Luncheon for Miss R

Our amazing nanny, Miss R, is getting married in a few short weeks.  This past weekend she and her beau let us host a bridal party luncheon in their honor.  You may have noticed that I skipped my Grocery Bag post this week...that's because we are still feasting on the delicious leftovers!

The Menu

Bacon & Egg Casserole

(Southern Living Magazine)

Spicy Shredded Beef

(Two beef roasts and 28oz of salsa in a slow cooker for 10 hours)

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

("Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2," Plume Books)

Heart-shaped Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

(for the kids in attendance)

Buffet #1

Southwestern Potato Salad

(Fine Cooking Magazine)

Greens with feta, pear, pine nuts & balsamic dressing

Cherries, peaches, pineapple

Tortellini with dipping sauces

Buffet #2

And finally....

Cupcakes with Magnolia Cafe Frosting

(from More From Magnolia)

G-Bear and I had so much fun making the frosting together:

One of us was working hard...the mixer.

Tasting the pink frosting was the best part.

It piped beautifully out of a ziplock bag

Such fun!  Hopefully we did justice to the fabulous bride-to-be.  Although I did the ultimate entertaining no-no and tried a few new recipes for the first time, the menu was a success (i.e. did not run out of food and no one ran screaming from the kitchen), is certainly repeat-worthy and highly recommended.

Now back to those leftovers....

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Today is a beautiful, lazy Sunday at our house.  I am taking the day off from studying for boards and recovering from throwing a big Bridal Party luncheon for our soon-to-be-married babysitter, the Amazing Miss R.  While the kids and I were playing together, I had a moment that reminded how innocently impressionable children can be.

G-Bear wanted to play haircut with me.  For a three year old who has never had a haircut, this should be hilarious, I thought.  At least she has seen her brother get a haircut once or twice!  G-Bear had me kneel down on the floor so she could reach my head.  She proceeded to deliver me with cups and lids from the kitchen kid tableware drawer, so that I could put them on my head.  There I sat, looking quite ridiculous, kneeling on the ground with cups and lids on my head.  Then, who should arrive next to me, but E-Bear, with a cup and lid in his own hand.  He plopped it on his head and knelt down beside me, scooting close so that our legs were touching.  And there we sat, still looking ridiculous, getting our "haircut" while kneeling down with cups on our heads.

It was so fun to have E-Bear join in the imaginary "haircut" that was nothing like the real thing.  As I sat there next to my little 20-month old parrot, who was happy just to be part of the fun, it occurred to me that he had no sense of how silly we looked or how unrealistic the game was that we were playing.

And so it is with most behaviors my children see in myself and others.  G-Bear may have more context than E-Bear, having seen some behaviors and my reactions to them before.  But at this point a primary context and guidance for the behavior they will adopt as their own is that which they see others do, especially me and T.

So today I am reflecting on my actions, my habits, my patience, my tone of voice.  I am praying that I might be a good role model for my kids, so that their behaviors and habits might likewise be good ones.

Happy Birthday, Grandmo!

Happy 60th birthday to my amazing mom!  

She's a class act, folks, and a tough act to follow.

Mom is frolicking in Canada with my dad to celebrate the big day, and I can't wait until she gets back so that we can celebrate her in person.

I admire my mom so much.  The farther along I get in parenthood, the more thankful I become for the woman she is, the love she always gives, and the example I have in her.  She gave me life, and as if that isn't enough, she continues to give so much, to me and so many other people, everyday.

Hopefully her breakfast in bed today can compare with this spectacular spread of celebrations past :)

Happy birthday, Grandmo!  I can't wait to give you your amazing birthday gift.  Here's a hint....

.......just kidding, no hints.  You'll just have to wait until she gets back.

Savoring Summer

The air is crisp here and the temperature has dropped.  It's as if Mother Nature knows that school has started and September has arrived.  As we kiss our amazing summer good-bye, here are a few shots from our last week.  We enjoyed friends' birthday parties, a visit from our cousin Sparky, a last day at the Fair with our Rochester friends A & B and baby C, and a trip to the cabin.

Last family picture at the Fair.

Mrs. A and Baby C, hard at work at the Little Farm Hands Farm

B & A with our tower of cookies.  It was our 5th year in a row together at the Fair!
Must mean residency is almost over...

After the Fair, we headed North to the Cabin.

The view on the way to the cabin.  With corn this high, it must be September.

The last days of summer wouldn't be complete without roasting marshmallows.  We have read about Curious George roasting marshmallows, but little did the Bears know how fun it would be to actually try it ourselves!  

First, we roasted,

Then we assembled 

(notice the grahams and Hershey's cleverly cut in half!).

Then, we feasted!

E-Bear plans his attack.

Worth every gooey, messy bite.

Yum!

You should have heard the chorus: "Mooooore?"  No wonder we call them S'mores :)

Finally, we cleaned up.  

When E-Bear is 20, I will still be seeing him like this:

And that, as they say, is a wrap.

Before officially signing off to summer (sniff, sniff!), I would like to thank one special guy who helped make mine so very special.  He has toiled through his first two TOUGH chief year rotations with grace and patience.  And he has helped me savor the moments and made lots of memories with us.

T, I love you.

Onto Fall!  Lots more fun to be made and enjoyed.  May God's blessings be upon us all.

First Day of School

Ah, the day after Labor Day.  If you grow up in Minnesota, that almost always means the start of a new school year.  This year we are celebrating this day once again, for the first time.  Not that we didn't spend the last days of summer living it up (note the suspicious lack of posting the past 4 days).  But today, we were kickin' it, school-style.

G-Bear looked the part.  Miss R had french braided her long hair into two braids.  She had on her new dress and corduroy jacket, gifts from Grandmo.  And when she woke up, she greeted me with "I'm ready for SCHOOL today, Mom!"

G-Bear, Miss R and our friend B

Our big girl putting on her shoes

The requisite Front Door picture

Ok, so prepare yourself, because the next picture almost makes me cry.  E-Bear was so crushed when I told him he got to stay home while I took G-Bear to school, he wouldn't even smile for a picture.  He couldn't bear it to have G-Bear leave without him.  Boy, does the kid love his sister.  Don't worry, he was all smiles and playing with bikes outside with Miss R when I returned with G-Bear from school.  I guess we are just going to have to find lots of fun stuff to do during school, E-Bear.

A harder day for some of us than others.

I could barely snap a picture of her arriving at school, she was running so fast!

Lots of friends to meet and enjoy!

G-Bear gave me a big hug and kiss as school started.  She had already tried on all the dress-up dresses and princess shoes and had moved on to the puzzles.  She had another BIG smile for me when I picked her up, as she handed me her Scholastic Book catalogue.  What a dream for a book-loving preschooler.  And she sang new songs she had learned all the way home.

Three in the tub

Tonight we are babysitting my cuter-than-anything niece so that my sister can go to the baseball game with my parents.  That meant three cute bottoms in the bathtub tonight!  We were busting at the seams at our dinner table, the meal leftovers were eerily scant, and now I have snoring babes in every spare room.  What a treat to fill up our little house with so much love and cuteness.  G&E Bear love all their cousins to death, and since we live far away from all of them right now, it is always a treat to have time together.  You should have seen everyone giving each other hugs and kisses before bedtime.  1 year old Sparky took her cue and offered the first goodnight hug to her big uncle T.  What a charmer.  We will miss you, Cousin Sparky!

State Fair Fun

Ah, the Great Minnesota Get Together.  We made sure to arrive early this year, before the crowds became too intense:

9:30AM at the Fair.  You should have seen the crowd by noon.

The kids enjoyed their Pronto Pups with enthusiasm.

G-Bear wondering if E-Bear is going to eat all of his pup.  The hats were a hit.

Of course we indulged in a few treats,

Who loooooves ice cream??

and passed on a few as well:

Proof these really exist.  You should have seen the line.

Frying up some Oreos.  Sorry, we passed on these too.

There were amazing sites to behold everywhere,

Whoa!

and the kids loved saying hello to the animals,

Sweet dreams, piggy!

but this year the rides were a especially popular.  

G-Bear decided the motorcycles were her favorite.  

She was nice enough to take her little brother for a ride.

If you ask her, I bet she will still tell you her favorite part of the Fair was her motorcycle ride, 

on "the BLUE one."

My sweet boys, hanging out

So great to share in the fun together.

One of the many hats worn proudly at the Fair

We finished our day at the Mighty Midway games.  Quite an indulgence, thanks to Papa and GrandMo.  I think GrandMo was just excited that she wouldn't be taking home any prizes that were procured.

Uncle C, in his talent & benevolence, was  kind enough to win an animal for each attending niece & nephew. Then I found a game for the kids that seemed juuuuuust right.  Fishing!  And the best part?  Every player wins.

E-Bear learning the technique

Catching the fish!

Evidently everyone was excited when the fisherboy & girl got their prizes.

At the end of the day we were weary Fair-goers returning home with full tummies and plenty of bounty.

Despite the tears of exhaustion that were shed in the last few minutes of our trek, I was really impressed with our crew.  We had a great time. I know we make a big deal out of the food and games, but the Fair is so much more than that.  The kids get face to face with the animals and experience sights, sounds and concepts that they have never encountered before.  The Fair shows off the best (and perhaps worst!) of the State in a way that we get to explore together as a family.  And, it reminded me that the wonder of young children is something that passes so quickly.  The kids were blown away by the little thrills, their rubber balls and snugglies, but that simple delight won't last very long.  Unless we fight to keep it, struggling courageously against sin, selfishness and disillusionment.  A struggle worthwhile, I think.  Important lessons and lots of fun, all from the Minnesota State Fair.