They played and played on the tire swing at Lester Park until finally Mr. Sneaky Pants turned pale and sick, his eyes rolling around slightly in their sockets.  We decided to call it a day and drive home. Mr. SP:  (moaning)  Ooooooooooooohhhhhh.  I feel so sick. The Banana:  (In an…

Sunday was Ya Ya’s half birthday.  A few days earlier I asked her how she’d like to celebrate.  She replied that she really wanted to have brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Sara’s Table (the other kidlets are very jealous that she has a local restaurant named after her),…

After breakfast most mornings I read out loud to Mr. SP and The Banana.  We all snuggle together on the futon.  The other day The Banana went off with Dr. Peds to take Ya Ya to art camp, and Mr. Sneaky Pants and I stayed home. Me:  (sitting on the…

The moment Ya Ya stepped into the Art Institute for art camp her eyes started sparkling.  When I dropped her off Monday morning, her enthusiastic teacher handed her a large clump of clay.  Each day when I picked her up all week long she was filled with stories about what…

Mr. Sneaky Pants spent nearly an hour transplanting these wildflowers (some people call them noxious weeds, but they happen to be my very favorite summertime wildflower) from our lawn into this patch of dirt underneath the monkey bars on “Treasure Island.”  Treasure Island is one of the kidlets’ favorite places…

Father’s Day was a calm, warm day.  We ate brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, came home for a rest, and then decided to bring a kayak down to the rocky beach.  The kidlets, especially Mr. Sneaky Pants, had been asking about going kayaking the whole week that Dr.…

This is our Texas Longhorn kayak, enjoying beautiful summer Minnesota weather.

Mr. Sneaky Pants and The Banana have the hardest time differentiating between seagulls and eagles.  The words really do sound a lot alike, and even though I explain and explain the difference, they just get them mixed up. It wouldn’t be summer without seagulls.  I know a lot of people…

In addition to giving wonderful hugs and telling me 237 times throughout the day that she loves me and the new baby in my tummy, she actually happily gives squeezy shoulder rubs and foot rubs.  What more could a pregnant Mama want?

I read about this activity in a magazine last year, and then on another mom’s blog, and knew that it would be a great summer project for everyone, but especially for Ya Ya.  A great deal of the credit needs to go to Dr. Peds, because when I explained about…