Halloween 2012

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!   This may be a new record for me as far as updating the blog.  I'm usually a week late.  I'm so happy it's over.  The day or two leading up to Halloween provided lots of really bad behavior from the older daughter.  Lots of mouthing off, sassing back, not listening, etc.  Even her teacher said she had some behavior issues.  At the end of the night on 10/30 I pretty much lost it with her after I couldn't take any more sassing.  I went there and threatened to take away trick-or-treating.  Seriously...I was ready to sell her to the Gypsies.  Her behavior did improve significantly the next day.  

This was taken on 10/30.  I get lots of faces like this now.  

I carved the Hello Kitty pumpkin and Meredith drew the face on her pumpkin and I cut it out.  I got lots of compliments on my Hello Kitty pumpkin BTW.  

Here's the close-up of Meredith's pumpkin.  I think it's just the cutest thing ever!  It's so 5-year-old.  

Sooooo...on 10/31 we started off the day in costumes.  Meredith wore hers to pre-school and we dressed up Anna as well.  I think this is just the cutest cowgirl costume ever!  

Arrrrrr!  I'm giving a huge shout out to Grandma Schwake for making this costume!  Meredith decided quite a while ago she wanted to be a pirate but I wasn't liking any of the 'costume' options.  I started looking on Etsy and fell in love with a handmade pirate costume but it was $85 plus shipping.  Greg was not having any of that so I bought a pattern and some fabric and Grandma put this together.  It turned out soooooo cute!  

Grandma Schwake and Auntie Jennifer stopped by in the evening to help hand out candy and she brought both the girls a huge pumpkin cookie!

This is the best I could get with both kids together:)

One last action shot where she's digging in awe through her loot.  

Emma Krumbee's

Last weekend we headed down to Emma Krumbee's as we do every October.  It's such a fun place for kids.  It's cheap and there's lots to do for a little kid.  I met up with a friend of mine and her two daughters while Anna & Greg stayed home.  Anna will probably have fun next year.  As it always is, it was a glorious day!  I can't believe how lucky I have been all these years going...we always seem to have great weather.  

This is Meredith's friend Erin.  

Riding on the barrel train.  I think I have a picture in this every year we've gone.  

I love how this picture captures the joy of being a child.  

We went out to the pumpkin patch and much to Meredith's dismay, we didn't get any pumpkins.  We already have 5 at home.  

The kiddie band tent is always a favorite.  That's the first and last place we stopped:)

School Pictures

School pictures aren't exactly new to us.  Meredith has been getting her pictures done at her old daycare/preschool since she was 2.  And not only once/year but twice/year.  So I kind of knew to expect to pay a fortune but still.  $34 for two sheets of portraits.  They do look nice though!  Although she has one cuff rolled up and not the other.  Oh well.  Meredith looks so...I don't know...grown up I guess.  

Pre-school

I'm only two weeks late but I guess it's better than nothing.  Meredith misses the kindergarten cutoff by one day this year.  Actually make that 8 hours and 37 minutes.  In MN, you must be 5 on or before September 1 to go to kindergarten and Meredith was born on September 2.  She is ready but that's just not how it was meant to be.

And just because she's cute:

I've had her enrolled in a special class for 5-year-olds since January at God's Discovery Kids at the Rosemount United Methodist Church.  I only looked at two schools because as soon as I went to this one, I knew it was the one for her.  I couldn't be happier with that decision thus far.  The school is great and her teacher is wonderful.  And best of all, Meredith talks about how excited she is to go to pre-school all the time!  She seems to love it.  She goes Monday-Thursday in the mornings.  She even told me that she wishes she could go in the afternoon too.

Science Museum Birthday

I'd like to say thank you to the Baird family for the generous gift of a birthday party at the Science Museum of Minnesota they gave us.  They are donors at the Science Museum in memory of Robert Baird and they get a free birthday party.  Since their kids are grown up, they gave it to us to use for Meredith.  Thanks so much.  

Meredith was really excited about this.  Thank you to everyone who came as well.  Her party was pirate themed and we had a fun day doing activities, opening presents, and exploring the museum.  

Consignment Time

See all this junk?  Well, it's not clogging up my basement anymore:-)  It's all been dropped off for the twice yearly kids consignment sale I participate in.  Let's hope that people will buy my junk (it's really not junk...it's actually all stuff in great shape).  Because I don't want it in my house anymore.  And the money I make from these sales is going to fund my next vacation...along with my 200,000+ Delta Skymiles:-) I can't wait for that day to come!

5!

My little girl turned 5 last week.  I guess I have another year or so that she will be a 'little' girl before she turns school age.  I love how smart and sweet and caring she has grown to be.  

We celebrated her 5th birthday at Lake Byllesby Regional Park.  The day was perfect.  Thanks to everyone who came to make the day special for her.  

This picture is appropriate for the theme of the day.  

Meredith's Great Aunt Shirley (and Great Uncle Don) came up to visit for the weekend since her Grandma and Grandpa Carlson were in town.  

Here are just a few more pictures of the birthday girl.  

Meredith's Great Uncle Robin (and Great Aunt Irene also came).  

Not a great picture, but here are the cousins!

Stanley Cup

Last week Greg took Meredith out to get all her hockey equipment.  We were fortunate enough to get one of the last remaining vouchers from the Rosemount Hockey Association to get free equipment.  They had a Try Hockey For Free day that we were unaware of but they had a few leftover vouchers.  Greg took Mer out and she got fitted for all her equipment and it was free!  Except the skates.  Nice, huh???  I have to enjoy it while I can because next hear hockey is going to be high buck.  

Then the two of them headed to Lakeville as the Stanley Cup was in town.  I know, Meredith looks thrilled.  I'm sure Greg was excited to see it though!  

Great MN Get Together

I hate to say it, but I'm getting kind of worn out on going to the State Fair.  It always was one of my favorite things to do in the summer.  I don't know if it's because I have to drag kids with me or what, but I'm just kind of losing interest:-(  I think it's because I spend a majority of the time in the Kidway, or the animal barns or doing kid stuff.  By the time we're done with all of that, I'm worn out.  **sigh**

It was a hot one, but we had fun!  Meredith helped out on the little farm.  At the end you get to pick a food item from the store and of course she picked the dill pickle chips over a can of vegetables or a box of granola bars.  This picture below shows the forced smile she gives me nowadays.  Ugh.  

 

Next stop was the Kidway.  She went on a bunch of rides and had a lot of fun.  

 Next stop was the food building to eat lunch. We met up with my mom, brother, cousin, aunts & uncles!  

 Peter's 'box' lunch.  

Tennis Camp

We've been experimenting a bit lately with sports and Meredith is officially signed up for hockey this fall!  She'll be playing with the Rosemount Hockey Association's U8 girls.  I previously thought she would be a Mini Mite but that is a boys' classification.  There aren't enough young girls signed up to play where they can actually classify them as Mini Mites, Mites, etc.  So they just get grouped into the U8 (under 8) category based on ability.  

Anyway, I'll be posting more on that once she starts in November.  In the meantime, we signed her up for an Intro to Tennis camp last week.  It's just a week long class that teaches the basics of tennis.  How to hold a racket, practice hitting the ball, etc.  

As expected, Mer is just a tad uncoordinated.  But she did okay though.  She said she REALLY liked it and wants to do it again next summer!  

Meredith is wearing the pink shirt and capri pants in these pictures.  Here's an action shot (those are high school boys in the background, not creepers).  

In true Meredith style, she's off in her own world here and not listening.  

That's better.  Now she's listening!

Anna's 1st Birthday

Well folks, we officially made it to one year! My baby is 1.  It sure doesn't seem like a whole year has passed and I had a newborn at this time last year.  I have been very lucky to spend Anna's whole first year at home with her; taking care of my two wonderful girls.  

We had her party at Lake Byllesby Regional Park in Cannon Falls.  They have lots and lots of picnic tables and shaded areas so I figured that odds are in my favor that we could find a nice spot and we did.  We had perfect weather for a birthday party

This is her birthday outfit that I've had for what seems like ages.  

The cake I got with my Wuollets Groupon.  

She didn't know what to do with her cupcake.  

She finally destroyed it with her hands and ate a little.  

Meredith was very excited to help her open her gifts.  

With her baby cousin, Bowen looking at gifts.  

Some of the guests: