I Want a Clown Mask!

Busy, busy week...where does the time go?!

Ava:

• On Monday, she and two other kids in her class got to take part in an ice cream party...all because they completed their reading logs every month this past school year.  I was sad to hear that only two other kids were able to eat yummy ice cream, but...happy for Ava!  She is such a reading machine, it's crazy! I signed her up for the summer reading program at the local library, so we'll be keeping it going throughout the summer.
• On Tuesday, her school went to a local park and had all sorts of fun outside.  We had given her a dollar to participate in the "dunk the principal" game. I know she doesn't have the best aim, but I pleased to hear that she at least threw the ball in the right direction.  Needless to say, there was no dunking done by Miss Ava.
• Wednesday was her last day of Kindergarten!  I cannot believe that her first year of school is done.  She has learned an incredible amount these past 9 months.  I am so proud of her.  I'm also thrilled that we no longer have to drive up to So St Paul everyday!!  This summer, she's at Sheila's house with G, so it's one stop-n-drop deal in the morning, and it's awesome.  I can get into work a little earlier, which relieves the rushed feeling I used to have when I walked through the door, and people would meet me at my desk.  Now I have a chance to get through my emails before people start looking for me. :)
• She had a good first few days at Sheila's house.  We did get the comment that she asks a ton of questions...about everything.  There was even a comment made that she's asking questions like an 8-year old would.  Yep, that's our non-stop chatty, sassy, smart Ava!
• We're getting ready for her 6th birthday next week...which also means I need to find her size 6 clothes that are packed away somewhere.  Hm...note to self.  Anyway, it's going to be a fun week with baton twirling on Monday (gulp) and birthday gathering #1 on Wednesday, #2 on Saturday, and #3 on Sunday.  
• And about that birthday...I asked Ava what she'd like for her birthday, and she said she'd like Elsa and Anna dolls (from Frozen,) colorful barrettes, and a princess tent.  Not too bad.  And then she added that she wanted a clown mask...because she's funny.  Um, that's a big no. No clown masks allowed.

Garrett:

• He's scooting all around!  He's been making trips between the bedrooms, and now he's realized that he can go after the dogs a little bit.  He giggles and smiles whenever he sees them, and he loves to pet their fur.  One of the two is very patient with him. :)
• He's now had all of the veggies, and we've moved onto apples with him.  I feel so much better about giving him apples and cereal for breakfast, than smooshy peas at 8am.  Since we're doing so well with different foods, I figured now was a good time to make his baby food; therefore, I spent some time yesterday steaming green beans and carrots, pureeing them, and freezing them into little portions to take to daycare.  I was so darn proud of myself!  And then I decided to give him green beans for dinner.  Turns out that homemade green bean baby food isn't quite as smooth as commercial baby food, and we ended up with a bit of a gagger.  And a projectile vomiter.  So, we're putting the green beans back in the freezer, and we'll give my carrots a shot next!

House:

• Scott and Wendell (our old neighbor) worked very hard last Sunday to put in the first tier of our retaining wall behind our service door.  Ava supervised, and I stayed out of the way, so it was a successful day for everyone!
• We were hoping to get sod laid this weekend, but with how much rain we've received this spring/summer, the price of sod has skyrocketed.  Luckily, Scott knows people, so we're able to get a bit of a discount on the pricing, but it also means that we're going to be delayed for a few more weeks.  Sigh.  Scott was out weed-whipping the weeds this morning, so at least it's not as obvious that we have a forest in our front yard.  And when the weeds bloom, it'll be so colorful! :)

I like how Ava's stool is at the top of the dirt pile.

First tier - done!

Work:

• I'm switching my position at work a little bit, and I got a promotion (not related to the job change) so that's good!  I'm keeping busy, so I'm not 100% sure where my day goes.  There's definitely no down time on our team!
• Scott's got a business opportunity in the works, so there may be some news on that in the coming weeks...

Other happy stuff:

• My parents are in town this week...because they closed on their condo in Rosemount! Their new part-time residence is less than a mile from our house.  I still can't believe that they have their own place here...and it's a nice one!  I stopped over last night and had the chance to check it out, as well as meet some of the neighbors.  It's very clean, nice and safe - perfect for them! (It really is great - it has a lot of amenities that they will be sure to take advantage of, like a woodshop, craft room, car wash on site, library, workout facility, etc.  Pretty nice for a 2nd home!)
• It was my mom's birthday this past Tuesday, so we went out to dinner with them.  I don't recall the last time we've been able to celebrate multiple birthdays, and Father's Day together.  It certainly is a great start to the summer!

Notice those blue toes?  What were we doing??

I think this turned out really cute - we worked hard on it!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

And Happy Father's Day to Scott (and my dad and Grandpa Whitey!)

Ok, time to get moving again...we've got a brisket smoking, and are expecting the grandparents over later this afternoon for dinner.  Should be a great day and upcoming week!