Summer fun.

Oh summer.

You're finally, really here, for real!

And we’ve been doing all sorts of summery things. And instagramming about it. Strike that, for the Windows users it’s called Instance. So I’ve technically been Instancing…but no one would even know what that means and it sounds kinda stupid…so I’ll just say Instagramming. And yes, I’m pretty much Instagramming so I can make a book. You are so right Mandie, I do want to make one!

Annnnyways.

The summer. Though hopes for a great weather weekend were looking bleak with a 70% chance of rain each day, the sun prevailed and we lived outside. We went on walks, we went to the park, we went to the pool, we went to the splash pad, we lathered on sunscreen like it was our job.

 

 

 

 

 

And then dad went golfing. And this happened. See what happens when you leave him outnumbered?

 

Father's Day Weekend Fun

We were in Vegas over Mother’s Day and to continue the trend, we headed to the cities for Father’s Day.

With college friends from Bismarck and Grand Forks we did it up right for the long weekend. We stayed at a condo in Downtown Minneapolis and were just minutes away from everything we needed. Great view. Great restaurants. Shopping. The Twins stadium. You name it.

We had so much fun. The boys golfed while the girls shopped. Well, minus one girl* who needed a little AM rest and recovery after the night out. *Yeah, it was me. McDonalds saved my life.  Don't worry, I made up for missed morning of shopping later.

Laughed until we cried. Shopped until we dropped. Ate way too much. Drank way too much. And we can’t wait to do it again.

We got a little photo happy:

Dinner at Crave.
Drinks on the roof.
Blueberry vodka lemonades.
Husband stealer...the photographer told us to squish...I was the only one that listened.

 

Drinks at a piano bar.
Boys on the 17th floor patio, being boys.
Miss these friends already.

 

Twins game.
Beautiful night.
Awesome seats.
Who married these guys?

 

 

Happy early Father's Day!

I mean really...I get a cute Pinteresty Father's Day card and I don't even have to do anything?! Thank you daycare!!

But seriously, how cute is this?!

potty training. it's annoying. for everyone involved.

It was time. It was actually way past time to start the potty training. Well, finish the potty training that is. She's had the Dora undies, she uses the potty all the time, we just needed to make it legit. But guess what? Diapers.are.convenient. I know it. She knows it. So I was dragging my feet.

Then one day at daycare we were chatting about using the potty, which she does quite often and the daycare girl says: oh well if you want to bring a ton of underwear and pants, we can start training. Um, come again? And why am I just hearing about this now? To confirm I heard right, I say: so...you're just gonna potty train her...here? (With dumbfounded look on my face and finger pointing around the place.) Yeah she says, it usually takes a few days, but you have to follow up at home. Um, oh-freaking-kay! You've got yourself a deal.

Emmie had a backpack full of undies as she headed out the door the next day. (Yeah, we call them undies/underwear, the P word sends shivers down my spine.)

Fast forward to the weekend with just a few accidents at school, we're well on our way.

But running errands with a potty training kid, not awesome. And not even potty training I assume, any toddler that can't hold it for forever is going to be annoying to travel with.

Two bathroom stops just at Costco.

And what do you do with a toddler in a public bathroom? At least the Costco one was a one roomer, not having to deal with stalls on the first outing was probably a good thing. But their little butts...and their desire to touch everything and do you teach a two year old to line the seat with toilet paper? I mean, she's totally too short to hover. And what do they hold on to so they don't fall in? The toilet itself? Omigod, just kill me now...douse me in hand sanitizer first obviously.

I assume there is a learning curve for child and parent alike, but if you have some insight, feel free to share.

2.5

Two and a half years old.

She's funny, she's sweet, she's a bit naughty at times...but with one smile she'll crack you up and make you wonder why she was in time out...oh, it was probably because she said "hush your mouth" which is the equivalent of a mini eff you in our house.

She just moved to the next room at daycare and started a new gymnastics class. She still loves Dora and her brother. She loves to pick out her own outfits and thankfully she loves to match. She loves play dough and her favorite toy is a wand with a ribbon attached...so she can be like Dora and do the "rainbow ribbon" dance for the big "banastics" show.

She had her first sucker the other day at our family photos. She was grinning ear to ear, so the sucker made an appearance in the photo.

She is, as always, the light of my day.

 

Weekend sleeps

This past weekend we headed out to the lake to enjoy some non-sun and fun. The family's annual golf tournament was this past Saturday and though the weather was awful, thousands of dollars were raised for the Roger Maris Cancer Center...to add to the $80k plus from the previous nine years...family, way to go!

 

The weekend started with the Miss fake sleeping in her suitcase:

 

 

We stayed with Matt and Alicia at Matt's parent's cabin...where they have a toddler bed. Emmie was excited about the bed of course and this is how she slept most of the night:

 

 

 

And she was more than tired on the way home...two minutes in to the drive home:

 

 

 

And she even kept sleeping after we brought her inside:

 

 

Apparently a little sleepy after the weekend of fun. Once she finally woke up, it was off to Nana's to enjoy the first nice day of the summer. Ahh, finally!

 

My ears hurt...or do they?

Andy whisked Ethan off to the pediatrician after my last post to confirm the daycare's suspicion of an allergic reaction.

Not allergic.

Not even infected.

What?

The rash was just a fever rash.

Followed by the condescending "is this your first baby?" question. Uh, no it's not our first kid and so sorry that we were concerned at what could have been an allergic reaction to medication that perhaps could have lead to closed airways. My apologies.

And then...the ears, she believes, were never infected and she immediately took him off the amoxicillin.

With a judgy eye, she figured the "other clinic" (as in the Always Open Clinic whereas your clinic was closed for the holiday, because kids apparently don't get sick on holidays) saw a baby, saw ears and cried infection.

So.

There you have it.

And then....at Emmie's ENT tubes recheck today, just for funsies, I asked for a third opinion. Probably not appropriate to piggy back on the appointment, but I didn't care. There was fluid in his right ear. Which is apparently different than an ear infection? News to me. So we were instructed to "watch that."

How one watches the fluid in a baby's ear is beyond me...but quite honestly, I was only half paying attention. I was too distracted by the doctor's perfect skin and wrinkle-less face (I forgot she is also the plastic surgeon doc) and my mind was wandering into the land of botox and fillers and it all seemed so dreamy.

Maybe I'll have to go and visit the ENT to get "tubes" for myself one day...