We Ran Our First 5K!

Panod and I have officially run in a 5K! And we didn't even come in last! We did the milk run at the state fair yesterday & it was a really fun time. Grandma, Bumpa, Taylor & Ian were all cheering us on as we started and finished the race. And then we spent the rest of the day going in and out of the fair together. I think that this is something that we'd like to try and do again next year, but we'll have to see.

The scavenger hunt has been going well. The items are getting revised daily and everyone seems to be enjoying it. It can get really funny when we all see a limousine going past our houses and we all start to yell out, "Number 18! I see number 18!"

I have posted more pictures in our state fair album from yesterday. Unfortunately, we forgot to bring the camera for the 5K in the morning, but there are sill some really fun pictures from the rest of the day. There is also a live web cam here from the Star Tribune web site. And I've found a new state fair web site here.

The excitement of the day yesterday: we parked a car worth $181,000 on our lawn!! And they left us the keys!

The Fair Has Arrived

It's here, there's no denying it. The Minnesota State Fair is upon us. The first day (Thurs. 8/23) was really slow since it rained most of the day, but the weather has been sunny and 78 degrees since then. Panod and I are taking this year slow and easy in terms of the number of cars we are parking. Simply being with neighbors, and the kids and watching all of the crazy things we see out here is what we enjoy the most. I have some pictures to share and we'll be adding more to this album as we begin to spend more time in the fair. New this year - Panod and I have decided to make a fair parking scavenger hunt for the neighborhood. Each neighbor will check off the wacky and wild things on the list that are worth a certain number of points, and at the end of each day we will add up the points and announce a winner. Also new this year, Panod and I will be running in the 5K milk run tomorrow. Grandma and the kids will be there to cheer us on.

Wish we could somehow post the smell of the fair to share. We wake up to and go to bed with the smell of fried food & grilled onions for 12 days.

Here's a sample of the scavenger hunt that the neighborhood is working on today:

	BONUS	Bingo Sheet 1	Y/N
1		street musician or Art (donation guy)
2	+	Superman, BK guy or other character
3	+	guy handing free sample
4		spot Donald (our neighbor) wearing shoes
5	+	Family dressed the same
6		child on a leash
7	-1	vomiting or peeing fair goer
8		Sweet Martha (+), Cheese curd or cheese on a stick worker
9		stranger looking at Mike's 77 Camaro
10		airplane ad or helicopter
11	-1	loud drunk girls/guys
12		Pedicabs
13		Fairgoers asking for directions (eg Boy Scout parking)
14		Police - horse patrol
15	+	ticket scalper
16	+	Parking enforcement van - old guy
17	++	clipboard bus lady
18	++	limousine
19	+	park an expensive car (+ $100 K) or new car
20	++	park a hybrid
21		pickle hat, pig ears or other fair hat
22		scantilly clad woman/man
23		extremely large stuffed animal
24	++	taste stranger's fair food
25	++	see, meet (+) or park (++) a celebrity
		Complete by 11 PM
		TOTAL (Yes) = ___________
		TOTAL Bonus (+) = __________

Mother Nature Hits Como Park, Again!

It is just like the Mother's Day storm a few years ago - maybe even worse. The amount of tree & home damage here in the park is heart breaking. The weather radio woke us up at around 3:30am. The storm's winds were at their worst as it came into the metro area. Our home only lost a section of fence panel - no trees on the house this time around! There is a building on the fair grounds that lost its roof - all of which ended up impaling the houses across the street on Snelling Ave. The kids are O.K., Toby is fine, but we could all use a nap.

6:15pm update -- here is a link to an impressive slide show on the Pioneer Press web site.

9:35pm update -- here is a link to some more pictures from my new favorite local blog, myprontopup.com

Meet the newest family members!

My cousin and his wife have just given birth to their first children! Meet Alexander (left) & Veronica (right)! Born @ 38 wks, weighing 6 lbs & 5 lbs. 8 oz., respectively. With a mixture of west coast creativity and southern hospitality these two angels are going to be so much fun to watch grow up. Mother & babies are doing well.

Congratulations Jason & Janice!!

Sand Lake '07

It's that time again! Sand Lake - the annual UrbanPlanet retreat up on the Iron Range. We were very thankful to my A&P instructor who allowed me to take the final on Friday, just before we left to head up north. Otherwise, the final was on Monday (today) & I would have stayed behind to study all weekend.

We got to our destination just after 6pm on Friday, and we were the last to arrive. Our short time there just flew by. I think that one of the best parts about this annual event is watching how the kids are all growing up. They are (nearly) all old enough to run around together and play boys vs. girls, while the adults get caught up and relax. The food was amazing (as always), and the keg wasn't all foam by Saturday night. We missed Mary & Emmy - they had to leave early on Saturday & Panod (PK) went through some serious McMahon withdrawl.

Thank you again to Mary and David and their girls for sharing their little slice of heaven for a few days!

Sand Lake 07

Also - as promised - some pictures of the kids taking swimming lessons...

Swim Lessons 07

Summertime Pics

A spider web that Taylor & I found Friday afternoon on the slide, in the front yard

There's something that was left out of the last post. I found more pictures last week, and realized that the pictures from Back to the 50’s hadn’t made it on the site. It took place just about a month ago & it is something fun for those of us who live near the fair grounds. There are 10,000+ cars from the 1950’s (and older) that flock to the fair. Our neighborhood usually ends up standing on Snelling Ave. Friday night to watch as most of the old cars come streaming out of the main gates and burn their tires for us spectators. There tends to be one spot on Snelling & Nebraska where some teenagers will throw down bleach and encourage the rubber burning – and it works. The white smoke flies and we all make a lot of noise to show our appreciation. We have also started to see some cars that throw large fire out of their rear pipes, too! Not a lot of pictures this year, but they are still fun.

Back to the 50's 2007

We were finally able to get pictures of what the kids are up to this summer! Taylor’s tennis pictures are from a tournament that she was in last week. She was able to play her heart out and win 4^th place in her division! She may be called in this week to fill in for the 3^rd place winner because they may not be able to make it to the divisionals since it sounds like they might have to go on vacation. Go Taylor!!

Taylor Tennis 2007

Ian is on the green team this year for t-ball. He is showing a lot of interest in hitting the ball (right-handed!) and playing in the dirt while he’s in the outfield. His throwing skills are also coming along nicely, but mostly he’s just having a really fun time.

Ian t-ball 2007

We didn’t get any pictures of swimming lessons yet, we’ll have to do that during the upcoming week.

And then there was the fun we had with the neighbors this week when the kids each got a little stomp rocket set. We figured that these $3 toys would keep our two kids busy outside for a couple of hours, and stomp rockets don’t require any batteries. We were wrong – but it in a good way. The neighbors got in on the action and there was a stomp war to see who could make the rockets go the farthest.

Stomp Rockets

The weather here has been really pleasant, but we are supposed to be getting some heat and humidity in the coming days. Just since I started typing this post the humidity has begun to climb.

Summer Fun

Thank you for putting up with my having to put the blog on hold for a few weeks. My summer A& P course has turned out to be highly demanding, and our time has been spread thin. I have been keeping up on things that the kids have been up to since May, and we have a ton of pictures to share.

The end of the school year for both Taylor and Ian was filled with the usual excitement and joy that summer time can bring. I was able to capture Ian’s last day just down below, and Taylor has a good number of pictures that she took with a disposable camera, so I don’t have those up. Most of Ian’s pictures are of him and his best friend, Julian. Julian’s parents have decided to have him go to a different school next year, so I took quite of few of the two of them together.

Ian's Last Day 2007

That very next day after school let out brought us to what has become an annual event in our house – Como Town! The kids and I spent the entire day there and we took a few pictures, too.

Como Town 2007

There was also the neighborhood lawn mowing event that was brought on by one of our neighbors who bought a riding lawn mower for his cabin. We all thought it was the coolest thing ever, and our neighbor Kris decided that she would try mowing her lawn with it since it should only take about half the time. It really was funny!!

Neighborhood Lawn Mowing Experience

Ahh yes, and then there was the rainbow that Taylor and I got pictures of. These were from about a month ago (6/7/07), and we had a blast taking these just over the neighbor’s roof and on the parkway.

Rainbow 0607

The Fourth of July was a blast. We spent the day in St. Anthony Park where the kids decorated their bikes and rode in the parade. Then, my brother and his family joined us for some hot dogs on the grill & some kid races. Kane was adorable (as always) and Jen taught us that smores can actually be made over a charcoal grill! Love you guys!! Check out the pics on Rob's site.

I know this is a short update given the amount of time that has lapsed. The kids are in some fun summer activities right now – Taylor has tennis lessons every morning (she has a tournament this Tuesday), Ian has t-ball every Monday evening (he’s on the green team this year), and they are both taking swimming lessons on Tuesday & Thursday evenings. The swimming is going very well for both of them – Ian finally passed level 1 (third time’s a charm), and Taylor has now advanced to level 4! We will be taking pictures this week of them doing their summer activities & I’ll be sure to get an update posted next weekend. Thanks for checking in!

**Favorite quote of the week: "You've got gunk on your os coxae!"**

Taylor's 11th Birthday

Taylor enjoyed celebrating her 11th birthday over the course of a week. On Friday the 13th we had a small celebration at the house with just the four of us. She opened presents (mostly Dr. Who, Webkinz, money from family, and some much anticipated books) and had cake after we ate dinner out at her favorite Chinese buffet - Panda Garden Buffet in Roseville. Later on that weekend we had the neighborhood kids over for a pinata.

Taylor had an earth day birthday party with some of her friends that following weekend on Saturday the 21st at the Harriet Alexander Nature Center, in Roseville. It worked out really well because the nature center also celebrates their birthday that day with a parade, tree planting ceremony and cake! Grandma was nice enough to come and help us out, too. Taylor says that her favorite part was when the girls, Ian and I all took a walking adventure on the floating platforms that wander through the marshes of central park. Some of the platforms didn't float so well and we ended up sinking in a couple of times! The girls thought it was hilarious! We also saw ducks, geese and many species of bugs. **A HUGE thank you to Debbie Cash and the volunteers at the nature center. You helped make Taylor's day wonderful and educational!** Please check out Taylor's birthday pics below:

Taylor's 11th Birthday

The trick with planning any kind of outdoor party in Minnesota this time of year is that the weather can go from snowing one day to 80 degrees the next. It was a little unnerving when it snowed just about a week before Taylor's party, but I did get a picture of the snow in Como Park. It was the wet, sticky spring time snow that really makes for fun photography. And better yet, it melted away within 48 hours after it had fallen.

Taylor and Ian both celebrated their school carnivals over the past week. They both had the usual cake walks, moon bounces, fishing ponds and the like. Nobody won any cake, but they both saw their friends at each one of their schools, and they each won some candy.

Happy Easter

The kids woke up to Easter baskets filled with goodies and eggs stashed all over the house this morning. A few of the eggs were only found after some guidance to their general direction, but overall I think the kids had a good time this morning. Baskets gave way to brunch and brunch gave way to an Easter egg hunt at our local coffee shop. The pictures really tell it like it was - an absloute blast! We loved having a business so close by that was willing to put up with all the neighborhood kids
((((Thank you Java Train! *see their menu*))))

Java Train Easter Egg Hunt

This past week was spring break for the kids. I still had class (and my first final in medical terminology) and Panod still had to work, so we played tag a lot this week. We did manage to go to the Conservatory where the kids got to go on a flower hunt with the pictures of the flowers in hand. And there was a lot of swimming at the YWCA. Taylor is such a fish at swimming, it really doesn't matter to her whether she's in the deep end or the shallow end - just as long as she's under water. And Ian got brave enough to swim around the shallow end of the pool with me as long as he had his life jacket on.

Spring Flower Show

Conferences went very well for both Taylor and Ian. Taylor has done a significant amount of growth on the social side of things, and Ian is really coming along with his writing and reading skills. I'll try to get some of their work up in the next week or so.

The week before spring break, I was able to join Ian at his school for Peace Day. It is considered to be a field trip day that is done at the school. Each classroom has a presentation related to peace, and the children all get into groups that then go to as many classroom presentations as they can. I think our group got to do some T'ai Chi in one classroom, we learned about rainbows in another classroom, and then we listened to a story in the library and all of the kids drew on a large piece of paper after the story. I think the children that I was with walked away with some understanding of what peace is - probably more than than they had understood before that morning.

Peace Day

Spring time update

We have been so busy since the last post, I hope that I can get it all down!

The snow storms we had since the last post left us with several feet of snow! School was canceled in St. Paul and Minneapolis when the second storm hit, just a few days after the first one. Each storm dropped nearly a foot of snow, and the winds were near blizzard strength. We got out and did the driveway after the worst of it had passed - we went sledding, made forts and there were many, many cups of hot cocoa consumed. The best part about March, though, is that the snow that falls never lasts for long. Almost all of the snow that fell has now melted and we've experienced our first 70-degree day last weekend. Be sure to check out the couple of pictures we were able to get of the snow...

Snow Storm II

Big news in Ian's world - HE'S READING!!!! The big guy has started reading a book called, Hot Dog by Molly Coxe and wants to start on Frog & Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel tonight! That was one of Taylor's first books when she started reading at this exact same age and it brings back so many fun memories. Speaking of Taylor reading - she has just plowed through a book called Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, and she's now started another book by Cornelia Funke called Inkheart.

I've gotten through my midterms and an now enjoying spring break. It will not be that relaxing though since I've got my medical terminology class finals coming up in two weeks. I will also be starting to register for summer semester at St. Kate's and getting classes from St. Paul College transferred. I've even been able to map out a route so that I can bike to school at St. Kate's this summer & am very excited about being able to exercise while still getting my studying done.

Taylor also had an exciting day this past Friday when she went and visited with her old friends and teachers at French Immersion. Everyone there was so nice and the kids were all very excited to see her again. She has stayed in touch with a couple of the her friends there, but I think she really found all of the familiar faces to be exactly what she had been looking forward to. All of her former teachers were also warm and welcoming to her & she wants to know when we get to go back. :)

Lastly, I have to share something that is right up there in Loriland with the State Fair -- the 2007 Minneapolis Auto Show! I know it's weird, but I _LOVE_ cars. I have very strong opinions that need to be formed about cars, much of which happens when I see them on the road or read about them, but a large part of my opinions are also formed at the auto show. I drag poor Panod and usually the kids there every year, but this year was different. I went alone, armed only with the Nikon and a full thermos of tea. Ahhh heaven.... on wheels! Please feel free to view my pics.

2007 Minneapolis Auto Show

Quick update with pictures

Last weekend we went to the Pet Expo in Minneapolis with Grandma. There was no major goal in mind - it was more of a reason to get out of the house and to be together than anything else. Plus, we all love our pets! There were so many dogs to see, and samples to get! I think that the kids' favorite part was watching the dog-diving competition, where the owners would throw an object into a large pond of water for the dogs to jump in and retrieve. Thanks for such a great time, Grandma! Enjoy the pictures.

Pet Expo '07

On Monday, the kids and I didn't have any school so we spent some time at the Como Zoo and Conservatory. There was a four-month-old giraffe that got a new name of Jenga that day. There was also a story-time about a giraffe for the kids to sit and listen to. After story-time, we soaked in the amazing smells from the new flower exhibit in the Conservatory, and we watched the fish swim in the ponds. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon and it really made us hungry for the warm spring months ahead.

Como in Feb

This week Taylor had a field trip to the Minnesota Institute of Arts in Minneapolis & I was lucky enough to be able to have the time to chaperon. It was great for the kids because they had been studying the colonial times, and MIA has some fantastic displays that the kids can see and even walk through that were related to the very things that they had been studying in class.

And poor Ian! We were all excited about Thursday night. That was the night that the school opens up the classrooms for the students to bring their families in and they get to show us all of the work that they do during the day. I had spoken with his teacher Thursday afternoon to make sure that it was O.K. for Taylor to come along, and to let her know that we would be there. Sure enough, when Ian and I got home for lunch he told me that he didn't feel well. I took his temp. and it was just over 100. Ugh! Panod and I decided that he should be seen since he had also been having some issues with bloody noses. I called Ian's teacher to let her know that he was ill and that we would not be able to attend family night. Then it was off to the Dr.'s office where she decided to get a head x-ray to check for a sinus infection. Ian was very brave and he got to look at the x-ray while we were waiting for the Dr. to come back into the room. He could see his head, his eyes, his noes and all of his teeth. More importantly, his Dr. saw that he did indeed have a sinus infection. He's on Zithromax now & is currently chasing Taylor around the living room. :)

The big news for today is the snow storm we are supposed to endure this weekend. NOAA has issued a Winter Storm Warning for nearly the entire state, and we are forecasted to expect 9-12+ inches of snow. The kids are seriously excited!! This storm is shaping up to be snowblower-worthy! I'm sure we'll be posting some pics in next few days.

Happy Valentine's Day

Our recent lack of updates can be blamed on illness & tests, but things are beginning to look up for everyone. Both of the kids have had significant fevers with their recent bouts with the winter crud. Taylor is finally going on day 3 of being back to normal, and Ian has yet to spike another fever today.

Panod has been quite busy with work, but he has somehow also been able to find the time to help Taylor and I with our studies. Aside from those of us who were well hitting our local coffee shop, we really haven't been up to much.

Here's a poem I helped the kids write for Panod today:

Dad, dad
You help me out when homework is bad
And you cheer me up when I'm feeling sad

You are always there
To help me be good
You also help me do things
That I didn't think I could

That's why I'm taking this moment,
This time
To tell you that
You are my favorite Dad Valentine

And here's one more goodie...

Ian's Birthday Party Pics

Ian had a great time last Saturday. We invited some of his new little friends from his school, a friend from Taylor's old school for Taylor to play with, and some family members to help us celebrate at the Eagles Nest. The Eagles Nest is a very large indoor playground in the New Brighton Family Service Center - what better way to let a bunch of kids release some energy on a very cold Saturday afternoon?

The kids really were cute. They would all run in a pack through the playground equipment - and if one of them got separated from the group, they would all run around until that person was found. Panod manned the door in and out of the playground, while I manned the party table & talked with the parents as they dropped off their little ones. Taylor and her friend were also a huge help in keeping track of all of the little ones.

It was great to have some family meet some of Ian's friends & their families. Thanks everyone for making Ian's party really fun. Enjoy the pics!

Ian's 5th Birthday - Party

Birthday boy & winter carnival

Happy Birthday, Ian!

Ian's Bday & Winter Carnival

We had a small party with just the four of us on Monday to celebrate Ian's 5th birthday. He opened a few presents and we all enjoyed some cupcakes in honor of his big day. He'll be having a larger party with some of his little friends from school this weekend. We'll be sure to post those pictures in the coming days.

Today was beautiful and warm (nearly 40 degrees!), and the kids & I had the day off of school. We decided to go for a walk around Como Lake before lunch, and then we hit the Winter Carnival this afternoon on Harriet Island. The walk was a blast - even Toby came! We found a tree that someone had decorated with Christmas ornaments, a squirrel that was waaaaay up in a tree, and the kids searched for the second medallion since there were so many other people out there today digging for it, too. After heading home and warming up with some soup for lunch, we hit the road again to Harriet Island for the Winter Carnival. There were snow & ice sculptures to see, and a frozen playground to play on. The snow slide was fun, but kids under eight had to ride with an adult. There was also a large warming tent that served up some Minnesota hot dish, hot cocoa and samples of an excellent soup from Bruggers Bagels.

If you plan on going to the winter carnival:

* Use the park and ride! There is NO WHERE to park anywhere within a one mile radius of the island and there are no sidewalks to walk on.
* Buy the buttons. They come with coupon books that allowed us to ride the slide and the go through the ice maze for free.
* Bring a sled to pull behind you for the kids, not a stroller. For most people, the deep snow on the island made strollers next to impossible to navigate through most of the snow and ice sculptures.
* Cover up! The wind was fierce down on the river!

Quick updates:

* Still no news on Taylor's science project, or the grade she got.
* Taylor read the 497-page book, Eragon, in less than three weeks!
* My first two weeks at school have gone smoothly and I've already had to take a test in Medical Terminology. I got 28/30!
* Panod now knows most of the Med. Term. words since he helped me study all week.
* Ian insists that he's still 4.

Back into the swing of things

With the first week of school almost behind us after a long winter break, we are finally getting back into the swing of things. Staying up late and sleeping-in was a very easy habit for all of us to form over the two-week time we had off. Since the last post we've celebrated Panod's birthday, decided where to have Ian's 5th birthday, and finished Taylor's science project. We are also looking forward to my starting school next week. While it is only two classes, it will be a good way for me to start seeing what is ahead of me for the next two years.

Panod's birthday was celebrated at Stella's Fish Cafe in uptown on Saturday night, while our neighbor watched Taylor and Ian. (Thank you, Deb & sorry about the popcorn/living room incident!) Stella's was wonderful! We would highly recommend getting there during happy hour and chowing on the $1 oysters at the oyster bar. We arrived with only 30 minutes left before happy hour was over, but we still manged to down 11 or so oysters! After that, we were seated and we decided to share a heaping basket of super soft, and super spicy calamari. This stuff was amazing, and we probably could have (or should have) stopped eating at that point and been fine. But no, we continued on our seafood frenzy - Panod ordered a wonderful, but slightly too salty seafood soup that came with a large helping of sweet cornbread, a large king crab leg (you can add them on to any entree for only $5.95), and the shrimp hashbrowns, which were amazing. I ordered the daily three, which ended up being salmon, scallops and swordfish - all smothered in rich, creamy sauces. The food was really good and we would like to go back, but we decided that if we do, we'll just hit up the happy hour and down an appetizer.

Over the course of the winter break, we have been helping Taylor with her science project. This year was different because we got to do it in English! Woo hoo! She decided to try and grow crystals on strings that were placed in jars with boiling water and several different materials. Several of the materials tested were regular sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, iodized salt, regular salt & epsom salt. Only the regular salt and iodized salt actually grew crystals and she had to figure why & state it in her report. It really was educational in teaching her the basics of the scientific method and she seemed to do well to do well today when it was her turn to present her work to the judges. Right now we're not sure how well she did, but I have a feeling that at the very least she got a good grade.

I also have some pictures from the kids playing in our latest snow. There just hasn't been much of it this year, so it seems like every chance we get we're out playing in it - I even travel with the kids' snow tubes in the back of the van just in case we feel a spontaneous sledding fit come on while we're out running errands! There are also pictures from Panod's birthday and Taylor's science fair today....

Winter Break 06