Bishop's field trip to Minnetonka Orchards

On Friday Bishop's class took a field trip to Minnetonka Orchards. I was fortunate enough to be able to go along! It was a cool morning, but the sun warmed us up! I'm so glad it worked for me to join him, it was so fun to hang out with him and see him with his classmates and friends!

Since there wasn't room on the bus, I drove out myself. When the kids got there (all 5 K classes attended) there was a short demonstration on bees and the orchard and then we got to take a hay ride around the orchard. After the hay ride we ate an apple and some apple donuts and all kids got to pick one apple! After that it was playtime! Bishop usually eats breakfast at school around 10am and since they left for the field trip before that they didn't eat breakfast. He was SO hungry (it's all he kept saying...mom, I'm so hungry)--I felt bad because there wasn't much I could do for him....but once he got some donuts in him he seemed better!

Bishop and his "buddy" for the day, Grayson

On the hayride!

Bishop and Charlie

Bishop was the king of the hay mound for most of the time! :)

Playing on top of the train

Bishop and Cal!

Hanging around the train!

All of the Kindergarten classes got t-shirts and Bishop's class was blue! They all looked so cute in their "Kindergarten Rocks" shirts! It was a fun day and I'm so glad I was welcome to join and it worked!

Wild Rumpus Field Trip; Riverultion; Play date with Cal, Fall t-ball

Bishop had his first field trip on Thursday. His class walked to Wild Rumpus, a book store in the neighborhood. I volunteered to chaperone and it was so fun seeing Bishop with his friends and meeting some of his classmates. The kids got to look at the books and animals and then it was story time! After story time we walked back to school. It was kind of a rainy day so the kids weren't able to play at the park on the way back to school. 

Luke had his annual Riverultion bike ride on Saturday. He biked 72 miles around Lake Pepin. While he was biking the kids and I went down to Owatonna. We played at my parents.....went to Culture Fest, hung out at home and went to the library. There was a little accident with the pruner while Bishop and Papa were pruning some branches.....and Papa's thumb took the worst of it. He ended up going in for 3 stitches. The kids and I headed back home and walked down to the bandshell for dinner. We had dinner, played at the park and headed back home to see Luke!

Sunday was a fun day! We started the day with church and then Bishop had a play date with his new friend, Cal! He was so excited to go to his house!! Nora got some extra 2 on 1 attention and we had brunch at the Kenwood and picked up a couple books at the bookstore next door. 

Bishop had his first day of fall t-ball on Sunday afternoon. He's playing with our neighbor, Andrew, so we played at the park a little after t-ball. It was an absolutely beautiful weekend.....it was unseasonably warm so we spent a lot of time outside!

Bishop's class at Wild Rumpus

Bishop, Cal and Charlie--the 3 amigos!

Tony, Dan and Luke

Helping Papa take care of his thumb!

Thumbs up from Papa!

Nana is the BEST teacher!! So much love!

Look, I'm a tree! She does it every time, I love it!

Bishop threw his stick to the lake....and it got caught in a spider web....you can see it dangling about 1/2 down the picture!

Playing football at Cal's!

Bishop and Cal--SO happy together!!

Brunch at The Kenwood

Weekend without Daddy

Luke left on his fishing trip on Thursday morning....so the kids and I settled in for a weekend without daddy. The kids were phenomenal! Every time he leaves the kids get that much older and things are that much easier.....and this time I thoroughly enjoyed my time with just them! Thursday we had a low key night at home. The kids have really been into drawing lately--so we all drew and colored lots of pictures and enjoyed our time at home together.

Friday I picked the kids up a little early in preparation for the SW Homecoming parade. We had plans with Colin and his mom to watch the parade and have a picnic at the park.....however, it was raining--so we toughed it out for the parade and then went our separate ways for dinner. I decided against sitting in the rain for the football game--we hung out at home and played the card game, War, instead!

Saturday morning we got up....played some more war and hung out at home before heading out to Apple Jack's to meet the Bormann's. Saturday morning was the ONE time all weekend the kids had a meltdown--it lasted about 10 minutes. They both cried/screamed (and I wasn't entirely sure why) and then they were done and back to their happy/sweet selves! 

We had so much fun at Apple Jack's with Madelyn and Jack! Nora, Madelyn and Jack all rode ponies and went on the cow-train. Bishop ran into Gabe from Kindercare, so spent some time in the corn pit with him. The kids jumped on the bouncy pillow and then we picked raspberries and apples! It was an absolutely beautiful day!

On our way home we stopped for lunch at Potbelly's! The kids each got to pick out a small pumpkin so they painted them when we got home....we played some more war, hung out and got ready for our annual block party! The kids had fun jumping in the bouncy house (we got an extra big one this year because it didn't show up last year)! :) The Kahlert's set up a movie in their front lawn and the kids watched Monsters Inc while eating popcorn, cheese puffs and running back and forth from the bouncy house to the movie! It was such a great time--there are a ton of kids who live on our block and we are so fortunate to have such great neighbors!!

Sunday morning brought church, bagels with the Retzer's and then a surprise birthday party for Great Grandma Darlene at the Pizza Ranch in Lakeville! She was surprised and we all had a fun time together celebrating her birthday!

We waited 35 minutes for the 3 minute parade! 

Nora loved the pony ride!

Bishop and Gabe

The corn pit was so fun!

Picking Raspberries--YUMMY!!!

A perfect little apple!

Bishop was too busy to stop for a picture! ;)

3 of the 4 cousins!

The big cousins!

Painting their pumpkins!

WAR!!!

Playing hot potato with the Kahlert's!

Domino and Nora!

Sweet Jack and Papa!

The big great grandkids with Great Grandma!

Happy Birthday Great Grandma!!

Birthday love!

Hanging out in the car while Nora napped in the backseat!

While we were gone Luke had a great time fishing and celebrating his birthday! They usually take their fall trip in Oct, so going earlier helped them have great weather....and better luck catching fish! We missed Daddy, but had a great weekend and the kids were amazing, I just can't say that enough!

Foss Lessons/Celebrating Luke's birthday

We made the switch from swimming lessons at the YMCA to Foss Swim School and the kids had their first lesson this week. So far, we are pretty impressed and feel our money is well spent!

Luke's birthday is Saturday, but he'll be on his fishing trip, so we celebrated on Tuesday night at Al Vento. The kids were great!! Bishop has grown up so much since going to Kindergarten and he is less likely to run all over the restaurant or cause a scene (I'm definitely not saying it won't ever happen, but the kids seem much easier to go out to eat with lately)! We enjoyed a very tasty dinner and then picked up "birthday cake" at Kolwaski's  on the way home! It was a fun night celebrating Luke's birthday!

Bishop at swimming lessons

Nora and the birthday boy!

Everyone got their own "birthday cake"!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!

A Weekend of Festivals!

We had quite the weekend of fun this past weekend! Friday we celebrated at the Hennum's with a pizza party to help Liana celebrate her birthday! 

Saturday we stopped back at the Hennum's to pick up Luke's bike (he biked over to their house and biked with Tim on some trails before the get together). While we were there Nora fell down their stairs......and landed on her nose and mouth on the hard wood floor. Thankfully all she ended up with was a fat lip! Whew!

We headed over to the Fulton Festival, the kids decorated their bikes and participated in the bike parade...led by the marching band! Nora LOVED following the marching band! We stayed, played games, jumped in the bouncy houses, Nora got her face painted and had a little lunch.

We went home and rested for a bit before our next festival! On Saturday evening there was a 100 year celebration at the Lake Harriet Upper Campus School. We took a tour of the school and then went back for the parade. Bishop got to walk in the parade with his Kindergarten friends, which was fun! There were bounce houses, face painters, a magic show, musicians and food trucks! It was such a fun night! Bishop hit a wall and asked to go home (I'm not sure if that has ever happened, so we called it a night a little before 7). 

On Sunday we went to church and then the kids had Johnny's birthday party in the afternoon at the Eden Prairie Community Center! It was quite the fun weekend!

Lining up for the bike parade!

Face paint #1 of the day! You can see her upper fat lip!

My Kindergartner!

The School Mascot.....a Dragon!

Hanging out with some K buddies!

Face painting!

Bishop with the birthday boy, Johnny!!