Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of Summer

We had an AWESOME summer!!!!! We are usually traveling here and there and everywhere during the summer, but this year we had lots of out of town visitors and had a blast entertaining and exploring Minnesota with our guests.
Here are some of the highlights~

Trent's brother Lance, nephew Jake, niece Jordon from Yuma Arizona.

Trent's niece (Lance's oldest) Kiersten and her daughter Kierah from Tamecula, California

Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America

Spam Museum in Austin Minnesota

Grandpa Stern from Colorado Springs, Co.

Firetruck Super Soaker at National Night Out

Maintaining the Greens at the golf course with daddy.


Grandpa Joe from Sedona, Arizona

Piper's first day as First Grader

Lucille's first day as a Kindergartener

WHAT A SUMMER!!!!!

Summer Updates

Time flies when you're having fun!
Piper had her first visit from the tooth fairy. The fairy left her $1 and sugarless gum. Apparently our fairy is a little more frugal than others in the neighborhood. Piper's friends were all "I got $3 and I got $5". Seriously - for a tooth?!?!?!

They have been taking swimming lessons and swimming at the neighbor's pool A LOT. At the beginning of the summer they wanted life jackets, floaters, inner tubes, goggles and towels at hand to dry their faces in case someone near by was actually having fun and accidentally splashed them!!! Fast forward three weeks, and now we can't get them out of the pool. They are doing cannon balls, jack knives and can openers (don't ask). They are swimming underwater and having the time of their lives!!

We went camping with some good friends in mid June. This was our first camping trip as a family. It was super fun! We went to Kiesler's in Waseca, MN. It is a great family friendly campground with lots of activities for kids. One night they had a hula hoop contest and dance party for the kids. The girls are now hooked hula hoopin' and hula everywhere. In the living room while watching tv, down the street while walking to a friend's house, and all the girls in the neighborhood hula too. You can find groups of girls in yards hula hoopin all hours of the day. They can hula on one foot while clapping, down to their knees and back up, walking forwards and back...it's crazy. And the funniest is watching us moms and dads trying to hula...not too pretty!

We have also had a visit from Trent's dad and a visit from Trent's brother Lance and our niece and nephew, Jordon and Jake. Our niece Kiersten (Lances's oldest) and her little girl Kierah will be visiting us in a couple weeks! Minnesota is a great place to visit in the summer!!!

We are getting ready to head north for a long weekend, so I will post photos and write updates in a week or so.

Peace, love and joy!!!!!

School Is Done - Time For Summer Fun!

Whaaa Hooo!!!!!
The girls have finished Kindergarten and Preschool this week and they are ready to PARTY!!!
They are looking forward to afternoons at the park, slumber parties, camping, bike rides to the ice-cream shoppe, swimming, and an extended bed time of 8:30 - oh yea baby!!!!

I will try to post updates in between all of the partying and late nights!
We wish all of you a safe and fun summer!

Peace and love,
Angie, Trent, Piper and Lucille

Loose Tooth

Piper has her 1st Loose Tooth!!!
She took a bite of her bagel at breakfast and complained of a toothache. I checked it out, and sure enough it wiggled! She is sooooo excited!!! Lucy is really sad that she doesn't have a loose tooth and every day she wiggles her teeth to see if any of them are loose. Piper told her that if the Tooth Fairy gives her two dollars, she'll give one to to Lucille.
Now that's love!

I Love Rock and Roll...

"Put a Diamond in the Juice Box Baby, I Love Rock and Roll, Won't You Dance with Me -Owe"!!!!!

If I can video of Lucille singing this song and shaking her booty, I will add it this post - it's the best!

FORE!!!

Look out - Trent is back on the golf course!!!
Trent golfed on Monday, April 12, 2010, for the first time since his back surgery last Fall.
He played 18 holes and walked the course using a push cart.
Way to Mr. Stern!!!
I love you,
Mrs. A.S.S.

Firsts

Daisy daisy give me your answer do.
I'm half crazy all for the love of you.
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage.
but you'll look sweet
upon a seat
of a bicycle made for two.

That song always pops in my head when I go on a bike ride.
The big news this weekend was that Lucille learned to ride her bicycle with out training wheels!
This is a HUGE deal and I feel like a major loser for not posting when Piper learned how to ride with out her training wheels on 6/16/09.
See, the problem is that I note memorable quotes & monumental moments in too many places. Sometimes it's on the calendar in the kitchen, in a journal, on a post it note, and then sometimes I remember to share it with all of you on here.

So, just for kicks, here are some random things I forgot to share with you...
I found my first grey hair on 4/8/08.
Trent played in the Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Amateur Tournament on 9/22/08
Piper put my makeup on her Barbie to make her look like mommy on 5/12/9.
Lucy wrote her name on her dresser with permanent marker and denied it on 10/19/09.
The girls say Prize a fee for Privacy, Cand a ler for Calendar, Fort Head for Forhead, and No I am'nt for No I am not.

Gimme' a D, Gimme' an O, Gimme' a G - what's that spell...

That's right - DOG! But, did you know that when you were only five years old?
Last night while reading books in bed, Lucille says "I can spell Dog - D O G".
So I started throwing out small words for her to spell, and sure enough, she spells them!
Piper found her Kindergarten Site Words and showed them to Lucy.
Lucille took her time and sounded out the words, and she read them!

She Read Piper's Kindergarten Site Words - do you hear me!?!?!?!?!?

Way to go Lucy - way to go!!!

Road Trip - Des Moines

We have returned from our Annual Girl Trip to Des Moines Iowa.
To read about our previous trip, click here.

Kids easing into their morning with the Disney Channel.

Piper 6, Spencer 1 1/2, Lucille 5

Carrie thought the parking lot at the Science Center full
of minivans was quite funny - go figure.

Piper and Uncle Chris having fun with hand and face impressions.

Spencer building a tower.

Chris and Spencer checking out snakes.

Lucille fallowing in her father's footsteps.

Piper doing the weather in her Southern Bell voice.

Spencer LOVED the trains!

I think all the activity wore the little guy out!

Snuggles time.

Tubbies!

Uncle Chris set up a movie theatre featuring Flight of the Navigator

and played the concession guy, usher, and janitor for us.

We always stop in Albert Lea on the way home for a visit

with Great Grandma Stern and Great Aunt Lois at

Trumbles Restaurant.

Awe...this is my kind of road trip...

Life is Good

Life is good for several reasons...
~ The snow has melted and my tulips are starting to grow.
~ Lucille and Piper had ice cream for breakfast this morning!
~ Trent is a great kisser!
~ We have wonderful friends and great people in our lives.
~ Our parents and grandmas are healthy.
~ Old Dutch makes Dill Pickle potato chips - oh yea baby!

Dude, Where'd Our Sweet Girls Go?

You may have thought Piper and Lucille just turned Six and Five, but they fooled you!
They're really Sixteen and Fifteen!!!
Overnight they have developed Wicked Eye Rolling and AT-TI-TUDE!

Example~
Me "Piper honey, please don't walk in the mud".
Piper "I Don't Care". Then tramps right through the muck!
Me "Don't give me back talk".
Piper - Wicked Eye Roll
Me "Don't you roll your eyes at me".
Piper "I Didn't - Gosh!"

Trent "Lucy, please put your shoes on".
Lucy "Dude!" Then as she puts on her shoes, she gives Trent 'The Look', like "Da Dumb Ass".

So now Trent and I are all "Dude, are going to put the next load of laundry in the washer"?
"Well, Da"
"What Ever"
"I Don't Care"

We're Gonna Party Like It's Your Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!!!

Lucille's 5th Birthday

Dear Lucille,
You have had such a beautiful year.
You have had so much fun in your preschool class with all of your friends and you have learned so much from Ms. Jess. Your favorite things in school are playing in Home Living with dolls and dress up clothes, Arts & Crafts, and Phonics Group Time.
You are so lucky to have so many girl friends in our neighborhood your age! You, Piper and all the girls have a blast bopping from house to house playing School, House and Wedding, building forts, and having sleepovers.
Your favorite color is still purple, and you still sleep with Blankie and Sheepie every night.
Your new favorite food is pickles and cream cheese!
You are the Wii Bowling Champion in our family, well besides Uncle Lance!
You are Spunky, and have the cutest Booty Dance in the world!
You are gentle, helpful, and you love to snuggle - you promised me that even when you are a grandma you will still watch movies and snuggle with me...you promised!

Happy Fifth Birthday Princess!

Love,
Mama

birthday party pics coming

Potty Conversations

Lucille "Mom. Why does poop come out before the pee?".
Mom "That's a great question. I'm not really sure.".
Lucille "I think it's just the way the good Lord intended me to be."

Piper Susanne is 6 years old...

Wow Piper - you are 6 YEARS OLD!

What happened to my little baby that slept in my arms and played peek-a-boo?
My little toddler that said Bungdy for Bunny, Shooey for Lucy, and Hoga Me for Hold Me.
My little Preschooler that couldn't get enough Fraggle Rock, Dora, Blues Clues and Wiggles. Who wanted me to read Good Night Moon over and over again.

In the last year you have learned to blow bubble gum bubbles, read, ride a bike without training wheels and how to tie your laces. You graduated Preschool and became Kindergartner. You have a brilliant sense of humor and tender heart.

A few of your favorite things are:
Reading Hog and Dog, the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, and Cat Traps
Watching The Little Mermaid, Arthur, Martha Speaks, iCarly, and of course Sponge Bob.
Playing with your sister and neighborhood friends Elli, Natalie, Camie, and Brooke.
Coloring and creating beautiful artwork.

I just love watching you grow and learn new things. Every morning when I wake you with kisses and snuggles and wonder "what's she going surprise me with today?".

Happy Birthday Princess...and remember my favorite thing in the whole wide world is being your mommy.
Love,
Mama

A Letter From Lucille

Lucille is sitting quietly at daddy's desk writing, cutting and taping things in her tablet. I am organizing Christmas clutter in the living room. I hear from the office "Mommy where's an envelope". I reply "Oh honey, I don't know where daddy keeps those. Just make one with your paper". I continue organizing and see Lucy skip up the stairs with her paper. I think nothing of it. Hours later she asks if she can check the mailbox. She returns with the saddest look on face. I asked her why she was so said and she told me that the mail lady didn't take her letter. I ask "What letter sweetie?". She tells me "The one I wrote to all the kids on the other side of the world". I stand there speechless and Trent explains that she may need one of his envelopes and a postage stamp. She returns and shows me her addressed & stamped envelope and I see written in her handwriting:

To: All The Kids On The Other Side Of The World
From: Lucy 1077 Van Buren Street Shakopee the Black and White House

I asked her what the letter was about and she explained that Santa had already been to our house and he was on his way to the other side of the earth and she wanted to let all the kids know he was coming.

I love you Lucille Susanne, you make my heart smile!