Goldie - A Zoo - County Fair

Last weekend Elliott took Emma to get some new goldfish (her Dorothy dies MANY months ago and we just never replaced her). Emma new she wanted to go to Walmart, because that was where she and Grandma Loerch had seen them! So off we went... A 10 gallon tank, three small gold-fish, and one giant $20 gold-fish later.... we have one giant gold fish:) So Goldie has survived, and Emma was not sad at all to get the net out, fish out the dead gold fish day by day, hold them, and then flush them down the toilet (after tyring to feed them to Cooper!). Tomorrow apparently we are off to replenish the small variety.

My Dad came in to town for a dance concert I have had the past two weeks, and we took Emma to the zoo one morning... here she is posing for the camera. I have had two people in two days ask me if she was six!!!! On a side note.... We had decided on the name Lily, if we are to have a girl... suddenly I hear the name everywhere!!! When did it become so popular? So, we think we are back to the drawing board on that one:(

Tommy - checking his Facebook!

My mom and I took Emma to the Dakota County Fair on Wednesday - it sure does get expensive once kids learn about rides!!! But we had a great time, and Emma loved just about every minute, even when we let Grandma go do some things she wanted to do! Here she is on the pony rise (poor buddies!). We are looking into maybe getting Emma in to some riding lessons...

This one started gnawing on her forehead just after I took the picture!!!

Did you know that cows and goats do not have upper teeth? We learned that at the Fair... Here is a baby calf suckling on my mom's finger! Emma was very interested - as ever always!

This was her treat at the end of our day... the GIANT water slide! I cannot believe the little kids climb up those steps - I was working so hard to keep my fear inside!

A very happy, soaking wet girl!

Love to all...

Lumberjack Days

We went to Lumberjack Days in Stillwater a few weeks ago - we had such a blast last year we knew we wanted to take Emma again. Basically, it is a little carnival/festival on the St. Croix river. Above, Emma and her best buddy Daddy walking to the festival.

We knew to bring extra money for this trampoline ride/experience - Emma went (we allowed her!) on it 4 times maybe? She just loves it, but was not ready to try a flip just yet.

Here she is trying to know some kid over - she kept saying, I can;t hold it up! - the "knocker" was too heavy for her! This was after the little boy told us he was NOT going to take it easy on her...

This is how high she went on her last go around. The same handler had her each time, and he was actually the same guy who had been working it last year. Looks rough, but was just so sweet and great with her! And not in a spooky way!

Here she is almost attempting a flip - and at the last he twirled the elastics so she would flip around!!!! She loved it, but still was unsure about trying it on her own.

Not a whole lot else to share I guess, just life as "normal"... I had been teaching in Red Wind the last tow weeks, all day, and that was a blast. In addition I am performing in the Fringe Festival and it has felt SOO good to be dancing full and passionately, and I feel empowered to say I am doing it w/ 10 weeks left in the pregnancy! Check out Christopher Watson Dance Company on the Fringe Site if you get a chance....

My dad came out to see the show this past weekend, so we have enjoyed some time visiting with him and of course Emma was super excited to see him. My mom watched Emma the two weeks I was teaching, and I certainly could not have done that without her! Emma is looking forward to going back to Carol's a bit, and is super excited about our trip to FL in Sept, especially because she knows she gets to have breakfast with the princesses! And then after that we will count down the days to her surgery - Sept. 23, then the days to baby number two!!!

A cute side story:

I was upstairs getting ready for something or other, the other morning, and Emma was downstairs watching cartoons. Cartoons are quite interactive these days, and many of them ask the watcher questions; this particular cartoon was "Super Why?" on public TV. I heard the character ask "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Then I heard Emma respond, " A big sister...." HOW SWEET IS THAT? And thank God she is so excited, because her world is going to be tilted on its side in about 10 weeks:)

Love to all...