Summer Excursions

Week 1 of summer vacation is complete.  We visited the YMCA, library, splash park, and the MN Zoo.  Busy and enjoyable.  Well, as enjoyable as could be with a 2-year old and a 4-year old.  The adjustment of not going to daycare seemed like Armageddon some days.  We survived.  Aidan is much better this week, Aubrey is a typical 2-year old.

We also enjoyed spending some quality time with my friend Annie and her family. It blows my mind when I think about how long I've known Annie. We met in preschool when we were 4 years old. That's Aidan's age! Annie and Brian also have two kids, Avery (2 1/2) and Quinn (8mos.). Aidan LOVED playing with Avery. He was so sad that they couldn't have another playdate soon. Maybe when we go visit Nana and Poppa in July...

Here are some shots of the fun we had during our first week of summer.

Giving Avery a tractor ride

Two little chickens

Going for a tic-tac-toe, but Aubrey popped her head out as I snapped the picture.

GO SEE THE DINOSAURS!  They are COOL!

Which is scarier?  The dinosaur, Aidan, or Aubrey's "cheese" face?

Dino Dig.

The newest addition to our backyard.  A dinosaur SANDBOX!

Word Association

Instead of writing an ode to the men in our lives, the kids and I sat down and did a little word association.  I threw out a name; they told me what it made them think of.  You can guess who said what.  Here are the results:


Poppa
Happy
Cupcakes (Aubrey knows him well.)
Play with toys
Rough house
Handy man extraordinaire
Always willing to help
Wrestle
Ride on the lawn mower

Grandpa
Pancakes
I like to play at Grandpa's house. (complete sentence from Aubrey)
Play with Poppa (also from Aubrey)
Makes supper
Chef
Master drink mixer
Eat breakfast
Play basketball at the neighbor's house
Run errands
I like to eat lunch with Grandpa. (from Aidan)

Daddy
Play
Flip
Patient
Great Dad
Hard working
Play football
Hockey
Watch crab fishing

Perfect Kick-Off!

School's out and summer is here! I kicked-off summer by planting a mojito garden. It's kind of like a salsa garden, but I will be harvesting mint and strawberries to make delicious mojitos all summer long. I've already tested out the mint (delicious), but will need to wait a few weeks for some strawberries.

We also met some friends and Kyle's co-workers for a pre-game lunch and then an afternoon baseball game in Minneapolis. Who knew I would have to move to MN to watch the Cubs play? It was a lovely afternoon...thankfully in the shade, then we came home to a surprise visit from Kyle's brother, BJ. Some drinks, appetizers, grilling out, and then dessert, and we were all worn out from a perfect summer day. Good food, friends, and family...how could this summer get any better?

Tiny Adults

Both Aidan and Aubrey are talking almost constantly now. I admit, there are times when I look at them and just tell them to.stop.talking. Please, just two minutes of silence, that's all I ask. I might get thirty seconds, and sometimes that is enough to restore my sanity.

Here are a few funny favorites, or at least oft repeated phrases:

"Finn's win!" said every morning while Kyle and the kids race our neighbors to see who can get out of the house first

"I do it myself!" Repeated by Aubrey too many times to count

"Don't worry, Mom, you just do what you need to do." said by Aidan...and when you tell me not to worry, that's probably when I should worry.

"I'm going to sneak on the iPad"...Aidan is not going to be a ninja when he grows up

"I do it myself'"...oh wait, did I already write that? It's just that I hear it so often, every day, that it seems that's all Aubrey says..(or, "No! Mine!). That comes in a close second for most repetitive phrase in the Finn house.



Two and a half more weeks, and then, *cue the music*, School's Out For The Summer! No major plans, but I will have to figure out some "individual playtime" activities for the kids so we can continue to be a loving family.

Seriously Cute

First School Pictures...darn that glare!!!

Did You Know?

Did you notice that I updated my blog all of once during the month of April?  I did, but I just couldn't find the mental energy to write a post.  Good thing I don't make my living as a blogger.

Here's what you missed:

1) Kyle quit his part-time job, only to have his boss quit a week later.  Then Kyle was offered the full-time controller position.  So, he is now at work full-time and the kids are in day care full-time.

2) We helped our friend, K1, celebrate her birthday with a princess/pirate/prince themed party.  Aidan and Aubrey were dance partners and melted my heart.

3) Kyle's slow-pitch softball league started up again last week.  Many wives complain when their husband is gone, but I since his league is on Sunday nights, that means I get complete and total silence after the kids go to bed.  I love it.

4)  I ripped out the carpet in our basement due to water damage.

5) My parents came up this weekend to watch the kids while Kyle and I took a weekend trip to Duluth, just for the fun of it.

6) My dad painted the downstairs for us!!!  It looks awesome.  Now to get some carpet ordered, and we're in business.

7) Aidan had his last day of Sunday School and performed in the Spring Concert.

Here are a few photos from the month of April/beginning of May.

Dancing at K1's birthday party

Trying to be like big brother

Performing in the Sunday School concert

A visit to The Farm at the MN Zoo with Nana.

Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors, MN

Gooseberry Falls

Me without make-up.  Yikes.

Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, MN

More Pictures?!?!?!

Aidan used to love to get his picture taken.  Now, it's like I've strapped him into an electric chair and I'm about to flip the switch.  He wiggles and he squirms and he makes every possible crazy face that he can think of.  Not that Aubrey is any better, but at least she sits in one place while she makes crazy faces.  

As I was going through the obligatory "Easter outfit" photos, I realized Aidan had made some pretty hilarious gestures with his hands.  Since he's only four, I'm going to believe that he has no idea that he was pretend shooting himself in the head or hanging himself.  I'm sure it's just my interpretation, right?  : )  After a stern talking to (which did nothing) and then the really serious threat of "no iPad time" (which did the trick) Aidan smiled like a civilized human being.  Now if I could just find something to threaten Aubrey with...

Happy Easter from the Finn's.  

Birthday Week Finale

What comes at the end of every March?  If you guessed Spring Break, you'd be right!  Oh, and Aidan and Aubrey's birthdays.  A whole lotta excitement packed into a one (or two) week period.  We continued the double-party tradition this year and invited friends and family over for a celebration the weekend before the actual birthdays.  I decided to take a walk on the wild side and have a painting wall.  One-, two-, three-, four-, and five-year-olds are really careful painters, right?  Well, these kids were.  Not a drop of paint on the floor or walls.  They were awesome little Picasso's.  I would definitely do it again.

Cousins

The birthday kids, plus mom and dad

Chocolate Cars cake and banana cupcakes

The beginning of the painting wall

Mid-point

The End

Ready for some cake!

Hmm, do I like it?  (the answer was "no")

Chow down

Rise and Shine

I've loved getting up this past week knowing that within a half hour the sun would be up and shining. With Kyle's new job came a new routine in the morning...I get up and get ready, then wake up the kids and dress them while Kyle makes breakfast. It's working so far, we'll see how this week goes now that it's going to be dark again.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about Daylight Savings Time. In fact, this is the first time I can remember being happy to "lose" an hour. Why? Because Aidan and Aubrey have been waking up anywhere between 5:30am-6:30am. Can't a girl catch a break?!? I just want a few extra hours of sleep on the weekends. Voila! Turning the clock ahead an hour this morning meant that the kids got up at 7:30am. Lovely, even if I didn't truly get any extra sleep.

Back to the Grind

Kyle decided that being a stay-at-home dad was just too easy.  Why should life be simple and enjoyable when it can be crazy and chaotic???  Enter the job search.  Kyle has been half-heartedly job hunting for the past few months.  He periodically sent out resumes when something interesting popped up on Craigslist.  Finding a job that was going to be flexible with the hockey season proved to be too much, but now that the season is over, it's time to get to work.  Kyle interviewed at, and was hired by, a small environmental company just a few miles from our house.  He will be handling their accounting and whatever else needs to be done at a small company.

I don't know who is more excited; Kyle because he gets to interact with adults, or Aidan, because he gets to go to daycare.  I'm thinking Aidan is more excited.  Aidan has been talking about daycare non-stop since Thursday.  He wakes up at 6:30am in the morning to tell Aubrey that daycare is only XX amount of days away.  He talks about it while we are grocery shopping, and it's the last thing he talks about before going to bed.  I hope it lives up to his expectations!

The bonus in this whole situation is that it requires minimal effort on my part.  I leave at 6:30am, so Kyle will be in charge of getting the kids up, ready to go, and transported to daycare.  The new job is currently 8am-1pm, so that means Kyle also gets to pick the kids up from daycare and get them down for naps when they get home.  I see this as a win-win for me.  Aidan and Aubrey (and Kyle) get intellectual stimulation and I don't have to do anything!

Ask me in a week if everything turns out like I am imagining.