Fall days

Beautiful fall days like today should be spent outside. So that's exactly what we did. Nearly every hour of the day was outside, we even skipped naptime to soak in more daylight. 

First on the agenda was a trip down to this place: 

 Because I get some of THE best pictures with their rows and rows of pumpkins. The girls cooperated and I'm starting to think instead of Christmas cards, I should start sending out Halloween cards! 

 And we were all decked out in our MN Vikings gear, preparing for their great game of the day :) 

 After taking a bazillion pictures and picking out several tiny pumpkins for our project (more on that later), we went inside and were greeted with rows and rows of candy. The girls picked out all sorts of delicious sugary treats and couldn't wait to try them. Regan went first, and despite the look on her face, she really did love the sour sugary goodness in her mouth. 

 Sidney went next. Clearly the girls aren't used to devouring this type of treat. Their faces explain it all, and I just love it! 

 We got home and started in on our "project": Glitter pumpkins! 

What a great idea (much better done outside). 

 These were our first two, they turned out in the fair category. The next several ended up with much more glitter on them and looked fabulous. Sadly, I didn't take pictures as my hands were also covered in both glitter and glue. They are now decorating our island and kitchen table, and the girls are so proud!

While Ryan went to hit the golf course, I took the girls to the local Japanese Gardens. This place is absolutely lovely. Simply put, it is serene, breath taking and beautiful.

 We ran into a classmate of Regan's and the kids enjoyed exploring the gardens on their own while us moms walked the path over and over trying to keep up. 

 I was able to catch some fun pictures of the girls after they finished racing around the place. I mentioned to Regan that someday she could have her wedding at this place, she got all googly eyed as she thought about that. Oh boy, look out!

 Ah this face, I could just eat her up!

 Regan was willing to pose for me, anywhere and at anytime. Love it!

The night ended with a big wheel ride to the park and back again. We sure soaked up every second of this day.  

And then before retiring for the day, we raked one big leaf pile and took turns jumping in. YEA for gorgeous fall days!

Fall photo shoot 2012

Once again, we ventured to a nearby park to see the fall colors on THE. MOST. AMAZING. TREE. EVER!. It's the place we've gone since Regan was born, click HERE for all the previous years. I normally prefer the whole "jeans and sweatshirts"/Caribou-in-hand weather for this photo shoot, but I can't control the weather. And if it wants to be near 80 at the end of September, I'll soak it up and roll with it. 

 I took close to 80 pictures; here's just a few from the day. 

Oh how I simply love these two. More and more each day. 

was I seeing this right? 

red. orange. yellow. 

this place is breath taking beautiful

 Regan was the star of the day. She'd pose for a picture, turn and smile, and try to convince Sidney to do the same (which we both failed at miserably). 

instead, she did a lot of this. 

 because, you see, Sidney has a lot of me in her. Not the drama part...wait, maybe that too. But the "I must always be clean and free from germs" part. And at this particular park, there are A LOT of geese. Which means a LOT of geese poo. 

 We really should work on family fall pictures, at this park some year. The backdrop is unbelievable. 

 We met up with some friends who seemed to love this park just as much as we do. I sense they'll be coming back yearly too. 

 Sidney's smile is contagious and her giggle is infectious. 

and today was no different. 

 

This park is one of the reasons I love fall. Now if it would only stay this nice through March, I would be ecstatic! 

Buzz Buzz Busy Bee

This girl is a busy one. Between gymnastics, art classes, "church school" and dance classes, she is our social butterfly. Although recently, we've had some big girl discussions with her and the conclusion: she is doing better at actually listening/participating in the activity versus excelling at just the socializing part. Which means a happier mom and dad too. 

I remember attending activities as a young girl for the socialization, so I don't want to discourage her from that. After all, we do want her to be a good friend! So we're just working on more of a balance. And it's boiling down to an increase in play dates to get the social part out of the way at a more appropriate time. 

Just what I need,...add more to our busy calendar!

Today in school she earned a "gold star" equivalent, something she's been striving to achieve since kindergarten. 

Way to go Regan! So proud of you!

Just the girls

Wednesday nights are changing around here; gone are our Wednesday night dinners, replaced with church school. Today, we had a quick appointment, then it was off to Lake Harriet for some yummy ice cream as we watched the sailboats on this gorgeous fall afternoon. The colors around the lake are beyond stunning. 

 Then, as Regan participated in her Wednesday evening church class, Sidney and I got to hang out at a nearby park. She made a friend quickly and I was left in the dust. I really love to watch the girls interact with friends, new or old. So although tonight worked out in my favor, I'm not looking forward to entertaining Sidney for an hour in the dead of winter.

Fairy fairy

Regan received this note in her desk on Monday afternoon: 

Boy was this slightly OCD extreme germ freak mom so proud of her for keeping her space at school tidy and neat. Regan then told me that she helped her little friend clean up his desk in hopes that he too could earn a "treat" from the desk fairy. I think I need to use this love of fairies to my advantage in hopes of eliminating one little girls' whining skills. 

Because she could win an award with her ability! 

Nick Universe

This weekend we celebrated Maddi's graduation with a trip to Nickolodeon Universe. The girls were, of course, in their glory with all the rides at their fingertips. Not to mention a quick trip to the American Girl Doll Store. 

Regan and Carson went on plenty of bigger kid rides. Regan LOVES anything that goes up and down, round and round but prefers medium speed. She joined Hunter, Maddi, Zevlen, Ashley, Ryan and me on a super fast, wrap-speed death defying ride...ok, so it wasn't that bad, but she and I were NOT having fun! I'm proud to say she tried it (at the wee age of 6), but neither of us plan to go back on it for a very long time!  She got off and said "I still like the corkscrew better", me too sweetie!

Sidney and Hudson aren't quite tall enough to go on much by themselves, so they went on several rides over and over again. Laughing and giggling all the way. 

The "frog hopper" as we call it, is one of their favorites!

Thanks for a fun graduation party Part 2 Maddi (and the rest of the Ahlness'!). 

Gooooo TEAM!!

Back HERE, I wrote about a cheer clinic that Regan recently participated in. Tonight was their time to shine as they performed with the varsity cheerleaders at the local football game.
She loved it last year and she loved it again this year. It meant missing one of Maddi's graduation celebrations, but Regan was so darn excited to participate. Her face lit up as she walked around with her "buddy" cheerleader. She really does look up to these pretty girls! 

 And of course, she adores all of her first grader friends that were also a part of the night. She ran around with a couple of them and us parents groaned at how much money we're going to spend over the next 11 years on admission to football games. These games are incredibly well-attended, I think a good portion of the high school was present not to mention middle schools and elementary schools. 

The girls did great; and I love their school spirit!

Congratulations Maddi

This morning, we went to see Maddi's final presentation and graduation from college! We are so proud of you Maddi! Sidney enjoyed walking from booth to booth and checking out all of her classmate's candy dishes projects. 

Congratulations Maddi :) 

hanging around

Regan has some pretty awesome friends. And their moms are pretty awesome too. I love that in the middle of my oh-so-busy, not-so-great day at the hospital, I pick up my phone to find pictures like this waiting for me. 

Regan and her friend were hanging out on the playground and friend's mom snapped this picture. 

Made my day, to see her smiling happy face. She's making some great connections during these elementary years, and I couldn't be more proud of her.  

Final final

Today was our final final. 

Sadly, I think it's officially the end of our 'summer'. 

So we did what we know best, and hopped in for an afternoon of water fun! 

We cleared out the pool shed of all things pool toys, tossed the things with leaks and holes and floated around on things that floated. 

Peek-A-Boo, I see you Regan! 

We invited some friends over for the final final. Ty happens to love the pool, and often asks if we can adopt him. He's 2 years older than Regan but she's roughly the same height. And those two were being awfully silly by the end of the day. 

The pool once again gave us a lot of entertainment, exercise and fun times this summer. We are left wondering what we did with our time before we owned a house with a pool. And now we'll be left wondering what to do with ourselves this fall! Highlights of this year's pool adventures include Regan learning how to dive and swim laps, Sidney getting more confidence and going off the board alone, Sidney learning how to swim more independently, Ryan proving he has Olympic ability to hold his breath, and starting to consider a back flip (I think he's crazy) and I have done enough laps to wear a ditch, and tonight, starting doing back rolls from the ledge (not nearly as crazy as off the board). 

Mommy time

I don't take much time out for myself, what mom does!? So this morning, I woke early, grabbed a friend from down the street and we headed over to a local 5K. 

And to think this is how I wanted to spend some "mommy time"!? HA! It was a beautiful run and for a great cause, the Minnesota Stroke Association. Considering how many patients I see with strokes on a daily basis, this one made sense to me. It was my FIRST real 5K; I've ran 3.1 miles before, just never signed up and paid to run in one! 

We opted for a l---o---n---g brunch afterwards to soak in some quiet time and savor each cup of coffee. Thanks for a great morning Jenny!  

Overbooked

Today was one of those days that we as parents wonder, "why did we do this to ourselves?!". 

The morning started out with Regan's participation in her very first parade. She's been working hard with her dance studio on a few numbers and today was the big day. The rest of us staked out our spots, shockingly found a decent parking spot, and managed to get Regan to the start.

And yes, you are seeing double below....

 She marched/danced for the mile long parade and was pretty exhausted afterwards. Too bad she had all of 4 minutes to scarf down lunch in the truck and head off to a cheerleading clinic. And for the record, these are all activities that SHE wants to do! You see, once she learned how to read, the things that we used to filter could be filtered no more. She sees the signs, she reads the flyers and then (the biggest influence), she hears her friends. And so, we sign up and she doesn't complain, she's just slightly tired for the rest of the day. 

 Sidney left the parade and went directly to a birthday party, for the famous BOYFRIEND that she's been talking all about the past several months. Oh she just thinks he's great. So missing his party was not an option for her. And so, we went. 

On the way there, I had mentioned his full name (first and last strung together) and Sidney says...."I think it sounds like Sidney ____" adding his last name to her first name. 

Seriously girl!? 

She's already married the sweet fella. 

They share a birthday and have been friends for 4 years. I think they make a pretty cute couple. 

And just when we thought everyone was too tired to move, we went for a swim. Because, well, it was 80 something and it's September. In Minnesota. 

We're likely to see one last day of swimming before we close it up for the year. 

First grade update

When one of the girls has a birthday, the blog tends to get a little heavy on that child. So to even things out, and to ensure the grandma's that this sweetie is still around, here's a picture to prove it. 

She's thriving in first grade, loving her new class and asking me each day to pick her up later so she can spend more time with her friends. 

She's reading chapter books and her writing her name in neat print. I'm over-the-top-excited that her new best classmate happens to be a super smart, very good reader and writer as well as a sweet girl.
Regan still enjoys dance classes and has been in an extra dance class the last few weeks as her studio prepares for the upcoming parade. She's also in gymnastics although is much less interested in this sport and is likely to finish out the session and hang up her leotard. We've discovered that swimming is a bigger interest, so we'll change directions. 

As for play time, she and Sidney adore their American Girl Dolls and it's really all we do around here besides play games. Toys are just not something Regan was ever interested in. 

Four Year Stats

Sidney took a trip to the doctor today to show off being 4. We did all the usual things: height, weight, blood pressure and overall health check. She weighs in at a whopping 33.8 lbs (40%) and is 40.5 in (67%). Growing right on track. 

And since she didn't do the usual 3 year check (by her own refusal) of vision/hearing screening, we did those today too. She willingly participated but when it came to the vision test, she looked at the nurse, then at me and said "can I move closer?.....I can't see it". 

My heart sank. 

She's due for a preschool screen with the school district and pending what they find, we'll head over to Regan's eye doctor and add Sidney to the next visit. 

We love you our sweet Sidney! 

Dinner table discussions

Each night at the dinner table, we talk about our day (because like Ryan mimicking Kramer, "do you know what you do at the dinner table?, you talk about your day!"). This week, Ryan's been working late so it is just me and the girls. I was asking Regan about school, and she was going on and on about this person, and that person, and this activity and that book. Sid wasn't very interested in Regan's day, and was trying desperately to interrupt "mom, mom, I want to tell you about my day"

Regan continued talking.

Sidney: "mooooommm!"

Regan keeps going

Sidney: "it's my turn!"
Apparently she had something pretty exciting to tell us, so I stopped Regan to allow Sid to talk. 

Sidney: "Madison peed in her pants today". 

And that, my friends, is what we do at the dinner table. 

Happy Birthday Sidney!

I got to hang out with Sidney today, just me and my littlest girl. We started the day with her favorite: a caramel cooler and a poppyseed muffin from Caribou. Atta girl :) 

And ended the day, joined by Ryan, Regan and Aunt Amy with dinner at Lucky's where she was greeted with an A-W-E-S-O-M-E dessert! 

As for the activities throughout the day?, not worth mentioning. 

And by the time we finally got back home tonight, she was greeted with this outrageous stack of birthday presents to open. She's such a sweet girl and said all day "I'm going to let Regan help me open all of my presents tonight", and then she did. Not one argument when Regan dug right in and opened half of them.

This will definitely be a birthday we will ALL remember.....

forever. 

:) 

Birthday eve...4 years old

Tonight marks Sidney's 4th Birthday eve. Four years ago, we went to bed as a family of 3. And now, despite our FOUR years of rather sleepless nights, we still love her to pieces. 

Two of us have learned to sleep through her mellow night time 'requests', but the lovely father of the family still gets up each night and gives in to her "turn my stuff on" request. That "stuff" she is referring to includes a ceiling fan, box fan, noise maker, dream lite, etc. We have our reasons for not leaving it all on throughout the night, that's for another post. 

Back to birthday eve: 

tonight as I snuggled with our 3 year old one more night before she turns 4, we laughed and giggled as she told me stories. This girl is something else; she's imaginative, fun and downright funny. Much different than the "pissed off" baby pictured below. 

Oh she was one tough baby. Not much made her happy. Good thing she was so preciously adorable (and even better that this mama happens to do well with cranky babies). 

 Sweet loving Sidney, look at how little you were! To go back 4 years, it brings happy tears to my eyes. 

We are so very blessed to have you in our lives. 

As per tradition, I have taken tomorrow off from work and it'll be a day for me/Sidney to do whatever her little heart desires. And I cannot wait!