West Coast Adventures

Are you sick of the videos yet?  This one is a little delayed in coming, but back in May we flew with all three littles to California to join the rest of my family in celebrating my brother Andrew's graduation from medical school.

It was Bode's and Brooks' first airplane rides, and everyone did great!  We flew into Palm Springs and spent lots of time at the pool and just hanging out.

We took one day to surprise the kids with a jaunt to Disneyland, which ended up being extremely crowded due to 60th anniversary festivities.  Despite the crowds and therefore limited number of rides we spent the time waiting for, Maggie and Bode were thrilled with their first Disney experience.

The Dells Tradition - Vacation Number Two

As has become a yearly (and sometimes biyearly) tradition, our family took off for Wisconsin Dells for three nights this past week.  We spent most of our leisure time enjoying the waterparks at the Wilderness.  Maggie continues to love the water and even accompanied Steve on a dark tube waterslide called "Dueling Mammoths."  Both were quite relieved to see the light at the end of the waterslide tunnel.  And Bode surprised us by venturing down several waterslides that he had not previously attempted.  He needed some coaxing, but then kept requesting "one more time" as we tried to make our exit.

Besides enjoying dinners out at our favorite restuarants, Moose Jaw Pizza and Marley's, we also revisited the Wisconsin Deer Park after a one year hiatus.

Enjoy Steve's video!

Principal Conference...or Summer Vacation Number One

June traditionally brings the MASSP (Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals) conference at Breezy Point Resort.  The past two years, Steve has attended while Maggie, Bode, and I held down the fort at home.  After observing many other school principals with their families last year, Steve invited us to come along for this session.  While his days were filled with useful meetings (seriously!), the crew and I found activities to keep us busy as we enjoyed some good ol' Up North relaxation.

Steve volunteered his skills at making a slide show of our time, also including photos of a few hours at the superintendent's cabin on Ten Mile Lake, a brief tour for old time's sake at Camp Shamineau, and a day and a half with family in Princeton.

Pomp and Circumstance

Congrats to the graduate!  The preschool graduate, that is.

After her class sang a couple precious songs to an adoring audience, Maggie walked across the stage to receive her rolled-up coloring sheet, wearing a miniature mortarboard.  Adorbs.  The program finished with a slide show recapping their year.

Cookies and juice were awaiting us in the lobby, and Maggie picked up the alphabet book that she had constructed over the course of the school year as they learned about each letter.  The teachers also had wrapped books for each of the children as a graduation gift.  Maggie's package contained three chapter books (have I mentioned she is a voracious reader?).  More than her academic proficiencies, however, I am most proud of how her teachers talk about the kindness she shows to others.  While we, as parents, are more aware than anyone of our children's shortcomings and weaknesses, we give thanks for the way we see their character being refined by God.

On to Kindergarten!

Six Months

Happy 6 months to this guy!

Can't believe half a year has passed since he came into our lives. Here's what he's up to these days:

• Still just two bottom teeth, but working on two top ones.
• Finally figured out rolling over from back to front. Even though he can also roll tummy to back, he often gets too frustrated when he gets to his tummy.
• Sleeps a 2-3 hour stretch at the beginning of the night in his own crib, but then likes to be up every hour or so after that, so it's easier to be in bed with Mommy.
• Starting to nap in longer chunks during the day in his crib.
• Can sit on his own for short lengths of time.
• Just started making drooly raspberry sounds.
• Now eats rice cereal, sweet potatoes, apples, mangoes, and bananas.
• Laughs and smiles when he sees Maggie and Bode.
• Coos at Asia (dog) and Toby (cat).

Sisterly Love

The other day, I overheard Maggie inform Bode,

"You made me a big sister.  Did you know that?  I wasn't a sister before you were born."

Awww, they really do love each other.

Future AFV Star

One of the favorite shows at our house is AFV ("America's Funniest Home Videos," as it used to be called).  Maggie desperately wants to be on this show and is planning how to make it happen.  Today she gave Bode permission to "be mean" to her so they could be on the show.  She just had a few stipulations:

"You can't push me out of a chair.  You can't push me off the swing."

"I know!" exclaimed Bode.

And that was that.  We'll see what comes of their scheme.  I'm a little nervous.