We have been a little busy!

Panod, his parents & Ian in Miami, FL this weekend

I was trying to think of everything that has gone on since the last post. I'll try to get everything on here, but if I forget something that you know about, please let me know!

Ian's school had an ice cream & pizza social where we got to go and meet some of his friends & see his school. He really enjoyed showing Taylor his school and we really enjoyed meeting some of his new little friends.

Taylor had an open house at her school a few days after Ian's event at his school. She showed us some of the art projects she has been working on (I'll have to scan some of those in when they come home), and she gave us the grand tour of the classroom. She's clearly proud of the school, her friends, and especially how hard she is working!

This past weekend was a milestone in our little family -- Ian finally got to meet his other Grandparents! He and Panod took a flight down to Miami over the weekend to see his parents & it sounds like they had a BLAST! Ian found a real coconut on the beach, saw the ocean for the first time, went swimming in their pool, and enjoyed Grandma & Grandpa's company. Panod's web album of pictures can be found here.

And while Panod and Ian were away this weekend, Taylor and I took off to Brainerd to go and see my dad. We had a pleasant drive there and the trees up there have already gotten so beautiful with their fall colors! We were treated to the finest in dining cuisine & enjoyed our walks in the woods with the dogs & grandpa -- even if Toby enjoyed running away more than he should have! I have some great pictures that I will get up and post here shortly.

Lastly, today was Grandparents day at Taylor's school. Taylor would really like to thank Grandma for taking time off of work today, and braving the morning rush hour in both Minneapolis & St. Paul in order to make it over here this morning. It sounds like the grandparents even got to spend some time in the classroom with their grandchildren, where there became a deep level of appreciation for Taylor's teacher and the level of work that the children do on a daily basis.

Otherwise, all is well on our end! We are glad to be back home together after spending a few days apart. Taylor has another fun birthday party to go to this weekend where they are going to hit the art crawl here in St. Paul! How cool is that?! Oh - and Dr. Who is returning to SciFi this Friday!!!! That is the big event in our house this weekend.

A Post From Taylor

Hi, this is Taylor. Today was a nice relaxing day. There wasn't a lot to do, so I decided to collect some leaves. And here's what they look like. And my little helper, Toby, decided to help me by telling me which angle to take the snap shots from. I'm going to use these leaves for a project at school. I'm going to make a leaf creature!

Have a great week!

Taylor

Aug 27, 2006 - 2 Photos

Fall Has Settled In

We have to start with the updated state fair pics - if you click on the picture link in the blog posted before this one, you'll get all of our state fair pictures. I just added the new pictures to the album that is already there, so it is all updated and ready for your viewing pleasure.

With that being said, the fair is finally over! Every year we start talking about the big event in Feb. or March. Then we get to day 7 or 8 of the fair and we are sooooooo ready to be done. The kids are ready to be done by then too - until we remind them that school starts the day after the fair ends. While the extra income is nice, and having beer and cheese curds for breakfast is swell, the best part of the whole darn thing really is our neighbors. I feel like we grow closer to them every year and in that sense it never gets old.

Whew! Getting heavy here and I haven't even gotten to the first day of school yet!

I originally named this photo album 'Ian's First Day of School', but then I remembered that we also have got a picture of Taylor on her big day as well. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures since "it's not cool, mom!" But one of her friends has a dad that was nice enough to sneak one in for us, so that's in there at the very end of the album.

Both of the kids have had a very smooth first week at their new schools. Taylor started on Tuesday and aside from my getting us caught in really bad traffic for the first two or three days, she has had no problem adjusting. She is also loving having a locker and a desk of her own, and she has joined the French club after school.

Ian's first day was on Thursday and Panod took a ton of pictures. I was unable to be there for the big morning, and it was actually a good thing - once I saw the pictures of Ian while I was at work that morning, I started crying a little! lol I would have been a basket case if I'd actually been there. *sniff* As for Ian - he's been amazing! He really seems motivated to learn, and to please his teachers & his peers. We've also come to realize that there is a strong possibility that he may be left-handed, which is a surprise. He's able to use the mouse to the computer right-handed with no problem, but when he goes to write or draw the pencil goes in the left hand.

This weekend has primarily been about catching up on sleep. We're all still getting used to being up so early and the sleeping-in was a hit in our house. This morning we all got up and made some brunch before we headed off to the Science Museum of Minnesota. I was able to get four free passes through the Museum Adventure Pass program, which I HIGHLY recommend every Minnesota family look into it. We never would have gone without this, and it made our week! It did cost extra to go and see Body Worlds, but that was totally worth it! Our two had a great time with the exhibits and we are seriously looking into a family membership for us as a Christmas gift.

That's about all that's happening in our little neck of the woods. Take care, thanks for reading, and enjoy the pictures.

Ian's First Day & MN Science Museum

Sep 7, 2006 - 29 Photos