Bubbles, Cloggers, and TRACTORS!!

So because my jury duty interrupted my first planned trip to Chisago this summer, I was excited to find out I could go over the Almelund Thrashing Days!  Though I grew up in Chisago, this was the first time I ever attended this.  My aunt and uncle had a farm, but I was always more into the animals then that tractors.  Well, Declan is now equally entranced with animals and tractors now.  

Where were weren't at the flea market, looking at animals, playing at the playground or watching tractor pulls, we had a great time seeing family and playing with BUBBLES!

Declan loves BUBBLES!!  

Declan enjoyed the cloggers!  I enjoyed remembering my few years of being a clogger!  Fun to see Rob again and my third grade teacher dancing!  

Though we stayed overnight in Chisago at my mom's house, Declan napped well in the tents!

Declan got to meet and play with his 2nd/3rd/maybe once removed... who knows... HIS COUSINS!  Mason and Grayson!

And his favorite part was the TRACTORS.   He could've watched them all day!

                                       

We ended the trip with a visit to Aunt Judy where my musical man played the piano! He loved it! 

Jury Duty

   

I got a notice in March that I would be on call for jury duty at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis sometime in the future.  Well, sure enough in July, I was called up!  And not only did I have to report for service to see if I'd get picked... I got picked.  And I am glad I did (though sad I missed Crow River ladies golf invite, my days in Chisago for my mom's bday and golfing with Sofia and my Aunt Judy).  Still, jury duty was an experience I am glad to have had now, though emotional and difficult at times, it was very educational and I did feel proud to have taken part in this civic duty.  

Tuesday the 22nd was the day I had to report and the day they interviewed all the potential jurors.  The judge did all the questioning and about 5 hours later after breaks and lunch, the lawyers got their vetos and 14 of us had to stay.  Including me.  The trial started that afternoon with opening statements and one witness.

Thankfully the case wouldn't be super long... we were deliberating by Friday and SUPER thankfully, it wasn't a murder or violent case.  It was a criminal case having to do with conspiracy to commit bank fraud.  One bank in Hutchinson was even hit.  Essentially the defendant was the driver of a car that came from Atlanta, GA, stole checks from mail and found homeless men with ID's to cash the checks at the businesses banks.  It was really interesting to see the courtroom process live and not all tv Law & Order style.

Deliberation was tough.  Before starting, a lot of us would have thought the defendant Not Guilty because of reasonable doubt and not a lot of evidence tying him to the actual bank scenes and homeless witnesses ID'ing him.  But after instructions of the law from the judge, reasonable doubt was defined more clearly and explanations of if the defendant thought criminal activity was going on and tried to turn a blind eye to it, he should be found guilty.  After about 5 hours, we did end up with a unanimous verdict of guilty.   I didn't watch the emotions of lawyers and defendant while the judge read the verdict.  But fellow jurors who did said everyone was very poker faced and the defendant's lawyer just nodded slightly.

The judge invited us back to his chambers afterwards to thank us, give us a certificate and answer lots of our questions.  We were back their over 40 minutes and it was very informational and kind of him to do.  He explained what else may be happening with this crime ring, told us we'd be informed of sentencing and invited back to it if we want.  

I ended up having a great time in Minneapolis during my lunches and evenings as well.  I got to have lunch with an old middle school and high school friend Azure, eat dinner at the Melting Pot with my sister and hang out, try Punch Pizza and walk around St. Anthony Main with my cousin's Jayme and Josh!  The nights alone in the hotel made me miss my baby but reading 2 books, swimming/hot tubing and sleeping in were some major extra birthday treats!

30 is going to be a great year!

I didn't fear this birthday at all.  I love multiples of five and just have a good feeling this is going to be another favorite year.  Only drawback to my birthday is it is definitely the half way point of summer and nearing real world life again!   Life keeps going faster but keeps getting more fun and I am loving seeing Declan grow and learn things by the second. I love seeing Andy being a wonderful father!

I'm also the birthday "week" type of person... I'd play the birthday "month" card if I could.  I say it started on Tuesday the 15th out at Litchfield's Ladies Invitational!   I'm lucky to share my birthday week with some good friends.   Donna's birthday and Card's anniversary so we usually try to get together after our 3M golf league and we did for a bonfire at our house on Wed.

We also had been wanting to try the BBQ restaurant in Grove City called Hog in the Road, and we are so happy we did!  It was delicious and a great time with live music, dancing and a few too many bottles of wine (mixed with a tequila shot...not good...)  Andy and I split a bleu cheese fondue app with beef tips, croutons and grilled cherry tomatoes and it was decadent!  Both our entrees were perfection.

Saturday morning I put on my rally cap and we headed to Apple Valley to meet my mom, sister, Mandy and Malorie for some fun at the Minnesota Zoo.  Except one little rain shower, the overcast 70 degree day was perfect!  Declan pointed at every animal and made many people smile at him!  The zoo is awesome for a family outing as no lines, plenty to see and do and you can bring your own picnic lunch in!  We enjoyed the Wells Fargo Family Farm too!  Declan's favorite was probably the splash park and we enjoyed the sun coming out just in time.

Sunday, my actual birthday, we made a nice breakfast at home with my mom and I made it to church in the park finally with mom here to watch Declan while he napped.  Andy and Declan suprise me with flowers, Bridgestone golf balls and a golf umbrella so I'd quit taking Andy's!

Afternoon was couples golf with Johnson's and McGinley's out at Oakdale!   The scramble was fun with lots of mixing it up with using 2nd best shots, boys + girls scores, couple + couple score!  Highlight was Molly sinking a 35+ foot birdie putt on 9 so both the boys and girls had 4!  We won the tournament even though our score card was a little late in the turn in Karl and had to find us! We were thankful for my mom watching both Declan and Noah while we played!  They just napped a lot and then golfed a bit themselves!

My birthday week came to an end on Tuesday when I won a seat on jury duty at the US District Courthouse!

Whiteface Cabin 4th of July

We had a fantastic 4th of July at my families cabin on Whiteface Lake this year!  We knew Declan would be on the loose and it would be a much different experience than last year's 4th, but it was also a ton more fun watching him explore and do it all like the "big kids!"

Though a blurry pic... I love his look meeting Great Grandpa Cyril again!  This was Addison's first time meeting him!

Corey, Jeremy, Andy and I got to play a beautiful course (that only stole about 25 golf balls of our groups) on the morning of July 4th!  I would recommend The Quarry at Giant's Ridge in Biwabik to any golf lover!  Just be sure to hit them straight... at all times.. or your ball is eaten by the gorgeous forests!

Happy Birthday Cartwheel! Oh how I love you Target!

If you know me even a little... you know I am a bit (ok...very) cheap... I never really buy name brands, I drive a '99 Subaru because it works, and I LOVE coupons.  Though Andy has been right in times that I spend more because I have a coupon.. .I buy something I wouldn't have so they win... but I have gotten much better at that.

Anyhow, I was ashamed at myself that I have just truly discovered the wonderful world of Target's Cartwheel app!  I put the app on my phone over 7 months ago to get a coupon for our Target Portrait Studio*** Christmas session and forgot to use it anyhow.  Recently, Sarah and I made an outing with baby Isaac to Target and she showed me how to scan and check things and I have been hooked since.

But today was amazing... I feel like I robbed my Target.  But I know they are just thanking me, right? The baby coupon book was waiting for me in the mail yesterday, and their big coupon of the week in their ads was $20 off $100 baby products. Um.. so Target, you are giving me 20 dollars??  Have I said yet that I love you!  And I have been watching Cartwheel, ads, etc for deals on Declan's Eddie Bauer convertible carseat for the Pathfinder so knew I would probably use this for that.

Well I get there today... and the $130 carseat is on CLEARANCE for $90!  Then in the baby book, there is $25 dollars off Eddie Bauer harness booster seat that "miraculously" worked (I think my amazing checkout lady just made it work as I warned her I didn't know if it was technically a booster seat but was Eddie).   So with a few other coupons, items, cartwheel scans, I could've spent $230 at Target today... but I spent $130.. with a $10 gift card for next time.. And how I look forward to next time Target!  

I think I am still on a shopping high and had to share and wish Cartwheel a Happy Birthday!  I only knew it was their birthday because of an email where you can vote for the special to be unwrapped on July 13th... but if I want to place a bet on our amazing Target... they'll probably give us all the specials :) 

***Sidenote...  Just got Dec's 1 year (+ 20ish days) photos done last week.. If you want to see the cute album, let me know I can email you the link!!    In my "cheapness" I have to add, I have been very impressed with their portrait studio.   I do know and appreciate photography as an art and isn't something I have or will always do "cheap".  But I have truly enjoyed both photographers we have had for some milestone pics that aren't going to be on my wall for more than 6 months to a year.  I love seeing the pics immediately and ordering just the couple faves I want in a collage or 8 x 10 frames.  

Adventures in Babysitting

After being a server and a teacher, I have always had the strong opinion that you better not rip on servers or teachers unless you've been one.  But, having been a server and a teacher, I have the full right to rip on them if I know they suck, right?  (Though mostly behind their backs as I don't have the guts to usually advocate for myself... like my "Tuscan" pasta with no artichokes or black olives the other day... And I still never tip less than 15% ... which is not making the point clear so I should work on being straightforward.)

Another career I have always respected and had thoughts about doing when I had small children would be being a home daycare provider. I had worked at a Children's World for a little over a year in college doing full time school-age in the summer, and filling in part-time throughout all the baby-preschool rooms during the school year.  This was a good gig for me, on top of student teaching, to definitely figure out 3rd grade and up were my cup of tea.  I truly do enjoy this age of kids, but it is a very different level of exhaustion for me!  I would need a nap with them everyday :)  Knowing more about myself, I'm sticking with teaching 5th graders :)

But I have had "3/8th" an opportunity (just 3 kids... nowhere near 8!) to wear the "at home day-care provider shoes" for a few days.  Our marvelous, spectacular, superwoman daycare provider is on a well deserved vacation and I'm obviously home so I wanted to give it a whirl and help a friend out!  The kids I have over are actually ten times easier than a teething Declan but feeling the responsibility of keeping them safe, keeping them fed, keeping my house sort of clean and of course, the teacher in me wants to keep them learning.  (Oh yeah, and did I mention the attention span? I will never think 5th graders have a small attention span again!)

I am working on letting go of that "teaching" part and truly just rediscovering they learn non-stop while playing and imagining and talking and creating and singing  (So shut the screens off... That is another issue and possible venting blog in my future...of course sometimes is fine, but we are their caretakers... not a screen!   I just heard about a 1 year old getting an iPad for their birthday, who is only calmed by seeing that or a smartphone, and I about had an anxiety attack!  Read the book I've mentioned before... Baby Brain Rules!)
   

Anyways... I digress and I'm off my soapbox now.  I love our daily email reports and private facebook group of pictures we get from daycare, but here are a few fun shots from our 3 days of adventures!  Today Declan also spent 15 minutes going up and down the stairs!

L helped pick out clothes and dress Declan everyday!  

Had to set up a tent like their daycare friends who were camping!

Didn't care about pool and water table right away, but he loved GOLFING!!

This is how I cleaned up after lunch!

L's Kindergarten Readiness Class

Ballers! 

    

5th Anniversary... Parent style!

Since we get babysitters so much with golf league, we opted for a sushi date night dinner with Declan (turned into take-out... he was not happy eating later than normal...) and game/movie nights in!  Andy kicked my butt in chess and we feel asleep during the Lego movie last night which we'll finish in the day light today.  Do we sound like parents or what?  Oh yeah, and we got the garage organized. Ha!   But we wouldn't change it for the world and are looking at taking a short cruise or trip to some city during my fall MEA break without Dec to celebrate 5 years/my upcoming 30th birthday.

Declan "helped" organize the garage!

We got some major cuteness videos this weekend.

First, dad taught him a trick for when Croix is passed out tired.... I got a great little video while Dad was catching some fish with a friend!   1, 2, 3 Out!

We also got 7 holes of golf in at Crow yesterday and are going to try for 18 holes at Oakdale today!  Declan's first golf course walk was adorable too!