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A Beautiful View

August has arrived! It's hard to believe that we really only have one month of summer before fall kicks back in. I had a nice chat this week with a co-worker about Japanese Beetles and bunnies...we're on a mission to find the best methods to rid our gardens of these pests! I guess in a month or so, it won't even matter, once the temps start dipping lower.

G's potty training is going really well...he's got the #1 down (very few accidents) and now we're focused on #2. That's not going quite as well, but, he's trying. His daycare has done a very good job in providing positive reinforcement, and actually being the ones to kick this training into high gear. Without them, I think we'd still be purchasing big boxes of diapers, instead of MUCH cheaper little bags of pull-ups! I will note that the laundry prep takes a bit longer now...and it's a bit messier. It will all pay off in the end! Did I mention that G has his pre-kindergarten assessment coming up this week? He still won't go to Kindergarten until the fall of 2019...it feels so far away, but I know it'll coming zooming up before we know it.

Ava had a pretty great week of field trips and fun. She went bowling, swimming, to Ft Snelling, a new park, and made some awesome art activities during the day. And slime. She loves that slime! Next week she's headed to the Saints game, and a few different locations for swimming and roller skating! Lucky girl! We also found out yesterday who her 4th grade teacher is going to be (prelim assignment right now)...turns out that Mrs. Z was Ava's first choice! Yeah! Ava's ready to go in for her assessment on 8/23...school is just around the corner!

I had one of my last "Summer of Love" Friday afternoons off this week. I was finally able to check out "The Danger" (aka a Ferris wheel) at Betty Dangers. Pretty great view of Minneapolis and the river! I also had a chance to partake in a "purple-ie" at Tony Jaros...the last time I was there, they only had greenies and pinkies. And I was 23. Ha!

View from the top of The Danger



Hello, little donkey!


And since it was such a perfect day to be outside, the fantastic afternoon ended at Psycho Suzies. Good food, good drinks, and a great view!

An unexpected rain shower - glad I was at a table with an umbrella!


Just a little bit later, and the sunshine was back



I haven't been home much this weekend...on Saturday night, I drove into WI with Tina to celebrate our friend, Grace, who is a soon-to-be bride. We *might* have had a slight detour on the drive in, but, we still made it there in plenty of time to celebrate. We had a THREE hour wait for dinner at Vino in the Valley, but they make it such an entertaining place that it doesn't feel like it lasts that long. Plus, there is plenty of wine to enjoy while waiting!

We walked around the grounds, enjoyed the river, the sights, and the other patrons. We were the last table to leave the restaurant, but we never felt rushed. Great night in a beautiful location!

Tina and I were waiting for the others to arrive...we were hungry and thirsty. (We ate an entire block of cheese!)


The Rush River




The moon was trying to peek out




Hanging out by the bonfire, patiently waiting...


Tina, me, and Larry, the owner!



Two fun nights out and I'm ready to take it easy today. Another fun weekend is almost wrapped up!

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