I caught one! 93 degrees on October 8th?! Swimming?!

Ingrit really liked playing in Green Lake at Aunt Penny's cabin after a long day of being super cute and visiting Great Grandpa Harold at the nursing home in Wilmar where he's been recovering from pneumonia but will be getting released soon to move in with Mimi and Grampie at the farm. (holy run on sentence, Katers! But the point of the day being long and what all we did seems to have been made). Uncle Mark, Cousin Justin, Aunt Penny and my folks were all there for a care conference to figure out where GG Harold should go. At 92 he's beenliving alone on his own, but it seems like now's a good time to live a bit more communally and enjoy the company and support of others. Moving in with Mimi and Grampie will be a huge change for all of them. He'll be much closer to his family at the farm than he is out in Wilmar.

We left the house at 7:30, stopped at the farm to feed Finn and stretch our legs and then drove out to Wilmar to see Harold. 92 year old Harold who is recovering played his harmonica for all of the residents in the afternoon during the social hour. Ingrit was given too many cookies by the activity ladies there. Everyone loved seeing FW. An aide carried him around to show all of the residents. Ingrit danced for everyone and was basically the most adorable bestest kid in the whole world.

It's fun to think how for how many years kids in our family have been playing on that same beach on Green Lake. My grandma grew up swimming there and so of course did my dad. Then Kyle and I played there when we'd visit Harold and Ethel and now Aunt Penny owns it and her own grandchildren (Ing and Finn's 2nd cousins) all come up and play there. The two cabins next door are still in the family too---owned by grandma's brothers' families. I guess that's a fun piece of history.

 Flowers are SO pretty!

 More self portraits, Ingrit really likes these

 Finn with a baby grandchild of my mom's friend-- two weeks older than Finley. They're both so round!

A Maze N Farmyard

need pictures!

The family went with Mimi to the A Maze N Farmyard on 10-2. Super fun! Good value too. Pony ride, tons of goats runnning around to feed and pet-mini donkeys too and puppies, kittens, camel, wallabys, chickens, ducks, bunnies too. A really hard maze that we didn't finish, but Ingrit loved. She would shout, "follow me!" and lead us down a new path. She laughed really hard at each dead end we encountered. After our day we had yummy dinner at the farm with Grampie joining us. That evening we played taboo and Grampie and Momma kicked Daddy and Mimi's bums.

Oh yeah, and Dave's afraid of goats and possibly mini donkeys.

Finn's zipped into my jacket.

Stuff we're up to on my maternity leave (AKA I DON'T want to go back to work so soon!)

The kids and I have been taking advantage of everyday I'm off from work. I don't want to go back! We've been spending a great deal of time out at the farm with Mimi and Grampie. One day we went on Mimi's annual shopping trip to the outlet mall with a couple of her old friends and grandchildren. Ingrit enjoyed playing with the kids. She's such a good girl! And little Finn is the easiest going baby in the WORLD.

Finn does indeed have moments neediness where I can't quite figure out what's troubling him, but they're not everyday and they're not for all that long. Usually holding and cuddling him can calm him. There have been times when I'd have liked to set him down for awhile, but I'm getting really good at my various slings/wraps/carriers! Wearing Finn almost always settles him. He's just a snuggle bottom baby who wants to be close to his loved ones. Sweet sweet little man.

We've also been going to the park and to the Eagle's Nest. The weather's been so beautiful! 60-75 everyday! yes! I love not being cooped up. I also love feeling capable--I can get a LOT done even with both kids. Yay! And Ingrit's a great helper. She loves being involved in every activity from picking up toys, putting laundry away, putting dishes away, dusting, etc...

 Mimi and Ing

 At Water Tower Park, on our block of 33rd Ave NE

 At Como Zoo

 Finn in booties from Auntie Karen Watkins

 We dress for dinner in our house!

 Mother Daughter IKEA breakfast and shopping trip

 Kissy lips!

 Packer fan!

 An attwmpt to get a self portrait of me and FW in the sling, turns out I had to take 2 shots to get us both.

That all said, yesterday the three of us spent the day at the farm making apple sauce and I was not much help. For some reason Finn needed to be held outside of a sling for most of the morning. He did then take a beautiful nap in the afternoon--pictured below. I guess babies just have days like that some times. Ingrit entertained herself and Mimi and me by dancing some great new dance steps and singing. She sings all the time when she's playing by herself. It's really sweet and I think she's quite melodic.

Visit to Mondovi

The family went to Mondovi on 9/26 to meet Nana (great grandma Pat), Auntie Tammy, and Cousin Haley. A very nice time was had by all. Grandpa Tom and Grandma Kathy (Grandma and Grandpa "in the woods" as they're known to Ingrit) got to hold and cuddle Finley and see how much he's grown since his birthday. Nana seemed very happy to hold the little guy and get to meet him so soon.

Auntie and Cousin made quite an impact on the Ingers. She really loves to see them. Ingrit's such a good big sister! She really doesn't seem jealous of baby even though I know how hard it must be to go from being the center of our world to sharing that spot with someone else and someone so novel as a newborn.  Ingrit's friends and family all do a really good job of making her feel included and special too. She's been wearing these flowered hair barrettes from Tammy quite often and she loves a sticker book from Grandma and Grandpa.