A summer update

The poor blog gets so neglected in the summer. Chris commented tonight that I may have a teeny habit with overplanning . Here's a recap. You can decide if I go a little overboard...

our week day routine

Monday Gymnastics

Tuesday Swimming

Wednesday Library

Thursday Swimming

And I've kept up with my bike commuting as long as it is under 70 degrees in the morning. 

Then this is what we've squeezed into our weekends.

A month ago

The International Children's Festival in St. Paul. This Festival is totally worth the drive up to the cities. This is the third year we've gone and I love it. There are tons of free activities, art projects, butterfly tent and performances. Penny is now at an age to really enjoy it. Learning lesson for mom and dad: do face painting first because that is Penny's prime focus at this age.

 We met my friend Kelly and her baby Adam. Except he wasn't a baby any more! He was walking right along with Penny. How'd that happen?

Two weeks ago
Chris thought he was dying so we went to the ER. Here's the thing about Chris. He doesn't complain when he is sick. There have been days when he's had fevers of 101 and he cleans the house. he says "I don't like the house dirty when I'm sick. It makes me feel sick" I, on the other hand, am the most miserable person you've ever met when I've got the slightest sniffle. So anyways, when he called me at work and could barely breathe I told him to meet me at the hospital. Turns out kidney stones feel like you are dying! Thankfully it only lasted 2 hours. Hopefully that is it for kidney stones

Then two days later we drove to Chicago for a 4 day whirlwind trip. I don't have a ton of pictures because my Uncle Dan was with us the whole time. Why take pictures when you've got a professional photographer being your tour guide? Now I just need to get the photos from him.

Penny playing at Millennium Park

 She got a little wet and I forgot an extra outfit...oops...record breaking shopping trip at H&M

The Bean

I'm glad I forgot an extra change of clothes. Otherwise I wouldn't have snapped this adorable photo of my urban 3 year old.

Skipping nap time, but thankfully it didn't lead to disaster.

We did the ferris wheel at Navy Pier. Penny was disappointed that it didn't go fast.

Penny and Aunt MaryAnne reading stories

 I'll post more photos of Chicago when I get the CD from Uncle Dan.

4th of July Growing up near the equator meant that fireworks started at 8:00. Totally acceptable to keep your little ones up for that. Here they don't start until 10:00! Insane. So penny has not seen fireworks yet. Instead we celebrated for 4 hours at the pool. It was 96 degrees...what else were we going to do.

At 5:00 she was chatting my ear off and then all of a sudden leaned over and fell asleep. It was hilarious! Only photo I got of her cute 4th of July dress.

 Last week

I finally finished my fall scarf. Love it! I probably have enough yarn to do another one, but this was like the longest most boring project to make so I don't think I'll be starting again soon.

Then we headed up to Minneapolis again. This time for the kids concerts at the Basilica Block party. Now the block party is this huge event for adults with tons of music and concerts. I've never been, but when I saw the Sunday kids event had the Laurie Berkner Band and The Okee Dokee Brothers I was all over it! Penny knows their CDs by heart.

 What? you don't know who they are? Well neither did Jackie Lee or Libbi. It's much easier to enjoy a concert in 98 degree heat when you know the music. Libbi was a trooper though.

The vendors ran out of water 5 mins before the show started. We had brought 2 water bottles but it wasn't enough. So Penny got her first soda. I bought the last 2 sprites. Isn't it some kind of health hazard to have hundreds of preschoolers and no water at an event? thankfully someone made a run and I was able to buy some more an hour later.

Penny singing her heart out

Laurie Berkner...we all have her music memorized. we'll have to do a video of all of us singing  some songs.

Libbi and Jackie Lee headed out before the Okee Dokee Brothers. I was hoping to as well,. It was hot! But Penny heard Laurie announce the Okee Dokee brothers and she got all giddy

Penny was right up at the stage for their songs.

Train song

Square dancing song

Getting a little shade

And she's out again

Coming up in the next 7 days:
Farmer's weekend (we do that every Saturday morning)
color run
Libbi's b-day in Mpls
bike riding in cannon falls

Oh and one more update...Penny has had multiple "absolutely awesome" days at school. She's really connected with one of the teachers, who unfortunately is a college student and will be leaving in a few weeks.

So verdict? do I overplan summers? --pp