Sophie at the Climbing Gym

Goofy Glasses, Goofy Kids

First Day of School

"All was fine on Belmont Road until the kids went back to school..."

This reflects a semi-calm moment following our whirlwind summer.

We saw the tagging of a Cooper's hawk in the alley behind our house. The kids, and sometimes the adults, bounced on the new trampoline. John and I built a cardboard pirate ship while the girls went north to the cabin with their dad and Papa. Sophie accomplished a back walkover. Dave and our trusty handyman, Mike, completed a paving stone patio at 817. I co-facilitated a four day RRVWP workshop in July. Sophie and Lucy performed in The Velveteen Rabbit in Cando. The kids can swim. For part of the summer I had budding playwrights on my hands, as Sophie and her pal, Juliet, led the charge to write a play based on a Magic Tree House book. Dave grew grass next door! Lucy taught all her stuffed animals how to read. John attended hockey camp--a true North Dakotan--he is on the ice, even in July. The kids had a picnic lunch under the largest tree in North Dakota and they helped their cousins build a treehouse all in the same day. Dave was home most of the summer for the first time in seven years. I walked the dog and picked up poop by the bagful. Dave and I had front row seats at a Twins game as part of our bi-annual Suite Night Event. (Thanks St. Peter!) And for the first time in years, I was up at 6 am most days reading the newspaper and drinking my coffee on the back patio, enjoying that quiet time of the day.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater......

On Sunday afternoon Lucy spent some time with her pal Maia. John and Sophie hung out with me as I stopped to pick up some pumpkins from a local pumpkin patch. We found lots of good ones for my apartment and the kids found some fun things to do there too. After dropping those at my place, Sophie, John, and I went to the park for the rest of the afternoon to explore and play. As you can see in the pics, these two got along great all afternoon. We're sorry Lucy had to miss it, but rumor has it she and Maia had a great day too and today she got to go on a school field trip to a pumpkin patch that included a hay ride, a corn maze, and everything.

And the Beat Goes On....

On Thursday after school we watched a Scooby Doo episode featuring Sonny and Cher, as a honeymooning celebrity couple. Sophie asked me who are Sonny and Cher? And I tried to answer her and explain they sang one of my favorite songs, "I Got You, Babe." She responded by asking which one was MOST famous. I said that Cher had a longer musical career or maybe just a better known one and that Sonny became mayor of Palm Springs, California. Sophie said she figured as much since Cher was so bossy and they made Sonny seem like he was doing everything wrong. I asked her if she'd ever heard a song by Cher and then I burst into a rousing "If I could turn back time.... if I could find a way" and Sophie stared at me and then paid me the best compliment I've had in a long time. "Wow, YOU could be a singer." Yup. Me and Cher...

Locks of Love

Sophie gave up her long hair today and we're sending off her ponytail to Locks of Love. She's different from a lot of kids as she just grew out her hair and then decided, upon Grandma's suggestion, to donate it to Locks of Love. After two years of fussing over brushing and snarls, I was only too happy with her decision - and it looks wonderful. Now we'll see more of her humid-weather curls and more of her sparkling eyes. Good job Sophie girl!

Trapeze Girls

Two summers ago my friend Carmyn and I were pulling down overgrown vines on the side of the house. She hates this kind of stuff but I always seem to “rope” her into helping me with household tasks. The vines were so stuck, so steadfast, that we thought it best to go ahead and do some swinging on them just to see if they’d hold our weight. Imagine the sight, two thirty-somethings swinging from vines yelling Tarzanisms.




Later, we pulled out a Barbie and hid her amongst the vines. Let’s just say she was a bit more successful at vine swinging than we were.

Then, last summer, we headed to Cass Lake to be with our friend Lori, her daughter Rachel, and Rachel's grandparents. They took us out to an island and an old rope up on a sand hill. I was thrilled, yet somewhat dismayed, to see the ease at which five, six, seven and eight year olds could manage the whole swinging thing. They looked as graceful as Barbie, but much more joyful and strong – as little girls should be. They’re the true trapeze girls.