Off to 1st Grade!

(1/7/2014: I saw I never posted this, so thought I would now. Better late than never!)

After 2 weeks of being in 1st grade, Keira is a pro in her new class! She's enjoying school, her teacher and her friends. I was surprised to find out that gym is her favorite class. That certainly doesn't come from me as I'm one of the most non-athletic and uncoordinated people you could ever meet. So, it must come from Mark which is just fine. If she doesn't have to struggle through athletics, good for her!

Our schedule is pretty busy with work and school during the week and activities on the weekend. Keira is in gymnastics, swimming and ballet so she's burning off tons of energy though there are days when I think she hasn't burned off enough. Ha! 

1st day of school

Funny face

Ready to rock 1st grade

We hope you are all doing well as we head into the fall!!

Polar Vortex and Disney World

I've lived here my entire life and I'm not sure I remember weather this cold. Supposedly we have the Polar Vortex to blame. Whatever it is, I wish it would stop. This is simply too cold. However, I do have to say I've enjoyed working from home. School has been canceled the past two days, so Keira's been home. It's nice to get ready without rush in the morning and not have to worry about what I'm going to wear. Without shame, I confess to being in 'workout' clothes for the past 2 weeks and haven't felt more comfortable! A friend of mine has been so helpful and has had Keira at her house yesterday and today to play with her little girl so I can focus on work. Going back to work and school tomorrow will be tough - no doubt about that. I think Keira has enjoyed being at home too. Hopefully the break has been refreshing and relaxing enough to get us through this long winter!

We had a wonderful holiday and new year and hope you did too! We surprised Keira with a trip to Disney World Christmas morning and it was so great seeing how happy she was. Disney World was a complete zoo, but we managed to have a terrific time. How couldn't we? It's the happiest place on earth, right?! Keira rode on a real roller coaster and loved it. We ended up going on  Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 4 times. She even made it through Space Mountain though declared she didn't ever want to do it again.

If you ever consider going to Disney over the holidays, think twice. While the giant Christmas trees, holiday decorations and holiday shows were spectacular, I don't think they were worth the larger-than-usual crowds and long, long lines. It was noticeably busier than when we were there in early March a few years ago. But, if you love the holidays and have patience to walk slowly, get jostled occasionally and know how to pass the time standing in lines, then you will not have any issues with Disney during this time.

Pure joy on the spinning tea cups

Meeting Princess Tiana

Navigating in Epcot

We ran into Wendy Darling

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 4x!

Hula Hooping at Hollywood Studios

The wait was worth it

Our professional traveler

Well,  happy new year to you and all your loved ones!! May 2014 be filled with joy and good health.

The Great Minnesota Get Together

Yes! The MN State Fair is something I look forward to every year. I was really worried about it being too hot, but we (my hubby and cousins) got out there early and were fortunate to have nice cloud cover making it a very comfortable outing to indulge in all things deliciously bad for you! We had a great time and spent about 3 hours there. That was plenty of time to enjoy some games and feel full for the rest of the day. Here's the damage captured in photos.

Poutine - which is a Canadian dish I'm told

No other mini donuts can compare

A Fair fave - the Pronto Pup

Is there anything more midwest than fried cheese curds

Blarney Beans - best way to eat green beans

Is this healthy? Roasted corn...doused in butter?

Working hard to win a Minion

A lovely couple - Nam and a Minion

We also won this Hello Kitty doll for Keira - She loved it!

My fave at the Fair this year - the Dough Sant

Not the most flattering, but I love the ice cream from the Dairy bldg

Can you tell which two are related?

Yes. Yes. It was a very successful outing to the State Fair!