Site Title

 The last thing to cross off on our summer to-do list was to make it to the new Twins stadium… and since we never made it to a game, we headed up there for a tour, which was the next best thing (and totally pacified Zach).  It actually was even hard to get tickets to that… we had been waiting for over a month for the open spot!  It was an early, rainy morning, but it was well worth it.  The kids had the time of their lives.  Zach couldn't get over being ON an actual major league baseball field.  (He actually put some dirt from the warning track in his pocket…)  Emma enjoyed having her picture taken by everything Zach did (she doesn't want to be any less of a Twins fan than him), and Carter took a great liking to our "grandpa-ish" tour guide.  Insisted on holding his hand for the last part of the tour.  (Sort of drug him around… luckily the guy was nice because I could not convince Carter to let go.)  A couple of pictures from the big event…

More dejunking… goodbye small animal trap…

and bird's nest that fell out of our tree…

and painted (and cracked) styrofoam bowl.  

(I was the keeper of the bird's nest… it was a hard day for me, too. :) 

   So our last campout was unbearably hot… this one, everyone woke up cold.  Luckily we were in the backyard this time and Nate just went in for more blankets.  It was an end-of-summer celebration to burn the rest of our woodpile, and we had a roaring fire, lots of smores, and even found some glow-sticks that still worked.  It renewed our faith in camping – good thing, since it can be so much fun.  

 The latest Lego obsession around here.  Big enough that Zach finally spent some of his saved-up money (he had saved $29!!!) to buy William Furno.  Yes, I know who that is… and all about lightning throwers… and more.  With Zach around, I will never be afraid of going a day without learning something new.    

So maybe it wasn't the Declaration of Independence, but it's signing was a pretty big deal in our house.  Here, Nate and Mike stand with their signed copies of the purchase agreement to buy an OMFS practice together in Salt Lake… pretty exciting stuff!    

Even if the pile is not very big.  And the leaves are all green.  Can you tell we're excited for fall??

Several times a day, I'll hear Carter grunting up the stairs.  I peek around the corner to see what he's doing, and he is always lugging some ENORMOUS object up the stairs.  I ask him if he needs help, and his reply is always, "I'm okay!"  So far… boy and objects have made it to the top in one piece, including this one …  

 

This is Carter's version of "thumbs-up".  He has no idea why we love it so much.

we spent the first Saturday after school started de-cluttering the kids' rooms/closets/headboards.  No pictures of the finished product, but to get them to part with anything, I took lots of pictures of treasures…

The pictures say it all:  she LOVED it.  When I asked her what her favorite part was, she said "everything!"  When I made her be specific (told her it was getting written down) she said, "learning about new friends and riding the bus!"  I spent the whole morning being excited about school and hoping it would dispel any nervousness… and it apparently worked (for both of us.)  She can't wait to go again tomorrow!  I am so proud of my big, brave kindergarten girl!

  

 Great teacher, good friends, Captain Underpants books, being the hero with the Lego magazine on the bus, getting to play on the "big toy" while he waits to go in in the mornings, honestly… what's not to love about it? With a little less adjustment for both of us this year, the beginning of second grade has been a lot of fun.