All the way from Thailand

Uncle Shane came to town and stopped in for a quick overnight. The kids are always happy to have him around and Ryan/I enjoy his late night stories ;) we sure miss having him around all of the time and his 2am light the grill for dinner (no joke!). 

Whenever he comes, he brings some sort of cute item for the girls...all the way from Thailand! This time is was a necklace with a Buddah. They wear them with pride and always feel special that he thinks to bring them a little something. 

He brought us a "gift" too this trip...and I think he tried poisoning me! Oh my goodness sakes, if you have never tried the fruit durian, keep it that way. It's like eating gasoline laced with antifreeze and rubbing alcohol. I've never had anything so awful in my life! And I'll try most anything (non meat). He couldn't bring the real deal, so apparently freeze dried was the next best option. Who chooses to buy this stuff that they actually have options: freeze dried, paste, chips. Ick! 

The horrible flavor lingered in my mouth for hours despite trying to get rid of it with jalenpeno Cheetos, mentos, mints, water, frosted flakes, and gum. It's awful stuff! But thanks for thinking of us and sharing Shane! Looking forward to your next visit! 

Hello Summer!

We wrapped up school this year and said hello to summer in true summer fashion! I received a call last week from one of Regan's friends asking if he could take her on the last day of school for a surprise ride!! Oh  my goodness!....I knew how excited she was going to be when she got picked up in a limo!

Each kid took a turn hanging their head out the window, and I was quick enough to snap a picture of Regan!

(not in love that she's wearing her "mustasche" from the class party earlier in the day!).

They departed for an ice cream treat and all the heads of the kids turned  as they walked to their buses, what a fun experience for Regan and her friends!

Sid wasn't in the mood for any more pictures after her graduation the day before. She smiled, but thought if she closed her eyes tight that I couldn't take a picture....wrong! 

I love her little scrunched up face with an "I'm not looking at you" thought in her mind. 

And since the girls' summer programming doesn't start until next week, I opted for some play and fun in the sun with a long weekend. Thankfully the sun came out and we cranked up the pool heater (crank is an understatement....20 degree jump is going to be a pricey bill!). But we had a blast swimming around for the afternoon! 

I'm not sure what all our summer has in store for us, but we're gearing up for a lot of fun, and some learning sprinkled in between so as to avoid the dreadful 'summer slip'. Here's to some fun learning! 

That's a wrap!--Kinder grad

Before I get too far behind, I need to write about Sidney's kindergarten graduation. She was so excited for her big day, prepped and ready for the stage, and eager to be moving up to the big grade 1! Her class (on the right), joined with another 1 of the 5 kinder classes in our school and had a combined graduation ceremony just prior to the end of the school year. 

Aren't those little 5 and 6 year olds just the cutest things ever! And those beautiful flowers lining the stage, each designed by a kinder. So sweet! 

They sang some pretty sweet songs, like this one "Octopus", which made us all laugh out loud!

GULP!

Lincoln loved when Sidney would practice this song; the arm movements, the repetitive catchy lyrics would make him giggle and laugh. And now, whenever any of us start in...."slippery fish, slippery fish", he instantly puts his hands together like the picture below, which only gives us more incentive to finish up the song. 

I love her shy little smile :) 

Her little face, always looking for some reassurance from her lovely teacher throughout the entire program. Oh how those kiddos admire Ms P (she's married now but this entire class will always call her by her maiden name, I'm sure of it!). 

Gosh darn it, this little grad of ours, marching to the traditional Pomp and Circumstance song had me teary eyed. I know!, it's kinder graduation for crying out loud! I think it's just a realization of how quickly they grow up. And how proud we are of her, for the mature, responsible little 6 year old that she is. 

This easel has helped Sidney and her classmates know what was to occur each and every day of the school year. And on this special day, I just had to take a quick pictures...."future first graders!". It sure makes Sidney glow :) 

Our little girl had another entourage in guests again: parents, grandparents and even Regan got to sneak out of class and come watch. She commented several times "oh, look how cute Sidney is!". 

And what is school without some BFF's. These 3 were inseparable over the year. They had their fair share of drama, don't get me wrong. But all of us moms just say "that's a girl for you!". It never lasted long, and they always came back to each other. Sidney is going to miss Addison as she heads off to a new school next year, but she'll be having some fun with Liv over the summer in their summer programming! 

When Sidney learned who was going to be her teacher, she was beyond nervous. Having only knowledge of Regan's kinder teacher, she was upset to hear she had someone else. It was Ms P's first year teaching (ever!), but her patience and ability to relate to the children is top notch! Sidney learned how to read, do math problems and has an excitement for learning which will take her far. We credit Ms P for a great first year of school and can't wait to see what first grade has in store for Sidney. 

Congratulations Sidney! 

We are so proud of you! 

Uh-ho!

I'm biased, I realize that. 

But here's my new favorite word that Lincoln says....."uh-ho". 

Click HERE for the 3 second video. 

enjoy! 

Gymnastics meet Spring-2015

Sidney spends a lot of her time flipping around the house, playing on the bars and working on her gymnastics skills. And tonight, was her time to shine; the annual end-of-the-year meet. She was super nervous, even the night prior, worried about how she would do and remembering the routines. Sidenote: the coaches call out the moves, so it really is set up to be stress free. 

Nonetheless, she was excited AND nervous. 

As we pulled into the driveway of the center, I turned around, looked her in the eyes, and reminded her how proud that I am of her. I told her that getting out on the floor and having fun was my biggest concern. And no matter the outcome, I was going to be proud. 

ahhhh, but it might as well have fallen on deaf ears. 

This girl wanted a first place. With all of her heart, it's all that she talked about. Just one first place. 

And so, we checked in, and got settled to watch her do her thing. 

First up was the bars. She excelled and landed a second place, missing first by just 1 point. 

Darn, that is probably her best skill. 

Next was beam. She was a little wobbly but holy buckets, she has no hesitation and just goes for it. She landed another second place, this time by .05 of a point. Oh shucks. 

Lastly,  she moved to the floor routine. She did a nice routine, but I didn't expect her to get first. 

Nope, another second place, again by .05. 

That meant she had three second place finishes. Little did I realize, it also meant she won first place in All-Around! 

And so although she didn't get her first place ribbon, she understood what had happened and she was so dang happy!! The fact that her trophy says "First Place" just makes her year! That smile was plastered across her face as she stood on the top box with her First Place trophy and 3 second place ribbons. 

 And then, the way she leaped off those blocks and raced into my proud mama arms, all the while she beamed with excitement and joy. She just melted my heart and brought tears to my eyes. Boy are we proud of her! Later we drove away and with a big smile across her face asked "mom are you proud of me?", followed up quickly with "this was the BEST day E.V.E.R!" I'm beyond proud of her, and so in love that she is proud of herself! 

She might have the best pack of grandparents around too! They ventured up to the metro yet again to take in this special event and cheer on the sidelines for her. She's mighty lucky to have them so willingly come around to support her. 

Congratulations Sidney on your first place finish tonight! I'm so excited to see where your gymnastics takes you. 

19 months

Things are getting crazy around here. Between school and end of the year parties, softball, and year end gymnastics meets, our life is full over here. We are exhausted at night and sometimes it feels like we are losing our minds. After the 13th trip up to Lund's for a forgotten grocery item, I want to throw in the towel and just eat chips and water for the next 2 weeks! We are on the fly lately and as I climbed into the shower this evening and a goldfish fell out of my bra, it was a true reminder of life with 3 young kids.
The littlest of these 3, has moved on to 19 months this week. Nineteen months. Let's take a peek back.....
At just a few days old, his precious face was simply perfect. I stared at him for hours, holding him while he slept, never wanting to put him down.

He was sweet and easy as a baby. Easy like I've never known.

As he grew, his sweetness grew and our hearts just burst with love. The girls fell in love with him over and over again.

And now, at 19 months, he is still sweet and cute and precious, but he is active and rambunctious and silly. He makes us laugh and this entire family feels grateful to have him along for the ride. 

Each day when I pick him up, we run through a few questions, and his little smirks and grunts in response to my questions just crack me up.
"Lincoln did you have a good day?"     "ya"
"Lincoln were you a good boy?"         "uh"
"Lincoln are you a silly boy?"      insert, silly smile, tilted head and excessive grunts
"I love you bud"                            "ya"

Oh boy is this little man of ours busy. He rearranges my kitchen cabinets on a weekly basis. He mows our deck nightly, and would do it more if we had the extra time. He cannot be outside long enough, no matter the weather. He gives kisses and "snuggles" but often those are reserved for puppies and cars and trains. Kid has his priorities :)
He eats fruit. A lot of it. He breaks out in allergic reactions to many different foods and this learning curve we are on is not a fun one. He is a mama's boy and shys away from new faces until feeling comfortable. He dislikes sandals and looks a little silly in his tennis shoes with shorts. He is a very sweaty boy, and that just makes his hair even more curly! He is ALL boy; stopping for sirens, motorcycles and semi trucks. My favorite word that he says is "uh-oh!" because he is so darn deliberate in his articulation. He is loved by so many people!

Happy 19 months buddy! Love you! 

Happy birthday daddy!

This afternoon, after an exhausting day at the zoo, sandwiched between going to Regan's softball game, we surprised Ryan at work :) As we hustled to his office with some birthday treats, we exchanged this text.....

He said that by the time he got to step 2, he realized what was coming. I had wanted to just show up at his desk, but knew I couldn't get past security without him. So he laughed when he opened the door and we gave him a little "Surprise! Happy Birthday!". 

After we (mostly the kids) devoured some pretty fun cupcakes, one of which was German Chocolate, we had to check out where Ryan spends most of his time ;) 

The kids love coming to visit us as our offices, but Ryan's might take the cake with all the fun they have going on around at that place. Happy Birthday Ryan!! We hope you had a fun birthday!

Kindergarten field trip: Zoo

Today was a big day for many of the kids in the girls' elementary school. The kindergartners were heading to the MN Zoo, and the 5th graders were off to Valleyfair!! Needless to say, poor Regan was feeling pretty left out. Her big field trip of the year was to a local planetarium, and she thought that was no fun in comparison. Ahh, but alas, she has no idea what is in her very near future (more on that after it happens). For now, mum is the word :) 

Back to today, Sidney was so very excited for her big field trip day! I'm not sure what made her more excited: going on the actual field trip, or having me chaperone!? She was soooo ready for our day!!

I felt like a veteran this time around, having been on Regan's zoo trip 3 years ago. I knew what to bring, I knew what to expect, and I was armed and ready for my small group of 4 little ones, even naming our group: The Fabulous Four! At one point, we ran into one of their classmates who darted past us. As quick as I could ask "who is that?", he was gone. I speed-dialed the teacher who quickly informed me he had ran off from his group and was pleased as punch to be pointed in the right direction to locate him. Within 2 minutes, he was back in his group. I, on the other hand, was relieved he wasn't assigned to my group! 

At this time of the school year, the energy level is high and the eagerness to learn is pretty low. That didn't stop me from trying to give these 4 the best possible zoo experience out there. We stuck together, we pointed out animals, we laughed, and we maybe even learned a little bit :) 

There were 3,000 school children at the zoo today (yes, we were told that actual number!). Keeping track of The Fabulous Four was not an easy feat. I was constantly counting heads. 1-2-3-4. Over and over and over. These kids climbed on every rock, every tree branch, every everything! It was crazy. I think this bear gives a pretty good depiction of how we all felt when the day was done! 

Spending time with Sidney and all the kindergartners from her school, gives me perspective. She is calm and well-mannered, even though she despises long car (bus) rides and is quickly impatient. And goodness sake is she not the cutest little 6 year old out there! 

Hearing Sidney announce that today was "the best field trip ever!" makes all that exhaustion totally worthwhile. I love you Sid and I'm so happy we got to spend the day together. 

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Ryan's birthday falls on a pretty busy day next week so he asked to celebrate this weekend instead (ok, so he may have just wanted to open his gifts....and that's not a lie!). But really, we won't have much time during the week for a dinner celebration, and so tonight was his night. He picked Red Cow for dinner and the rain held out as we sat on the patio. As miracles would have it, Lincoln sat/ate the best he has ever sat in public (might have had something to do with the fact that I am getting smarter and for dinner, ordered him a fruit plate. He loved his meal.). 

Once we got home, I had to snap a quick picture of Ryan with his bunch. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN! 

WE LOVE YOU.

Lake Harriet Street Car

While we were in the area, we took a trip to Lake Harriet tonight and hopped aboard the streetcar. Although we took him last year, Lincoln obviously doesn't recall being on the train. And boy was he excited for our little trip. 

Oh these cuties sure melt my heart (and the guy behind the camera's pretty good too!). Lincoln sat patiently on my nap throughout the 10 minute ride, not moving one single inch. He was in love with where we were. 

When the train conductor gave the horn a blow, his face lit up. I could sense he was feeling a bit shy and overwhelmed the way he stuck his finger in his mouth but a smile easily came across his face with the sound of that horn. 

He looks so little in that big streetcar. I sense many more trips to Lake Harriet in our future. 

 And what is a trip to the lake without heading down to see the actual lake. Regan was in a huffy mood because although we had just come from the restaurant, she insisted on an ice cream and it was a unanimous 'no' by the parents. I'm shocked she agreed to smile and it looked genuine!

Sidney, on the other hand, was happy to pose for a few pictures flashing her smile and looking adorable :) 

Fruit

We're not lying when we say that Lincoln loves fruit. Or that he only wants to eat fruit. The other night at Regan's softball game, I had packed a picnic. After finishing his own fruit, Lincoln stole Sidneys pear. 

And proceeded to eat the entire thing. Leaving only the stem.

For the record, he did also try to eat the stem. And I had to pull it out of his mouth because he couldn't chew it!

Softball tournament

Regan is back on the field again this spring. She has played t-ball or some form of softball since she was 5 years old (taking off 1 year). Last fall, she jumped into fastpitch and it has been an incredible match! She shines out there on the field and really enjoys herself. 

Her swing is smooth and she is doing well tracking the ball so as to get a good hit, almost every time! 

After waking at 6am, playing around during 3 softball games and sitting through one dance recital, this little man needed a nap! Poor kiddo did what I hoped he would do and slept in the stroller for a short while. 

Back on the field, Regan admits her favorite position to play is catcher. She just loves it! She can't explain why, but my guess is that she feels a part of the action this way. 

These girls earned themselves 3rd place in their first tournament of the year! they did so very well and I'm so proud of them! 

Dance recital 2015

Sweet Sidney participated in her spring dance recital this past week. She was just a doll in that tulle skirt and lace top as she and her class danced around to Touch the Sky from the Brave movie. We were bummed to learn that Regan would be smack dab in the middle of a softball tournament so not only did Regan have to miss the show, but Ryan did too. Thankfully all 4 grandparents were in the audience and that helped Sidney feel all of the love! 

And what is a dance class without your two BFF's!? These 3 have been friends since before they could walk or talk. And Sid has already warned me that she is signing up for dance again because she just knows both Natalie and Madilyn will also be signed up. 

It was a little like organized chaos out on the dance floor. With 15 kindergarteners, we didn't expect much more! Sidney did exceptionally well and we are so darn proud of her! 

Way to go Sidney! You rocked it out there!