Father's Day and June Stuff!

We went to my Mom and Denny's for Father's Day Brunch - super tasty - and Emma enjoyed playing in the backyard as always! Emma had been saying she wanted to give Elliott a mug for Father's Day! So we got him one from Hallmark that said "BIG DADDY", it was pretty cute:)

Emma and I got Elliott a chartered fishing trip for the first day we are in Sarasota! I am excited for him to have the opportunity to do some ocean fishing, and fly fishing in beautiful Florida!

We then had Mom and Denny over for steak dinner that evening, and the picture above is of the three of them intently watching "Mulan" !!!! I missed the one where they were all staring at the TV in the same exact manner - oh well!

You can see that in the second picture Denny was leaning up against Cooper's bed - I guess Cooper really wanted his bed, because he decided he'd have to sit on Denny in order to get closer to his bed!!!!!
Emma loves her puppy Cooper! I was trying to get something accomplished the other day, and she showed up in the kitchen with poor sweet Cooper hauling all of her stuff around his neck! How cute??? I just love her being 4 - she is becoming such an independent little girl, wanting so badly to be a big girl, so loving of people in general, feisty as can be, and able to reason and utilize her new found conscience!!!

Yesterday Emma and I met my dear old friend Cindy and her two children, Ben 3 and Grace 1, and the Como Zoo. We had such a lovely time and finally it was such a beautiful day!!! We spent a good portion of thee morning going on little rides, and Cindy was kind enough to go on the roller coaster with Emma since I couldn't! Here is a picture of Emma and Ben having Bomb-Pops after lunch...

and Emma's red face from the Popsicle!

Emma and I stayed after Ben, Cindy and Grace went home (they had to get a nap in!) - as we have cut out Emma's naps and while she is exhausted it has made her bed-time so much better (she is actually tired and doesn't fight it, and Elliott or I have a little time in the evening - miracle!!!). Em and I stayed and saw all of the animals, had ANOTHER frozen treat, and went on a couple of more rides before we left. You can see in this picture that she is quite tired - she doesn't really walk anywhere! Once we got back to the truck she was asleep in literally 5 minutes. She slept about an hour and then mean mom woke her up!

I guess that's about it for now... Elliott and I got tickets to go see Louis CK tonight, I can;t even remember the last time we went on a "date"! Emma's favorite big girl, Nina, one of my students is coming to watch her so she just can barely contain herself!!! I think we'll go to the little framer's market here in town this morning.... can't wait for fresh raspberries!

Sunday at Oliver Kelley Farm

Sunday Emma, my Mom and I drove and hour north to Elk River, where there is a working 1860's farm, that is part of the Minnesota Historical Society. We had such a wonderful day! It was warm for certain, but not humid or unbearable. Plus, it was just off the Mississippi, so I am certain that helped. We had a picnic by the river and we had our first mosquito bites of the season - and poor Emma reacts SO strongly to them!!! I MUST remember bug spray every where we go - she almost gets welts from them!

Here she is with her inch worm, "Wormy", that she carried for a good 15 minutes on the stick!
The farm has people around working as they would in the 1860's, wearing typical clothing as well. They are were all so nice and knowledgeable and always asking for you to help them! Here she is with the cow tied up in the yard


Tony the Ox, who was yoked for plowing in the field (the other one was NOT friendly!)

Emma's favorite part was the Mama farm cat and her 7 babies we found in the sheep shearing barn! SOOOOO cute, about 6 weeks old. Emma is quite the little mother in training, telling where to go and what they had to do, sharing them with other people near us, telling me who and how I had to hold them!

These silly pigs were DIRTY - and they enjoyed eating dandelions from Emma's hand!

There were sheep running all around the yard..

We were excited to find there was a little "trolley" available... Notice Emma holding onto my mom's shorts as she pets them. I was kicked by horse, in the chest when I was about 5, so I have some major issues standing too close to the back of any large animal!!!!!

Tuckered out.... :) Love to all