ECFE

Well, Johann's first year of ECFE has come and gone. I don't think I can articulate just how much of a positive difference Johann's teachers made in our lives. For me, they provided humorous diversion, sundry advice, and sanity-saving counsel when I was faced with some pretty serious challenges and otherwise lacking a nearby support system. I know that for Johann, he adored both his teachers, Sarah and Tracy. He made some good friends and he had a lot of fun. Dan and I don't know if we'll be able to do ECFE again, but it certainly was a treasure while it lasted.

Johann with his teacher, Sarah.


And with his teacher, Tracy.


Snack time.

Tracy blowing bubbles for the class.


Swim party.



Thank you Sarah and Tracy, and the State of Minnesota for funding the ECFE programs!

Lets keep our teachers teaching :)

Johann Loves Apples

Johann loves apples.


And this is what happens when you merely want to take a bite.

Hilarious. Truly.

Stephanie's Visit

My sister, Stephanie, came out for another visit this last April. I like to think she came out because she couldn't bear any more time without her oldest sister but, really, I know better. She couldn't bear another minute without her nephew, Johann, of course. He loves his auntie Steph!

The next few pics were taken at gymnastics and Johann loved showing Stephanie all his favorite moves.


It was cold, but we went for a hike anyway.


We also went to the local aquarium where, among other things, Johann proceeded to enjoy the river otter, seahorses, tormenting the bald eagle, and climbing the stairs. Especially climbing the stairs.

We had a lovely time and it went by far too fast.

Blooming Crabapple Tree

We have this gorgeous crabapple tree in our front yard. It only blooms every few years and this year I made sure to take a few pics. The flowers don't last long, but they sure are pretty.

Gymnastics: How We Got Through The Winter

I've been meaning to post these pictures for some time. In the throes of this most recent winter season I learned that several of the local gymnastics academies offered open gymnasium hours for children of almost all ages. There were several safety rules and parents had to agree to full liability, but other than that the kids were left to almost all their own devices and could freely explore their gymnasium environment. Under their parents or caretakers' supervision of course. Children walked on the beams, jumped over the vault, swung on the bars and rope, and bounced on the trampoline. Even better, there was always a huge bubble session at the end of each day. It was often totally chaotic, but always filled with gleeful children running amok. The parents and caretakers were always visibly thankful for an outlet for large-motor physical activity in what can often be months of wind-chill temperatures well below negative 10 degrees. So, here are some pics of Johann enjoying the gymnasium!

Catching Up

It has been four months since the last entry and I figure it's well past the time to catch up. The next few entries will have groups of pics that are a few months old, but I really want to share them, so bear with me until I get caught up ;)

First off, I want to complain about the cold. Why? That's one of my favorite things to do, of course.

We had a very long winter this year, and it was also exceptionally cold. Dan says he heard this May was the coldest May that Duluth has on record. Ever. Now, Duluth is known for being very cold, so when the local authorities say it was the coldest ever, then that's really saying something.

According to local lore Mark Twain once said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in Duluth." Yep, that about sums it up. Today is July 1st and the high is expected to be 60 degrees, and the sky is completely overcast with a 30% chance of rain. It's been like this for days with a few gorgeous days sprinkled here and there. I'm *this* close to turning on the heater, but I can't stand the idea of using the heater in July for some reason, so I've brought down a few blankets and Johann and I are wearing layers instead.

It reminds me of the winter I spent in Louisiana where we had the air conditioning on throughout the year, including January. Except the opposite. So, instead of "opposite marriage," I guess you could say we have "opposite weather" up here. I love Duluth. Love it, love it, love it. The people, the environment, the focus on health and education. Yada, yada, yada. But this incessant cold really stinks and anybody who says otherwise is in serious denial and only trying to alleviate their cognitive dissonance. What? Do I sound bitter?

Here are some pictures taken of our time out and about enjoying some of the truly beautiful spring weather we've had. Beautiful and sometimes sunny. But don't let the pics fool you, it was cold. Okay, I'm done kvetching about the weather. For now.

The next few pics were taken in April just after the snow had melted. We were at our neighborhood park just a block away from our place.


If you look closely at the pic below you can see Lake Superior in the background.


The following pictures were taken in late May at the same park. The first pic is of Johann amazed at the seagulls flying overhead.




The two pics below are of Johann being absolutely amazed by a helicopter flying overhead. I'm loving seeing things I take for granted everyday through his eyes. It really helps you appreciate the little things. Like birds, helicopters, boats, and flowers. And, most especially, rocks and wheels. Those are the absolute best.