A stay-at-home summer Saturday:

...and by stay-at-home I mean stay in our immediate neighborhood...haha.  We went to the lake 2 blocks from our house this morning.  Cora LOVES the small splash pad area, new this year.  The older two kids are much more lake swimmers.  

Layla brought her American Girl doll from Grammy with today, complete with a scuba outfit.  JUST IN CASE Phalen all of a sudden became a deep, interesting lake.  ;)

Finn was practicing vampire moves with the towel.  

 When we got home Jonas took Cora on a few errands with him (because...CRAZY CHILD), so the older kids and I took advantage of the quiet in the house to do some art!  We did an Artventure video on how to draw dolphins.  It was a little harder for the kids this time, but Finn persisted with a happy attitude, and Layla continued with minimal tears at not being perfect at art yet.  I so feel her pain.

We drew with pencils, but I introduced them to chalk pastels for the first time.  They are a huge help for coloring large areas quickly, especially when I just don't want to deal with the mess of watercolors...

My dolphin.  

Layla wanted people to know that her dolphin's tummy is so large because it is going to have a baby in a few days.

He LOVES doing this.  :)  

Summer, yesterday

We had a really fun adventure day yesterday.  :)  I told the kids we were going somewhere fun right after breakfast, but I wouldn't tell them where.  As we were driving, Finn and Cora both kept asking where we were going, so I asked the whole car "okay guys, do you want to know what the surprise is?"  Finn and Cora both yelled out "YEAH!" and Layla yelled out "Noooooooo!"  She is so her father's daughter.  I hate surprises, and Jonas loves them.  :)  

The surprise was going to see a movie (Trolls) at a $2 special summer seating (in very fancy chairs that recline).  Layla and Finn had a great time, and Cora did too...but Cora having a good time meant I didn't have as lovely as a time.  I took her to the bathroom 3 times, and she went down to the other end of the row to refill her popcorn 76 times.  Most of that popcorn is probably still on the floor of the theatre.  Cora also had GREAT FUN with the reclining chairs, moving them up and down all the time, and talking the entire movie.  So...I'll just be honest and say I'd prefer to leave Cora at home during experiences like this, haha, but if that meant we'd all miss out I guess I can take one for the team.  :)  

We went to Cherry Berry for ice cream / frozen yogurt (INFERIOR) after the show.
My kids have never been someplace like this before!
For what they like to eat it's still far overpriced, but it was a fun thing to do with friends.

Then on our way home from the theatre we picked up Ainsley and Thaddeus and spend the next 5 hours outside swimming!

Ainsley and Layla took a short break to excavate a $3 treasure block from the Target dollar section.
They were recording the progress and doing the manual labor while Cora was the expert scientist on the computer, checking out their facts online.  Cora love this role for sure.

At the end of the day I found all 3 kids like this.  Playing nicely together on the piano.  Melt my heart.  Jonas also started each kid on piano lessons yesterday, just very basic, beginner stuff...but still fun to think about!

Trampoline Fun

Yesterday we had a lot of fun on the trampoline:  in addition to actually jumping on it, we read books ON it, we read books UNDER it, and we filmed videos under it.  BIG hit.  :)

Oh for crying out loud...videos are not loading right now.  I'll get them on here soon.  :)

Monday: Regaining sanity day

Normally, Monday mornings would be an adventure day.  But we've had a bit too much adventure lately, and not enough boring time at home.  Attitudes are suffering.  *coughCoracough*  We need to re-group and re-boot with how to play and be nice at home.

So we stayed home today.  Crazy thought, right?  :)  There was lots of face painting going on, thanks to Grammy!

Here is Cora asleep in bed that night.  Two things worth noting:

1.  I didn't wash off her eyebrows, because the pool will get that face pain for me tomorrow, right? #goodenoughMom

2.  You'll notice the top of a pull up diaper on her, above her monkey pants.  I call UNCLE on night training this one.  I didn't even want to do it anyway, but she forced us to try because she refused to wear diapers anymore and would take them off in the night without us knowing, then go back to sleep.  Super fun.  So, we TRIED.  We gave it our all.  She wet the bed all.the.time.  In fact, it seemed like she wet the bed MORE the more often we set her on the potty chair mid sleep cycles.  So, we're done.  We'll wait until her body shows us IT is ready by being dry on her own.  No more adult forcing body functions around here!!  I got her to wear the pull ups by calling them "night underwear" and buying the ones with princesses on them.  #noshameforsure  Thank you dear Lord for sweet sleep for us all again!  Setting alarms when you don't go to work in the morning is awful.

A night in Duluth

We spend last Friday night/all day Saturday with our dear friends Lauren and Lars in Duluth...such fun!  The kids were talking about it for ages before we left, and even today Cora asked me when we could go back.

Family trips that cost about $30 total are the best.  Guilt free travel centered around family and friends.  Relationships trump all (as does sticking to a budget)! :)

The happy land for MN kids.

Throwing rocks all.weekend.long.  We had some near-misses.
This little miss likes to learn lessons the hard and painful way.

Layla was so excited that Erin and her baby were there as well!  

Repeat X5,678 times this weekend.  

So delighted.  Every time.

Her summer curls are the BEST.

Blowing bubbles via the wind from the boat.
Genius.

Finn loves hot tubs so much.  He jumps right in, where as it takes the other two girls 15 minutes to slowly get in.

We had to head down to the Point in Duluth on Saturday afternoon.  Perfect weather, as you can see.  The breeze there is heavenly, and cool, but the sun was warm.  I love that place.

The game for the day:  stick and seagull feathers.  *gag*

Layla humored me by covering my feet with wet sand.
I HATE the feel of dry sand on my feet.  Blech.  Wet sand is lovely, dry sand sends shivers down my back.
Yes, whatever.  I know.  I'm weird.  

Layla was the bravest in the waves and had SO.MUCH.FUN floating out farther in them.

I wish you could have heard and felt the breeze blowing my hair.  Wonderful.

Wave jumping.

How Cora has spent a good portion of the last month...

Age 3.  Have mercy.

They were heading off on a dune adventure...

Best little Mother's Helper ever.

Singing along to a DVD about the planets.

Coloring 4 life.