entertaining.

not sure which is a more appropriate title for this photo/moment -- 'tea party' or 'tea potty'? either way, this was a very creative way to entertain a fellow who is practicing his patience on the potty. :)

welcoming.

what a delight it was to welcome our dear friend, lr, to our homestate this weekend. she & i got to explore the twin cities together (i still hadn't played tourist there yet, even after 4yrs of living in MN!), then i brought her home to show off our beloved duluth and spend lots of unhurried time playing & catching up. thanks so much for making the trip out, friend! it was a real treat to have you here. :) (also, a sidenote -- kj was finally big enough to ride the timber twister down the mountain! she has been waiting for that for a long time & totally loved it. that's my roller coaster girl! :))

catchingup.

at daddy's choosing, we took a nice, relaxing walk along the western waterfront trail, with a bonus of berry-picking and the obligatory rock-throwing, for his birthday. happy birthday, daddy! you are catching up to me in age... :)

potty.

can you believe this 'big boy' is already asking to go potty?? we'll see how long this lasts... :)

spontaneous.

well i have tried to craft my attitude towards this summer to be flexible and fairly spontaneous - open to fun times or a slower pace or whatever might come to our days & weeks. i realize we don't have too many seasons of non-scheduled life, and i treasure these days we are able to be free from such time pressures. it has been good practice for me.

case in point: today, the typically-not-spontaneous mommy had just a small (spontaneous) hankering for some ice cream and for a chance to celebrate the last days of summer together as a family... the result - a trip to the portland malt shoppe! complete with a long wait in line, several well-worth-it cones, and a dry-clothes-defying trip to throw rocks in the lake (you can't be that close to the lake & not throw a few rocks in!!). it was a lovely, spontaneous afternoon (cue the eye-roll from nj :)), a sweet way to end the summer.

soccer.

kj had her first experience with organized sports this month... introducing: soccer! i would say that she "took a lot of notes" and got especially good at water breaks. her little brother was anxious to get out on the field with them, but he will have his chance soon enough... :)

porkies.

what a wonderful first time tent-camping as a family of four! the drive to the porcupine mountains in the UP was simple, the quiet campground with a lakeside spot was restful (with the short exception of a near-miss with a skunk! he strolled within 10ft of lj, before realizing his poor choice in route... whew! it was a close one!), the chance to be outside 24/7 in the dirt & beauty was refreshing, the rocks for throwing in the lake & building towers were abundant, the beach was surprisingly delightful (a little stream full of frogs & older friends to teach us how to catch them? hard to beat it...), the short hike was family-perfect, and the frequent bike rides to the restroom were not only the most fun, but built such confidence in our little girl! this was definitely a trip for the memory books! :)