Magic Moments

Last night we went to get some ice cream after dinner mostly because Mama wanted some. ;) Sage is growing up too fast. He asks tricky questions like "What does Czechoslovakia mean?" And if I sing him old hymns he wants them disected so he understands what they mean. I LOVE it! He phrases his sentences with "I think" all the time and it's so cute. "Mama, I dink I'm hungry." Mama, I dink I do want to go outside." Love it! He's silly and loving and still sometimes a baby but filling his big boy shoes more and more. I want to freeze him so he'll stay this cute forever.

Games: We're making the best of the most rainy June on record. "Who can make the biggest splash?" is a common game at our house these days. These pictures are blurry because it was, of course, raining when I took them. I just did a point and shoot since we were also on our way to get ice cream. Priorities, people. ;)  And super blurry, but really fun:

Last week the little boys and I and Ami !!!! spent the week with my parents at their NEW house in Iowa. Their new town home is super nice and really has me thinking twice about purchasing one. They don't have any yard work to do or outside maintenance. I've spent the week drying out part of my basement and securing our place from any future leaks so a town home is sounding REALLY nice right about now. :) Anyway, it was fun to have a new place to explore. By the end of the week I felt like I was just beginning to find all the hot spots in town so the boys and I will be going back soon.  As always, we were spoiled with shopping, outings to get ice cream, splash pads, toys and most of all time with Pappy and Marme! It's always wonderful to be home and even though my parents no longer live in my childhood home, their house does still feel like home. I guess the saying "Home is where your heart is" really is true. We chased the Ice Cream truck for four blocks and p...

I was going to sort and post pictures of our time with Pappy and Marme but today was one of those days when the antics of my boys made me stop in amidst the chaos and wish they would stay these ages forever. The highlights for today include: -The boys found a hurt baby bird in our yard. Sage insisted that the bird was crying. To be fair, the Mama bird was pretty upset and the baby was making a pitiful little cry. I'm not exactly a bird activist and I didn't really want to deal with this bird drama, but what kind of mother would I be if I didn't teach my kids that ALL of God's creatures are his creation and special to him?  I kept thinking that if God cares for the sparrows then I probably should too.  Plus, what was I going to do with a baby bird in my yard? Anyway, we called animal control. Our tax payer dollars paid for animal control to come to my house, rescue the baby bird, and take it to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Considering the bigger lesson was to ap...

Week 25: We spent a week with my parents at their home in Iowa. The week brought 90 degree temps with humidity, afternoons spent at the splash pad, and nights spent in the basement during tornado warnings. I'd say that means it's Summer!!

We went strawberry picking this morning. It was a gorgeous morning, perfect for berry picking. Sage LOVES the wagon ride out to the fields and Aiden is great at scouting out the best berries to pick. As Sage would pick a strawberry he would say, "Mama! I pound a lummy one!" Aiden and I smiled to each other every time he said it. :) The berries were plentiful but we did have to be choosy. I don't think the berries in the field have appreciated all the rain we've had. When we arrived home and I had to "deal with" a measly 8 pounds of strawberries I thanked the good Lord I wasn't a farmer's wife. How my grandmother was able to put up all of harvest each year and store most of the family's food for the winter is beyond  me. Making a couple pies is more than I can handle. I'm letting the boys eat as many strawberries as they want because that will be all the less baking I have to do. ;)

Reminders: The theme this week caused me to remind myself what life was like before I had kids...back when my house was cleaner, my body was thinner, my time was freer and our bank account was larger. But our pastor, as he was sending his two youngest children out on their own last week, reminded me on Sunday (through tears) to soak in every day, to never be too busy, to cherish each moment because in the blink of an eye childhood will be over. I took this picture on Monday at The Wild Rumpus to remind myself that my children won't always be small enough to fit through this little door. This picture reminds me to guard the door of their childhood, to hold it wide open for them (and me!) and not to wish this chaotic and exhausting but wonderful time away. The door to childhood will close all too soon and it can never me reopened.

The long cold winter is still a very recent memory which is probably why these first few weeks of June have seemed so wonderful. They've been so wonderful that I've thought about reconsidering Tom's offer to request a job transfer to somewhere with a more temperate climate year round. But then I think not. I was born and raised in Iowa but I am a Minnesota girl through and through. Say what you will about the Twin Cities, but I LOVE living here. The boys and I are LOVING summer. Somedays (lots of days) we go somewhere and lots of days we stay home. I keep thinking that the long lazy days of Summer will arrive soon, but we've been having so much fun staying busy that I kind of doubt the lazy Summer days will ever arrive. The little boys and I leave this weekend for a week stay with Pappy, Marme and Ami at Pappy and Marme's new house!!! We are EXCITED! So, this is the last you'll hear from me until we return. Strawberry Shortcake in the Treehouse Last day ...

Today brought story time at The Wild Rumpus and playtime and a picnic at Lake Harriet with friends. The morning was lovely. This is my one single picture from today. At least it's a good one.

S occer: These little soccer playin' feet are quite good. Right now this is Aiden's sport, this is what he does, this is what he loves. I have officially become a Soccer Mom. S tudy: Sage is my non cautious, greet the day with arms wide open, daring and bold child. He isn't afraid to touch caterpillars and he is certainly at an age where is a student of all things and he spent quite a bit of time "studying" (and squeezing) this caterpillar before Tom rescued it and put it back in the tree.

We've got our FIRST loose tooth people! I discovered this while we were at the mall yesterday. Aiden was munching on a cookie and told me his tooth hurt. I looked at it and sure enough, that little baby tooth is being pushed out!! I broke down. Right there at the mall. How can this be? I'm not ready to let go of that sweet smile full of tiny baby teeth (that came in straight!). Whether I'm ready or not those grown up teeth are on their way. Aiden keeps wiggling it and smiling to himself. I've told him all the ways that his Great Grandpa used to threaten to pull out my teeth. He thought that was pretty funny. With Aiden being as cautious as he is I bet that tooth will hang by a thread before he carefully pulls it out. We've been talking about the tooth fairy, of course. Aiden is saving up for a toy (which just happens to cost $100) and so we had to talk about what the tooth fairy brings and talk about realistic expectations, or that poor tooth fairy might go broke....

Soccer Pictures arrived yesterday and when I saw them I had only one thought: "When did my first born baby grow up??" This child looks like an honest to goodness elementary school aged kid. None of his clothes even have a "T" after the size on them anymore which makes me sad. He is a full fledged grown up boy!!!  Our pastor was in tears on Sunday as his youngest was about to move out and he told me, "Don't blink! Don't be too busy! Soak in every moment of your kids being home because they grow up so fast!" They certainly do grow up too fast. Just today I was reminded of that AGAIN....but that's a topic for another post. Tom tells me that Aiden is a great soccer player. He thinks before he makes his move and he's quick. He understands defense and offense. The rest of Aiden's team frequently quits or refuses to play but Aiden sticks with it the whole time. We are proud of him!! I'm not ready to commit to a serious soccer club, ...

We spent this morning at one of my favorite places: Teddy Bear Park. Our homeschool co-op gets together every other Thursday for FUN! This past year we weren't all that plugged into co-op simply because I couldn't be there. I was only able to drop Aiden off for Kindergarten but I couldn't stay. So, it's not really our "community" yet, but I want it to be. The more I see these families the more we get to know each other and I have high hopes...for Tom and I to find friends and for Aiden to find friends. I was the summer calendar coordinator so I got to put many of our favorite places on the calendar and also add some in that we haven't been to but look super fun. How could Teddy Bear Park disappoint?? Spider Man! I don't have many pictures of Aiden because I did not follow him around with a camera. He was playing with friends!!! So I did NOT disturb him!

You just can't help but smile up at the lake. It's part of the God given Cabin Magic.