking around.

Sofia's Consecration

It's tradition for Jews to celebrate a child beginning her Jewish education and we celebrated Sofia's today.  She was very proud of herself and it was special.  Sofia just shines.

Husky Hustle 2013

Fundraising for the girl's school is getting donations for a 5K walk/run.  All of us did it last year and this year Ely came too.  I walked and ran with Sofia and her friend Zella while Daddy was with Samantha and Allie. It rained at the end which is why you see Ely soaked afterwards.  He was worn out!

First Day of School (Sofia's off to Kindergarten!)

Sofia went on the bus today with Samantha to her first day of Kindergarten!  I'm filled with emotion and pride thinking about her waving from the bus.  Yes, everyone is right when they say our children grow up too fast.  I understand it's one of those "Circle of Life" things and it's not that I want her to stay young forever.  I consider it one of the greatest privileges to watch my children grow and I love the fact that I truly enjoy the people my kids are.  They are going out into the world equipped with as much wisdom as we can give them and are both incredible girls.

Daddy and I are so lucky!

Labor Day Weekend 2013

This weekend was awesome!  We ended the summer with friends and family time.  Samantha had a friend sleepover on Friday while Sofia went to a friend's house for a playdate.  Sofia swam at her friend's pool and I took Samantha and Allie swimming.  Then we all went out for ice cream.  When we got home, the older girls vegged in front of the TV for a bit before eventually falling asleep by 11pm.

Saturday began with a big breakfast and a bike ride to a local beach, then to the coffee shop.  Then I took Samantha and Allie portaging and swimming to Lebanon Hills.  The hiking went quickly as I managed to carry the canoe by myself.  I was very proud of myself.

We celebrated my birthday with a trip to the Bad Waitress.  It was a fun restaurant that we haven't been to and went to "that park".  It was a good day for us all.

More Summer Highlights

Here are some other highlights from the past season.  I have an awesome family!

Samantha baking with her cousins.

Block Party

The ice cream truck!

Trips to Farmer's Markets.

Happy Father's Day!

 An impromptu parade with friends.

Dinners with Grammy.

A spring anomaly... yes, that's an iceberg.  I know every year the weather seems crazy, but this spring really was nutty!

Time spent with one kid at a time...

Sleepovers

Ely doing his part in the battle with buckthorn.

And relaxing.

Time with friends.

Teamwork in our community... I should add that no one was paid for their work.

New adventures for our family at the Aquatennial this year.

And ending an era of gymnastics...

End of Summer traditions

The great Minnesota Get-Together began yesterday signaling the end of summer. August is usually a crunch time for us where we try to fit in the many things we didn't get to and back-to-school preparations.

One of our traditions is to sponsor a child's school supplies and get them an outfit.  The child we had this year was homeless.  That sparked a lot of discussions with Samantha and a few with Sofia too.  We talked about how lucky our family is and that it's important for us to help those that aren't as fortunate.  I take the focus from giving money to giving time and specific things (i.e. food, cards, etc) for charitable work.  As I write this, Samantha is planning a baking day where she will donate food to our synagogue.  I'm proud that both girls show humility because life is unpredictable and it's simply good karma (or practicing tikkun olam "repair of the world" depending on your perspective) to be positive.

Daddy took the week off to spend with the girls since they didn't have camp.  It's worked out that way the past few years and they seem to cherish the time together.  He made a point to take them clothes shopping individually.

I lost my list of foods we ate at the State Fair this year, but I'm sure we got cheese curds!