Swimming, and a party I can't compete with...

Last week it was warm enough to swim - sort of. The kids were a little cold, but enjoyed the pool for a good 1/2 hour.


Auntie Emma got the girls cute matching bikinis. Lila models hers while showing off her standing skills.


Today we went to Maddy's 3rd Birthday party. It was Cinderella-themed, and it was definitely the stuff fairy tales are made of. We were all relaxing in the yard, enjoying the festivites, when suddenly a horse came riding into the driveway. It had a big blue bow around its neck. It was a present for Maddy!


And check out this masterpiece! Maddy's Mama has some mad cake making skills.


Lila was totally impressed with Maddy's wheels.


Elsa, Gracie, and Henry on the trampoline. They loved it.


I went to look for Lila and found her surrounded by a crowd of baby-admirers.


Elsa really liked these hanging rings like the ones from school. She had even more fun when she realized it was okay to let go.


Of course Lila had to try them out, too.

Memorial Weekend

The kids in their holiday duds.


Lawnmower with dad.


Elsa on her swing set. When did she become such a pretty little kid?


Needless to say, I cherish having a baby right now. There's nothing like it. Look at that face! She'll be a big kid before we know it.


Momma's helper. Elsa loves to water the flowers (grass, rocks, dirt, her feet, etc.) and would do it all day if you'd let her.


I LOVE this video. Tim plays piano. Lila starts grooving the way babies do, and Elsa copies her moves. She even copies her delighted squeals. They've started to become buddies.

May days

There's a lot to catch up on this month, so here we go. The first weekend in May we had breakfast at William O'Brien State Park with Grandma and Grandpa E. We had a huge feast with campfire coffee and then hit the walking trails. Highly recommended.

Grandma, auntie Jenny, and Elsa.


Then we went to the Johnson farm in Grantsburg, WI to visit our friends. Elsa had a blast exploring the farm. Here's Lila and Tim with the cute new lambs.


Elsa thinks it's funny when Lila eats paper. So funny, that she's started doing it. She's also started chewing on cords, eating sand, and biting on sticks. She actually chipped a tooth last week! Not cool.


Lila's teeth are really coming in. So far she has 3, and I'm guessing the fourth one arrives tomorrow.


Elsa knows how to open the doors (and lock them). Here she is getting busted going outside.


When I go out there to drag her back in, Lila sits at the door and laughs at me through the glass. Sometimes she leans in a little too far.


The kids hanging out in the yard.


Last weekend we went to a birthday party for Elsa's friend Violet. In this picture: Gracie, Violet, Ashley, Elsa and Lila. Missing: Henry and Maddy.


Today was Elsa's last day of school. Next year she starts preschool! Here are some photos from this year.
Painting with Cael.


When we went to collect the kids on the playground, I couldn't find Elsa. No worries, I finally spotted her hanging out in a hollow log.


Elsa gets sick of my paparazzi-esque photo taking. "You want a picture? I've got your picture right here!"


Elsa and Momma in the school gym.


Here's a video of the girls in yet another example of how they get along. The set up: Elsa is reading a book called Peanut Butter Rhino, in which a Rhino loses his PB sandwich by sitting on it.

Boy, I can't wait to keep getting thrown into their arguments like this for the next two decades. I guess it's payback time, right Mom?

Lila June: 10 months old

10 months is a great baby age. It's pretty much perfect. Lila is so sweet and irresistible and charming - I squeeze her and love her up constantly.

Here's a shot of her new teeth. It appears there's another one on the way, which explains the drool.

She's getting more hair every day, and so far it seems to be blonde.


She crawls really fast, tries to climb things, and sleeps a little better, but not great. We've almost completely made the switch to formula. She can wave, clap, and play peek-a-boo. Most recently, she's learned how to make a few animal sounds (duck, snake, and monkey). I'll have to get that on video soon. For now, here are a couple random ones from the vault.

Elsa thinks it's cool to go down the slide head-first.


Lila at the park. Elsa got a little further way from me than I realized.

The Week in Pictures (plus a video).

Monday. Went to school. We only have a few weeks left, so I thought we'd better get some photos.


Us moms leave the kids about halfway through class for our discussion group. Here are some of the kids lined up by the door, each with a ring to hold while walking down the hallway to the gym. Pictured: Cael, Elsa, Austin, and Emme.


Elsa went to visit with grandma on Tuesday, so I took Lila on a long walk down the bike path. It's so rare that I have alone time with her, unless it's in the middle of the night. We had a great time. I gave her a dandelion, so of course she did this:


After our walk, we hit the thrift store. She thought she was pretty cool being my one and only sidekick.


Another milestone: we put the kids in the tub together, without Lila sitting in her infant tub. They played happily and posed for photos.


Then we decided to hook up the bubble machine. Elsa had a blast, but Lila was a bit freaked out.


And finally, the kids playing. Elsa doesn't usually try play with Lila - she pretty much ignores her unless she's messing with one of her things. She'll holler at her to stay away from cords, not eat off the floor, etc. Once in awhile I'll catch her reading to her. Meanwhile, Lila adores Elsa and always wants to see what she's doing. She still cracks up at nearly everything she does. Here you can see Lila trying to get in on the fun, while Elsa looks to me for help.


Sharing. So far it's going a little like this: Lila discovers a new toy, has fun and acts adorable with the toy, and then...

We're working on it.

The zoo, playground equipment, a wedding, and more.

Last Thursday we had our first 80 degree day. We started off by going to Como Zoo with our friends Trinity and Sophia. The girls loved watching the seals.



Here they are posing on the giraffes.


Lila had a fun time, too.


After we got home, we spent the rest of the day outside.




Tim had band practice that night, so I had a pizza picnic with the kids in the back yard. Lila loved to slide her feet around on her plate, and crawl through it too. She was covered in tomato sauce! Then there was this: the top of Lila's head, covered in sand from the sandbox. Tim calls her baby fuzz the "hair tornado".


Needless to say they went straight into the tub.

Friday my dad came over and helped Tim set up our new swing set. It's so cool - I wish I could fit on it! Lila hung out in the cardboard box.


The finished product.


Elsa loves it.


Last night we went to a friend's wedding and left the kids with grandma and grandpa. It was at Minneapolis City Hall, which I'd seen a million times before, but never on the inside. Marble and stained glass everywhere - it was stunning.

Tim and I in front of the giant statue of "Mississippi - Father of Waters".


Today I went to a purse party and came home with a cool beach bag for summer. I love that it's large enough to carry all of my every day necessities, including small children.