Science Project News and Como Zoo Pics

Our week started off heading to the Como Zoo with the Loechler bunch on Sunday for a make-up Mother’s Day. We walked over to the Zoo from our house and had some lunch at the café over there before we headed out to see the animals. I think that we all enjoyed the meal and we may have even been a little surprised at how good it was. After we ate, we roamed around the Zoo, the Conservatory and the Japanese Garden for a couple of hours. There were some really cute pictures of everyone, but I wasn’t unable to get any of Megan or Justin! Here’s a link to the pictures.

On Tuesday, we celebrated a milestone in Taylorland – she had her last OT session! Woo hoo! She has hit many of her goals this year, and we couldn’t be more proud of her. And even though it was hard to say good-bye, we know that we can always go back for a visit every now and then.

Wednesday was Ian’s last day of preschool at his current school. They had a picnic out at the Como playground with snacks, juice boxes and all of their little buddies. They were so cute and busy; it was easy to forget that it was the last day and that they were all going to new schools next year. We all exchanged phone numbers and intend to get together for playdates during the summer months, though.

The rest of the week was spent pouring through books and web sites with Taylor as she prepared for her science fair. She chose to do her project on static electricity, and we figured what better way to make static and keep it interesting for her than to slide down a few plastic slides at some of the local playgrounds? But would metal slides cause her hair to be stand up on end the way the plastic ones did? Hmmmmm. Turned out that her hypothesis of the plastic causing static and the metal ones not being able to cause static was right on! The best part was that we think she really picked up on the concept of atoms, neutrons & electrons. Yesterday was the judging and today was the day for the parents to come and view all of the projects. While there were no blue ribbons on her project, we know that she had a good time learning about some of the basic fundamentals of science.

Some quick things: No, I did not put a picture of the monkey up from the zoo. Yea * that monkey! * Sorry- didn’t do it. Naughty monkey! ((((And GOOD LUCK LAURA!!! We’re thinking about you & your kitties!))))

Taylor saying good-bye to OT
Ian and his teachers on his last day of school
Ian's teacher is handing Ian his diploma
The kids found a caterpillar at the playground on Ian's last day
Here's Taylor performing her science experiment
And here's her project!
Ian figured out how to work the water guns today!

Bikes, Static & More Fun Things

I know, I know – it’s been a week since the last post! I hear you! Sorry!

On Tuesday the van overheated while I was running errands with the kids (the kids told Panod that the car had a fever! lol). The kids and I were able to make it to our mechanic without anything too ominous coming from under the hood, and Panod was able to leave work to come and pick us up. But once we made it back home and realized that we were down to one car, it became clear that we had a problem. Either way we looked at it, one of us was going to spend a majority of the day taking the bus to and from work and picking up the kids and taking them where they needed to be after school, or we were going to have to find another answer. I saw an opportunity to do something that I had thought about trying for a while, and I took it. We talked it over and decided it would work out very well if I were to bike the 6 miles to work, bike back home, grab the trailer for Ian, go and pick him up at preschool and then bike to Taylor’s school where we could all bike back home together. Whew! Really though, The kids and I enjoyed it so much that even after we had picked up the car on Thursday (minus the fever - thank you Baber), we did it all over again on Friday! Hopefully we can continue this for a while – we are saving a small fortune in gas.

Today was just a blast! We got going early this morning – Ian and Panod set out for the Model Railroad & Hobby Show over at the fair grounds just before lunch. After we all met up at home after lunch Ian told me that he saw a train with lots of smoke coming out of it and lots of train tracks! Panod said that they had a good time and that the show was right up Ian’s alley.

Taylor and I set out on foot this morning, too – we hit the Como Park garage sales together. This year was the first year since we moved here that we didn’t have a garage sale during this annual event, so it was our first year really exploring the sales. We really did find some fun things; we even found Ian’s Halloween costume for this upcoming Halloween! You’ll have to wait to see him on Halloween, though – it would just ruin it to tell what he is going to be now. :)

Later on this afternoon, Taylor sat down with us and we really talked through her science project. It has GOT to get done this weekend! Panod came up with a good idea and Taylor and I ran with it! I won’t give it all away yet, but it does involve static electricity and going down a slide – or going down 12 different slides, 10 times each! Yea - add that one up real quick! Taylor and I spent the rest of the afternoon seeking the perfect slides and then she would proceed to slide down each one 10 times and record her data. We did get a few weird looks from people, but she got it done! And she was so motivated! That girl can get something done when she puts her mind to it! She should be able to wrap it up tomorrow and I’ll be sure to post some pictures of her completed project. I believe that the projects are due on the 25th, but I’m not sure yet when actual science fair takes place.

The day was finished up by hanging out in our neighbor’s back yard tonight after dinner. They had a big fire in their yard, and we stayed waaaay later than we probably should have – what a blast! Thanks you guys!!!

Taylor and Ian playing on the sidewalk
Ian at the train show today
Taylor and her static

A Mother's Day Post

Happy Mother's Day!!

Our weekend started out on Saturday morning - the kids stayed home with Panod while I walked over to the fair grounds to explore the annual Friend's School plant sale (with wagon in tow). I've brought the kids with me the past several years that I have gone, but this year I decided to go kidless. I don't know if it was that or the fact that the rainy, cold weather kept the usual crowd from showing up, but I really had a successful trip this year. Got exactly what I had planned on getting and spent even less than I had planned on. The rest of the afternoon was spent running to Menard's with the kids to get some soil, and planting in the garden.

Then last night, while we were all snuggled up and watching a movie, I realized that Ian felt warm. Sure enough, the thermometer we placed in his mouth read 102.1 before his protests called for me to remove the thermometer before it beeped. Poor little guy! Taylor sprung into nurture mode and made sure he had anything he wanted. Panod and I got Ian to take some Tylenol, and then I had to place phone calls to cancel our plans we had made for Sunday morning to go to the Como Zoo with our family. It sounds like our plans to meet everyone over at the zoo will simply be pushed back a week. It is a shame that we didn't get to see all of the Moms today, though! And Ian did sleep well last night, but was still warm when he woke up this morning.

With our plans this morning canceled, Panod and the kids were able to take their time making breakfast. They made this great French Toast Bread Pudding recipe, and they cooked up some bacon to go with it! It really turned out fantastic - even Ian ate a ton! Then I received the coolest card EVER from Taylor! She made it with glitter glue & it sparkled everywhere! They also got me two new teas from Teasource that I've never tried before. I had a cup of each one with breakfast & they are AMAZING! They are the Green Tea with Mango & the Magnolia Oolong. I highly recommend them both.

This afternoon I headed out to work in the garden (yes, in the rain) for a while. I got a lot done & Panod made lunch for the kids. After lunch, I really wanted to go for a bike ride around Como Lake. Ian was feeling well enough to ride along in the trailer behind my bike, so we were all able to go. By then the rain had stopped and there were even a few breaks in the clouds! These rides are so much fun with kids being the ages that they are right now - we all seem to take turns being in front & we've done this same route around the lake enough that we all seem to know when our turn to go in front is, without anyone saying anything. It is so peaceful!

After the bike ride, I had to head into work for a while. Commencement was today (I know - don't ask) and I volunteered to stay at the Mansion so that someone was there when the families came through on their way to the Gallery. I've never actually been in there alone before, and I'll admit that it was a little weird! In between visitors, it was so strange to hear the building so quiet. Usually it is a very busy place with classes, constant visitors and loads of students socializing. I'm sure that it is an experience that the full-time staff experience often and probably don't even think twice about.

It sounds like Panod, Taylor and Ian all took naps while I was at work this afternoon! I guess that the bike ride really wore them out. Dinner tonight was all about me not cooking. I had gotten Taylor and Ian two frozen meals on Saturday that I know they like, so they were taken care of. Panod and I decided to eat some gyros from Dino's Gyros, so I picked them up on my way home. I honestly don't think that I can say that we've ever been disappointed with a single order from that place! And the fries! We don't eat there very often, but when we do....yuuummmm!

Ian seems to be doing better tonight. His fever is not nearly as high as it was last night & he was up and hugging everyone good night before bed tonight. Taylor has started working on her science project with Panod. The two of them really seem to enjoy working out her project idea together every year - it really is cute to watch. They were still tossing ideas around while she was climbing into bed.


My favorite news of the whole day today: Two awesome people that live near us told us that they are expecting their second little one!! Congrats you guys!!

The kids made this train track in the basement today
Taylor needed a picture of her aquarium for show and tell
Taylor cheering up Ian this evening in the playroom
Toby is helping cheer up Ian
I know it doesn't look like much yet, but here's the garden

What a week!

This week has just flown by! The weather went from beautiful at the beginning of the week, to down-right awful today. There have been reports of snow flurries here and the wind is blowing non-stop.

Since I had been told that the letter telling us which school Taylor had been accepted to had been put into the mail last Wednesday, I had been pestering the SPPS student placement office yesterday looking for answers. We finally received a phone call from them early this morning, and...... Taylor got into the school of our choice! Obviously I won't post the name of it here, but if you email me I can send you a link to the school, and you can check it out for yourself. We are a little nervous since the school doesn't always prove to be a good fit for every student who gets in, but for the most part we think that Taylor will be happy there. Please feel free to email her and offer your support now, and throughout the summer.

Last night we tried a new recipe for something called "Wet Burritos" & we highly recommend it! It was easy & better than many of the things I've ordered at my favorite Mexican restaurants. Here's a link to the page that I found the recipe on. We also made some really good fudge for Taylor's teacher last night. It was teacher appreciation week, and we thought that some fudge and a note of thanks would be nice. If you ever need a good fudge recipe, this one has been tested and approved!

Sorry there aren't any pictures to post today. I suspect that there will be some to post on Sunday, though.

Our Weekend

We still have received no news informing us if Taylor got into the school of our choice yet for next fall. I spoke with the student placement center on Wednesday, and was told that the letters were being placed in the mail that day. On one hand, it is extremely frustrating to have to have our work schedules and any future after school activities for both of the kids all up in the air for the Fall - but on the other hand, Panod and I understand that these things tend to have a need to take time.

The garage sales turned out to be a hit! I was able to grab a futon for the basement and a new "faster bike" for Ian! The bike is a little bit big for him, but he should grow into it nicely this summer. I also hit the sales over in South Minneapolis near the lakes & the sales here in St. Paul on Ramsey Hill. Whew! Nothing was purchased at those sales; it was more about the beautiful neighborhoods and the wonderful people by that point in the morning.

As far as this weekend being really busy and constructive - that just didn't seem to fall into place. Most weekends tend to work themselves into super busy getting-things-done days, but not this one. We really just enjoyed the kids! It was all about riding bikes, playing outside, playgrounds & chatting a bit with the neighbors. Yesterday all four of us rode bikes around Como Lake and hung out at the Como playground, and today the kids and I went over to the butterfly garden, just outside of the Conservatory. Their favorite part was running in the large fields and picking dandelions until their fingers were covered in yellow and green!

Last thing on the agenda this weekend was to have Taylor add some new fish and a bubbler to her aquarium. We found her all of the right parts for the bubbler to make sure that there would be enough oxygen for everyone, so next she decided to get two Guppies. Their names are Tom & Jerry - very appropriate names, too. While trying to snap a pic of these two for the blog, I discovered that they are much faster than the Neon’s are.

Happy almost Mother's Day all you mommies out there!

Taylor & Toby
A tulip at the butterfly garden
Ian picking dandelions
Taylor & Ian picking dandelions
The Conservatory
Tom & Jerry - Taylor's two new fish
Here it is folks - beer can chicken! Highly recommended!!
(I know the can says Coke - we didn't have any canned beer, so I poured beer into a pop can)

Finally! A post!

It always seems like this time of year is full of dentist appointments, trips to the vet with Toby, and car repairs. I've also been busy cleaning out the basement -- I actually cleaned out a room downstairs that was filled with junk, and I am now in the process of converting it into a sitting room/guest room/bad weather room! Amazing what one can find to do with space when enough of the junk is taken away! I'll have to post some pictures if I am able to find some suitable furniture at the Maple Grove garage sales this weekend. I've had some years that produced some amazing finds, and yet there were others where I've come home with nothing. The weather should be nice, so that's always a plus.

Ian had a big day today! He and I went to his new school and got him registered for preschool next Fall. It was pretty cute because he was so curious about the building, the classrooms, the library and especially the playground. We met with one of the teachers and she helped us fill out our paperwork. It only took a few minutes and then we had some extra time to explore the building a little bit. I got a picture of Ian in the commons area and another one of him playing on the school playground. We have a feeling that he really is going to be happy there next year. *What a big boy* (Sorry - mommy moment!)

We should hear about which school Taylor got into by tomorrow or Saturday. I'll post as soon as we know! Keep your fingers crossed for her! Her fish and snails are all doing very well so far. We've really enjoyed watching them and learning about them. It sounds like Taylor would like to get a bubbler this weekend with some of her birthday money, in order to help the fish breathe well. She might also purchase a few more fish, if they have what she's looking for.

The Bald Eagles on the web cam I posted on Sunday have had a sad turn of events. It turns out that they have nested in that very nest for the last 19 years together, and it appears that they are in fact too old to produce viable chicks. It has been a disappointment, but also a learning experience about Mother Nature for us. By combing through the forums listed on the site today, I was able to find a site that has three more Eagle Cams - one of which is the Hornsby Island pair. But the other two do apparently have chicks in the nest from recently hatched eggs & that news has been a much needed source of smiles for us (*Note - we have yet to see them.) It also helps to know that the Hornsby Island Eagles have probably brought upwards of 45 new Eagles into this world - and hopefully, being able to watch these chicks will show us how they did it. Here's the link to the three web cams - enjoy!

Ian in the commons area of his new school this afternoon
Ian playing on the playground at his new school
A better picture of Taylor's Tetra