One weekend, earlier in the summer (I think it was July), we went and wandered around the Sculpture Garden. There’s lots to see and Maddie had fun running around. Dannie wasn’t feeling very well, so we were happy to get out of the house for a while. I don’t remember the last time I walked around the whole garden. Maddie has a love obsession with fire hydrants. We had to stop for a little picnic/snack. What a great way to... Read More Read More ...

A few people have been asking what we’ve been eating since we overhauled our diet a number of months back. I sent a long email of ideas to a friend and thought some of you might be interested as well. Maybe this will help some of you get some new meal ideas. Zucchini Chips Onion Rings Lettuce Wraps – we have added carrots and have even made them without meat before. Szechuan Green Beans General Tso Chicken Love this one... Read More Read More ...

This morning we went to the Farmer’s Market and then Como Zoo. We haven’t been to the Farmer’s Market in quite a while. It was so nice to go now that there are so many fruits and vegetables there! WE got the most delicious watermelon, a cantaloupe (because Maddie LOVES them), green beans (because Chuck makes really yummy ones) and the black bean and chipotle hummus that I like. I can’t stop eating the watermelon. SOOOO good! We also saw... Read More Read More ...

We bought Maddie a balance bike. The first while that she had it, she wouldn’t go near the thing. Then one day, she decided she wanted to ride it and took off! She has gotten so good with it. She can go pretty fast. She likes to ride her bike to the park or up and down the block. She also knows that she has to wear her helmet to ride it. I let her pick out the helmet and... Read More Read More ...

We really like going to the Farmer’s Market. We have gone to all sorts of them around town. I really like the St. Paul Farmer’s Market because there’s a stand that sells this yummy Black Bean and Chipotle Hummus. I love it! A favorite thing to do at any of the Farmer’s Markets is to get Maddie to point out fruits and veggies. I keep hoping she will be adventurous and try some new foods, but that will come eventually.... Read More Read More ...

For July, my book club read The Maze Runner. It is a young adult book, similar to The Hunger Games. Here’s a description of the book: When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers... Read More Read More ...

Our baby girl is 9 months old already. I can’t believe how quickly these last 9 months have gone. We’ve been busy getting ready for a trip, so I didn’t have time to blog on her 9 month birthday a couple days ago. So I wrote some of this on the car ride and the rest here on vacation. Dannie popped her first little tooth through! You can see it in the picture below. It on the bottom. Maddie stuck... Read More Read More ...

We have been doing a lot of fishing. Maddie really likes it and we have fun bringing her. We have been trying out a bunch of lakes in the area to see what we like best. And before this outing, we got her a fishing pole. We let her pick out the one she wanted. It’s a Barbie one and there’s a little rubber fish you can tie on the end of it to help them learn to cast. She... Read More Read More ...

I came across this recipe in an email and thought I would give it a try for the 4th of July. They were very easy and really yummy! I think I am going to make more of these in different colors/flavors for other events. Here’s a picture of mine, still in the small cup I froze them in. They pop right out of the cup when you warm them with your hand. Maddie loved them! And Maddie calls popsicles the... Read More Read More ...

A couple weekends ago we took the girls to Lebanon Hills Park and went on a StoryWalk (a walk around a trail with pages of a book set up to read as you walk). Maddie also needed to stop and look at bugs. And she was very curteous to her doll she was carrying. She would turn so the baby could see the pages of the book. How very considerate of her. We also took Maddie fishing for the first... Read More Read More ...

For June, my book club read Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer. I’m a bit behind writing about the books I have read. Anyway, it was a very interesting book. Here’s a summary: In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all... Read More Read More ...

First, it’s been a REALLY long time since I’ve written on here. I have tons of things to write about, but I haven’t been finding the time. So I will have to catch up soon. Dannie is another month closer to 1! I just realized that before too long I am going to have to start planning her birthday party. It seems like she was just born yesterday. Time is going WAY faster than I expected! Dannie continues to be... Read More Read More ...

For May, my book club read The Boy in the Suitcase. It was a really interesting book. It was written from different character’s perspectives and was a good suspense book. It reminded me of the writing for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Here’s a summery of the book. Nina Borg, a Red Cross nurse, wife, and mother of two, is a compulsive do-gooder who can’t say no when someone asks for help—even when she knows better. When her estranged... Read More Read More ...

Because I posted so many pictures yesterday of Dannie for her 7 month post, I thought I would wait until today to post another video of her. I was playing on the ground with her and she thought it was funny when I made a kissing/smacking noise and touched her nose. I hope this makes you smile today. ...

Time has been flying by and I am way behind on my blog. But I couldn’t let myself miss out on Miss Danielle turning 7 months old. Time sure flies. The even harder thing to believe is what a grown up little person Maddie has become. But that is for many other blog posts! Sweet D is the happiest, silliest little girl. She lights up when Maddie is around, cracks up at everything and smiles with her whole face! I... Read More Read More ...

I came across this recently and I was thankful to have the reminder about keeping happy. I thought I would share. ——- 22 Things Happy People Do Differently There are two types of people in the world: those who choose to be happy, and those who choose to be unhappy. Contrary to popular belief, happiness doesn’t come from fame, fortune, other people, or material possessions. Rather, it comes from within. The richest person in the world could be miserable while... Read More Read More ...

I decided to start a new little spot to write about little lessons I have learned about various things. From lessons I have learned from being a parent, lessons about kids, life lessons and anything else that is something worth learning from. I also believe that we learn something (if not many) new things every day. I liked the idea of documenting these “lessons” or even having a way (in the future) for people to add to their own lessons... Read More Read More ...

I can’t believe I did it, but I read Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1). I’m a little disappointed in myself for reading this at all and I’m kicking myself for reading it after the movie came out. Why? Because I can’t stand Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. I think I would have liked the book more had I not been seeing their faces the whole time I read the book. Before I get into more of my thoughts on... Read More Read More ...

This ad was going around Facebook and I wanted to share it here. It’s something I want to remember to show to my girls when they get older. It’s a video of an artist drawing a woman the way she describes herself and then drawing that same woman based on how others describe her. It’s a wonderfully done video and I think it is important for females of all ages to watch because we have a skewed perception of how... Read More Read More ...

The other day, Maddie, Dannie and I took a little trip to a new bakery called Taste of Love. I heard that they had a play area for kids and their pictures of food from their Facebook Page looked so delicious. The bakery was very cute and the staff was very nice. Maddie picked out a cake pop and they gave her a bag all to herself. She thought that was pretty great! There are a few tables to sit... Read More Read More ...