Father's Day

A day spent quietly at home. Exhaustion may be a part of that. That could also be the reason this post is so late.
We grilled out in the afternoon, joined by my sister and her family. My dad. Linda and Larry and Betty.
It was a fun filled afternoon, sharing great food and time with some special people.

goat milk soap

I am in love with this stuff.
The smell is amazing, my skin is no longer dry.
We tried the Purity bar, for sensitive skin, it has been amazing for
Yahaira. Each month they have a scent of the month, last month was lilac, it was just like standing outside next to
the lilac bushes. With your order is included a sample or two of other scents, so fun!
want to know more? go here

The spotted box

June edition
here are a few of things that were in my spotted box this month.
many of the items are geared for babies/kids/moms
usually there is a hair bow or clip
the pink circle is a reusable face pad (think stridex pads)
many items are geared toward an eco friendly approach.
the monkey material is a washcloth, love getting those.
the star is scented like citrus, it does smell amazing.
often there is some form of jewelery, this month it was a bracelet.
Each month there are different contributors, each has a store front either on Etsy , Hyena Cart or the web.
All items are handcrafted...many are unique

here are some of the soaps, and body scrubs included.
the little purse contains doggy biscuits, Goldie was very happy.
always there are cards and tags included.
and gift certificates and discount codes

here is the rest of the box, I loved the packaging for the crayon (the green item on the left)
the paper bag had a hand drawn picture on it, love that personal touch. The purple floor business card actually has seed in it.
the cupcake is a magnet, and the mini tart is a candle. Another card, that is an actual photograph.
The quality and variety are amazing.
It is so fun to discover what was in the box each month. No two boxes are the same.
you can go here to read more about the spotted box.

SuFuDu

this drum line has been performing for several years at many of the local parades. It is always a highlight when they appear in the parade. A very energetic, lively bunch of performers that will certainly leave a smile on your face. Cassandra received the poster because she was wearing a SuFuDu sweatshirt, good choice of attire one could say. You can go here to read more about them.

Pow Wow Parade

Monday night we traveled to a nearby city to take in their annual pow wow days parade.
I have been attending this since I was a little one. My grandma lived there and so it became a summer activity in our lives.
The kids were pretty excited about the parade and of course the candy. We joined my cousin and aunt, along with Linda and Larry and this year even my dad made the trip. Quite the group we had viewing the parade. Rosie called it the PowPow parade, I think I got her to say it just because it made me laugh. No trip is complete without a visit to the powwow pup food stand (corndogs for those of you in the dark) the best corndogs anywhere. Another visit to the egg roll stand and to complete our dining experience cheese curds. Yes your stomach should be hurting that has to be the weirdest combination of food and yet it was quite the hit.
So glad the rain held off, so the parade could be held. So fun to take in the first parade of the season.

parade faces

tattoos

she was working on a father's day gift along with the rest of the daycare kids.
It required the use of permanent markers, we used sharpie. At one point she must have decided she needed
some face decor, above is the end result. Not sure why...she was quite silent on the topic. Perhaps she felt a need for freckles?

marshmallow shootout

these were my purchase at the farmer's market last weekend.

it is safe to say they have been a hit with all ages.
in fact the younger ones had to share with the older kids
a great lesson in sharing
complete with whining and tattling by both groups

notice those white spots and the dog in the picture?
at one point they decided to try and see who could shoot furthest across the street.
made for some interesting faces on the drives as they passed by.
oh, and the dog? She would race to eat the marshmallows before the kids could pick them up to reuse.
Goldie certainly thought this was a fun activity.

fairies

stories about fairies are a popular choice amongst my little ones
Sunday afternoon I tossed a blanket under a tree and the kids brought out the bucket with the fairy village toys and
simply lost track of time. I sat nearby on the swing, soaking up the sunshine and simply enjoy the beautiful afternoon every now and again tapping into their conversations as they built and created stories. So fun to hear their minds at work.
What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

farmer's market discoveries

yes I realize that there is very little produce shown above.
I'm afraid the selections at this time of the year lean towards radishes and lettuce
neither are a go to favorite for me. So until the season progresses we enjoy browsing the booths with plants, and
cookies, spices, and of course the wonderful hand sewn treasures. I am in awe at the talent showcased at the market.
Love those new little hats the girls are sporting and the new purse that just called to me. The kids are showing off their marshmallow shooters...it is hilarious watching them shoot mini marshmallows. The dog races to eat the ammunition before the kids can pick them up, the dog usually wins. It was a perfect summer morning to spend outdoors exploring each booth. Can't wait until next week.

new haircut

late last summer Beckie wanted to get Anthony's hair cut into a mohawk, I said no.
thinking it was perhaps not the best hair style for school
This year Beckie was prepared making the appointment for today and taking him in to get his hair cut.
Not sure who had more fun, Anthony, Beckie or the hair stylist.
I overheard him earlier telling Yahaira to stop touching his hair, she was going to mess it up if she continued.

singing in the rain

Friday it rained....again.
Tired of the over the top energy I handed each of them an umbrella and said take it outdoors.
So they did, lot's of giggles and laughter and singing and smiles.

going off the diving board

the biggest thing that has kept Anthony from moving onto the next level is that diving board.
So many times he has walked to the end, stood there, and stood, and stood. Only to turn around and walk back
to where he started. This day must have been the turning point because he jumped right up, walked to the end, and stood
I truly expected he would turn around and return to the edge, wondering if this boy would ever move on from level 2, and then he jumped. Just like that. (well if you can call 7 lessons later just like that)

swimming lessons

Last week Anthony and Yahaira began swimming lessons.
Yahaira was pretty excited until she got there and then her enthusiasm dwindled quickly
Rosie loved going along to watch, she has stated firmly that 'she' does not wish to take lessons
oh, well there is always next year.

Happy Birthday Dad...

Monday was his birthday.
We celebrated with dinner and cake and ice cream.
Simple.
He reluctantly humored me with a photo or two...
We surprised him with tickets to a Twins game.
He has never attended a game at the Metrodome. With this being the last year at the dome it seemed like the perfect idea.
Not that he would say that. he is rather low key that way.
(but I think he was pretty excited)
He isn't one of many words most of what I learned was from watching him.
I learned to work hard, be honest.
Give more than expected, don't complain.
He is an amazing person, a great Dad.
and to that crew pictured above he is the bestest grandpa ever!

a bit of activity in my neighborhood last night

the scene outside my window at 10:30 last night. Of course this is after all the excitement, in this picture the fire is out and things are calm. 15 minutes earlier it was a frighteningly different picture. Fortunately the one occupant of the home was not there at the time of the fire. The fire crew was on the scene well into the early morning hours. Today in the daylight the trailer is totally destroyed. Amazing no one was hurt.

sometimes

life just wears you out.
Rosie at 5:10 pm last Thursday.

new playset

Sunday Kevin and Josh assembled the new play set with a little (well a lot actually) help from the kids.
They were quite eager to test out each new feature as it was assembled, good thing they did, since it started to rain as the last piece was put into place...bummer. Much to the kids delight the rain didn't last long and they were right back out checking out this newest space in the play area.