Twins game on my birthday!!

The Chancellors (Uncle Chris' gospel quartet) sang the National Anthem on Sept 18, which just happened to be my birthday, so we all went. It was a blast!! I think the pics of the actual game are on a different camera.....I did not get circled :-(
My cousin Andy and me
Lauren, Brenda and me
Lauren and me... CUTE!!!!

Walk = Exercise? Depends on who you're with.

The past few days the kids and I have gone for a walk everyday. I'm not sure if walking with kids equals exercise, but I digress. Take today for example: We decided to walk to Walgreens and get a treat. Estimated walking time from our apt (102nd and Lyndale) to Walgreens (98th and Lyndale) is about 10 minutes.
We start walking.
Nick stops to pick up a stick, uses stick as lightsaber, pissing off his sister.
Sister retaliates by crossing him out (making a giant X in the air at him)
Nick: MO-OM!! Emily crossed me out!! ON PURPOSE!! (everything is on purpose here)
Me: Are we staying home today?
Kids: "NO!"
Me: then get moving!

We finally make it out of our parking lot. sigh.
Find dead carcass in the sidewalk, stop to examine it. Discuss with family members what said carcass could possible be, get threatened by your mom that she is going to throw it at you unless you keep walking.
Stop to examine some bugs on the sidewalk.
Jacob tries to pick up the bugs, Emily screams and knocks it out of his hand, accidentally brushing Nick's leg as she does so.
Nick: MO-OM Emily hit me!! *you guessed it* ON PURPOSE!!!
Emily: I DID NOT!!!
Me: Nick, I saw the whole thing, you're fine. Get moving.

Keep walking. Stop and wait for Slim Shady in his hooptymobile to pull out of a driveway so we can go through, all while hoping we aren't deaf from the rap music blaring from his speakers, and hoping it's rated G (yeah right)
Stop by a tree that looks like it's growing green beans and listen to the kids make up recipes for the green beans. Neither child eats green beans by the way, I don't know why I would bother cooking any for them.
Cross 99th and try not to get soaked by the 82 sprinklers that are on the corner for a patch of grass about 5ft by 5ft. Nick doesn't succeed. I think *that may have been on purpose.

Get to parking lot of "strip mall" The stop sign is low enough for Jacob to touch (he is obsessed with them) and wait while he traces the letters......about 5 times.

Time it took us: 25 minutes.

Go into store, browse the candy aisle, pop cooler, toys, pet stuff etc while the employees give us dirty looks because clearly old people are the only ones allowed to shop at Walgreens during the day.
Get our snacks and head out. Discuss on the way home if the carcass might still be there and what it is. Stop by an area by another apt building that has been dug up and ponder what it might be. Pass green bean tree and wonder why no one has picked them and tried out our recipes. Finally arrive home.
Drinks: $4
Treats: $4
Seeing your kids wonder over nature and getting hugs and smiles for spending time with them: PRICELESS

Emily's party

A very simple party. Invited some friends over to swim and eat cake. We had Emily, Abbie and Ellie Drobinski, and a couple of neighbors: Gena and Lily. We ended up being out there for almost 4 hrs which surprised me, the water was freezing!!!
Emily D and Nick. They are good friends.

Abbie and Emily. BFFs

Gena and Emily

At one point no one was swimming.

Emily and Ellie

Night at the Farm

So on Friday afternoon, me, mom and Heather headed out to 'the farm' in Wisconsin. We left about 2:45ish, and stopped at about 3:30 to eat. It was nice to get away from children for 24 hrs ;-)

The Mississippi River
Pointing out some flowers

the deck. Wayne built this

Heather and Mom

pumpkins!

walking

Little frog. I tried to catch him but he was too fast

Heather and Mom. I hate that bridge. No railings!

Scary cows ;-)

Don't mess with the bull....

heh heh, fire.

Roasting marshmallows

SMORES!!

Picking veggies

green beansThe fruits..er.....veggies of our labor.

a pretty flower and a caterpillar

Ginormous green bean. It was too icky to eat.

On saturday we headed into Red Wing on the way home and went into some antique shops. I really wanted these New Kids on the Block dolls but they were too expensive ;-) We got home about 4:30 on Saturday, and the kids were very excited to see me!!! Can't wait to do it again!!!

Summer Fun

FINALLY all last week it was hot enough to swim everyday!!! (Emily has the best tan lines. ha!) On Friday it was about 90 out and we had some friends over. Julie and Laura (I worked with them at the Y) and their kids. We were out for about 2 hrs, and had fun!!! Julie has 2 girls and Laura has 3 boys so it was perfect ;-)
Emily's cannonball

SPLASH!!!!

Mary. This girl has no fear. She is almost 4, she just jumps in and swims around with no floaties on.

Nick

Anna

Laura, Julie and Me :o)

15 yrs ago........

...this was my Target posse. The 5 of us worked together at Target when I was in high school and hung out all the time. There were a couple other guys that hung out with us too, and I don't really remember Patty hanging out doing movies and stuff. What a shock, me and a bunch of guys! I think Tony was my best friend of the group, he and I used to hang out all the time. He lives in Florida now and was up for a wedding so we all went out and had fun :o) We went to The Bulldog in Uptown for drinks and food and chit chat....and we watched the Twins actually win one! This is Jim and Tony
Robb and Me.....and Tony's head. Robb could give Jerrod a run for his money. He cracks me up!!

Tony, Patty and Robb

Jim...ha

Tony and me

Haircuts

Jacob and Emily got haircuts in the past couple weeks. I buzzed Jacob's hair, which I have never done before. This is him before (actually this was in June but it was much shaggier now!)


After.

How much does he look like his cousin now????

Emily.....pay no attention to the spaghetti in her teeth ;-)

awwwwwwwww