a humble glimpse of the life God has graciously widdled out in our little neck of the world
Last week, we stumbled upon two milestones in one day!
B got his very first library card…
And these two nuggets enjoyed their very first concert, the Okee Dokee Brothers!
The term ‘concert’ should be used pretty loosely as the concert was held at a local library…but both kiddos enjoyed it immensely!
I think their Gram did too!
Happy Thursday.
Be blessed.
B never ceases to amaze me/us.
His little brain is like a sponge…it soaks up almost everything he comes in contact with…remembers it and than places in context later on down the road (well most everything 
I am often floored as we travel down the road on our myriad trips around town. as he sputters out names and definitions of the different heavy machinery we pass by.
That being said, B is often correcting C and I as to which construction vehicles are what. Calling a piece of machinery a ‘digger’ just isn’t sufficient any longer…as now our little man and his book collection have taught us specific names such as Front End Loader, Cherry Picker, Bulldozer, Paver, Woodchipper etc.
That being said, this book is one of our favorites…and I felt compelled to share it as I feel like it has made me one of the most ‘informed’ three year old momma’s on the block.
photo taken from Christianbook.com
Oh the joys of meeting them where they’re at, as I never would have imagined that heavy machinery might make my heart smile!
Happy reading!
Be blessed.
Thank you G for sharing this book with us!
A couple weeks ago, we found this surprise in our mailbox!
Ever since, ALL of our toes have been tapping to the silly happy go lucky lyrics.
We’ve come to enjoy ‘Rosita, the Mosquitah’… ‘Livin’ in a campin’ tent’… and our favorite ‘The Bullfrog Opera’.
C has had a backyard campout on the top of his to-list all summer and the silly lyrics to these songs seemed like a fantastic segue for our little guy.
So these two dug the camping gear out of storage…
Popped their tent…
Made sure no ‘Rosita Mosquitah’s’ got inside…
Brushed their teeth, packed their essentials (water, pillows, matching shoes and yes… ‘Ella Dog’)…
And turned in for the night.
The next morning, B was quick to tell me all about the ‘Chorus line of crickets’ that he heard (a lyric from a song) and about the other things he heard as he fell asleep and woke up.
Such a sweet memory for these two!
Happy Camping!
Thank you M for sharing such a fun CD with us!
Be blessed.
C is gracious to so willingly go with all of my teacher-like minded ideas. Especially the ones that necessitate his planning and building…like this.
Little A’s interest in anything crayon, chalk, pen etc. initiated this pinterest project thought in my head…and when I couldn’t shake it, I asked C if he could help make it a reality.
Side note, I wish I oculd explain B’s wardrobe choice…though I am without words, bottom line he is safe, cared for and happy…trying not to sweat the smaller things!
It is my earnest desire to have our neck of the woods be as kiddo friendly and family welcoming as possible. God provided this little spot in the world for us to inhabit and I want others, especially our kiddos friends, to enjoy it as much as we do…so if you’re in the neighborhood, please come out to play!
Thank you C!
Happy coloring.
Be blessed.
In passing, a friend mentioned a local water ski show as being a fun summer family friendly activity…a few days later, I read about the same show in Minnesota Monthly Magazine and made it a goal to get to the show at some point this summer.
The show is nestled in between two bridges on the Mississippi River. People simply stake out a place to picnic on the grass alongside the river about a half hour before the show starts.
This was our view as we enjoyed our picnic dinner…
Once B realized that he wasn’t expected to get in the water behind the boat, he settled in and really seemed to enjoy himself.
This was the opening pyramid…I’ve never seen anything like it!
Even Little A followed the boats and antics taking place along the water in front of us…
The boats they used were far different from any boat I’ve skied behind…3 outboard motors capable of carrying and towing this crew!
Uncle J joined in on the fun…I couldn’t help but enjoy his little Fort Worth shout out on his shirt…
The slalom and wake boarders were too fast to capture…but the pyramids were incredible!
The show lasted about an hour…just the right amount of time for our nuggets attention spans…and yes, it was a fun summer memory, something my heart is grateful for!
If you’re in the area and it’s a summer Thursday evening…sneak it in, you won’t be disappointed!
Be blessed.
Our Neck of the Woods is typically pretty void of anything television related…not because we are anti-tv, but because we don’t have cable and network television is less than little ear friendly the majority of the time.
However, the past several days, our television has had a work out as it has been ON as we have enjoyed the Olympics!!!
B has polled our family by asking what our favorite thing on the “Bolimpics” is…he has decided his favorite thing to watch is swimming as he watches it more intently than I have really ever seen him watch anything.
The evening of the Opening Ceremonies, C graciously cleaned up from dinner and got kiddos ready for sleep which allowed me to sit and bask in all the Olympic goodness…from the sappy P & G Mom commercials to the tedious flag and country procession.
Our nuggets kept me company for the first part of the theatrical scene…
Little A could really care less about the Games…but in the spirit of everything, she donned her very first pair of kicks!
As I watch the Olympics I can only imagine the pride that each Olympian's parent might feel and can’t imagine how neat it would be to see any part of the Games in person!
Happy Cheering! Go Team USA!
Be Blessed.
This summer has been ‘sizzling’ in our neck of the woods.
Sizzling may be an overstatement…but it has been hot by Minnesota standards…and our outside play time has been more sporadic than we had hoped.
With that said, we have gotten outside to enjoy the sun and the heat as much as possible…
'”Cwaig’s Wist” (as B would say) introduced us to this retro Cozy Coupe and gas pump. The plan was for little A to enjoy the coupe while B rode his bike. A has been kind to share her set of wheels as B has been quite enamored with the probably decade old toy!
When the coupe is parked, A is content to push this little shopping cart around the driveway. We’ve come to expect a myriad ‘treasures’ nestled together in her cart…
We’ve (I’ve) tried to work through some of our Summer Bucket List fun…we still have a ways to go, but thank goodness Labor Day isn’t here just yet!
One of our list’s activities included rock painting…B’s interest peaked as soon as he realized that the paint was hard to see on the“wocks’…
Popsicles have also been a hit…a sticky hit…but how can you refrain when it’s hot outside!!!
On hotter days, we’ve retreated to shadier spots.
The sandbox continues to be a popular spot as little A has taken to coloring it with chalk…
While B continues to hone his digging skills…
Our sweet neighbor’s daughter out grew her play kitchen and gave it to our kiddos to play with in the backyard.
These two have enjoyed cooking…really, Little A is B’s shadow as he cooks things like ‘donut scrambled eggs’ and ‘pasta noodles’…
Little A tries so hard to keep up with B…
And B, SOMETIMES, slows down to help her keep up!
And when she’s a bit too slow, he takes her for a ride! (Please don’t be fooled, Little A was surprisingly less than impressed by catching a ride with B)….
It’s never long before either of our nuggets are onto their next ‘task’, adventure or plot…as is identified by the parked tractor and the helmeted ball thrower (though Ella was grateful)!
Be blessed!
