Downtown Trip

Since it was a weekday when we went downtown I got the kids off the bus on 8th Street and stopped them from running in the direction of Candyland.  I told them that because it will be much more crowded, they’ll have to stay much closer to me than usual. Afterward I thought how funny this was, me giving directions to three little kids like it was a field trip with students. But they did stay much closer, and we had more fun than usual because of the hustle and bustle of the street and skyway.

Since the Wells Fargo building was open (it is closed on weekends) we went in there and I took the kids to look around the Wells Fargo Museum. The kids loved it; there is a working telegraph machine, working old-style telephones, pre-Civil War money, and check stamping machines. The woman at the entrance to the museum was chatting with the kids for a few minutes and Helena went back to her to show how she had stamped a “check” with her birth date and then they talked some more.

The fountain at Gaviidae Common was on because it was a weekday and the kids stayed there for awhile eating their candy (after running circles around the fountain at the IDS Tower).

We then ate a quick lunch and then walked around the skyways in places we hadn’t before (they got to see a different candy store which they liked), and then walked down Nicollet Avenue for awhile before taking the bus back home.

Dessert

Tonight the plan was to eat dinner, then go on a bike ride. Helena wanted ice cream when she finished, so Ada did too. But Ada wouldn’t ever eat her dinner if she didn’t get dessert.

Tonight she wasn’t eating anything. The kids were eating on the porch since the weather was nice, and when Helena came in for dessert, Ada still hadn’t even begun. Liam told her that she wouldn’t go on the bike ride if she didn’t eat. That didn’t work either. Once Ada was told that I was going on the bike ride “in two minutes”, she said that she’d eat but she still wanted dessert. After a few seconds, she runs into the living room with her mouth full. She’s struggling to swallow enough of what is her mouth so that she can speak. This finally happens, and with a full mouth she says, “I want dessert!”.

The ice cream was done in about 30 seconds after taking 25 minutes on a bowl of stir-fry.

Elementary School

We were “notified” that Helena and Liam would be attending Lake Harriet next year. I had to call and find out since we weren’t sent a letter.

Mr Towne, in researching your case further, I see that both of your students are currently enrolled at Lake Harriet. Since you live in the Lake Harriet area, you were not required to submit new requests for them. Only students who live outside the Lake Harriet attendance area were required to submit new request cards. So they were never entered in the lottery. They get to stay at Lake Harriet.

That’s what’s great about living in the neighborhood.

Ada’s Day

Ada woke up before anyone else today. She went through the box of fruit snacks on the counter and took and ate two packages of them.

Later, Dalen found candy wrappers that Ada left after devouring more candy.

Then when I was playing piano, Liam and Helena ran downstairs to tell me that Ada had gotten into a Cadbury Creme Egg and smashed it on the rug in our bedroom. I had to try to get it up with a fine-toothed comb and a wash cloth. Along with the baby powder that she had all over the rug (including footprints down the stairs) and the bed spread, it made quite a mess.

Now we’re a half hour from dinner, and I bet she’ll want dessert.

Ballet of the Dolls

Helena and I went to the Ritz Theatre in Minneapolis to see some modern dance. She liked it quite a lot, and there was one piece in particular which was quite amusing that she talked about for days.

Before the show we went out to the Modern Cafe and she had an Italian Soda for the first time. She loved that.