Weekending...

We made it through the first week of kindergarten!  Hurray!  Let's see what Ella thought of the week....

EXHAUSTING!

I picked her up Friday after school and we ran over to see our previous daycare to visit and then headed to the library before our "girls night out"!  Jay was gone fishing so we planned to go out to dinner "just the girls!"  Well, almost as soon as I backed out of the driveway, she was out!  :)  

She loves school and is meeting new friends!

But a dinner with me at Noodles & Co. was nothing to sleep through!

We had a great time!

Other random picture from our weekend:

Ella staying warm (and comfy) in her new jogging suit for school!  

Unfortunately, the weekend took an unexpected turn on Sunday after Sunday School.  Ella started feeling tired and was acting strange.  Sure enough, she was sick.  So, home today to make sure she's better and healthy for week 2 of Kindergarten.  Hoping we can resume our new normal routine tomorrow!

First Day of Kindergarten!

Last night, when I kissed Ella goodnight, I said "I'll see you in the morning my little kindergartener."  Well, she clearly wasn't having the word "little", so she corrected me that it should be "See you in the morning my big kindergartener"  Fine.  Then, she turned to me and said, "See you in the morning my big worker"  LOL!

What a day it was today! 

I think we were all a bit anxious this morning about the big day.  But Ella was just super excited.  She wasn't worried or nervous or anything.  Just - ready. 

No tears (for any of us) however, I think I might have cried if I had been alone.  :)  As I'm writing this, I hope she was able to figure out the lunch stuff okay today.  Tomorrow's anxiety will stem from her first bus ride with Anna Bananas and then hoping she will get directed to her classroom smoothly....

HA!

Update #3 - Post-Vacation Life

Well, we arrived back home safe and sound.  Jay caught the cold I caught, so he was miserable, and Ella was straight up sad that we couldn't attend a birthday party (for an adult).  She was devastated....

Nice way to ease back into life in the fast lane, right?

 

We have all recovered now and have been trying to enjoy the last bits of summer because, well, school starts tomorrow.  I am pretty sure I have been in denial about the whole thing.  I mean, I've talked about it (maybe too much) and bought the stuff we needed to buy, but I don't think I've really processed the fact that this one 

 

 MY BABY!

Is headed to Kindergarten tomorrow and is even going to ride there in a new big kid "booster seat"

Well, it is going to happen folks.  I am just going to squeeze her extra times and extra hard tomorrow before I drop her off.  I'm totally excited for her and she is so excited she can hardly stand it.  But, me...well, I could stand to wait...I mean, I could wait outside the window and watch her every move all day long tomorrow.  That might make me look crazy, so I guess I'll do the grown up thing and burst into tears when I get back to the car (let's hope I make it there before the ugly cries start).

Stay tuned....

Update #2 - Vacationing....

We went back and forth all spring and early summer about whether or not to take a vacation this year.  Last summer we didn't go because we wanted to be in town for Jay's parents during their surgeries and recoveries.  After a lot of back and forth (heehawing) we decided to just book something.  So, we went way outside of our comfort zone (the North Shore) and booked a trip to Wisconsin Dells!  We had a super fun time and it was nice to get away for a few days.  A note about the trip:  I ended up with a cold which started the day we left, and I was pretty miserable by the end of it all.  Going to a water park with a cold is not recommended.  I am just posting a bunch of random pictures!

Day 1 - On the way

Shopping in Downtown Dells

 A machine that makes you cotton candy - WHA?!

 Flinstones. . .meet the Flinstones....

Day 2 - Water park! 

But first, let me get some donuts!  DUNKIN' DONUTS!

OH YES!  I run on Dunkin'

 Ella - running to the slides!

 Waiting for a huge bucket drop of water....

And there it goes!  Ella couldn't get enough of it.

 

Ms. Ella chillin' in the kid's lazy river.  She looks like a total diva in this picture.

 Ella participated in a duck race later in the day - got a solid last place, but she could have cared less - she got a fish tattoo!  Score!

Day 3 - Lunch, Wisconsin Duck Boats

 (waiting for lunch, which took forever)

Oh my....

Yep, we were THAT family that took pictures with their meals.  HA!  We had been waiting forever, so we just needed something to document it I guess. 

 Ella and I on the Wisconsin duck boats.  

She held onto my arm the entire time - but she wasn't afraid at all - she loved it!

With Daddy before the ride started

And more ice cream...

The end.

It was a fun little vacation, but I miss the North Shore!

Update #1 - School Shopping / Twins Game

Hey! I have been away...for longer than I thought!  I am going to be doing a little catch up on the blogging updates to wrap up our summer 2014!

Weekend of August 15th, Ella and I headed to the new outlet mall in Eagan!  We were pumped to get some school shopping checked off the list.  We rode the metro transit bus from Apple Valley (which was free that weekend -score!) and Ella thought it was super cool to ride a bus like I ride to work every day.  

 Waiting for our bus!

 Here we go!  She was SOO excited!

The outlet mall was fun.  We only hit up a few stores because our time was limited, but we scored some great deals for back to school clothes and a pair of sneakers for Ella!

 Snack time - cookies!

Ella chose to have the balloon man (on site for the opening weekend) make her a giraffe.  She thought that was pretty spectacular too.  On the bus ride back to our car, Ella told me this was the best day ever.  

Love it!

That night, Jay and I had a date night (unheard of!)  :)  We had tickets on the Legends club level for a Twins game, and it was awesome!  If you ever go, I would totally recommend the Legends club seats.  Really sweet set up and the atmosphere was so different than the regular concourse levels.  We had a good time!