First day of school: Alla.

Hard to believe my little girl is in second grade. She woke at six a.m. (I remember most school days last year where I was waking her at 8:45.) I didn't even see her in jammies, because when I got up at seven, she already had her first day of school outfit on.

 

I love this smile, I love her excitedness. I hope she finds nothing can dampen her spirit.

Vacation "Twelve"

We just returned from Breezy Point, MN, and I have loads of vacation photos (that I've actually uploaded, so step 1 is complete), but I thought I'd ease into it with my Twelve on the 12th images. You'll soon find, if you're so inclined, that there aren't exactly twelve images for August, but I'm sure it's fine.

 

Alla balancing on a wooden log. She later went on to, of course, fall off and bruise herself.

On the (nonmoving) kiddie train in Nisswa.

The condo we stayed in had an open staircase, so Alla promptly found a light to put under there for a perfect storytelling spot.

I was a super reader on our trip, finishing this big read and starting another.

Fisher brought his "war cards" so that although he played with us for hours, he could still get in some side games with his friends, who all made the trip with us.

Oh yes our condo had a hot tub.

The real (well bigger) train in Nisswa.

The beach!

Ten on Tuesday: The Ten-Year Anniversary Edition.

1. Ron and I got to leave town for the weekend, to celebrate our ten year anniversary. We haven't left the kids to go on any sort of trip since, um, well, since having them.

 

2. We picked Duluth, where we could easily get back (two hours) if a Fisher emergency presented itself, but, happily, Nana and Pappi handled everything with grace and we were able to just be Ron and J.J. for 48 hours.

3. We stayed at the A.G. Thomson House, which was the most amazing inn ever. Ron was a big fan of there being homemade chocolate chip cookies in the dining room around the clock.

4.The innkeepers serve a multi-course breakfast every morning, and on the first day there was a raspberry scone, still warm from the oven. Oh, wow.

5. After a breakfast like that you're really not hungry for most of the day, so we spent several hours hiking at Gooseberry.

  

 6. Saw this deer on our way, clearly not afraid of hikers.

7. We hiked down to Agate Beach, where I could have stayed for hours filling my pockets with interesting gems. This is the view from the beach looking out on Lake Superior.

8. Another North Shore recommendation: New Scenic Cafe, which I'm sure someone else recommended to me, and which was darn good food. I had fresh yellowfin tuna melt. Wow.

9. Sunday was my favorite sky. The sky doesn't get more gorgeous. This is the view from Fitger's, looking toward Canal Park/the Aerial Lift Bridge. Amazing!

10. Thank you again, Mom and Bob - what a gift of a weekend it was.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. The kiddos have one more soccer game to end the season. I am so so proud of each of them.

2. Probably due to soccer two nights a week, we haven't eaten very inspired meals lately. It's my biggest gripe about summer: I can't be cooking dinner and outside playing with the kids at the same time. Usually that means something quick, which I'm translating to uninspired.

3. Where in the world would I be without Trader Joe's taquitos?

4. At least it's summer and we're eating tons of fresh fruit. We should also be eating tons of fresh veggies, but the fridge seems a bit barren in that department at the moment.

5. Alla was gifted a new book that she tore through and then started again. For all of you with Fancy Nancy lovers, this looks to be a great extension, and it's only book one of a series!

6. Fisher is thoroughly enjoying Machines Go To Work in the City. Good job, William Low, you have really made my son happy with your inclusion of Vacuum Vic. Seriously, no one else gets it. Now, if Matchbox would just get on board, because for the third year in a row, Fisher is asking for a Vacuum Vic for Christmas.

7. I myself am working my way through Wonder, which, as the title might suggest, is wonderful. If only I wasn't completely glued to the television every evening, I could give it the attention it deserves.

8. I really am glued every evening. I am watching as much Olympics as I can - it only happens every four years!

9. We are officially out of 2 Gingers, so that means I'll be switching over to Dark and Stormies. Until we're out of rum.

10. To get to my mom's, I drive over the Mississippi. Random, but true.

Instagram summer.

I'm on the one hand happy to have my iPhone there with me most of the time to capture all the little moments that I'd otherwise miss because it seemed silly to bring my big camera, but a lot of those images get stuck in Instagram Land and never make it to the party with the rest of our family photographs. This is my effort to show the little moments that thankfully did not get missed. Like the kids under the Stone Arch Bridge, on the banks (bank?) of the Mississippi., killing time before a big Okee Dokee show.

Like the times we luck out and capture Vacuum Vic in action. Those worker guys, as Fisher would call them, must have thought we were nuts for parking our car just to watch a sewer being vacuumed out.

Like the first day of summer vacation when we hit up the splash pad for the first time.

And Fisher set up his own little drawing spot, lingering in jammies. Ah, summer.

Like kiddos being able to have sleepovers any old night, and Alla feeling like the great big sister she is holding that sound asleep little brother of hers.

Like pajama walks with clean kids and their lovies.

Like the city's summer slip n slide on a gorgeous day with my favorite sky.

Like watching fireworks on our own street.

And Daddy taking a bow.

Like a date night walk around Minnehaha Falls on what might have been the best night of the summer.

Here's to continuing to capture, and continuing to share.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Took the kids to the Twins game last night. Quite a high-scoring game by baseball standards, 19-7, and the Twins won, but we only assumed that would happen when we left at the top of the fifth. Turns out the kids were more interested in when they could have another snack. Even though we ate dinner before we left. Even though Ron and I were not hungry at all.

2. Just got the last of our windows replaced today, so we will hopefully feel warmer in here this winter.

3. I just read two five-star books. The first, Dinner: A Love Story, I read cover to cover, and believe it or not, I have actually purchased this book now. This is significant in proving just how much I love this book for two reasons. First, we rarely buy (grown-up) books here; that's what the library is for. Second, because of the dietary issues in our family, I would never purchase a cookbook without first heavily browsing through it, to make sure there were enough safe recipes to make the purchase worthwhile. This is not a specialty cookbook for special dietary needs or restrictions. This is a well-written book full of simple family recipes. I was also seriously influenced by the Dark and Stormy

4.Second stellar read: The False Prince. Oh, I cannot stop thinking about this book, probably like after I read the first Harry Potter, only there is no second book in this trilogy (yet!), so read at your own risk. It is a perfect story.

5. Fisher is in the middle of a three-week (twice-weekly) tennis class that he just loves.

6. I had a friend in fifth grade named Rachel who turned me onto jicama. I can't really seem to turn my family onto it, but I love it when I've got a container full of sliced up jicama in the fridge to munch on.

7. This salsa recipe is perfect. And did I mention it takes about ten minutes to whip up?

8. We checked spatter painting off the summer list, and now have a new piece of art in our living room.

9. Lately we can just count on it being at least 90 around here.

10. Tonight is a Tuesday, but it is a summer Tuesday, and that means the kids are sleeping together yet again. Oh, fall, don't you come too soon.

Duluth.

We were lucky enough to take a drive two hours north to the lovely land of Duluth, which, I am ashamed to say, we had never visited in our six years of living in Minnesota. 

 
The kids are the perfect age to enjoy it. A lift bridge, constant boats, Lake Superior, and more rocks than they throw back into that big body of water. But they tried.

What is my daughter doing? Oh, just trying to stuff as many smooth Lake Superior rocks into her dress as will fit!

Yes the hotel had s'mores and after the kiddos stuffed their faces, they climbed all over the giant rocks along the shore.

 'Tis lovely to wake up with a view of Lake Superior. If I didn't know better, I might think I was looking at the Pacific Ocean!

We climbed the next morning around Enger Park, and were rewarded with this view of Duluth. There's our hotel down there! And the lift bridge!

 It was maybe a tad windy up there.

 The wind was even worse at the top of five-story Enger Tower.

 And Fisher didn't like it one bit.

But both kids were in love with Enger Park with all of its hidden paths and bells and sand "pond". Quite enchanting.

We left Enger Park for an equally enchanting park, one built directly over I-35, which the kids thought was cool but perhaps didn't quite get even though we drive under the park first.

It also spans a train track that I think hosts a train that serves pizza as it drives up to the North Shore? Might have to check my facts there, but I'm pretty sure that's what it does.

We had a lovely mini-vacation and can't wait to go back next year. It's amazing to be able to do all this with our kids and to feel how they experience it. We heart Duluth!