Ten on Tuesday.

1. I am so far behind on editing my own pictures that a 2016 folder hasn't even been created.

2. It is dreary today, hence the sparkly sunny image of hope up there.

3. Gone Girl, done, good riddance. Not good, not my favorite, back to middle grade.

4. Well, almost. My Name is Lucy Barton came in at the library and since there are about a hundred other people on the wait list for that, I can't very well return it without reading it. And also When Breath Becomes Air is waiting at the library for me. But then, so is Pax, which I may get to read to the kids.

5. Yesterday was the science fair (also good riddance), so if you want to know which bat hits farthest, wood or aluminum, Fisher can help you out. Alla has found an invisible ink recipe to stand behind. I am so very glad we are done with it until next year. As we walked out of the school last night we had to restrain ourselves from tossing the poster boards directly into the dumpster.

6. I'm thinking I need to get to a workout class this morning to get out of my gray funk. Maybe sweat it out.

7. Day 35 of construction: the living room is getting back to normal, and we can now watch TV on actual couches. The bathroom, a lot of progress since last week (we are at day 35), but still not close to done.

8. The newspaper is carrying stories from Twins' spring training and we are eating it up, Fisher and I. We wish we were that warm. Fisher wishes the season would start already. I am remembering summer days when games weren't on TV so he and I would listen to a game on the radio while following the plays on the ipad. I think we remember things so differently when it's been so long, or we long for those days to come back. Probably that happened once and Fisher was outside playing his own game of baseball.

9. I am eager to take Fisher to see the new baseball movie, Fastball.

10. Progressive dinner for this weekend! The Killins family is doing main dish, which I think this time is going to be a baked potato bar, but this is a very loose plan at this point. Suggestions for toppings or sides is welcome!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Weekends are so precious when you're in the middle of a home remodel, not because your house is any less filthy or turned upside down, but because you have two, or on a holiday weekend, three!, blessed days without folks in your space.

2. That said, I'd be willing to let them in my home all next weekend if only they'd finish. I'm literally sitting here next to a wet saw. Watching TV. This picture, unfortunately, was taken before the chaos began (when I probably thought all the things in this picture were chaos!), and alas it has been almost ten days now since I've seen the floor of this room as it is filled with couches. All the couches in one room. Great.

3. After enduring bitter cold last week, we are in the mid-thirties with forty on the horizon. I am not kidding when I say you won't have to look hard to find a Minnesotan in shorts should the thermometer rise over 45. There may even be a  person in my own household digging for shorts on that glorious day, not naming names.

4. This presidential election is ridiculous. We must look like buffoons to the rest of the world.

5. The candidates must be tired, don't you think? I get tired just thinking of all the cities they have to get to, and all the people they have to speak to. Pffft. Give me a book.

6. We had such a lovely lovely dinner on Saturday with Nana and Pappi at Pizza Luce! Let me tell you how nice it is to eat a meal out that is safe for Fisher, not cooked by me, and not coated with dust.

7. After sounding like I was giddy last week about sending the kids off to camp at the same time, during which time Ron and I might actually go on our own little mini vacation (yay 14 year anniversary!), I am now missing them already, and camp isn't til August. What on earth is wrong with me.

8. Almost done with parenting book, which means that I've been hit over the head lots of times with the message about maintaining attachment with my children as they grow older, which I have had every intention of doing but now have reasons. And now I have more reason to not want to send my kids to camp.

9. Have to say, Gone Girl is getting good. Twists and turns and all.

10. In case anyone is wondering, we are now on day 28 of remodel. The majorly dusty stuff is pretty much done, but goodness I am tired of couches in my living room, no furniture in the TV room, only one bathroom, tarps on the floor, filth, people. Yep, I'm sure it will be awesome and all worth it.

Fisher.

These pictures are from our half birthday date in September, let's just clear that up - no arms have been seen in Minnesota since at least October

Last week I got to spend the morning with this kid while we went to his quarterly diabetes check-up.

We always bring books. And notepads and pencils.

It can take awhile. Lots of waiting. The waiting room has zero to do. The exam room is the same.

We read, he draws, we chat.

I don't like him having diabetes. I do like our quarterly scheduled drive to St. Paul.

He is always in a good mood on these days.

He is always in a hurry to get back to school, to not miss math or recess or lunch or gym.

He told his teacher last week that math, recess, lunch and gym are really the only important parts.

He is only 7 and has such ideas. I wonder where he gets these strong ideas.

I am regularly so proud that he is mine.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. It's week four of the downstairs remodel. After last week being pretty much a dead week of delays, and enjoying that peace and a relatively clean house, I think I am ready for the filthiest week yet, because that might mean the end of construction.

2. We had some super disappointed kiddos Sunday night when we made them go to bed after the Halftime Show. Mean Mommy and Daddy.

3. After a couple of relatively mild weeks, even with last week's 10 or so inch snowfall, we are back into the teens with subzero wind chill. Since wind is just about the worst thing to run in, I took myself to a step class this morning.

4. My kids have rediscovered their love of Chex.

5. Book update #1: I am enjoying reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to the kids, and Ron's book with them is the second Percy Jackson.

6. Book update #2: I am reading both Gone Girl, and Hold Onto Your Kids, and am learning a few things. First, reading two books at once is not enjoyable for me. Second, neither of these genres is my favorite. And third, I really miss middle grade fiction.

7. In case you love middle grade fiction, too, I'll let you in on the middle grade fiction I'm MOST looking forward to at the moment: Pax. But only because technically it's already out and I'm just waiting on the library to get it in. If time were not a factor, then April will bring us new Kate DiCamillo. New. Kate. DiCamillo.

8. We moved to Minnesota almost ten years ago, so we've had plenty of winters here - mild ones, harsh ones, snowy ones, and years where the snowshoes just sit unused. A rule I created for myself early on was not to complain and not to daydream until March 1st. We're still in February, which is a cold month, long despite its fewer days, still dark, and the snow is hit or miss. But March! From March 1st to March 31st there can be drastic differences! Or not. But the possibility is there. We have had snow days in March. We have dined al fresco in March. The clocks spring forward in March, Fisher's birthday is in March, spring break is in March! This year with all the remodeling going on in here, I just cannot wait to throw open the windows and breathe fresh, not painfully cold air. I cannot wait to sit in lawn chairs and watch the kids climb trees and play baseball. But. I will stop there, because this is sounding dangerously like daydreaming.

9. At this point I will settle for daydreaming about things happening in February, like tile getting installed in our new bathroom and people not being in my house all day long. And having two bathrooms again.

10. Hard to believe but it is about time to sign our kids up for summer camp. Fisher says he's ready for a week away and we're attempting to get Alla on board for camp the same week. Listen, this is probably getting into daydreaming territory, but I daresay it's possible that we might get a few nights this summer where they are both at camp. At the same time. Too early to book a flight?

Ten on Tuesday.

1. This was going to be a pictureless post because our downstairs is currently TORN UP and my computer is currently tarped so there's no getting to anything even remotely current. But then I found this gem on my laptop and the day was saved.

2. Today = day 6 of renovations. Some days I think I'm going to lose my ever-loving mind. You know I don't like dust, right? Well, remodeling is dusty. Real dusty.

3. Turns out non-fiction parenting is not really my jam right now. So I've also started Gone Girl, which, no, I never read. Still chugging along on the parenting book, at a rate of 5 pages a day. Will be done before Spring Break.

4. Speaking of Gone Girl, I'm wondering if there are other BIG books out there that I missed that everyone just ate up.

5. Back to the non-fiction parenting, though, real quick just to say that sometimes you have to be in the right frame of mind to read a certain type of book, and currently my mind is bogged down by all the dust in my house and requiring something a bit lighter than parenting theory. But I can take it in 5-page increments.

6. Balmy here this week, upper 20s and even 30. Might hit upper 30s by the weekend.

7. Majorly jealous of the several feet of snow people on the East Coast got. I realize three feet is no joke, but I would really like a chance at it, and I can say for certain that the kids would more than love it.

8. Alla had her orchestra concert last night! I hope she sticks with it; it is certainly obvious to me how much these kids improve year to year, because by the time they got to the high school part of the program it was pretty amazing.

9. Sometimes I don't put pants on over my workout pants which are typically capri-length, and then I'm aware of how Minnesotan I must look at Target with my parka, hat, and mittens, but calves just out.

10. Watched The Rookie with the kids over the weekend, which was a home run (ha) in my book - it's a feel good movie, it's about baseball, and there were no weird PG-13 moments. Sadly, I think we're coming close to having seen all the baseball movies.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. This picture. Found while editing 2015 - I've advanced to September. The glow of late summer.

2. Today we had our lower level bath demolished in order to start the process of gaining a master suite for us and separate rooms for the kiddos. Bittersweet, but there's still months of work ahead for them to start hating each other, which would make splitting them up easier. They've shared a room since Fisher was 11 weeks old, so...

3. Finished Everything, Everything, which I'm going to recommend wholeheartedly.

4. Planning to start a nonfiction book next, a parenting book to be more specific, and generally in 2016 knock out more of the books I keep putting off, or have borrowed, or already have on my to-read list. It's a different approach for me, not having a bunch of books scheduled on request from the library, waiting til I finish one to pick out the next. It's working so far.

5. Temperature got up to eight degrees today, at which point I suited up and headed out for a quick run, two 1.4 mile laps close to home, during the last of which I was joined by Alla on rollerblades. Never seen a kid on rollerblades in snow clothes?

6. Got to see our favorite Okee Dokee Brothers over the weekend at a local high school!

7. Despite the chilly temps, it's been sunny for going on 4 days straight. This is more than a consolation prize.

8. Kids are currently listening to Daddy read Percy Jackson, painting, and eating chocolate chips and marshmallows, their treat of choice.

9. Ron and I got out for a chilly date night this weekend, courtesy of Nana + Pappi! We had a lovely dinner at Wise Acre and then got to see The Revenant! (We did the early bird dinner to hit up such a long movie and still be home before 10:30, I need my sleep.)

10. We got on the bandwagon and started Making a Murderer.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. I'm sitting here editing pics from way back in the hot days of August, and came across this gem, which makes me so happy and almost warm. But I'm not sure if just this picture will do the trick come Sunday when the high before wind chill is supposed to be right around zero. Glad I'm not a football fan heading out to the Vikings game. Brrrr.

2. We had a delightful two-week break with everyone home doing lots of nothing. I can count the number of times the kids got in the car on one hand, maybe just a few fingers. We really did a lot of nothing. Reading books, cooking, eating, playing lots of Uno and Exploding Kittens, watching movies, snowshoeing. Like summer but with snow.

3. We did all get out one time together and that was to see STAR WARS, which was super wonderful and we all might want to go see it again.

4. Currently reading to the kids: Nanny Piggins, which is laugh out loud funny. Ron is currently reading Percy Jackson to them.

5. Currently reading to myself: All-American Boys, which at only halfway through I can say is a must-read.

6. Ron and I binge-watched Narcos and the first season of Fargo over the Christmas break.

7. On the horizon for this month: Science Fair. Just about my least favorite school activity there is, so if you have any fantastic ideas feel free to shoot them my way. I'll then find a way to make it seem like the kids came up with them on their own.

8. I'm about to head out for a run and it's about 25, so I'm going to appreciate the warmth before next week when I have to remember what single-digit running is like.

9. I finished my Project 365 on December 31st! It will probably take me all of 2016 to get all those pictures re-sized, edited and made into a book, but I did it!

10. I took on that project for a single year, knowing I would not be likely to continue or repeat it. (It's a lot of work.) But I happened upon a new project for this year: 1 Second Everyday, an app that allows you to take a video everyday, snip it into a 1-second bit, and then puts it all together for you at the end of the year. So excited for this!

Visitors.

We are down to 15 days til Christmas, and once again in a year where we are hoping for a White Christmas because, I say again, this is Minnesota. But apparently the chances are only 75%, not absolutely guaranteed, so there you go. Fingers crossed.

We have been out enjoying the warmth while it lasts. Fisher was out in short sleeves this morning playing baseball and football for a full hour before school - 41 degrees.

And last week we got to have our dearest friends for almost 24 hours, which is not nearly enough for how seldom we see them, but was oh so wonderful. This shot of Catie and I was taken outside of Surly Brewing Co, where the food was divine and even I had a beer.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. First of December. Holy cow.

2. Instead of counting days til Christmas like my children, I'm counting number of days left of school. This is the official number of days I have to get my holiday s--t together.

3. Kids get two full weeks for Christmas again this year! I cannot express the glee that is not picking them up everyday in the freezing cold for two whole weeks.

4. We got snow! Yesterday, maybe, maaaaaaybe, four inches. Probably three. Enough for a snow man and snow bags to go to school. Enough to have already lost one glove. Guess which Killins.

4. What I look forward to most at the holidays is my husband taking lots of time off work and hanging out with me! Sometimes we go on dates like to coffee or lunch (or both!), and I know he looks forward to going to the store with me.

5. Tonight's dinner was Lentil Chili from The Detoxinista's cookbook. So good. She's got one of those reputations for being dependable, as in nothing of hers is ever short of scrumptious.

6. I just love all of the holiday gift guides that pour out of websites and magazines this time of year. I hardly ever buy anything from any of them, but they are just fun. I get ideas.

7. Alla and I swapped books over the Thanksgiving break. Well, what I mean by that is I came home from the library with two books I personally intended to read, and she selected her favorite and proceeded to read it, and then we swapped. Our fiction book, The War That Saved My Life, was amazing. The other, our non-fiction book, Most Dangerous, is so far very interesting, and since Alla chose that one first, she has already given it 4.5 stars.

8. I had so many books I still wanted to read this year, but for the love, this year is only 30 more days, so I may have to amend that, unless I can read all the books on my list in that week after Christmas when the world finally slows down and I envision winter walks and lazy days with books and coffee and snowmen on the lawn. Oh please let that all happen.

9. I got my first real winter run in yesterday after the snow was done, and it was lovely - snow everywhere, about thirty, not windy. If every winter run could be like that I would be so very grateful.

10. Ron has started Percy Jackson with the kids after trudging through the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Everyone seems to love this.

Diabetes anniversary number 6.

Today is the day we found out Fisher has diabetes.

It was the very same Monday, the Monday before Thanksgiving.

Gosh, we did not know what our new life would be. And we also did not know that it would still be good, that we would learn, manage, rise above, find a new normal.

If you haven't read about our diabetes story, go HERE.

Today is just a normal day for us now, which means this:

I was up twice checking blood sugars last night, but during one of them I actually thought to myself, wow, it's been awhile since I've had to get up twice in one night. Also, no school today, so we could all sleep in a bit.

Lots of blood sugar checks during the day - before breakfast, mid-morning, before lunch. Lots of insulin given, and we are so thankful for the pump now.

Lots of food eaten, gosh this boy can eat.

Lots of playing outside (and me trying to manage low blood sugars because of it, but also wanting him to be out there because he loves it and he is so strong and healthy and happy being outside so much).

Lots of hugs and snuggles on this warmish day off.

Looking forward to Turkey Day.

Just so thankful for a healthy boy (and my healthy girl and husband!).

Diabetes will never go away. No, he won't grow out of it. But we hope for a cure in his lifetime.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. It's busy season here, but we finally found time for Alla to show us what she does at recess.

2. The days are so short, but we had record warmth on Sunday and so decided to make a giant pot of vegetarian chili and a pan of cornbread, get a bonfire going, and invite the neighbors. I think this will be a lovely time in the winter snow, too.

3. Regarding the National Book Awards results tomorrow, I made a fair attempt to read the five finalists in the Young People's Literature category, however, Bone Gap hasn't yet made it to me, and I've only just picked up Most Dangerous today. I'm 1/3 of the way through The Thing About Jellyfish, didn't care for Challenger Deep, and greatly enjoyed Nimona.

4. In other family book updates, Alla is enjoying Jack, and Fisher today started the new Wimpy Kid book. Fisher discovered the Jeff Kinney books the summer after kindergarten and I daresay were the first books he could read on his own that really showed him the joy of reading. I picked up his copy tonight while he was off building Legos with Daddy and think I might make this my first Wimpy Kid book; I chuckled a few times.

5. Before I move on to other topics, I must strongly suggest immediately requesting the new Gary D. Schmidt book from your local library. Orbiting Jupiter is one of the few books I've given 5 stars this year, a book I was awaiting and which I read twice. As in, I just closed it and then opened it back up again. Please read this book.

6. Best new show on television: The Grinder. Fred Savage is killer.

7. Three more days til Thanksgiving vacation.

8. Which means I should probably finalize the holiday menu and figure out when I'm going to shop for it, sans kids. I can just taste the cranberry sauce! Thankfully one of my kids is looking forward to the actual turkey.

9. In preparation for the new Star Wars movie, we, like every other household in America or the World, are watching all six.

10. It's the second rainy day in a row. Fisher might be going stir-crazy (but thank goodness for the new Wimpy Kid book), and the rest of us are a little punchy. I got in a quick drizzly run this morning, but behind tomorrow's third day of rain we are due for twenty degree-cooler temps and blustery winds. It's time to break out the tights.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. I haven't made pumpkin spice anything.

2. The month is slipping away. It felt that summer was blissfully endless, and now that the kids are back in school we are practically in holiday season.

3. But it's still in the 60s and 70s, which makes this tolerable.

4. Our tree is still green, but a month from now we will be planning and shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.

5. Despite myself, I see the end of the year coming and I get a little excited by the book lists that are coming.

6. Before the start of the school year the kids and I came up with a breakfast rotation, so that on any given day what we're having has already been decided and we can avoid the "what do you want for breakfast" question and then then Mommy making three different meals. This has been a lifesaver for our mornings. Tuesdays, for example, are steel cut oats days, which I start the night before and just have to heat up in the morning. Everyone puts on their own toppings, everyone is happy. The one problem we have is that Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are all breakfasts that feature eggs of some sort, and I fear we are all tiring of eggs, but I cannot let the breakfast rotation die! So, ideas? Simple, some protein, something that can become a staple in our new awesome breakfast rotation?

7. Halloween costumes are ordered. I miss the days of going to Old Navy and grabbing some cute fluffy costume into which you Velcro your unsuspecting toddler. Much harder when the kids have minds of their own.

8. Circus Mirandus was an excellent read. Highly recommend. Would also make a good read-aloud.

9. Now I'm going to read the five finalist books in the Young People's Literature category for the National Book Award. Alla and I both read Nimona this summer, so I only have four to read, starting with Challenger Deep. I love a list, and I think my daughter does, too, as she asked me if I might make her a reading list for the school year, like her summer reading list.

10. We used our long weekend well, squeezing in a date night (The Martian is awesome, but please read the book first), a visit with Nana and Pappi, movie night at home (we learned that our family is the ideal audience for Space Jam), lots of outside time, quite a few games of Trouble, and a family walk at Tamarack. I mentioned that our own tree is still green, but the entire state of Minnesota is lit up right now and might actually be just slightly past peak color. Here, a glimpse of our nature walk.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Currently reading: Circus Mirandus.

2. In other book news, tomorrow the finalists are announced for the National Book Awards. I don't get too excited about this particular award, but it does give me another list of books.

3. We are I am in a big dinner rut here, as in, I have a binder full of family recipes and I open it and don't want to make any of them. But one day last week I got out of the rut for one night when I did "cheese plate dinner," which could be appetizer dinner or little bit of this and little bit of that dinner. The kids declared it the best dinner ever, which I believe was due to the fact that on their plates was popcorn. And roasted garbanzo beans.

4. Two days ago it was 85. Yesterday 55.

5. This weekend is MEA, which in Minnesota means the entire state has Thursday and Friday off of school!

6. The fall colors are beautiful outside, however I do not appreciate their trying to come inside my house.

7. Fisher has one more soccer game for fall, and it is this Saturday, when we are expected to be in the 30s at game time. Awesome.

8. Fisher is loving getting to school a little early on Tuesdays for Chess Club.

9. Favorite Pandora stations? Fisher and I pretty much agree on Lorde Radio, Ron always picks Hall & Oates Radio, Alla is hardly ever allowed her pick of Katy Perry Radio but she will listen to that while she folds (and beyond). For a run I love Expose Radio.

10. The following things, if we run out of them, constitute a food emergency in our house: apples, eggs, coffee, half and half, coconut oil, cheese, and salsa.

September lake day.

Two weeks ago we had a Sunday that was glorious. Fisher had Chess Club at the library, so we all rode our bikes there. Then, not wanting to spend any time indoors, Alla and I rode off to the lake to put in our toes and soak up some Vitamin D. I am thinking that because we did this, we earned yet another amazing Sunday yesterday - 85 degrees on October 11th. Amazing.

Anyway. Back to two weeks ago.

I often forget about the lake once school starts up and we are feeling a bit of fall, but let this day stand as a reminder that perhaps the best thing to do on a hot September (or October!) day, it to ride to a lake in your flip flops and pretend summer's never going to end. Walk in the water as long as you want, collect snails to put in a sandy shelter, walk out as far as you can without getting your clothes completely soaked, watch yellow leaves fall on the shore. Appreciate. Soak in.

Because like the flip of a switch, those warm hours are gone and the fleece is preferred over the flip-flops.

DHC Customer Spotlight

I've been outed. The new DHC catalog is out and I'm in it! Here's the story.

One day in April I was headed out for a snowy windy run when my cell phone rang and it was DHC on the other end, asking did I want to come out to San Francisco and be their Customer Spotlight for their November catalog. Um, let me think about it. YES!

Obviously LOTS of arrangements had to be made, but my mom and Bob were so amazing and took the kids for three nights so Ron and I could head out and enjoy the sunshine fog.

We were treated to an amazing dinner, I got to meet up with my old friend Vanessa from college days at Cal State Fullerton, and then I spend an entire day in a photo studio being primped and fed. They even made me a latte!

This here is the gorgeous Kala Ketchum, super make up and hair artist.

Ron and I even had a little time in the city, most of which we spend walking. A lot. Spotted this Fisher sign on a car.

Chinatown. You can't go to SF without walking through Chinatown. And getting chopsticks to bring home to your kids. You just can't.

Can you believe Ron spotted this SIX THIRTY-SEVEN sign while traipsing about the city? So he brought me back after my day in the spotlight so I could take a picture.

 

One of the coolest parts was that I was being photographed by a photographer, who also happens to shoot Canon, so whaddya know, he snapped this lovely one of Ron and I on our way out of the studio and into the car that was waiting to take us back to our hotel. It was all glam, I tell you!

Truthfully, when I found out we were going to San Francisco, I realized we were going to get to meet our new nieces, which was in fact the best part. It was short, but look at this face. What an amazing trip.

Random notes on the last day of September.

Now that we are headed into the second month of school, I can say with confidence that on most mornings there is some sort of crisis, but only five minutes before it's time to go. So, you know, no time to solve said crisis.

Halloween negotiations have begun, which means Alla trying to figure out how to get as much as she can in the way of dress-up clothes.

One thing I did well in September: joined the Y and started regularly taking the Body Pump class, so I can truthfully say that yes, I do lift weights. (A few dumbbells at home aren't the same, I learned this month.)

Apparently the kids on our street have moved on from baseball and are only wanting to play football now, which is breaking Fisher's heart.

We are hoping the Twins don't break our hearts this week.

Alla's latest obsessions: finding a babydoll (apparently at some point she gave all of hers away), and making working quills.

The best book I read in September: The Marvels. I recommend it to everyone.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. I am always suggesting that moms get in the picture, too, and rarely taking my own advice. Last Tuesday we were at a Twins game and I handed the camera to my daughter, who came through with this shot. Thank you, Alla!

2. We wore shorts and t-shirts to that game. In September. It is strangely warm for late September.

3. The way I know it's September is that both kids are coughing, and they have managed to gift me with a sore throat, sneezes, and snot. Thanks, school! No better way to enjoy the last day of summer than curled up with a cup of tea, I always say.

4. Our street was paved over the summer, and it is now a complete hazard to little boy knees. And elbows. And hands. Every kid in the neighborhood has fallen and completely left skin on the street. These are not clean cuts, they are just ripped off skin. Thanks, City of Shoreview.

5. With the kids back in school I decided to take on some ambitious personal care, namely joining the Y so I can be more focused on weight-training. Yes, you can work out in 10 minutes on You Tube, but no it's not the same as lifting a bar for an hour. My body will thank me, one day, I think.

6. The book dilemma has been resolved, as I finished Did You Ever Have a Family (fairly good) and got to move on to The Marvels (so far, lovely).

7. I've got a new spot over on the photo blog that showcases where I've been featured over the past few months - check it out!

8. The kids and I just finished up reading Gooseberry Park, which was a lovely read aloud. Heads up: you'll need four different voices for the four main characters.

9. Costco has a new chicken sausage that is chipotle lime flavor and calling my name for a late lunch.

10. On Sunday Fisher and I went out to lunch to celebrate his half birthday, and the ridiculous people at Red Robin decided that all three screens needed to be on the Vikings and not one could be switched to Twins baseball. Not one. If I had a Twitter account, I'd be alerting the Twins president. Luckily, we followed the play by play on MLB.com, which made my little seven and a half year old mostly happy.

Camp.

Last month we sent Alla to camp. For a week! This was all her doing; she asked in the spring if there was some camp she could go to and do all those fun outdoor things. She got her fill, let me tell you. She went during the one week where we had torrential rain and cool temps two days in a row, and she had to kayak to their cabin's overnight camp spot.

 

But. She was in good spirits when we picked her up and had so much to tell us, and you could tell it was good for her, and she learned things and was so confident. But needed hot water and clean clothes.

This happened to be the very same day we had to pick up Fisher from his last day of Diabetes [day] camp about an hour away from her camp, so we sped to a Target for clean shoes (I had brought everything else fresh, but who knew all three pairs of shoes would be muddy and there would be dirt in between her toes), and then walked around the lakefront in Hudson, Wisconsin for a bit.

 

The wind blew and she chatted all about the days and the kids and the counselors and the games and songs, and we just listened to her voice that we had never gone five whole days without.

 

Ten on Tuesday.

1. She's done it again, grown a whole bunch of beautiful sunflowers for us to gaze upon as fall rolls around.

 

2. That said, fall is taking its sweet time this year, and we're glad about that. The weather is still in the 80s and just gorgeous. It is so very nice to sit outside in only one layer.

 

3. Perfectly gorgeous weather for one more Twins game, I'd say. We have our fingers crossed that they can pull off a Wild Card slot.

 

4. I am anxiously awaiting today's delivery of my pre-ordered The Marvels.

 

5. I am, however, only about halfway through my current read, Did You Ever Have a Family, and those who know me are aware that I can only read one book at a time. Dilemma.

 

6. Yesterday I tried a class at the local Y, an all-over weight training class that is similar if not exactly the same class I used to take pre-kiddos, and I would be lying if I said that the entire back side of me is in very much pain today. I apparently need to add weight if working muscles on the front side of me.

 

7. This weekend our neighborhood had itself a mini-block party, which if you're not familiar with the term, means bring your own dinner to our driveway and eat it. We also stayed out past dark (!) with a lovely bonfire, chatted with our neighbor friends, and only got a few mosquito bites.

 

8. Our kids wanted hot dogs for said mini block party, but it was much easier for me to put something in the oven early in the afternoon and pull it out in time for sitting outside to eat it. If your neck of the woods isn't too hot for turning on ovens (or if you had to turn your A/C back on like me), then definitely make this Oven-Braised Mexican Beef. Couldn't be easier or more delicious.

 

9. We are back into it here. Alla came home with homework yesterday. Fisher is playing fall soccer. Alla had her audition for The Wizard of Oz this morning.

 

10. I just remembered I have at least a cup's worth of coffee still in the pot! Oh happy afternoon!

First day of fifth grade/first day of kindergarten.

This is my very first time getting to post a comparison like this, first day of kindergarten and first day of fifth grade. I may have jumped the gun, and yep I'll most likely get back here and do it again in June, but I simply couldn't resist. Obviously.