Balloon Glow

The St Louis Balloon Glow is one of our favorite events. When fall rolls around, we try to make sure it gets put on our calendar early so we don't book other, less fun things.

It was sprinkling on and off. William got inventive with his kids' meal bag and made a rain hat.

We weren't there too long, when the first balloon started filling up

Daddy and William with just a few balloons early on

Pretty balloons, all in a row!

Once it is totally dark, the balloons are very beautiful. I especially love the ones with geometric patterns.

Mama and William ( I promise Amelia was with us. She just wasn't being as...cooperative about taking pictures)

Pretty balloon

This one might be my favorite this year...gorgeous stripes. Makes me want to pull out my fabric and start sewing...hmm.....

In the same area as the balloon glow event was a Sept. 11th Memorial. None of our pictures really do it justice, but this was pretty amazing.

This hill was totally covered with flags. There is one flag for every person who died on September 11th during the terrorist attacks.

Blurry, but beautiful

So many flags. So many we couldn't make them fit in one picture.

September 11th changed so much for me. This was a defining moment for a lot of people and I'm not really any different than anyone else. However, that day I did a lot of growing up. I was student teaching that day. I was just starting to take over small responsibilities within the classroom. That day I was going to be leading the breakfast discussion. The students came back from the cafeteria with their trays and we watched the morning news together as usual. Together, we watched the second plane hit the towers live. It was that moment. That very moment that I grew and changed. All twenty six faces looked to me for an explanation and I didn't have an answer. Together, we all looked toward the lead teacher. He didn't have answers either. I will never forget the realization that students would daily looking to me for answers on all types of matters, including terrible and difficult things AND I WOULDN'T KNOW the answers.

There were so many other stressful pieces of that day. Immediately after we watched the plane hit the tower, we were told TV's had to stay off during the day. Students were not to receive information about this event from us. It left the adults starved for information and whispering updates to each other while passing in the hall. A student from war stricken Ghana asked if we were going to have fighting here now, too.

John was living across the county and unavailable to me. My parents, an hour away. At that moment, I wanted all my family in a room together so I could wrap myself up in their comforting presence. But, that was not possible. So I sat home alone in my little apartment and ate my frozen dinner while watching the horrifying images from earlier in the day.

Late that evening or early the next day, a list of passengers on the airplanes would reveal another piece: a high school classmate on the second plane. The one I watched with my students. I'm not going to make more of this than what it is. Someone, an acquittance more than a friend was on one of those planes.

I was sad about her death in the days that followed September 11th. Every year since, I've taken small moments to remember her and say a prayer for her. This year it feels particularly unfair as I look around at what my life has been filled with: love, husband, children, home, and a job I love. All these are things my friend will never experience because she didn't have the opportunity. And that just doesn't seem fair. Visiting this memorial on the 10 year anniversary felt like an appropriate memorial to her.

Conversations v?

In the car after meeting Baby Hank for the first time

William: When I grow up, I want to be a babysitter
Mama: (giggling) You do? You would be GREAT at that job!
William: I would hold the babies all day long. I would pat them when they cried and hug them.
Mama: That sounds great!
William: I would buy a little crib to keep for when the babies get tired. I could put them to sleep.
Mama: You have lots of great ideas!
William: Yeah. I do.

(confidence is obviously not a problem)

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In the car on the way home for preschool on 9/13/11 (note: 3rd day of preschool)

William: I played with a girl today at school
Mama: Oh? Was it fun? What was her name?
William: Yes. I am going to marry her someday.
Mama: (startled) Really?
William: Yes. I don't know her name.
Mama: ????????????? (what on earth am I supposed to say to that?)



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I am in the bathroom getting ready for work. The kids are playing in the other room. I use the word playing here very loosely because they are out of my hair and together. Today this is more along the lines of fighting and screaming about....something. However, they are leaving me alone, for now at least. This is helpful in ensuring I do things like apply deodorant and matching socks. I will not admit how many times in the recent months I have left our house without.....necessary items.

On this particular day I overheard the following conversation on the baby monitor:

William: Stop! You are not doing it right!
Amelia : [indistinct], clearly along the lines of Uh uh. I'm doing it my way.
William: Your wrecking EVERYTHING in here. STOP!

(At this point, I hurry up because someone is going to get hurt soon)
Amelia: [indistinct but I'd put money on na nana a boo boo or similar]
William: That's IT! I'm telling YOUR MOM!

Weekend Camping Retreat

This weekend was the annual camping retreat with our church. We rent out a group camp site at a state park nearby and enjoy the outdoors and each others company. It has become a family tradition we all look forward to!

We drove out Friday evening and took the Golden Eagle Ferry (as the Grafton Ferry is not operating). We dropped off our stuff and then joined a few others for dinner at a restaurant on the river (the Fin Inn) with huge aquariums full of fish at each table. The food was only so-so, but the kids were very well behaved as the fish were so entertaining!

Saturday morning we were up early. Very, very early. We all shared a small cabin and basically all slept in one bed made from many twin sized cots pushed together. The minute one little voice piped up with "Is it morning?" the other little head was awake for the day too. We were awake at roughly 5:30ish. We laid low for a while so we didn't wake anyone else before getting up. The kids were eager to explore as it was dark when we arrived.

Here is William checking out an old tree stump

Amelia refuses to be left out!

Saturday morning we were signed up to do some invasive plant removal as a service project to the park. John took on this impressive thorn tree (honey locust tree). It doesn't look very big, but there are so many huge thorns all over it - even the thorns had thorns!William desperately wanted to help. He was a great helper to many people this day.

After an hour of pulling weeds, it was time for apple picking! Amelia fell asleep almost immediately after getting in the car and stayed asleep for a few precious minutes after arriving.

She was charmed by this teeny tiny little leaf!

Yet, she was suspicious of the apples....really both kids enjoyed picking apples. They ran from tree to tree picking apples and calling to each other. It was all John and I could do to keep up with their running.Here is the best Mama and kids apple picking shot - nice, isn't it?

When we got back, we did some more weed pulling and then William was overjoyed to help build the campfire for later in the evening. He carried sticks and was very proud.

Then he needed a snack. How many cheese balls can YOU fit in your mouth before your mama catches you?

Amelia had her first french braid. Bless our patient babysitter Angi for getting this in her hair! Amelia doesn't like to sit!

Angi, the magnificent babysitter and her daughter hold Amelia

We ate a huge dinner Saturday night and then had campfire treats well into the night. Sunday morning started with a HUGE breakfast before we departed for home. Tired, dirty and happy we arrived home!

First Day of School

The Tuesday after Labor Day (that marathon, busy weekend), the kids started their new preschool!

The big boy
The big girl
Silly monkeysOne last big hug in front of the school!

Both kids seemed to enjoy their day. William is in a prekindergarten program this year that is a full day on Tuesday/Thursday (if you can call 9-2 full day). Amelia is in a two year old room at the same place from 9-11:30. During this time, Mama is at work!

Labor Day Weekend Visit

This is going to be a long one, folks. One of those filled with ...and then....and then....

Because we were super busy over the Labor Day Weekend. As usual, any time we have TIME, we drive to see family. We drove out Friday morning and got to town in time for dinner at our favorite pizza place. Grandpa Heidt met up there - it is so nice our families work together so well. It can be tricky to get to see everyone in the short visit time span. Sometime I feel like we are just checking people off the list and not enjoying our visiting time....not good.

After dinner, we went downtown where there was some Irish bands performing and met up with my Aunt Kaye (can you hear it? check, check) and Scott. We were so happy to meet more of his family! The kids enjoyed the music and dancing, but it soon became clear we were on the end of the "good behavior" train.

Saturday morning we ran out with John's dad to spend a little more time with him. Jim and Kendra plus their family arrived about lunch time - which the kids LOVED. They are so in awe of their older cousins. To their credit, these older cousins are the kind you want your kids to idolize - so sweet and great examples (not to mention smart AND good looking)!

However, we had more plans, so we had to be on our way. Saturday afternoon, we went to the "Great Minnesota Get Together" in St Paul. John and I used to live just minutes from the fairgrounds (about 2 miles), and went to the fair on several occasions. Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Megan (with Andrew and Andy) met up to go to the fair for one really big reason: Uncle Mike was there*! John and I were looking forward to seeing the fair with the kids for the first time and looking at the area where we used to live. And seeing my brother and his fiance.

William and his bud, Andy rode together on the bus to the fair - they were SO EXCITED. At one point William screamed: Andy LOOK!
Andy: WHAT?!?!
William: PEOPLE WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK!
Ordinary things become extraordinary when you're going to the FAIR.

The fair entrance. This was the last weekend AND a holiday weekend, so it was busy.

Very, very busy

At this point, we had the "lost"talk. As in, don't do it. Stay by me ALWAYS.

Half the fun of the fair is the food. Like hotdish on a stick as you'll see above and the deep fried banana split. I did not try these.
And here: Mashed potatoes on a stick. How does that work? I have no idea.A major highlight? Finding Princess Jemmy and riding (read:sitting) on her horse. This is William riding (sitting) bareback on Pokey. Pokey was GREAT.

Amelia took her turn. She liked it very much except when Pokey leaned in to give her a smell (or something). Then she was not impressed.
William againWilliam and Amelia together. Mike and Jemmy together.

In reality, Jemmy was there to show her horses at events. So, we got out of her hair and Mike took us to see some of the sights. We saw baby chicks hatching, baby pigs feeding (missed the exhibit where they were being born, darn!), baby geese, cows, lambs, and horses. It was SO crowded, we didn't spend a great deal of time admiring the baby animals.

Then it was time for some horse viewing. Before the show, the tractor zamboni evened things out.Here is Jemmy riding. We didn't have great seats and had no idea what we were looking for, but we thought she looked AWESOME (once we figured out which one she was). GO JEMMY!

While enjoying the horse arena (a place I did not know existed before this trip), we went all out a tried some pizza on a stick. Basically, it was a giant mozzarella stick with breading dipped in pizza sauce. Cold pizza sauce. Because we carried it half way across the fair before we sat down to eat it. Am I glad we tried it? 100% yes. Would I eat it again? 90% no.
Thankfully, John and I had a few extra sets of hands to help us keep track of kids. We also brought a stroller and baby backpack. Sadly, Grandpa's shoulders got more use than they did.William really wanted to go on a ride. I really didn't want to pay $50 for 3 rides. So, we compromised on the giant slide. $6 for the two of us and William was thrilled! We went right as it was time to leave, so it was hard to get a picture. I'm pretty sure this is us at the top of the slide with William on my lap.

Sunday morning came bright and early for our two. We helped ourselves to an embarrassing number of waffles at the complimentary breakfast before hitting up the pool/waterslide at our hotel. Grandma and Grandpa joined us soon after we got there followed by Megan, Andrew and Andy. The water was FREEZING. Like pool water in early June in Minnesota. But, the kids played some and went on the waterslide a lot. Even Amelia (with an adult). Soon, it was time to pack up and go because....we had more plans, of course.

We rolled back into Rochester just in time for lunch with John's family. We got to spend more time with the cousins at Grandpa Heidt's house before we got to go visit Alex and Elena at their house! We rode bikes, mopped (? seriously, the kids mopped for an hour), and took a ride on the paddleboat. And then? Then we packed up to talk a walk at a nearby nature preserve. The cousins ran and played and picked up sticks and...hung out. It was great! And then we sat down at a giant table and had dinner together. And then we played. and played and played and played. And tried to figure out why it doesn't happen more often. Thank goodness the kids and Daddy both slept on the way back from St Paul because we ran a LOT! (and we weren't done!)

Monday morning we were supposed to go home, but not before we made one more special stop. We were so lucky to meet up with Jessica and her family! They were having some family time, but made time for a quick breakfast with us so we could meet the newest member of their family: Baby Hank!

We gave Hank his quilt

And oohed and ahhed all over his cuteness. William couldn't get over how TINY he was!

Amelia even got a turn to hold him (with MUCH support, not to worry!)

So excited!

William and Amelia, meet Hank

And finally, Mama got some snuggle time in. Much awaited snuggle time for such a baby hog as myself. You can see here, William is a baby hog in training because he did not leave my side once while I was holding the baby. He also was a star back patter and loved gently patting the baby.

You'd think it would be time to go home, but no. My mom and I had some all important shopping to do and the kids got to spend more time with Grandpa Heidt. Then, and only then did we go home. Tired, exhausted and happy.

*Uncle Mike flew in for the weekend to see his fiance, Jenny. Jenny was showing horses at the fair with her family for the weekend. Therefore, if we wanted to see Mike, we were going to have to go to the fair.

That's my GIRL

This incident was reported to me by John. It occurred within the last week or so.


Both kids received a set of board books for Christmas. William got Cars, Amelia got Princesses. The books came with a heavy duty cardboard carrying case that perfectly fits each set. The books are either spread all over the house or sit gathering dust on a shelf. No in between. John was reading to the kids and the kids were "reading" to each other. When it was time to put the books away, Amelia put hers in the box with the spine facing inward. William was quick to correct her. He let her know the right way to put the book in was the other way so she could see which book it was (by color and picture).

John laughed as he told me this part. She developed a large pout and told William: "NO! I like it this way. I do it my way." and proceeded to put all the books in backwards. As they continued to play, she would pull a book out and be frustrated because it wasn't the one she was looking for. And yet, she continued putting the books in backwards while ensuring William was watching.

She might not look like me, but this little spitfire has her mama written all over her!


PS I'm exhausted. Apologies if this doesn't make sense.

Wizzo

We have a big bucket of lizards, dinosaurs and other plastic animals leftover from my teaching days. The kids love to play with them. For some time now, they have been playing with them together saying "wizzo" over and over again. Upon investigation, I was informed this is the noise that lizards make. Duh mom.