Vikings

Check out my little Vikings cheering squad. It is a tough team to support this year, but we have lots of purple pride! Go Vikes!

Halloween 2011

It's Halloween time again! This year we had a Super Girl and a Transformer to take trick-or-treating. Uncle Aaron decided to join us this year, so it was extra fun! After a few blocks, we had all the candy we could carry (or so we insisted), so we headed home to enjoy it.

Check out our tiny carved pumpkins in the second picture.

Happy Halloween!

Lutsen

This year, our annual trek up north took us further than we usually go. We always try to get the whole family together for a long weekend in Two Harbors, MN at our favorite resort - Larsmont. This year, not everyone could make it, so we gathered up those that could and headed to Lutsen!

It was awesome!

The weather was perfect. We got to spend lots of time hanging out together, eating, swimming and playing games. We also got to spend an entire day in Grand Marais. What a great little town! We spent most of our time hiking around the rocks on Lake Superior. The kids had a blast!

It is always fun to just get away and relax for a few days. We got to spend lots of time with Grandma Jane, Rocco, Meg and baby Bruno. We also got to see Tom and Mindy and their boys, Lisa and Bill, Fred, and Teri.

Overall, a fantastic weekend.

Grandma Jane's Retirement

I never thought this day would come, but my Mom is officially retired! She didn't want a party, but she did allow Rocco and I to host a nice dinner in her honor. We held it at W.A. Frost, and included our immediate family and all of her siblings and their spouses.

It was such a fun night! Even thought we didn't officially have one of their party rooms, we did have a separate little room to ourselves. The restaurant owner was kind enough to let us do a custom menu and make the evening extra special. My Mom was a wonderful nurse for many years, and she deserved it! Congratulations Mom! We love you!

"BLB"

In our world, BLB stands for Bryant Lake Bowl - also known as the best breakfast place in Minneapolis. We love it. It's small, it's simple, and the food is fantastic! We certainly don't head down there every weekend, but we go there a lot. The kids have even started calling it "BLB". It cracks my Mom up every time they say it.

A part of me wants to think they are spoiled rotten because it is such a familiar place, but another part of me just loves the tradition we have started. Arik and I like to eat good food. We don't like to eat at chain restaurants, and we hope this early exposure leads them down the same path. Support the local people. Pay good money for great food, and enjoy every bite!

Soccer 9.9.11

Check out this little soccer cutie! I love it! This is, by far, my favorite sports uniform.

Tonight was Matthew's first night of soccer at Pearl Park. He played with the YMCA a couple of years ago, so it wasn't his first time on the field, but he sure seemed to enjoy it more tonight. He was great! He even scored two goals!

We couldn't be more proud of him. Our trip to DQ after practice was well deserved.

Good job Matthew! We are looking forward to lots of fun (and lots of goals) in the weeks to come!

Sentences ...

Soooo ... first grade is off to a good start ...

I am kidding. First grade is actually off to an awesome start for Matthew. I think he is really loving his new teacher and the calmer environment of his classroom. There are less kids in his class this year, and the experienced teacher is making a world of difference.

However, the fact remains that Matthew has a pretty long day. By the end of it, those little ears just have a tough time following along. This afternoon he had some difficulty listening to his teachers in his after school program. I didn't get a lot of details, but it had something to do with a broom. Knowing how much this kid likes to sweep, my guess is that they asked him to put it away and he would not.

Therefore, he got to write some sentences.

Arik and I LOVE that these guys take an old school approach to discipline. They are totally on top of any incident that takes place. They always make the kids say they are sorry to whoever was involved, and then they need to write an apology note (or some sentences) about their behavior. It works really well, and the kids really respond. Plus, the added bonus is that they get some writing practice!

I saw this sheet of paper sitting on the couch after the kids went to bed tonight, and I totally cracked up. I just had to share it. Bring back any memories?