Go, Go, Goers!

Ava and I had such a good day together this past Monday! After we took G to his summer program, we ran a few errands, got a haircut for Ava, and then headed into NE Minneapolis to check out the Immersive Van Gogh experience. I wasn't 100% sure where we were going, but we found it without issue (as well as an easy place to park. That's where I get grumpy...if parking isn't available!) We stayed for about an hour, watched the experience the full way through, and then did a little bit of shopping at the gift shop.  New haircut! Ava took up frog origami...? She has an entire family of amphibians like this. One of my co-workers/friends went last weekend, and said it was a great way to introduce the art to someone who may not normally go to a museum. I concur! I do not enjoy going to art museums, so this was a wonderful way to experience the art, in a non-traditional way. There was a specific pairing of an art piece (Morning: Going Out to Work) with a beautiful song (Edith Piaf -...

This was the last week where the kids were at the current locations for their summer programs. It was really convenient and easy to drop them off, as the elementary and middle schools were right next to each other. Starting next week, the kids are going to be separated at locations that are much further apart (all within the same city, but not right next to each other!) Whenever we hit this point in the summer, it starts to sink in that school is just around the corner. Both kids will be getting haircuts in the next few days, and we have 1st day of school and picture day outfits selected. All school supplies have been purchased and labeled. Bus schedules and assignments have been received. And the calendar is beginning to fill up with commitments, meetings, events, etc. It's an exciting time, and I personally look forward to getting everyone back into a more scheduled routine. Our school district hasn't issued a mask mandate (yet), but both Ava and G will be wearing their masks...

You know how G loves to build with Legos? This week he created a full cityscape of NYC. It includes the Empire State Building (and other buildings), the Statue of Liberty, a mini figure dressed up as the Statue of Liberty, and a yellow cab. He's ready to go to the Big Apple! I'm not ready to take him there on a solo trip, but I have a feeling that in the next year or so, we'll be making the trek east. Get ready, Steph, we're coming your way! :) Speaking of travel...I made a tough decision this week not to go to the annual doTERRA convention in Utah in September (I bought both my convention ticket and airline ticket back in May, so I've had this planned for a while.) I am so disappointed, sad, and angry that the COVID numbers have shot back up. I just didn't feel comfortable traveling and being in an arena with so many people. My heart is a little more light now that I've made that decision, but argh, I'm frustrated! I am going to keep those two days off ...

G and I had such a fun day on Friday. I had taken the day off to spend with him, and we've been making plans for the day for the last few weeks. One thing that was struck from the agenda was a trip to the pool...mostly because we didn't have time for it unless we went at 8am. And it's cold then! Ava joined us for a breakfast out at a local restaurant (Suzie's Kitchen) and then we stopped at Aldi's on the way home to stock up on some goodies for the upcoming week. We bought their pain au chocolat last week, and YUM. It was so good - we had to get more! After we brought Ava and the groceries home, G and I headed off to Patterson (my workplace) so I could drop something off and give him a quick tour of the office. They're going to do some major remodeling to switch to the hybrid/WFH options that they gave us, so it was fun to show him what it is like now (and who knows when I'll get there again to show him the changes.)  We then scooted over to Costco, and then...

We had so much fun last Saturday! The kids played together incredibly well, and we ended up heading out to Cherry Berry for a fun reward for them accomplishing some goals this summer. Ava wanted the super big container, and I wisely said no. She loaded up her container, which, for the record, was still pretty big, with all sorts of yummy goodness...and ended up eating it all! G and I had a blast mixing different flavors and candies to top off our sweet treats. He had very vague (good) memories of going to Cherry Berry with my parents a few years ago...and he was happy to try it again! Yum, yum! Playing together nicely...Lego adventures! We ran a few errands after that, and even ran into a co-worker from my last job. It was so crazy to see her, but it was nice to catch up for a few minutes. After that discussion, I talked to G about the importance of being patient...sometimes it's not fun waiting while adults are having conversations, but he still needs to try his best. It's a w...