Zoo

Monday turned out to be a gorgeous day, so after Kai's early morning speech therapy, the boys and I decided to head to the Minnesota Zoo. With schools back in session, the crowds were minimal which made it an extra pleasant experience. Noah had his mind set on seeing a Komodo dragon so our first stop was the tropics exhibit. I think we were almost the only people in that section, so Kai was released from his "jail" (the stroller) and allowed to roam around which he took full advantage of. While Noah took in all the different tropical animals, Kai raced back and forth - the one thing that caught his interest: some regular old ducks swimming along with the flamingos.





Next we ventured along the Minnesota trail to view some of our native animal friends. At this point, Kai was returned to captivity since he kept trying to run away from us - he was not too pleased..... There were lots of interactive displays and Noah enjoyed exploring them while Kai and I searched for hiding animals.





Stomachs rumbling, we decided it was time to consume our picnic lunch - Noah made sure to leave some room in his tummy, just in case we happened upon some ice-cream. Full of lunch energy, Kai was in need of some non-stroller time, so we headed over to a fairly new playground area which turned out to be a big hit with both boys. I got quite the work-out chasing after Kai and keeping him out of trouble - he has absolutely no fear and attempts things that are way too dangerous for him.







Lucky for Noah, his very pregnant mom happened to be craving an ice-cream - it was also an easy way for me to lure the boys away from the playground!





After our dairy treats, we decided to go visit the grizzly bears before heading home. On the way there we were distracted by an area of water fountains that shoot out of the ground at random intervals. The boys raced around and got pretty soaking wet.





There was some pretty fierce protesting when I dragged them away towards the grizzly bears! A little while later we were headed back to the car. I think I overestimated how draining this visit would be - it took me 24 hours to recuperate, but was well worth it seeing how much fun the boys had.

State Fair 2010

Last weekend, it was time again for our annual pilgrimage to the Minnesota State Fair. The weather could not have been more ideal - crystal clear skies and temperatures just around 70. We had originally planned on going a week earlier, but the 90 degree temperatures and humid conditions deterred us - somehow the constant fumes from the deep-fried food vendors are much more bearable in the cooler, drier conditions. As has become our habit, we parked off-site and rode the bus to the fairgrounds - an adventure in itself, since the boys rarely get to ride a bus.

Waiting for the bus:


Fun on the bus:


This year, our first stop provided Noah and Phil with a new experience - the famous giant slide. After climbing a long staircase, the two hopped on a burlap sack and went flying down the huge plastic structure. Noah loved it!

Ready...Get Set....


Go!



Next stop was the Miracle of Life barn - crowded as usual - where we were able visit up close with the little animals born during the State Fair (one cow was just about to give birth while we were in there). Noah's favorites were the fluffy little baby chicks. Kai was mostly interested in running around like a wild man which proved quite challenging with the large crowds in the barn - it was a pretty quick visit this year!

Checking out a calf:


Though it was still quite early in the day, Noah decided it was time for a snack, more specifically cheese curds. Phil was quick to comply with the request for this traditional fair delicacy - as an experienced fair goer, he expertly led us to the best vendor and quickly obtained a freshly fried batch. They really are dangerously delicious - especially when hot out of the fryer. Knowing we had more eating ahead of us, we diligently ate just a few curds each before tossing the rest.




Next up - rides for Noah and Phil. Being about 34 weeks pregnant, I decided to comply with all the signs that barred pregnant women from pretty much any ride and instead wheeled Kai around in the stroller watching people. Noah was adamant about riding the Ferris Wheel, so he and Phil stood patiently in line, then enjoyed viewing the entire fairgrounds from up high. Noah then asked to go on a pirate-themed ride by himself - navigating various climbing structures, bridges and obstacles before flying down a very fast slide (his expression was priceless - wish I had been able to capture it in a picture!).



Kai seemed quite content to observe:


More eating followed - pronto pups, hamburgers, fries, and our new food for the year: sausage and cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped with bacon and lightly fried; in case there wasn't enough artery clogging fat in this "dish", it came with ranch dressing for your dipping pleasure. Phil and I agreed that the jalapenos were by far better than the new food item we attempted last year - deep fried snickers bar.





By this time, crowds were really beginning to build (it turned out to be the largest daily attendance in fair history!) and we knew we should start winding things down soon. Noah was allowed to pick one last thing to do - no surprise, he wanted to see the Choo-Choo Bob show. (Choo-choo Bob has an impressive train store in St Paul that we have frequented several times.) While Phil and Noah went to play with trains and watch the show, Kai and I did some more strolling around. Eventually we ended up at the miniature farm sponsored by John Deere. Kids could follow a little trail and pretend to be farm hands. Kai was given a little apron and bucket and off we went. When it became clear that the line was moving at a snails pace and Kai was more interested in banging the metal bucket in the sidewalk, I aborted this mission. We made our way to the end of the trail and opted for the free sample of ice-cream instead.

My sweet little farm hand:


After collecting Noah and Phil from the train show, we headed for our last stop of the day - the dairy barn - for a creamy ice-cream treat(the ice cream sample that Kai and I had just devoured was minimal enough that we had no problems gulping down a few more spoonfuls!).



Satisfied with our visit, we headed back to the bus and our car - another successful State Fair visit to add to our resume!

Swimming at Lake Elmo

The hot and humid weather has continued here in Minnesota - quite a difference from last year's cool temperatures! This weekend while Phil worked on a presentation, the boys and I met up with friends at Lake Elmo park to go swimming. Although the sun was still fighting its way out from behind the morning fog, the air and water temperatures were pleasant and the boys had lots of fun. We'll make sure to squeeze in a few more trips here before the swimming pond shuts down after Labor Day!

Outing to Lake Minnetonka

Yesterday, Phil's boss had us over to his house for some water fun and dinner. The promise of swimming and boating made the hour long drive to the other side of the cities well worth it. The unusually hot summer (especially these last couple of weeks) has resulted in nice, warm water temperatures. Phil, the boys and I enjoyed splashing around in the water for a while. Then we were treated to a boat ride on Lake Minnetonka - it was gorgeous out on the lake and the little adventure lasted just the right amount of time (don't think I could have taken too many more bumps with my now 7 months pregnant belly!). After some dinner, two tired and very satisfied boys were happy to be strapped into their seats for the ride home. We must fit in a few more lake swims before this summer comes to an end!

Children's Museum

One day while Noah was at camp, Kai and I headed to the Children's Museum in St Paul. It was such a nice outing for us both .... Kai had fun exploring all the exhibits and I enjoyed just having to follow one child around instead of chasing after two boys running in opposite directions. As usual, the water exhibits were favorites. Here are a few pictures from our visit:

Noah's Comments from Camp

Noah really enjoyed his week at Camp Kumalya, though he was an exhausted mess at the end of each day. I think one week was plenty this year! The amount of physical activity that even the smallest campers were involved in was impressive, especially given the high temperatures for most of the week. Although Noah was too tired to say much by the end of each day, he did share a few remarks:

--"we played a new game today - they used daddy juice (beer) to make fireworks - it
was really fun" (hmmm....sounds like a non-traditional camp activity)
--"we can only use the toilet paper for pee, it's not made for poo poo"
--"Bingo is my nicest friend...he is 9 and he is really cool, mom, really cool"
--"they gave me the wrong fishing pole - the fish didn't like it"
--"prairie dogs have swimming pools in their basements, that's what we learned in
nature studies today"

The Camper and the "Tornado"

This week Noah is enjoying his first experience with day camp. From 9-3:30 each day, he is being kept fully occupied at a YMCA camp run at a local nature reserve. The schedule for the "wee backpackers" is impressive - swimming, canoeing, fishing, orienteering, nature studies, relay games, water games, sing-a-longs, arts & crafts and more. The activities are spread out over quite a large area and the campers hike from one place to the next, carrying their backpacks which are filled with food, water, swimming gear and a few other odds & ends. The week has also happened to be very hot & muggy (at least for Minnesota standards) with highs around 90 or above. Needless to say, when Kai and I pick Noah up at the end of the day, he is exhausted!! I even asked him if he would like to stay home today but no, "I'm excited to go to camp!" was the response I got. In the meantime, the "tornado" (aka Kai) has been exhausting his mother by spending his days turning our house upside down - clearing all bookshelves he can find of books, emptying any kitchen cabinet/drawer that is not locked onto the floor, emptying any basket/container all over - and fully enjoying every minute of it. And here I thought I was going to get a bit of a break with only one child at home for the week.....

Noah's Breakfast with the Neighbors

(This happened a couple of months ago, but I was just reminded of it by one of our neighbors and just had to add it to the blog so that we can have a chuckle in the future.)
A couple of months ago, we had a very early doctor's appointment for Kai in St Paul and needed someone to watch Noah. Our neighbors stepped in to help and Noah ended up getting dropped off there just as they were waking up and getting ready for breakfast. At the breakfast table, the younger son (5 years old) asked Noah, "What happened to your cat Brielle?" (Note - our cat has not been with us for over a year but Noah still brings her up from time to time.) Noah's response was, "Well she kept on spitting up all over the couch so mamma and daddy had to put her on the cross." Apparently, the entire family was rolling on the floor with laughter and the father told his sons that they better not misbehave when they visit the Holladay house!

Goofing off on our Front Porch

What's your name?

Yesterday the cashier at Trader Joe's asked Noah what his name was. His response:
"I'm Noah. I was made from a bible story. Before I was born I was a really, really, really old man and I made an arc and rescued animals. Then I was a little baby."

Pirate Birthday Party

Noah decided that he would like a pirate birthday party this year - I supported this idea with enthusiasm, happy to take a break from Thomas the train who continues to be very prominent in Noah's life. This year, Noah had a lot of fun helping me with all the preparations - putting together goody bags, helping prepare 'pirate' games, giving advice on where to hang up decorations and so on. He was extremely excited when the big day finally came. A babysitter came over to help out with Kai, which turned out to be a very wise move - once all the kids showed up, things went into high gear for 2 hours and never let up! We had a treasure hunt in the yard, pin the flag on the pirate ship, sharks and minnows, cannon ball toss, decorated pirate flags, ate lunch and had cake and finally went "fishing" for goody bags. Noah and his friends had a lot of fun, which made the work of putting it all together 100% worth it!