Visit with my Dad

My dad came to visit us from California and we all had a great time! It was so nice to spend some extended time with him and get to know him better. We did some sight-seeing, but most of the time he just lived life with me for a week. The kids had doctor appointments, orthodontist appointments, den meetings, etc. and he just went right along with me. I think it was good for everyone. The kids got to spend some good quality time with their grandpa and I got some great time just talking with my dad.

We went to the State Capital in St. Paul, the History Center (also in St. Paul), we ate Italian food at Cossetta's Italian Restaurant and went to see the Stone Arch Bridge along the Mississippi in Minneapolis. We also were able to go inside the Guthrie Theatre and get a birds-eye view of the Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls. It was a beautiful sight, but also a little subdued since it also overlooks the sight of the 35-W Bridge Collapse.

During the week, we had plenty on good conversations and time to reminisce about lots of different things. We took Madison to an apple orchard and I had my dad try his first Honeycrisp apple. If you've never tried one, I highly recommend them, although I think you can only get them in Minnesota. We also got to meet the illustrator from the Harry Potter books and that was quite neat, especially for Cameron who absolutely loves the entire series.

We also took my dad to the Mall of America and walked about 1/3 of the mall. We were able to do some shopping and enjoy a cup of coffee together. On Friday night we were all able to take a ride on the light rail and take in a Twins baseball game. Unfortunately the Twins lost, but it was still a lot of fun! On Saturday morning, before taking dad to the airport, we took him to see Minnehaha Falls. It was a wonderful time and we are all looking forward to seeing him again sometime soon!

Thanks, Dad, for a great week!

Preschool Time!

Madison had her first day of preschool today. She couldn't wait to go!! She kept saying, "Is it time to go, mommy?" all morning and was smiling from ear-to-ear when I finally said, "Yes, Madison!" I took a couple of pictures of her before we left home and, as you can tell, she was all grins. When we pulled up to the house where preschool was being held today, she couldn't wait to get out of the car. She grabbed her backpack and scooted up the driveway before I could even shut the door.

Once inside, she started playing with all the other kids and seemed to be having a great time. When it was time to sit down for "circle time" she hurried to her spot and sat down. It was fun to see. The mommies stayed for a little while to introduce their kids and for them to get comfortable with being there. Then about a half an hour later, the mommies were to leave. This was a hard time for most of the preschoolers. Madison, though, just looked at me and said, "Bye, mom." So, my little Madison is now a preschooler and I am left with a couple of extra hours a week to myself. She has fun and learns, I have a little bit of quiet. I can't wait to go pick her up and see how see liked her first day of preschool. Hopefully all will be well and she'll be just as happy to go again next week!

First Day of School

Well, today is the first day of school and I have to admit that it was a little harder to see them off than any other year before. I can't believe that Chelsea is in first grade and is going to be gone all day. It was very heartwarming, however, to see both Cameron and Chelsea get on the bus and for them to sit together. How sweet is that! I started to get tears in my eyes as the bus pulled away, knowing that my days of having my two girls home with me all day are no more. It was a bittersweet moment for I know that Chelsea is more than ready for first grade and that she will have a great school year. I also can't believe that Cameron is in fifth grade! That one kind of blows my mind. Where did the time go? I distinctly remember my fifth grade teacher and everything about that year. I'm really excited for him and I'm praying that he meets a lot of great people this year.

So, my older two are off to school and now it's just Madison and me. It will make going to the grocery store much easier, but I know I'm definitely going to miss the noise and laughter of Cameron and Chelsea. It's funny how you think that it's going to be great when they go off to school. You will have more time to get things done, it won't be so chaotic in the house, etc. But once they're gone, it's rather quiet and lonely. I'll tell you one thing, I can't wait until they get home and I can once again hear their happy voices and see their smiling faces. When I see that bus turn the corner toward home, I will jump for joy and bug them for every detail of their school day.

A Somewhat Subdued Chelsea

A week ago today, Chelsea broke her left collarbone. She has been a little more subdued than her normal crazy self. For the first two days, I felt like Chelsea's spirit had left her. She was in so much pain that she didn't feel like doing anything except to lay on the couch and rest. She was on pain medicine most of the time and seemed pretty lifeless. It was hard to see her like that. She seems to be doing much better now, although it's still hard for her to do simple things like getting dressed, taking a shower, etc. She is coping very well and, hopefully, in a couple of weeks will be "sling-free."

Our dog, Dash

Okay, so Cameron told me that I need to post a blog about our dog, Dash. So, here it is. I don't quite know what to say about him. So, here are the stats on him: Dash is a golden labrador and weighs about 65 pounds. He will be two the end of September.

He really is a great dog and is wonderful with the kids. He is very friendly with most other dogs, although he seems to get very protective around some dogs. When we went camping, he acted like he was the some kind of "police dog" and seemed very jealous of another male dog when the dog showed attention to Dash's "girlfriend" (a black lab named Onyx). However, he is a very atypical dog in that he doesn't like to go to the bathroom on walks, he hates getting wet, he seldom will go to the bathroom anywhere but home and, unlike other labs, doesn't always fetch a ball when it's thrown. He is one-of-a-kind, and we love him.

My Little Fireball

Madison is such a lovable little girl, yet can be so hard to please. She is VERY stubborn and determined to do things only on her terms. She doesn't put up with very much, which is good and bad, having 2 older siblings. She doesn't hesitate to let you know exactly how she's feeling at any given time. Madison does give me a run for my money, but she also never fails to make me feel loved. She is a wonderful, inquisitive little girl who comes up with the most amazing things to say. I never know what's going to come out of her mouth. With an older brother and sister, she says things sometimes that I would rather not hear come out of here mouth. :-)

I love this little 3 year old and I'm looking forward to her starting preschool this fall. A group of eight women, that I met through MOPS, are starting a kind of co-op preschool. The preschool will be held at 4 different homes, every Thursday morning for a couple of hours. A pair of moms will teach every week, so this means I only have to teach once a month! We will also do a field trip once a month that will be related to our themes. I think it will be a great experience for her. Even if she doesn't learn her whole entire alphabet backward and forward, or doesn't learn to write her name, she will learn how to interact with kids her own age and will make memories that will last a lifetime.

My Chelsea Girl......

Chelsea has really grown and blossomed in the past year. She has gone from bring a shy kindergartner, to a beautiful first grade little girl. She has done many things this past year. She took her first school bus ride to school, she met some new friends (at school, at MOPS and in Daisy Scouts), she learned how to read, and developed a real love and passion for all animals.

Chelsea can be a real fireball. She is always full of emotional. She can go from hot to cold instantly (I wonder where she gets that from!?). I love her spirit, though, and how she can turn a simple moment into an everlasting memory. She shows a real love of life. Chelsea never wants to spend time alone and she cherishes one-on-one time more than any kid I know. I'm very proud of the young girl Chelsea is becoming and look forward to seeing her accomplish many, many things.

My Favorite Cub Scout

I've been so proud of my son, Cameron, and all that he has accomplished in the year that he's been a cub scout. He actually didn't join scouting until last September and has already earned 12 pins, 24 belt loops and numerous patches! It hasn't been all about the awards, but about the new things he has learned and the many adventures he has had. Cameron has tried things that I never even imagined him trying and he's putting his heart into it. It's been an amazing thing for me to watch. He's really grown in the past year and I think scouts has a lot to do with it.

He has been fishing, canoeing, paint-balling, learned archery, how to tie knots, how to make fire, set up tents, and the list goes on and on. Scouting has not only taught him many, many skills, but it has also taught him how to be a good friend, a loyal citizen and a trustworthy young man. The experiences he has had in the past year will last him a lifetime and this is only the beginning of the scouting adventure. He will continue on to Boy Scouts in February and then it's up to Cameron to decide what he wants to do with scouting. Hopefully he will stick it out to become an Eagle Scout, but even if he doesn't, I'm very proud of the things I've seen him accomplish and the young man he is becoming.

Blogging and our Trip to Lake Itasca

Well, I've decided to start blogging since my husband, Tony (see www.tonycloyd.com) doesn't feel like he needs to post anything about the family anymore. So, I'm going to use this to post happenings in our family and anything I feel like blogging about.

This picture is from our trip up to Lake Itasca where we got to walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi. We went with my mom and stepdad, Bob, and my nephews, Anthony and Zachary. We had a good time (although we should have stayed longer!). What a beautiful place!

Well, I will be posting more later. I just wanted to get something started!