Busy Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon was non-stop (lucky we had a quiet morning at home). We started out at the park for the library event "Underwater Adventures." Then it was off to dance class, and finally her last Little Tykes Ball Skills class.

So, ball skills class is over and she will have 5 more dance lessons and then their summer recital. This session there are so many scared little girls in the class, I wonder how many will perform; Isabel does great. On Thursday she will start swim lessons and that is every day M-F for 12 sessions. And after that ends she will have a multi-sports half day camp. Her friend Casey took that half-day camp this month and loved it, so hopefully she will too.

MOA: Toddler Tueday

It was a very event filled few hours. We went to the Mall of America for Toddler Tuesday to see a sampling of Willy Wonka. Isabel enjoyed coloring the pictures they had out and did a really good job at trying to stay in the lines. We did a scavenger hunt within Nickelodeon Universe to find 10 stars (wasn't too easy, took a little while) and now we get entered into a drawing for a family trip to Orlando.

She got to meet Dora (who was a top priority to meet since she wasn't there on Isabel's birthday, and I made sure that she would be this time), Blue, Sponge Bob & Patrick.

I gave her a couple of options on other things to do here that cost money and what she really wanted to do was go to the Butterfly Garden. Works for me! Cost less than the other options. It was a good exercise in making decisions and knowing you don't get everything all the time. She didn't complain at all and was very happy with all the things she did get to do. You could end up spending quite a bit of money there.

Below is her coloring & her final project.

I love that Legoland is a free activity to do at the MOA. It was one of the top things she was requesting to do and I was happy to oblige. She was very proud of her project that she created.

I did let the kids go on one ride, it was just one of those dollar rides, so no big deal, But they were both happy. They actually changed the "cheap toddler" wristband and now it's only 5 (opposed to 10) rides and only one of them she is tall enough to do on her own. She is pretty close to the height for the others and may be tall enough very soon. Hopefully she will go through a growth spurt before we go again in August because I would like to let her go on some rides since some friends plan to join us that time.

First Sleepover At Our House

Well, the first sleepover where the parents were not staying here as well. She has sleptover at her friend Amelia's house already and now it was our turn to host Amelia. She came over after the Straight River Days Parade and they watched a movie, read some & were just generally silly.

The next morning they got up bright & early (after going to bed late) and we filled our time with eating a breakfast of piggy pancakes, making crafts of paper plate nakes & maracas and then going to Lowe's for the Build & Grow Clinic & making monster trucks.

Fun Times Out & About

Here is Isabel at the waterpark. I posted that the amenities were lost on her brother, well, they were kind of lost on her as well. All she wanted to do was swim. She was practicing swimming underwater, which she has gotten quite good at.

Tonight was the Straight River Days Parade in our town. They started it 10 minutes early because of the weather that was rolling in. The parade was only about 50 minutes and they ran it through pretty quickly. They ended it early, not sure how much we missed, but it wasn't over when they called it quits. Although, if you were too look at the amount of candy Isabel got you would not think it was a shortened parade. Our parade is the best one for kids to get lots of candy at.

Hiking, Track & Field, Festivals, Music & Food

Tonight we went on a summer solstice hike at River Bend Nature Center with our friends Jessica, Sadie & Tristen. Isabel goes to preschool with Sadie. It was a lot of fun and we learned a lot and Isabel got to stay up two hours past her bedtime as it was about a 1.5 hour hike.

This was Isabel's 2nd sports class and tonight was track & field night. She had fun, but we have to teach that girl how to throw a ball and how to run with purpose. She runs like such a little princess; she has a spring in her step & sways her hips. It's cute but it's not going to win her any races.

We took the kids to Heritage Days. It was kind of a let-down, but we made do and still had some fun.

For Father's Day, Isabel had made daddy a few presents & a card (I made him a photo card) and we made hium waffles & sausage for breakast. He had a jam session with the kids, had a chance to clean his car inside & out (gave him some $$ to go get his car washed) then went swimming as a family and finally went out to eat as a family.

Her Summer Dance Recital

This is before we left for her recital. I put a little eye makeup on her and she thought that was so special for t

Fun Times at Home

Today was a play at home day. She was having fun playing with a new yard toy acquisition, a lawn mower. It has a spot where she can take the cap off so she can put gas in it & she puts oil in it too (did daddy talk to her about it needing a gas/oil mixture?), She was having fun with it and it making popping sounds as you push it. Her brother tried to hold it, but he just fell over since it isn't meant to be leaned on.

She has several crafts she worked on today for daddy's father's day presents. She couldn't wait, so he got them tonight. She wanted to paint the frame she made at Lowe's last weekend, so she did that, then she also painted some wooden flowers to which she added to a cup that had an insert that could be decorated, and then stuck the flowers in some floral foam and filled with stones to cover it up. She was very proud of her presents.

She also did some pudding painting and played wth the water table with her brother. And did some swinging, filled the hummingbird feeders, and made a mess of toys in the living room. She had fun. Every once in a while it's good to have a day at home, but tomorrow she will be asking to go somewhere. She has developed mom's go-go-go personality.

Rainy Week

My house became a disaster area last week when it wouldn't stop raining. FEMA actually came out made the declaration. But when the rain would let up, even for an hour, we would treck outsidfe with our towels & wipe some stuff off and play for a while or we would ride bike in the driveway, or if it just wouldn't let up, Isabel would put on her rain coat, rain boots & take her umbrella out & dance in the driveway & jump in puddles.

Last Week

The top picture is from library events at both libraries. For one it was their summer kickoff and for the other is was their Friday Fun Day event, a juggler.

Her butterflies emerged, all five of them and was has been thrilled to have a reason to go out to pick flowers so that she can put sugar water droplets on them to feed her butterflies. It has been a really neat watching the whole process. I recommend the butterfly kit from InsectLore to everyone. We hope to get another kit some other time. She wants a ladybug one, but I want a praying manthis.

We have friends who did ants (worked well for them) this spring and frogs (not so well, after three months they still only have a tadpole.)

Isabel was so thrilled to go meet Cinderella. The musical is at a local stage and Cinderella was going around to area businesses to meet kids to promote the show. I don't know if we will take her. She wants to go though.

Strawberries

We picked strawberries on Sunday, made jam on Monday & had strawberry shortcake on Tuesday.

Dressing Up

Isabel's friend Aleyah (different one from previous post) invited her & three other girls to a Tea Party at a local park. Her mom put together a really cute spread and the girls had fun.

All week Isabel has been dressing up in her dresses. She loves to wear dresses and I have acquired some capri leggings so that she so that she can wear under her dresse so it is easier to run around & play at the park.

Isabel & Her Friend Aleah

Last night Isabel went to her friend Aleah's 5th birthday party and had a ton of fun. They got to swim in their hot tub (it was set to a much lower temp so it was a swimming temp), jump in a bounce house they rented (since the one they bought didn't arrive in time), play on her playet, have cake & ice cream & watch her open presents. I was very impressed that Isabel was genuinely interested in watching her open presents from everyone & wasn't concerned that she wasn't getting anything. She was very excited to give Aleah the presents he got her and for her to see the card she made her.

Isabel & Aleah are also in a Little Tykes Sports (Ball Skills) class together on Monday nights. They are two of three girls in the class (which is too bad, maybe other of the LTS classes have more girls in it). Isabel had a great time and is looking forward to the next session.

Neville Public Museum

Springside Cheese

Playing with Sofia

Last Day of Preschool

Playing at Grandma & Grandpa's House

Milwaukee County Zoo

Pabst Farms YMCA

Bay Beach Amusement Park