Bunny skirt

Sewing project #3

Heat wave

Tips for beating the heat, from Greta Townsend:

1. Watch movies in the basement while sitting really close to your brother. Movies about penguins or other cold locales are encouraged.



2. Don't let the heat put a damper on your fashion. Work it.



3. Evening swims in Lake Harriet are the best. Even better if you spot a mysterious blimp!



4. If mom and dad insist that you ride your bike to go get bagels for breakfast, for gods sake do not pedal. Put your feet up an enjoy the ride!



5. Minnesota Pops Orchestra concerts at the bandshell are clothing optional. Take advantage, and lay really close to your brother!


Hope you've found these tips helpful, apparently this heat wave isn't going anywhere any time soon!

Chicago

At the beginning of June we decided last minute to tag along on a business trip that Isaac had in Chicago. It was really a blast. The kids travelled so well, and it was fun to be back in our old stomping grounds, but this time with new eyes. On Friday while Isaac was in a training I took the kids down to the Shedd Aquarium, which was chaotic but fun to see. Then we walked back to our hotel north of the river thinking that would be the most likely way to get kids to nap. And both actually did nap! It was a hot hot hot day, so we stopped in Millennium Park to run around in the fountain.

And to take the obligatory "bean" picture.

In the afternoon we packed back up and went to the Field Museum, which was a real highlight of the trip, as Soren is going through a big dinosaur phase, so he was stoked to see the dinosaur bones, including Sue the T-Rex. Unfortunately all of those pictures are on my phone, so I'll have to post them separately.

Saturday we took the train out to the Brookfield Zoo and were given an awesome tour by Isaac's uncle Jay, who is curator of primates and wild dogs there. He had so many stories to tell, it was really a special thing to be able to do. Again it was really hot, so we cooled off by watching the spectacular dolphin show.

And riding the carousel with Uncle Jay.

We also got to see our friends Sam and Erin and their munchkin Liam, which was a blast, but unfortunately I have no photographic evidence of this. Sunday we flew back to Minneapolis. The kids were so well behaved and slept so well on the trip that we might actually consider doing this again at some point!

Crafty

I've taken up a new hobby, and it's super sexy and not at all matronly- sewing! My friends and I worked out how to make these bags together:


Not the best photo, but it turned out great! But I'm really excited about this reversible dress and bloomers I whipped up in one night for Greta:






Ack! The cuteness is almost too much!!

Memorial Day weekend

We headed up to Fox Lake for a long weekend, and it was so nice to be able to hang out just the four of us. The weather wasn't ideal, and the bugs were horrendous, but the kids were real troopers.







Soren wore this ridiculous get-up for half the weekend. He was pretending to be a "baseball goalie" (catcher). Next Joe Mauer?






Poor Goosey got eaten up by mosquitoes. She was saying "iiiiiittt-sseeeee" over and over.






Not pictured, but a highlight of the weekend was that Isaac took Soren out for a two hour canoe ride. Soren was so excited to tell me about all the animals they saw, and how they took a bathroom break on an island. Thrilling stuff for an almost four year old!

Randoms

Sometimes if I know the next post on the blog is going to require a lot of picture sorting and posting I find it too daunting to handle. Just in case you're wondering where I've been.

Piggies!






What is wrong with this picture?



Mill City farmers market

Melting

In the midst of a record breaking heat wave we are finding ways to stay cool: popsicles, watermelon, sprinklers, and margaritas.

girl with a curl

When I was little my Grandma Larsen would say this little poem to me, and I've been thinking of it often with Greta lately:


There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very, very good,
But when she was bad, she was horrid.








Poor baby girl makes a nice meal for the mosquitoes at the cabin.

Happiness is...

....a warm fire in a cold cabin in the north woods, huddled together waiting for the heat to come. Love.

A girl and her glasses