Slow-Speed Chase

A couple of nights ago, Sammy was playing with the television remote. He likes to pause the TV and start it up again (DVR). Natalie thinks it's a hoot to tease him, so she went over and got the remote, then started tearing across the room as fast as she could go (which really isn't that fast).

Even though Sammy could have easily overpowered her, I was impressed to see him try his negotiating skills on her instead. He followed her, wailing, "Let's put it on the couch, Natalie. That would be a good idea!" over and over.

She giggled and giggled as she motored around the room, with him in hot pursuit. I debated about intervening since I knew there was a possibility things wouldn't end well, but the current scene was so hilarious that I couldn't catch my breath.

I am happy to say that the situation resolved without any tears, and I'm glad I gave them a chance to work it out on their own. I'm not sure exactly how it ended since I was laughing in the other room, but Sammy apparently refrained from using physical force to get his way, and I was very proud. And very entertained by the slow-speed chase I had just witnessed.

Fort Snelling

Alright, so this trip to Fort Snelling was two months ago, but like I said, I just got around to downloading my pictures from that camera.

For anyone who lives locally, this is a great place to take kids. I didn't think it would be, since it's all historical and educational and stuff, but all four of the kids (mine and my friend's two) enjoyed themselves. A little background: It's a historic fort, which served as an outpost from 1819-1839 in the then-wilderness of Minnesota. During the Civil War, it became a training center for the Union Army, and when the war was over, the regular Army returned. The fort was finally closed after World War II, and was declared Minnesota's first National Historic Landmark in 1960. Today it's open to the public, and costumed guides are located everywhere, and will tell you the history of each building. There's your history lesson for today.

And now, pictures.


The view from a balcony overlooking the Mississippi River:



The armory? It's been so long, I couldn't swear to that anymore.



The four kids.



I believe this was the fort's doctor's bedroom.




Sammy and his cousin in the fireplace in the soldiers' barracks.



The stairway leading down to the bathrooms. The doors on either side are parallel with the ground, in case you're trying to figure out the orientation of this picture.

More random pictures

Laundry day. I just throw them in the machine on "warm" with some mild soap, and tumble-dry on low for 30 minutes. They come out pretty well that way.




Can you see the star-shaped fruit puff on her forehead? This picture is a little dark.


Sammy's Lego tower, that he made all by himself. Perhaps a future architect at work?

Power Wheels

We have two digital cameras. One that just takes still pictures, and one that takes video and stills. The problem with the camcorder is that it doesn't work with a Mac, so I need to boot up my PC simulator program in order to download the pictures. Because that's a few extra steps, I don't get around to downloading those pictures very often. I finally emptied that camera for the first time in a couple of months, so you're going to be bombarded with pictures for the next couple of days. Just so you're warned!

And here's the infamous Power Wheels jeep.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

The Minnesota State Fair is a big deal around here. Interesting fact: Our fair has the highest daily attendance of any in the U.S.!

The food theme is "on a stick". The majority of food items are served on a stick. Alligator on a stick. Deep-fried candy bars on a stick. Calzones on a stick. You get the idea.

And every year, there are new, crazy food combinations. This year's "big deal"? Pig Lickers (chocolate-covered bacon). My motto used to be, "Everything's better with chocolate", but I'm going to have to rethink that now. No, I did not try the Pig Lickers. I'd rather spend my money on cheese curds and mini donuts, thank you anyway.

And...some pictures. I'd like to point out the blue rubber rain boots Sammy is clutching in the final picture. He absolutely insisted on wearing those boots, and would not be dissuaded, even by dangling his Elmo sneakers in front of his face.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Six-Word Memoir

Mommy Vern tagged me (in this post) to write a six-word memoir. I tend to get a little....wordy, as you already know if you've read this blog for any length of time. I'm not sure if I've ever written a six-word sentence in my life, so this was a challenge!

Some intial thoughts:


Stressed Out, Trying to Find Balance
My Kids Are Driving Me Nuts
Calgon, Take Me Away (Pretty Please)
Looking for a Moment of Peace



As true as those might be, they don't really sum up who I am - and how I want people to remember me. After much thought, this is what I came up with:


Loving my Family While Seeking Enlightenment

I like this picture because it captures a moment in time with two of my favorite things - reading, and my children. I hope to pass on to them my passion of knowledge and learning.

Here's the rules to this game:

1. Write a six word memoir.
2. Post it to your blog, maybe with a pic.
3. Link to the person who tagged you.
4. Tag a few folks.
5. Leave a comment for them with an invite to play.

Colleen and Tabitha, wanna play?

Another use for a toy dump truck

What do you get when you combine a slightly downward-sloping driveway with a Tonka dump truck just big enough to hold a small child? A fun ride and hours of fun. The only downside is that, much like sledding, you need to pull the child back up the hill. Over and over. And over.