The Great Minnesota Get-Together

Today we took our annual trip to the State Fair. It was much different having a toddler with us! We spent the majority of our time in the animal barns where Addie was able to see farm animals small and large. She even got to pet a baby duck! This was very exciting for her since she is still obsessed with ducks. She also got to share in our favorite fair foods for the first time including: corndogs, Big Fat Bacon, corn on the cob, and Sweet Martha’s cookies. She enjoyed it all, but definitely liked the cookies best. Smart girl!

Ducks

Addie is completely obsessed with ducks (pronounced ghuck!). Daily we are required to read about ducks, look for ducks and sing about ducks. So on Monday we went to Lake Calhoun to feed the ducks, and Addie loved it! I finally had to cut her off three pieces of bread later, but promised to go back when we finish the next loaf of bread.

Fun New Outings

Lately I've been feeling that Addie and I are getting into a rut - always doing the same activities. So this week we decided to try a couple new things.

Yesterday we went to the Sculpture Garden and had a good time running around, climbing on the sculptures, and having a picnic lunch. I think Addie's favorite part of the day was watching the ducks by the pond. Every time we walked in sight of the "Spoonbridge and Cherry" she would point and shout "ghuck! ghuck!" and we would have to take a break and walk towards the pond and watch the ducks.



Today we went to an indoor park called The Eagles Nest in New Brighton - it was so fun! The best part was they had a section just for toddlers. It had a ball pit, slide, tunnels, reading corner, and a ton of other climbing and activity structures. Addie had a great time... until it got busy. Once the other kids started sitting by her and wanting the same toys she got quite upset. She even pinched a kid 3 times! I kept telling her no, having her apologize, and moving her, but she and that little boy kept ending up wanting the same things at the same time. I just don't know what to do in these situations. There should be a book for Parent/Child Playground Etiquette. A fun encounter at the park was I ran into two women and their boys that were in our Yoga Bonding class last summer. It was fun to see the boys a year later and catch up and see what fun things they've been up to!

Summer Summer Summertime

We've been very busy the past few weeks just enjoying summer. Brian and I took our annual trip out to Alpine Valley to see the Dave Matthews Band, and it was as good as ever!


Addie and I have spent our days together going to parks, the zoo, and hanging out with our other friends that are home.




We also made it up to the cabin this weekend and spent a lot of time relaxing by the lake. Addie loves to play in the sand and splash in the water. She was able to enjoy a bonfire for the first time this weekend and even made a new friend there.


We have one more month of summer left and I hope it will be just as great as the first two, the two of us are really loving this time together!

Happy Birthday Dada!

Car Craft 2009

Five Favorites

Addie and I are finally getting into the groove of summer vacation after a busy start to the break. We have already been very busy and are having a lot of fun spending time together. These are five of her favorite things over the past few weeks:

Wearing her Backpack and Sunglasses

Addie seems to be wearing one of these items at all times. We play with them on, go to the store, and even eat dinner wearing a backpack or sunglasses.

Playing at the Park

Every time we go outside Addie starts pointing and walking towards the park. We can’t even drive out of our neighborhood without her pointing and shouting “ark!” from the backseat. Her favorite activities at the park are the slides and swings.

Playing with Friends

We have lots of friends that are home with their moms this summer. Each week we have had time to spend with them – it’s so fun to see Addie start making these friendships!

Animals

Addie has always had a love for animals. We recently added 9 animal friends to our home with the addition of a new aquarium. She enjoys feeding the fish each night and visiting with them periodically throughout the day. Also, on our last visit to the zoo, we were able to feed the giraffes, which we both thought was really cool!

Imitating Mama

Anything I am doing, Addie wants to do (and this desire is becoming stronger with all the time we are spending together). She has proven helpful while we are doing things like cleaning and doing yard work but have struggled during meal preparation. So this week we got Addie her own table and chairs with her own food and cutting board. She loves cutting her food and bringing me different items while I am preparing meals.