Pirate Ship Sandbox

Summer is super fun. Playing outside is the best. Daddy got us really cool pirate ship sandbox, and we really love it. We especially love tasting the sand...

Yep, wet sand is the yummiest.

Little Ballerina

Check this out, Peeps: I am a ballerina! Mommy signed me up for ballet lessons at the Academy of Russian ballet, and I'm already a pro after 4 weeks. I know all the moves and everything! Mommy isn't allowed in the classroom to watch me, because ballet is very serious business. It requires utmost focus. I really have to pay attention to my mind and body. Mommy would be a major distraction. I also have to be on my best behavior in class. All professional ballerinas are very polite and polished. A couple girls in my class got a case of the sillies, and got sent right out. That never happens to me. I'm a good little ballerina. I get a sticker at the end of every class. Some kids don't (if you know what I mean).

Well, at our "parent preview" class, Mommy and Daddy, and Meemee got to watch me perform. It was super cool. Here I am in all my ballerina glory:

First position is super easy. I've got it down...

And here I am perfecting my passe and retire...

 

 I'm also a team-player...

The best part of "parent preview" night was that I got to be the STAR of the show! I just love performing.  :-)

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!!

Mommy and Kathryn took us to a super cool bookstore this morning. It's called Wild Rumpus, and it's totally wild. There are chickens running around, kitties sleeping on stacks of books, birds, ferrets, chinchillas, and even a tarantula (in a cage). We discovered all kinds of animals in nooks and crannies. It was totally fun.

Here we are meeting a 10-year old chicken. Apparently she was only supposed to live about 4-5 years, but she's still kickin'!

We also had to stop and pet the kitty we found napping near the window.

Yep, Wild Rumpus was cool. Maybe next time we'll actually look at some books too.

Buddies taking a break...

Watching the Bird Show at the MN Zoo...

Another rare morning that Daddy was able to join us on an outing. We had so much fun at the zoo!

Overcoming the car ride hurdle...

It is Monday and I already feel a great sense of accomplishment this week. I conquered the 3-hour roundtrip drive to our North Shore lakehome by MYSELF with all three kids. This is a big deal in my world. We love our family lakehome, but our trips have been sadly limited due the complicated scheduling dance it takes to secure another adult passenger for the drive up and back. Well, this past weekend, I decided we were ready. We were ready to it on our own. I timed everything perfectly, stocked up on snacks, gathered up some Baby Einsteins and the kids' current fav, Toy Story 3, packed the car, loaded up the kids, and hit the road...with all my fingers crossed.

The car ride wasn't too bad. It wasn't relaxing by any means, but it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't do it again. The kids weren't able to sleep, because they kept waking each other. That was a big bummer. But, I have become a semi-pro at throwing objects to the third row seat, so whoever sits in the way back doesn't go neglected. That is a plus. I was 5 for 5 on the way up: one binky, one blanky, one snack trap, one sucker, and one apple...right into Joey's lap. Nice. The kids get a kick out of it too, so it's kind of a win-win (except for when I miss). I also did a lot of explaining (why some trees are short and some are tall, why the road is bumpy, why bugs splat on the windshield, why construction causes traffic jams), changed the DVD a couple times, and lead a few sing-a-longs. Needless to say, it was still a busy 3 hours, even though we were in the car.

So, we all survived. We all had a great time up north with Meemee and Poppa. I LOVE that another door has opened for me, and we will be back up to our wonderful North Shore lakehome soon!! :-)

Oh, and this is the only pic I have to post of our wonderful weekend. That's how busy we were...not able to take ONE photo until the babes were asleep. Hahaha

Classic Eliza...