The First Half of Summer

A Grey Kitty Party

Our sweet Siri Carolyn celebrated her third birthday as a "grey kitty with whiskers" birthday. We weren't exactly sure what she meant by this, except that the cake should be a grey kitty with whiskers (of course!), and that she wanted to play "Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Kitty." We humored her on both requests, and had a delightful time celebrating her birthday throughout her birthday week.

Grandma and Grandpa arrived late the night before her birthday, so we had the added treat of getting to celebrate with them. Really, what better way to start off your third birthday than by having your grandpa serenade you your new banjo? And, what better way to end it then with Grandma reading you a story about your own birth day.

Our three year old is a nurturing, creative, warm, energetic, delightful little girl. She is always ready to give a hug or kiss, is anxious to explore her world, and is cautiously excited about starting preschool. We were talking the other day about her starting Sunday School next year, and she asked if we would hold her during it. She has accompanied us so often in Annie's classrooms (at church and preschool), and I'm sure as a result our transitions will be different with her than with Annie.

Speaking of Annie, Siri is determined that she can do everything that Annie can do. She loves making her bed (smoothing her sheets with great care), playing catch (she is thrilled that Annie gave her a softball glove and ball "just like she wanted!"), reading stories, helping cook and clean (I love that she randomly decides it is time to dust, and gets right to it!), and wants to write and count and color just like Annie. As much as she wants to be just like Annie, she is most definitely her own little girl. She continues to be quite comical, and loves to make people laugh. She has both the fierce need to cuddle and connect with others, and a deep desire to figure things out by herself. She needs time by herself to recharge, and it’s a calming thing to watch her remove herself from the craziness that can sometimes be her world and center herself.

We are proud to be her parents, so happy with the past three years with her, and excited to see who she continues to become.

Annie and Siri waiting to go downstairs and open presents

Grandpa serenades Siri

Grandma reads Siri and Annie Siri's Birth Day Story

Ready for Siri's Party

Getting a hug from Ella

Siri's Grey Kitty Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday to you, Siri!

Ready to play "Pin the Whiskers on the Kitty"

 The End of the School Year for Annie

As a bunny for her dance recital

Annie finished off a wonderful two years at her preschool at the beginning of June. As I drove her to school on her last day, I asked what she was going to miss the most about her preschool, she quickly responded, "Doing whatever I like-inside and outside." I had never heard her express this thought about preschool, and it was interesting to hear her say it. It made me think a lot about her world, and how often she actually gets to make decisions and plans for herself. It made me appreciate what a wonderful job her teachers did with the child-directed learning. Kids would express curiosity about/interest in something, and they would develop lessons around these interests, and the kids would never even realize that they were being led.

It was amazing to get things from over the course of the last two years, and to see how much she's grown. One area that her growth is so obvious is her drawing. She's taking after Eric in this area, and amazed me with her ability, concentration, and persistence with drawing. Her attention to detail is obvious, and her imagination seemingly endless.

It was hard for me not to be emotional throughout her last day, thinking of how much she has grown, and how much I will miss her being there, and also her being on a preschool schedule. To think that next begins a schedule that will last through high school can feel overwhelming. And, yet, she is so excited about kindergarten, it is hard to dwell on the missing for too long. I know it is just one of many letting go/embracing new that we're in for as parents.

Annie also had her first dance recital in early June. She has loved everything about her dance class and was so excited to perform. All of the Creative Movement classes (for 3-5 year olds) at the dance studio had their recital together at one of our favorite parks. Each class was a different animal, and together they told the story "I'm As A Quick as Cricket." The students in Annie's class were bunnies, and did a sweet little dance. Annie reveled in the performance, and is anxious to begin dance class again in the fall.

Arriving at school one last time with her car pool buddy, Soren

Annie and Natalia, one of her teachers these past two years

with one of her good friends on the slide

Annie's the third student in line

Annie skipping rocks

 Time at the North Shore

Immediately after Annie's dance recital, we got in our packed car and drove three hours north for a relaxing weekend with Eric's dad and family at the North Shore of Lake Superior.  While there, we enjoyed simply being together, eating delicious food, hiking, skipping rocks, roasting s'mores, visiting Duluth and watching the lift bridge at the harbor, and taking in the beautiful scenery of the North Shore. There are not many things more relaxing than the sound of water lapping against rocks, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Siri, Papa, Annie, and Emily

Eric and Jenia

Annie at Gooseberry Falls

Emily, Annie, and Siri trying out different smiles (Siri is a doing what she calls a "ghost smile")

Siri compares her handprint to a wolf's paw print

Sweet Siri

Roasting Marshmallows

Annie and Papa, watching a ship come in

Jenia, Siri, and Nana--Siri's pretending to drive the ship

 2012 Road Trip...Begins in Colorado

Our best pirate smiles: Kim, Emma, Connor, Jacob, Jenia, Siri, and Annie

For the third year in a row, we decided to drive to Arizona this summer. Each year we wonder if the girls will still be up for it, and each year they've done a wonderful job. We broke our trip out there up with a stop in Colorado.

In Colorado, as in years past, we got to stay with my good friend Kim and her family. I love that even though we see each other just once a year, the kids remember each other and don't take long to fall into a rhythm with each other. They think Kim's two boys are extremely cool, and Annie continually was asking the eldest to say or do something. He was very obliging, and Annie was delighted. Annie and Siri also loved playing with Kim's daughter who--age-wise--is right in between them. They loved being silly together, swimming together, reading together, and playing together. The girls were both very sad to leave, and the first thing they wanted to do when they got into the car was to create a list of things that we will do when we go back next year.

We also got to see Eric's brother and girlfriend and their new house while in Colorado. They moved to Colorado last summer, not long after we had just gotten back from there. We were so happy to get to see them, to see their new home, meet their new kitty-Kermit-and to catch-up with them. The girls loved reading stories with Maddie, and helping Uncle Greg entertain Kermit.

Silly girls eating popsicles

At Greg and Maddie's

Greg and Siri try to get Kermit to come out from under the couch

Siri very much enjoying her yogurt

Jacob and Annie eating their yogurt

Annie, Siri, and Emma putting on a dance for us

Ending the dance with a bow

Reading bedtime stories together

...Time in Northern Arizona

Leaving Colorado, we had a beautiful drive through the Rocky Mountains (not affected by the Colorado fires on our route), and down through Utah through Arches, into New Mexico, and then into northern Arizona. There, we met my parents, and cousins Elliott and Kate (Sara and Alex were both away at work functions) at the family cabin. We spent a few days there, exploring the surrounding forest, playing games, drawing, and relaxing.

The kids all especially loved exploring in the nearby national forest. There, they focused on creating bird nests and "Bird Town" complete with restaurants, hotels, and stores. They also loved climbing rocks, exploring the creek (unfortunately with just a little water), and helping Grandpa with the hammock.

It is amazing to watch the cousins play there and be so flooded with memories of time with my cousins there at this same age. I am so glad that we've stopped by the cabin these last two summers. I am so glad that the girls are creating their own memories there.

How many grandkids does it take to "help" Grandpa set up the hammock?

Kate and Siri enjoying the hammock

Elliott and Annie get a turn

Siri builds a bird nest

Siri tells us how "teeny-tiny" bird eggs are

Siri builds a bird hotel

Annie. Standing tall?

Annie and Elliott enjoy snacktime

Siri rests in the rocks

Ah...the cabin's rocking chairs...

Happy cousins, ready to head to Phoenix

Silly cousins...

 ...Phoenix: Meeting Yannik, Swimming, and other Adventures with Cousins

Siri, Annie, Kate, and Elliott in the pool

After our time at the cabin, we all headed south to Phoenix. We welcomed the sight of cacti on the mountains as we came down to the Valley, and happily ate a delicious Mexican food meal on our way into town. Siri has always been a bit more adventurous with food than Annie, so we weren't surprised that she was willing to try the salsa there. What did surprise me was that she loved it, and ate almost an entire bowl by herself, taking big sips of water between each scoop of it. She's asked for salsa again and again since then, she is going to take after Grandpa in this regard.

Annie and Elliott: Action Shot

For most days that we were in Phoenix, our daily routine was the same. We would wake-up on the early side, play and have breakfast together, and then head out to the pool for our morning swim. A swimming lesson with Grandma marked the end of most swim times, and following these lessons, all the kids enjoyed popsicles in the yard before heading in for calm play inside during the hottest part of the day. The kids often all colored all together during this time (Annie learned to draw the Death Star and Rebel Fighter Planes, although I'm pretty certain she has no idea what they are), or changed their clothes fourteen times, or played "Guess Who," or with our old toys. We'd then do lunch and rest time (what a challenge that was in such a full house) before heading back out for an afternoon swim. Then, dinner and bedtime routines were upon us and most nights we were in bed early, exhausted from time in the pool, time in the sun.

Sweet little toes

Eric and Yannik

The trip would have been wonderful just by itself, but the fact that we got to share our time there with Sara, Alex, Elliott, and Kate and with John, Tonia, Lenny, and Yannik (visiting from Germany) made it even more wonderful. It was our first time to get to meet Yannik, and we hadn't seen the rest of them in a year and a half. The kids all loved playing with each other (except for when they seemed to love fighting each other, either way, it seemed they enjoyed themselves thoroughly); dancing, jumping, running through sprinklers, swimming, eating, coloring, playing, reading; all are more fun with cousins! The kids were all delighted to get to hold Yannik, and to spend time with John, Tonia, and Lenny (our time with them made Annie even more excited for learning German in kindergarten).

Lenny and John making us pancakes

We all had a lovely morning at the zoo together (starting at 6am, because when you are in Phoenix in the summertime--with daily excessive heat warnings, that's the only reasonable time to go to the zoo). The kids fed giraffes, road the merry-go-round, played in the splash pad, and generally had a good time.

We had a morning of exercise together, when my parents' personal trainer came to their backyard so everyone could participate. (My sister and I also decided that AZ wasn't hot enough on its for us, so did hot yoga for a week at a nearby yoga studio--it actually served to make 113 degrees seem cooler!)

Not only did we get to spend time with my siblings and their families, we also got to visit with some of my cousins and their families who were in town for the week. It was so good to get caught up, to watch the next generation of cousins play together, to eat home made ice cream and Nana's Chocolate Cake together, to swim together, and to just be together.

Annie and Yannik

Siri and Yannik

Siri and John making silly faces

Riding the shark at the zoo

And, Siri on her favorite dragon

Feeding the giraffes with the cousins: Tonia, Lenny, Elliott, John, Annie, and Kate

Annie feeds the giraffe

Annie cooling off in the splash pad

and practicing floating in the pool

Exercising in the backyard

Siri and Lenny enjoying popsicles

Pool time!

Lenny and Siri cook with Grandma

All together at the zoo

Grandpa reads a bedtime story

Siri cools off at the zoo's splash pad

John, Lenny, Kate, and Annie join her

Annie and Kate being Charlotte(s) in her web

Siri and Kate drive the tractor

Siri jumps in!

Jenia and Yannik

Eric and Alex provide waves for more pool time fun

With more cousins!

Annie, Kate, and Siri cool off with popsicles

Lenny arranges his towel

Siri relaxing outside

...The Fourth of July in Phoenix

Fourth of July in Phoenix this year was unseasonably cool, we had a rainy morning, and it was nice enough to be outside even without being in the pool. Unfortunately, my mom woke up sick on the Fourth, so we decided to postpone the parade we had planned for another occassion.

We missed Mom/Grandma, but we still had a fun time celebrating together with:

Flag Pancakes for the kids

·      Flag Pancakes (a tradition from our childhood with my grandparents, another fun thing to pass on)

·      A morning swim in the rain, with our very own wave pool (an Eric/Alex effort)

·      Making homemade ice cream (Uncle John and the cousins)

·      Delicious barbeque food and root beer (Thanks, Dad!)

Annie takes her turn helping Uncle John

·     

as does Siri

Tiffy, Uncle Jim, Elliott, Anna, and Annie

      A Diamondbacks Baseball Game--with uncles, aunts, cousins, siblings, spouses. Growing up, we'd often celebrated the Fourth together, and it was wonderful to all celebrate together again. Following the game, the stadium roof opened up and we thoroughly enjoyed a fireworks show. It really was an impressive show, but I had other favorite things to watch during it: Annie's expression--a wide gaping smile as she was just mesmerized by the fireworks, my Dad miraculously fall asleep (with all the fireworks, the blaring music, the thousands of people around him) during the show, and just looking around at all of the family there, happy to be together. Siri watched the whole show this year; the blaring music helped dull the sound of the fireworks, but was still a little uncertain. This, of course was fine, as I loved cuddling with her throughout.

Mommy, Siri, and Annie

The kids ready for the game--the girls are pirates, of course

 It was an incredible trip; mostly, because it was so good to all be together.

We drove home straight through, traveling through New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa. And, while we were very sad to leave AZ and family, the three days in the car made us quite happy to cross over into Minnesota.