tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55224296264772479342024-03-13T10:47:01.445-04:00Charlotte's PageAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065801753411960030noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-14973040983103783772014-08-17T17:23:00.005-04:002014-08-17T17:23:52.625-04:005 Years Old!Transition is the word of the month. Charlotte's last day of preschool was August 8th, and her last-day celebration included hugs or high fives from all of her preschool friends. This may have been a sad experience, except that Charlotte had invited all of them to her 5th birthday party on the 10th.
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We started the day with pancakes and gifts from mom and dad.
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We then measured Charlotte's growth. She grew about 4 inches this year and now stands at 42 inches. At her Well Child visit her pediatrician confirmed she has certainly sprouted. Last year her height was in the 24th percentile and this year she is in the 48th percentile for her age! Her overall BMI is in the 11th percentile, which I'm sure is because all her growing has been vertical.
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Charlotte's birthday celebration was at Hyland Park in Bloomington. It was busy and fun and only a bit chaotic!
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Charlotte got a super hero cape for her birthday, and she had to break it out at the playground.</div>
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Here she comes, to save the day!
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Fortunately, all of Charlotte's grandparents were able to come over to our house after the park party! Here she is with Grandma and Grandpa Russell (and,birthday Elmo, of course).<br />
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She loves dramatic play, so here she is wearing some of her play clothes with Grandma and Grandpa Distad.</div>
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Frozen was the birthday gift theme this year, and she loved it!</div>
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Last week she spent her mornings at Camp Kindergarten and she has 3 more weeks of day camp and time with Grandmas and Grandpas before kindergarten begins! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-35270460010438666162014-06-15T23:08:00.000-04:002014-06-15T23:08:40.111-04:00Cake!Charlotte is growing into a kind and thoughtful person. A couple of weeks ago she pulled our cake cookbook off the bookshelf and insisted that we make it together for my birthday. So, this weekend we embarked on making the 3-layer cake she picked out!<br />
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We frosted it this morning, hence Charlotte is still in her pajamas. <br />
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She drew a "meatball" on the cake. I have never had a cake with a meatball on it! Awesome! This is bound to be a great year!<br />
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We also had a great Father's Day weekend. Charlotte got to spend time with her dad, grandfathers, and great grandfather. One would think I would have photos of that, but I don't. Just of cake baking. :) I'll do better next year. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-58895063758744688212014-05-10T23:12:00.002-04:002014-05-10T23:12:56.058-04:00Putting On A ShowHere is a condensed version of Charlotte's performance in the condensed version of The Wizard of Oz that her <a href="http://www.stagecoachschools.com/">Stagecoach</a> class put on today. She did a wonderful job, first as Aunt Em, then as Yellow Brick #1, and finally as a "Little Oz."
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-2440838140510553372014-04-28T15:55:00.001-04:002014-04-28T15:55:27.090-04:00Charlotte's New Wheels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065801753411960030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-1312946938333437022013-09-28T22:23:00.000-04:002013-09-28T22:23:09.714-04:00September 28, 2013The end of summer is one of my favorite times of year! We have been busy trying to fit in all of the fun things we had talked about doing this summer. One of those fun things was having a bonfire at Grandma and Grandpa Distad's house.<br />
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Here is Charlotte enjoying a s'more!<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa's dogs were hopeful, but Charlotte was not going to share the deliciousness of a s'more. <br />
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Charlotte enjoyed being goofy with Grandma and Grandpa even more than eating s'mores!<br />
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She got 4-wheeler ride with Grandpa, and I think she liked it even more than last summer. She asked for a longer ride and was all smiles.<br />
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The end of summer would be sad, if not for the Minnesota State Fair! This was Charlotte's third year at the fair and it gets better every year.<br />
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She took her first ride down the Giant Slide with Daddy. <br />
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Rode some rides. Check out that relaxed pose - just ridin' in a whale, chillin', no big deal. <br />
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We rode the carousel! She picked the pink horse and had a blast. I felt motion sick and most enjoyed the ride when it wasn't moving (it was still fun being with Charlotte). <br />
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<br />I have no idea when this photo was taken, but it was somewhere on the fairgrounds and it makes me laugh.<br />
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Charlotte met Champ! We were surprised to learn that it was UMD day at the fair. As alum we both got a carabiner with a compass - Charlotte likes them very much. She looks like she wants to get away from Champ in the photo above, but she was actually excited for this photo. It happened very quickly so she might have been a bit overwhelmed. Goldy is still her favorite! <br />
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Our fair day ended with Charlotte's first jump on the trampolines. She was very excited to do this and told us that she "decided not to do a flip." Perhaps next year she'll be able to get enough height in her jumps to consider a flip. :)<br />
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Today we got to celebrate Charlotte's cousin, Molly's, 1st birthday. She'll turn 1 on Monday and is already walking like a pro. I neglected to bring my camera, so I don't have any photos to share but it was a fun afternoon. Next up on our family adventure agenda: The Great Pumpkin Harvest at Grandma and Grandpa's House! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-74907698042520549212013-08-11T00:10:00.000-04:002013-08-11T00:10:34.877-04:00August 10, 2013It is my pleasure to write a blog post this evening as I have the good fortune to be conscious and healthy, both of which could not be said of my state 4 years ago, at about this same time, when Charlotte was being delivered via emergency c-section. I could lament how quickly the time has gone and how fast Charlotte is growing, but I would rather share author <a href="http://www.fallsapart.com/" target="_blank">Sherman Alexie</a>'s words: I miss who she was, I love who she is, and I look forward to seeing who she becomes. Happy Birthday Charlotte. <br />
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We began Charlotte's special day in the kitchen making pancakes and of course had to let her practice her fire extinguishing skills on a single candle. One marker of how much she has grown this year is that today is probably the first time that she was able to measure ingredients and pour them into the bowl without significant help. <br />
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Let the record show that the Mickey Mouse pancake on her plate is the best one I have made yet. She has been requesting a mickey pancake anytime we have pancakes over the past 9ish months, and generally it ends up with one ear - today it turned out perfectly! <br />
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Charlotte jumped right in to her birthday gift this morning. Although Charlotte loves having her own yard, she has clearly missed sharing a sandbox with our past neighbors (as demonstrated by her relentless digging up of the yard). So, a sandbox was a clear gift. This great sandbox was made by a <a href="http://craftersworkshop.weebly.com/" target="_blank">local craftsman</a> in Farmington.<br />
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Here she was excited about being barefoot in the sand, which she insisted I try out after taking this picture. It was pretty fabulous.<br />
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Party time!<br />
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Charlotte was ready for some action when the party started this afternoon. Her very receptive aunt and uncle swing the jump rope for her while she asks them to slow down. Eventually it was decided that "snake" was the better jump rope game.<br />
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She blew out the candles like a pro! <br />
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This year she helped to pick out a Dairy Queen cake, and she was pretty
excited to learn that ice cream and cake can be integrated. When we
offered her an ice cream cake she thought we were joking ("ha ha, nooooo
that's silly" is what we heard).<br />
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So happy Grandpa and Grandma Russell made it to the party! Clearly she already loves the gator she received from them for her birthday. This gator fits in her hands, and Grandpa Distad suggested she bring it to his house for a ride in her other gator! Sounds like a good idea. <br />
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Family photo! I promise Charlotte was happier in the photos taken prior to this. I think she smiled in the first photo, but I later realized it was taken with Grandma's identical camera.<br />
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Charlotte kindly giving the turtle to Molly in the pool. Charlotte was very kind, and Molly impressed everyone with her water skills. <br />
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Charlotte had fun showing Grandma and Grandpa how well she can ride her scooter - another marker of how much she has grown this year. At summer's start she could not ride straight and became frustrated going the two blocks to the park. Now, we can't keep up with her unless we jog, and...<br />
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...she can do this! What a trickster. <br />
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She had a great birthday! Thanks to everyone who helped to make this day special (including the Home Depot cashier who gave her a Reece's Peanut Butter cup - random act of kindess). In the photo above she is waving goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa.<br />
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Charlotte's last few weeks of being a 3 year old were also wonderful...<br />
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She spent last weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Russell in Eau Claire. She was gone for TWO WHOLE NIGHTS, the longest she has ever been away from both of us and we missed her very much. Not sure she missed us as much, she had a great time and assured us that she would like to go again (we also had fun painting her sand box and biking to St. Paul for lunch sans Charlotte's trailer, thanks Grandma and Grandpa!).<br />
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One of the many fun things Charlotte enjoyed in Eau Claire was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2RNIizKoqA" target="_blank">Chalk Fest</a> where she got her very own sidewalk square. At Chalk Fest she learned she can change the shade of a chalk color by getting the chalk stick wet - she likes to teach us what she learns. Unfortunately she spiked a fever during her last day with Grandma and Grandpa and came home feeling pretty sick. Fortunately the illness was short-lived and she was better by Monday evening. <br />
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In late July we enjoyed a hayride with the Amundson family! Look at that beautiful corn field. Today in the grocery store Charlotte identified corn on the cob and remembered that my cousin Marty and his wife, Kelly, grow corn at their house. Let this be another marker of how much she has developed this year - her memory and ability to make connections is quite impressive.<br />
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After the hay ride we went to the Olmstead County Fair with Grandma and Grandpa Distad. Charlotte got to ride her first horse!<br />
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And milked a cow, albeit a plastic one.<br />
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She pet a duckling! The props for her beautifully braided hair go to my cousin-in-law, Kelly. I hope Charlotte let's me continue to practice my braiding skills.<br />
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Obligatory insert-head-here photo.<br />
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Charlotte was very excited about the tractors. Perhaps she would do well in a rural setting someday!<br />
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Just a few days prior to the hay ride and fair we traveled to Duluth for the <a href="http://visitduluth.com/tallships2013/" target="_blank">Tall Ships</a> event. <br />
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We love Duluth.<br />
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If you look really closely you can see Charlotte sitting on the wall next to Grandma Russell holding a black umbrella. This is a pretty popular event.<br />
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Patrick forgot his own sun hat, so he borrowed Charlotte's. Handsome, isn't it?<br />
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Waiting for the ships to parade into the harbor.<br />
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Here we are post-parade in the museum. Charlotte always enjoys stopping to read a book.<br />
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The weather on Day 1 of Tall Ships was perfect. Day 2, not so much. While standing in a long line to walk through the sail boat from Norway it started to rain, inclement weather for which we were unprepared. I don't know that I have ever been so wet. Most of us managed a smile for the above photo, but Charlotte was done. She and I soon made an early exit and she ended up getting her first Duluth sweatshirt (yay for dry clothes!).<br />
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The final group of photos below were taken at Itasca State Park. Each year the college I work for takes first-year students to the Itasca Biological Station where they learn biology, get to know each other, and begin their college transition. In addition to learning about science myself I get to enjoy the park with my family. <br />
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Here is Charlotte lounging in the Mississippi Headwaters. She wedged herself between the rocks so thoroughly that she managed to get a leech on her foot. I haven't heard of others getting leeches from the headwaters. Thank goodness Dad was with us to assist with the removal of that creature. Gross.<br />
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Charlotte and I biked back to the headwaters just before we left the park and she ran across the Mississippi river. <br />
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And posed for the traditional headwaters photo. We were fortunate to be the only people at the headwaters for about 5 minutes on the morning these photos were taken. It was incredible!</div>
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While at the park we spent some time at the beach. Patrick taught Charlotte how to build sandcastles.<br />
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Charlotte was thrilled to find a real shell on the beach. She has been looking for shells in the sandbox at school despite being advised that she would most likely not find a shell in that location. Her persistence is admirable. <br />
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She was very excited to get a Nature of Life t-shirt and name tag. I love that the name tag hangs down her knees.<br />
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Here is our traditional NOL family selfie to wrap up the blog photos. We had just gotten rained on during our walk back to our cabin (our weather unpreparedness is becoming a theme), explaining the drops on our shirts.<br />
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August is looking to be a lower-key month than July. We plan to take in the State Fair and otherwise hang around home to enjoy the summer weather. Patrick and I are both getting increasingly busy at work with fall semester just around the corner. If there is a lapse in the blog, that is the reason. All the best to you and yours! <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-65960079515435414712013-07-07T22:27:00.000-04:002013-07-07T22:27:03.201-04:00July 7, 2013: BM!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This evening Charlotte donned a celebratory dress and enjoyed a Superman ice cream cone at the neighborhood ice cream parlor to commemorate her first real BM in the toilet! She has gone BM before but only after we notice it is already happening and throw her on the toilet. Tonight she surprised us and just did it! It was about a year go when she had her "first" BM in the toilet, but we hope that this time it is for real!</div>
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Celebratory ice cream was a sweet way to wrap up a wonderful long weekend. We started our weekend with a Fourth of July Parade in Edina, MN. </div>
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Here is Charlotte waiting for the parade to start. We arrived 1.5 hours before the parade start time and were able to squeeze our chairs into the last available spot along the street. Turns out experienced Edina parade goers put their chairs out the night before - yikes! We better step up our game next year. </div>
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We then enjoyed a lovely lunch with Patrick's family, including part of the Alaska contingency: Megan, Al, and baby Aubrey. There were some cute photos taken that are currently posted to Facebook. Following that fun we took Charlotte home to swim in her pool with some friends before her first fireworks! We watched from a parking ramp without the greatest view, but she mostly enjoyed riding her scooter around on the pavement. </div>
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She spent much of the weekend in her pool, and actually spent all of Friday in her swimming suit. In addition to playing in the pool on Friday I took her to the beach at Lake Nokomis. </div>
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Here she is loving the beach!</div>
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And the water, too! Her feeding tube was removed last July, so it has still been less than a year. This means that last year I would not have been able to take her to the lake as there was increased risk of infection from lake water around the tube site. We are all happy the tube is gone.</div>
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In order to keep the weekend of fun rolling through Saturday Patrick ran the 25K Afton Trail Race and we visited Como Park with Aunt Kelly and Molly. </div>
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Charlotte walked a grand total of 2 miles to watch Patrick's race. We rarely go sans stroller, but I only brought our umbrella stroller and it would not have been helpful on the trails. She was quite the trooper but was happy to stop for a photo as we walked over a creek. <br />
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Drawing in the sand while waiting to give Daddy his bottle. </div>
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Go Patrick! I like this photo because Patrick is looking to me for his water bottle but Charlotte is a bit closer to the ground with an outstretched arm (not photoed). It turned out Patrick had to turn around and reach backward to get his water bottle (Charlotte will work on her crewing skills), but everyone in the crowd talked about what a great dad he is. True, all true. Though I think they missed that it was mom who coaxed Charlotte to walk 2 miles. </div>
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Patrick ran a great race, finishing in a respectable time for third place. It was hist first race of the season, so it was nice to see him running again. After a quick nap for Charlotte and Patrick we were off to Como Zoo!</div>
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Patrick may be mid-blink or else he is making eyes at the Giraffes. Regardless, it is a cute picture. </div>
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If you ask Charlotte about the zoo she will first tell you that we didn't see the Polar Bears. They must have been hiding out in the back of their exhibit. We did see the new gorilla exhibit, and Charlotte gave us a great gorilla impression for her photo with her new gorilla friends. </div>
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Our trip to the zoo ended with a traditional ride on the carousel.</div>
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Well, I'm tired just summarizing our weekend for the blog post, but wait, that's not all! Today Grandma and Grandpa Distad visited from Kasson. </div>
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We visited Minnehaha Falls to take in the rushing rapids after a very rainy spring. </div>
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Charlotte did some rock climbing along the creek. </div>
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And Patrick bravely stood in the rushing waters with Charlotte. </div>
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Thanks to Grandma for taking a rare photo of the 3 of us!</div>
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Prior to this weekend we've been up to other fun things as well! </div>
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Charlotte gets excited with every new flower that blooms in our yard. We are so appreciative that a gardener previously owned our home. The flower gardens are beautiful. </div>
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We celebrated Father's Day at a petting zoo in Chippewa Falls, WI. Charlotte is starting to pick up on family associations. Today she was asking me if Grandma and Grandpa Distad were my mommy and daddy.</div>
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Great Dad's!</div>
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Sweet girls!</div>
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Love her!</div>
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And him! Look at that awesome dad pushing the Merry Go Round.</div>
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Whew! Time to prepare for a Monday full of work (Patrick and Katie) and school (Charlotte). She has big news to tell her teachers! They will fully share our excitement for what is potentially a corner turned in our toilet training saga. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-9287262755507545842013-06-09T23:11:00.000-04:002013-06-09T23:11:28.762-04:00June 9, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our existence has been offline over the past few months, and we've been having fun!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rpwXGt3mtq9GicpxO09cNmrU9z6WnxohDeXRRuiI33kRCYLlendHBXo1jjcAmGuZJWlz_2M-JXDMN6CjX0fezH20gwB7OkMfnHNaC_oLSXiy-55HBihpmNnMPgl07CBiSLa5Das4gviq/s1600/IMG_5684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rpwXGt3mtq9GicpxO09cNmrU9z6WnxohDeXRRuiI33kRCYLlendHBXo1jjcAmGuZJWlz_2M-JXDMN6CjX0fezH20gwB7OkMfnHNaC_oLSXiy-55HBihpmNnMPgl07CBiSLa5Das4gviq/s320/IMG_5684.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our house! Charlotte is going back and forth on what color she wants her room to be - red, pink, green, or perhaps ROY G BIV (rainbow). White will do for now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVjt9nX1IczcBnApry4DrZsKLamFAX10Ex1gwSvQ0ph_nbLrnU9_fvBbR8zItFDPVq0fGG8rCV3yJqv-VYss1Z_nhT6WH_xPgATab4l3munrHedav1agBbqQYdC_b-vEBn25UVBQIlrOy/s1600/IMG_5685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizVjt9nX1IczcBnApry4DrZsKLamFAX10Ex1gwSvQ0ph_nbLrnU9_fvBbR8zItFDPVq0fGG8rCV3yJqv-VYss1Z_nhT6WH_xPgATab4l3munrHedav1agBbqQYdC_b-vEBn25UVBQIlrOy/s320/IMG_5685.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We love being home owners! Our current challenge is figuring out what to do with the creeping charlie that has overtaken our front yard (I don't think we have any grass left). Patrick already plans to till the front yard and reseed this fall, so most bothersome, it has now creeped into the lovely flower bed planted by the previous owner. I hope we can figure out how to get rid of the weed without killing the plants. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKErjJyX99tddksOhfU9-S_pO62-tNPsxIKgajHHlOLj3IJm1OKhEll6ZfN1bEYN5WCR5Tdrz91JDuZgBhHDEA5tracO6qBElUqx2lu3R6ZXFzbijvxsklRIrkzNW_vwE_LkJvJDILddee/s1600/IMG_5686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKErjJyX99tddksOhfU9-S_pO62-tNPsxIKgajHHlOLj3IJm1OKhEll6ZfN1bEYN5WCR5Tdrz91JDuZgBhHDEA5tracO6qBElUqx2lu3R6ZXFzbijvxsklRIrkzNW_vwE_LkJvJDILddee/s320/IMG_5686.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We planted a vegetable garden in the back yard! Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, oregano, cilantro, and basil. The plants are all ready for some sun, so let's hope the ground can dry up just a bit over the next week. </div>
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We've been fortunate to spend time on the weekends with family. Charlotte would love it if her grandparents lived on either side of us, but the 1.5 hour drive is manageable! She also announced to a woman at the park on Friday night that she has a baby named Molly (her cousin who will clearly receive more and more attention from Charlotte as she gets older). Most recently we had lunch with Molly and Charlotte was a bit concerned that she was eating the table; I can see how it is difficult to teach older siblings manners when they have an infant sibling who gets to do what babies do. Here are a few photos of what we've been up to: </div>
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Four generations of the Mehls-Russell family! Charlotte with Patrick, Grandma Russell, and Great Grandpa Mehls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k7NHYJKHzKFFC3SNJ414WmXtEaIVhYOWxSf1nbsg-kuQ4FLsf6ezPfAa0pgR-7NoLUKgR2AKlDnElYDYzfODb-2aRf0w5kP6CApdP5Hgh-GAJIfhXj_2G8MZgbkCVfP56tDTxDVWodsX/s1600/IMG_5620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k7NHYJKHzKFFC3SNJ414WmXtEaIVhYOWxSf1nbsg-kuQ4FLsf6ezPfAa0pgR-7NoLUKgR2AKlDnElYDYzfODb-2aRf0w5kP6CApdP5Hgh-GAJIfhXj_2G8MZgbkCVfP56tDTxDVWodsX/s320/IMG_5620.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We have visited Grandma and Grandpa Distad a couple of times as well! Here is our beautiful little pianist playing Grandma Distad's piano and singing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVJ_XEHY19OY4FJgoXxufNwQj51jZrlVVVsQWxbHIwACGuxkKxy6NsdW48kSsi7iU-dQFWkmH_Rj4aWEyvSogdKnXxvrYuXJ3gdWBbnMcU21Q1ykcYrxxav1rb-5CnGt0KxUZgUZeoNKj/s1600/IMG_5643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVJ_XEHY19OY4FJgoXxufNwQj51jZrlVVVsQWxbHIwACGuxkKxy6NsdW48kSsi7iU-dQFWkmH_Rj4aWEyvSogdKnXxvrYuXJ3gdWBbnMcU21Q1ykcYrxxav1rb-5CnGt0KxUZgUZeoNKj/s320/IMG_5643.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Charlotte has began developing her driving skills by putting her Gator to good use and helping Grandma and Grandpa Distad clean the sticks from the front yard and move them to the brush pile. She first drove it in early April and had trouble steering, but she got some driving in again yesterday and did very well! She only ran into one bush, which turned out quite well because we otherwise wouldn't have noticed the terrified baby bunny underneath the bush. No worries, the bunny was fine and bounced off as Charlotte approached on foot. </div>
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We've also been exploring parks in our new neighborhood. There are at least 3 within walking distance and more are easily biked. We spent most of our time at the local school park, but there is a more unique park, a maze of wooden ship/corridors, just a few blocks away. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKzhw31hWKmMwRm9Bz6eSWCBCBvx0nAD8PyP6HqwofPr59vs47P4HnLVmQTd1CjanWGsjyKJNPcydO3_dKLKphG3-RLr7Buq9nYU16iNVfzbCZRNT5nlgzAhrUU6lXgPQ7rbgQxopOWyn/s1600/IMG_5608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKzhw31hWKmMwRm9Bz6eSWCBCBvx0nAD8PyP6HqwofPr59vs47P4HnLVmQTd1CjanWGsjyKJNPcydO3_dKLKphG3-RLr7Buq9nYU16iNVfzbCZRNT5nlgzAhrUU6lXgPQ7rbgQxopOWyn/s320/IMG_5608.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is Charlotte in the ship...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKkcHW-tObhl-ShFoTroBmgGBtEgy_svxAF_vbQv-Qm5XtvTvjCg1YxRGINcuuzicRMkmFEpocouTZmqsSjD_wrL4MZUs3nMdi4jXOsILN7tRTb4mvARlTEn70kmqAEbMuErzdKPXWZzs/s1600/IMG_5606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKkcHW-tObhl-ShFoTroBmgGBtEgy_svxAF_vbQv-Qm5XtvTvjCg1YxRGINcuuzicRMkmFEpocouTZmqsSjD_wrL4MZUs3nMdi4jXOsILN7tRTb4mvARlTEn70kmqAEbMuErzdKPXWZzs/s320/IMG_5606.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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and posing for another picture.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwF6yYw1ndrTuSuIqSJCrO2zh9wPQjgAdiPhJ4nFuIBhEonmr6s3r3EYqlYUwIjrZzXOgi5Th-4D1NOeB4g-tc1bsHHJRS4wbotAq9ySISHREaggLaU-vHkHpeyxCYxTg5hrG8G5eqQK5/s1600/IMG_5668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwF6yYw1ndrTuSuIqSJCrO2zh9wPQjgAdiPhJ4nFuIBhEonmr6s3r3EYqlYUwIjrZzXOgi5Th-4D1NOeB4g-tc1bsHHJRS4wbotAq9ySISHREaggLaU-vHkHpeyxCYxTg5hrG8G5eqQK5/s320/IMG_5668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Last weekend we enjoyed the Flint Hills Children's Festival in downtown St. Paul. Charlotte enjoyed hip hop dancers and </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WByxpj1ZL1s" style="text-align: left;">Swoon</a><span style="text-align: left;"> as well as the many art projects for kids. For example, she made a bookmark with soil - Minnesota has a state soil, </span><a href="http://mn.gov/governor/blog/the-office-of-the-governor-blog-entry-detail.jsp?id=102-50022" style="text-align: left;">Lester</a><span style="text-align: left;">, in case you ever need to know. </span></div>
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In other news, we continue to work on toilet training. Charlotte has confessed that she doesn't like BM, and that's why she doesn't go in the toilet. I look forward to the day she decides that BM is better off in the toilet. I will not miss bringing home plastic bags of poopy clothes from preschool.<br />
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Speaking of poopy, Charlotte started calling me poopy head this week, which I tried to ignore/express my dislike of in a way that didn't make it more fun to say. Potential success as today she said "Mommy, I love you and I won't call you poopy head anymore." She makes us laugh every day.<br />
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Thought I'd end with a cute photo of Charlotte sitting in our backyard with her baby (not Molly, the plastic kind). Here's to wishing for warm weather and sunshine!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-11328947206799290162013-03-23T21:03:00.000-04:002013-03-23T21:03:28.799-04:00March 23, 2013We bought a house! Well, we'll close on Monday. It has been an exciting (read: stressful and uncertain) couple of months between when we made the offer in early February and this week when everything officially came together. We drove by the house tonight to let Charlotte peek inside the windows - we are very excited for her to go inside on Monday afternoon. Here she is with the "Sold" sign.<br />
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It has been fun answering Charlotte's questions about moving. Questions such as "Will we take my bed?" and "Will we take the kitchen?" have been fun to answer. She seemed to be a bit distressed about moving until today. It helped that Grandma and Grandpa Distad took her to Como Zoo for the day, so she didn't have to watch the packing process. The current state of living in a city of boxes is pretty cool.<br />
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We'll be moving the afternoon of March 30th - let us know if you're in the mood to carry some boxes!<br />
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We also wanted to share a video! Charlotte participated in "Tumble Together" through Community Ed. Last weekend was her last class and here she is demonstrating her expert frontward roll, sweet patience, and developing bar skills.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-25621168553363780302013-03-09T21:46:00.003-05:002013-03-09T21:46:33.247-05:00March 9, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been a momentous weekend for our family - Charlotte spent her first night away from us, and she had so much fun! Patrick and I had a commitment all day today, so my parents picked her up last night and got in some quality time with Charlotte. She had a great time reading, playing with Barbies, and baking a cake with Grandma (pictured above). We missed her a lot, but it is a relief to know that she can do well overnight without us in case we're ever in a pinch. Not to mention, the cake is delicious. </div>
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Her patching is down to 4 hours/day, and Grandma got a little creative with the positioning of her patch. We like it. In other Charlotte updates, we have backed off on even talking about toilet training. She seems to have some anxiety about going BM in the toilet and so we're encouraging her to go in the bathroom, even if it is means going in her pull-up. It's not working. She goes when she knows no one will notice (while wearing her snow pants, for example), and then doesn't tell us. She has diaper rash. She is getting pretty good at cleaning her own bottom, though. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-65368519323377780332013-01-13T23:23:00.000-05:002013-01-13T23:23:42.100-05:00January 13, 2013Happy New Year! I have a pretty good excuse for the lag time in our post - our Mac crashed! We used our Mac to upload photos from our camera and to upload the blog, so we've been out of commission for a while. The saddest part of losing our Mac is that we lost all of our photos from April - September 2012. Before that they were backed up on an external hard drive, luckily. Lessons learned: 1. Back up photos on the external hard drive more regularly and 2. Upload photos to an online program - Patrick created a SmugMug account for us, so hopefully we'll be all set (at least for a couple of years until technology changes).<br />
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This post coming to you from our snazzy new computer with Windows 8, which will take some getting used to.
We had a lovely, wonderful Christmas and couldn't have asked for better. Here is how we celebrated...<br />
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Charlotte loves Sunday School and church. She definitely makes sure Patrick and I get there if at all possible. The 3-year-olds were angels in the Christmas Pageant, and all of Charlotte's grandparents, Aunt Kelly, Uncle Tim Molly, and even our neighbors came to watch her. Here she is after her Christmas Pageant looking just a little excited:<br />
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<a href="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/27531007_pbkbQ9#!i=2317232293&k=NnXkT26&lb=1&s=A" title=""><img alt="" src="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/i-NnXkT26/0/S/IMG_5420-S.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
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The week before Christmas we stole a few extra days to celebrate the holidays by taking a little mid-week trip. Our first stop was to Duluth, and while Patrick attended a meeting online (super-dedicated U of M employee!) Charlotte and I enjoyed a peaceful lunch at Va Bene, an Italian Cafe, with a fantastic view of Lake Superior. That evening we visited Bentleyville with Grandma and Grandpa Russell. Charlotte slept during our first walk through the lights display, but conveniently woke up as we were leaving...so we walked through again.<br />
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<a href="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/27531007_pbkbQ9#!i=2317239069&k=MQfgWZM&lb=1&s=A" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug"><img alt="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" src="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/i-MQfgWZM/0/S/IMG_5443-S.jpg" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" /></a><br />
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We spent the night at the Edgewater Inn and Waterpark - Charlotte loved it! Our room was just around the corner from the water park, and there were hardly any other families there. I've heard it is much busier on the weekends, and we loved having the run of the place!<br />
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<a href="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/27531007_pbkbQ9#!i=2317242813&k=txXcsMW&lb=1&s=A" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug"><img alt="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" src="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/i-txXcsMW/0/S/IMG_5455-S.jpg" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" /></a><br />
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But wait, there is more! After a night in Duluth we drove south to Eau Claire to have dinner with Santa (and the whole Russell family - including Great Grandma and Grandpa!). Charlotte was not the least bit shy, dominating Frosty and Rudolph's time, giving Santa big hugs and high fives, and ringing bells with the carolers. Here she is with her favorite holiday friends:<br />
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<a href="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/27531007_pbkbQ9#!i=2317246487&k=CBhVNWf&lb=1&s=A" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug"><img alt="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" src="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/i-CBhVNWf/0/S/IMG_5469-S.jpg" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" /></a><br />
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After a couple days at work it was time for more vacation! We spent Christmas Eve in Eau Clare with the Russell's. Charlotte wore the jingle bell antlers as we opened gifts:<br />
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<a href="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/27531007_pbkbQ9#!i=2317254481&k=KMtM9Tr&lb=1&s=A" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug"><img alt="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" src="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/i-KMtM9Tr/0/S/IMG_5497-S.jpg" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" /></a><br />
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And even posted for a Santa Hat picture with Molly.<br />
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Charlotte woke up at home on Christmas morning and couldn't wait to try out the scooter from Grandpa Russell while wearing her snazzy Hello Kitty outfit from Grandma Russell.<br />
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<a href="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/27531007_pbkbQ9#!i=2317263032&k=QgZJfJ6&lb=1&s=A" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug"><img alt="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" src="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/i-QgZJfJ6/0/S/IMG_5532-S.jpg" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" /></a><br />
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Santa delivered on her wish for Baby Jaguar and Diego Rescue Pack. She was very excited.<br />
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<a href="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/27531007_pbkbQ9#!i=2317265820&k=wq3rP3W&lb=1&s=A" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug"><img alt="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" src="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/i-wq3rP3W/0/S/IMG_5545-S.jpg" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" /></a><br />
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So excited that she couldn't contain herself. Here she is jumping up and down with joy.<br />
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After opening gifts at home we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Distad's house. Charlotte demonstrated her now well-mastered gift opening skills, but was caught off guard when Grandpa and Grandma escorted her to the basement to pull a sheet off of her last gift. With Daddy's help she uncovered her very own Gator. She climbed on eagerly and jumped off just as eagerly after driving it into the wall. Come Summer 2013 Charlotte will be traveling around Grandma and Grandpa's yard at 2.5 mph. Little does she know there is the potential for work here - I have memories of picking up sticks in spring time...<br />
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<a href="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/27531007_pbkbQ9#!i=2317202603&k=Q4J2BXP&lb=1&s=A" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug"><img alt="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" src="http://pkrussell.smugmug.com/Other/2012/i-Q4J2BXP/0/S/IMG_5575-S.jpg" title="Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug" /></a><br />
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Charlotte and I had restful Christmas week at my parent's house while Patrick returned to work. We enjoyed watching Brave, which Charlotte received for Christmas, approximately 5 times and playing games with Grandma and Grandpa.<br />
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We wrapped up our holiday celebrations with extended families and began 2013 feeling very blessed. As Charlotte opened her gifts I couldn't help but think of kids who do not receive any at all, an important reminder to teach Charlotte gratitude and compassion - in addition to the joy and love she felt a lot of this year.<br />
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We haven't taken any photos since Christmas Day! Patrick did upload a video recently of Charlotte's dance skills. She loves dancing, and does it whenever possible. Despite what Grandma and Grandpa Russell may comment (see previous blog post), Charlotte has excellent moves. Just last night she was break dancing during a dance contest at our neighbor girl's birthday party - so sad to have missed getting video of that!<br />
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Happy New Year!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-12203916685775693812013-01-02T09:15:00.001-05:002013-01-02T09:15:50.095-05:00January 2, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065801753411960030noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-17475059378206155632012-11-25T13:52:00.000-05:002012-11-25T13:52:59.863-05:00November 25, 2012Happy Thanksgiving! We have had a wonderful weekend and before I fully accept that tomorrow is Monday I'm going to post some pictures of what we've been up to lately.
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On November 14 we got to babysit Patrick's niece, Molly, while Molly's mom and grandma attended an afternoon tea at the Arboretum. We were pleasantly surprised at how easy it can be to feed a baby. This Thanksgiving was Charlotte's first since she began eating and we are very thankful for this. Her favorite dishes this year? Pumpkin pie and cranberries.<br />
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The incredibly mild November weather has allowed us more time outside this fall than we had expected. Last weekend it was even warm enough that Charlotte rode her trike down our street. Patrick commented that this past spring her feet barely reached he pedals and now she rides with ease.<br />
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She has taught (trained) us that when she rings her bell it means we need to run. Whether she wants to chase us, thinks we're too slow, or just enjoys having some power we're not sure.<br />
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And now to the present - Thanksgiving Weekend! If you picked up the Star Tribune for the Black Friday ads (as I did) you may have noticed the cover story, <i><a href="http://www.startribune.com/local/180451541.html">Family Homecoming for Twins after 98 Days in 'Preemie Land'</a>. </i>Much of the article resonated with us, in particular the dad's statement, "People who don't have preemies probably never think about prematurity...and people who do never STOP." Even now that Charlotte is a happy, healthy 3-year old and the trips to the doctor are much fewer it is still something we think about frequently. Differently now though, as we are so grateful to have a 4-day weekend home with our active, happy toddler who breathes, eats, and poops on her own.<br />
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This year we spent Thanksgiving with my family. Charlotte played hard all day, here she is dancing with some of her cousins (second, third?) to a dance video game. You may notice that the other three kids are following along to the game movements while Charlotte is rocking out in her own style. She fell asleep in the car on our way home at 5:15 p.m. and slept straight through until 8:20 a.m. Whew! What an exhausting day! Luckily we followed it by a relaxing morning at home before heading out to Aunt Kelly's house for a late lunch. It was great to see so much family this weekend.<br />
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Friday night we decided to brave the burst of cold weather by taking in the Holidazzle Parade with Grandma and Grandpa Russell. Grandpa Russell surprised Charlotte with a special Holidazzle wand, and it turned out to be quite helpful in keeping Charlotte entertained while we waited for the parade to start. Below are a couple of pre-parade family photo ops.<br />
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And with that, the Christmas holiday season has begun. Saturday we picked out our tree and went with a slightly shorter tree than last year. Last year we learned that trees look smaller on the tree lot than they do in our house. Our tree this year is still larger than what we were anticipating at 7.5 feet, but this time around we had no concerns about whether or not the star would fit on top.<br />
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Here is what happens when I tell Charlotte I want to take a picture of her with her Santa hat - she quickly pulls it off to hold it up to the camera for me. I was so, so close to getting a picture with it on her head.<br />
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And what a great evening decorating the tree. Charlotte put on one ornament before it was time for her to head to bed and Patrick made a special trip to Menards after I broke our tree topper. Charlotte has needed a couple reminders today that we can look at the ornaments but that they need to stay on the tree. Thank goodness we have many stuffed musical creatures from Grandma Russell that she can play with. Happy Holidays!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-18427910788644569762012-11-01T23:14:00.000-04:002012-11-01T23:14:43.779-04:00November 1, 2012Fall is certainly here and we have been embracing the traditional fall activities.
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We carved pumpkins with our friends, the Behlings. Pictured above are Charlotte and Brodan in front of the window clings they hung and beside the pumpkins carved by the adults. Patrick and I carved the pumpkins to the right.<br />
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Charlotte has been regularly asking to be held like a baby. Here she is snuggling with Patrick - too cute not to share!<br />
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Our Halloween festivities began at the Children's Museum Halloween Party. Charlotte went as a bumble bee and had a great time. She enjoyed all the usual museum activities made even more fun by being in costume plus fun treats and prizes throughout the museum.<br />
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Bumblebee or turtle? Who's to say?</div>
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This past weekend Charlotte and mom went to Aunt Kelly's for some halloween baking - spider webs and popcorn balls - and Charlotte got to help Aunt Kelly carve her pumpkin. "Help" is a generous description of Charlotte's contribution to this process - she lasted about the length of time it took to take this photo. She was a champ with the baking though - she diligently placed m&ms at the center of the spider webs.<br />
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Charlotte played with baby Molly for a bit! </div>
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And then danced the Chicken Dance with Grandma Russell!</div>
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Once we got home Charlotte was anxious to try one of the spider webs. She definitely prefers salty to sweet - she ate all the pretzel and then left the middle part made of chocolate.<br />
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Charlotte is now old enough to enjoy dressing up in costume and understand kind of what is going on. Here are a few photos from Halloween.<br />
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Charlotte donned her bumble bee costume once again for school. Here she is before we left home.<br />
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And here is our tiger trudging up to the playground for our neighborhood costume parade followed by trick or treating.<br />
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Cutest tiger I know!</div>
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ROAR!</div>
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This was our first year trick-or-treating and Charlotte loved it. She was pretty excited to follow some of the older kids in our neighborhood around up to home doors and say "trick or treat" - luckily she tuckered out before filling up her bucket with candy. She was relieved when we finally left the group to head home and put on her PJs. Tonight she is cuddling with her tiger costume in bed. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-25992445684438791552012-10-15T11:19:00.000-04:002012-10-15T11:19:47.683-04:00October 15, 2012!?!?!?!?!?!?!?It seems like just yesterday we were at the Minnesota Zoo with Grandma and Grandpa Distad, but no, that is only in blog land. The lack of blog posts has not been because we've been sitting around doing nothing. Rather, we have been go-go-go busy. Generally we post to our blog after Charlotte is in bed, but since the semester started that time has been used for work-related activities and trying to prevent our home from becoming a complete disaster area. During Charlotte's awake hours we have been having a blast!
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Of course, in late August we took our annual trip to the Great Minnesota Get Together (the Minnesota State Fair).<br />
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This year was special because Charlotte was able to join in on the eating. She ate most of my favorite fair treat, the corn dog. I will admit, I was a little bummed to share. :)<br />
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We were also excited because the day we attended the fair was also the all of Charlotte's Grandparents were there! We saw Grandma and Grandpa Distad for a short while and spent much of the day with Grandma and Grandpa Russell. Above is a photo of Charlotte and Grandma Russell riding the carousel.<br />
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Charlotte's favorite part of the fair is the animals. Here she is up close and personal with a sheep. I wish I could remember the sheep's name...it may have been Dolly but more likely I'm confusing her with her famously cloned distant relative.<br />
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We spent about 9-10 hours at the fair and we were all exhausted by the end of the day. Biking seemed like a great idea in the morning, but the trip home was a rough one.<br />
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The next weekend we went to Como Town with our friends, the Behlings!<br />
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Charlotte and I were both very excited about the great weather and a fun day of riding rides!<br />
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Charlotte and Broden rode many rides, but this is my favorite photo. They each fit in one of the fire fighter boot molds.<br />
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And fall has arrived. We had to break out the warm PJs. We laughed when we realized that all of her footie PJs have holes in the legs where last winter we needed to thread her feeding tube. Oh well, they are still warm.<br />
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In September we went to the Renaissance Festival for Grandpa Russell's birthday. It was fun to spend the afternoon with Grandma and Grandpa Russell and Kelly and Tim. Kelly was 9 months pregnant and it may have been slightly less fun for her...<br />
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Charlotte rode and elephant! She wasn't interested until we walked away from the elephants and then the tears started flowing. Luckily Grandma and Grandpa Russell were willing to take her back and ride with her.<br />
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Welcome Baby Molly! We were very excited to meet Charlotte's first cousin, Molly Morrell on September 30th. Congrats to Kelly and Tim who seem to be loving being parents to this adorable baby girl.<br />
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<br />Charlotte was excited to see her, but she was soon ready to go for a walk. In a few months Molly might be more fun to play with, but for now she is very fun to hold and snuggle.<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa Russell with baby Molly. They were up all night at the hospital while Kelly was in labor. Pretty dedicated grandparents!<br />
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And now we're caught up to October. Last weekend Charlotte once again ran the Toddler Trot at the Twin Cities Marathon Weekend Family Events. It was a windy, chilly day, and Charlotte tried to stay warm by bundling up and staying close to mom and dad. The two photos below are pre-race photos while we waited at the starting line.<br />
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And she's off...<br />
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She ran all by herself! I followed a few feet behind to make sure she didn't get scared, but she was very confident and ran the entire way by herself.<br />
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Here she is running by her fans: Dad, Grandmas and Grandpas Russell and Distad, and Kelly, Tim, and Molly Morrell. She may be destined for distance running - she paced herself rather than sprinted.<br />
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Sporting her new medal.<br />
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Check it out, Dad!<br />
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Here are a few random shots from the past week or so:<br />
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Our wonderful neighbors and landlords gave Charlotte some hand-me-downs this week. I love this coat and hat.<br />
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Charlotte now likes to brush her own hair. Soon she won't need our help getting ready in the morning at all! That is a little sad, but it is fun seeing her grow into such a self-sufficient little girl.<br />
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This past Saturday we spent at Grandma and Grandpa Distad's house. Charlotte loves being around dogs and here she is with Kira Bear.<br />
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We picked pumpkins out of Grandma and Grandpa Distad's gardent! Unfortunately it was rainy on Saturday, but Charlotte stayed clean and dry and enjoyed the pumpkins from the back of the truck.<br />
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Awwww...Lucy Lou and Charlotte watching the rain fall outside. I know Charlotte was wishing she could be outside playing with Lucy Lou and Kira Bear. <br />
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The rain let up in the afternoon and Charlotte finally agreed to take a 4-wheeler ride. She enjoyed the ride, but was ready to get off. Grandpa went very slow with Charlotte, thank goodness, and then drove away recklessly on his own. Someone needs to get that guy a helmet.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-32744568464463387162012-08-18T22:05:00.000-04:002012-08-18T22:05:12.962-04:00August 17, 2012Charlotte's birthday weekend (last weekend) extended into 4 days of fun!
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On Saturday Katie and Charlotte went to a baby shower for Katie's cousin Marty and his wife Kelly. Here is a super cute picture of Charlotte with second/third cousins Faith and Beth.</div>
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Charlotte has been giving her birthday balloons lots of hugs!</div>
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Sunday was our 6th wedding anniversary and we had a great day. In the morning we cleaned (woo fun), then headed off to the Children's Museum for the afternoon (this photo is Charlotte very excited to be arriving at the museum), and the highlight was the evening when Grandma and Grandpa Russell babysat so we could go out for dinner and a movie. Thanks G&G Russell!</div>
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More museum photos! Here's Charlotte with Curious George. She is so tight with this famous monkey that she refers to him as just George. </div>
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Here I am passing on my golf skills.</div>
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In keeping with 4 days of fun, Grandma and Grandpa Distad took Charlotte (and Katie) to the Minnesota Zoo on Monday. </div>
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Pretty sure we took this picture last summer when we visited the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa Distad. It's a classic.</div>
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Real, live dinosaurs! Well, ok, maybe not exactly but pretty close. Charlotte loved the Dinos and "roared" throughout the exhibit. Here she is with Grandpa in front of the Gigantosaurus (pretty sure I could have come up with that name).</div>
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Here is Charlotte petting the baby T-Rex.</div>
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"Well, if Daddy is allergic to dogs can we get a dinosaur?"</div>
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She tamed tigers.</div>
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And made friends with penguins.</div>
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We were all home on Tuesday! Charlotte and I started the day with some stretching...</div>
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...followed by push-ups.</div>
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Hydration is important. Tip: make sure your water bottle is as big as you are.</div>
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Tuesday we checked out the Minnesota Science Museum. It was fun! On Tuesday mornings they offer "Preschool Playdates" and admission is free with a Children's Museum Membership. Hopefully we'll get to take advantage of this perk again in a few months! Charlotte was near frantic running from exhibit to exhibit and she enjoyed the shows about making sound and monkeys. She soaks in everything and keeps reminding us that she does not have a tail, so she is not a monkey (we learned that Apes do not have tails and they are not monkeys).<br />
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In other Charlotte quotes of late: "I have sand in my nose, there is sand in my nose!" - it was a booger.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065801753411960030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-77001181324168420542012-08-10T23:16:00.000-04:002012-08-10T23:16:53.140-04:00August 10, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today we celebrated Charlotte's 3rd birthday! She has been looking forward to her birthday ever since attending a friend's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and she had loads of fun today. When she woke up she discovered a doll house had appeared in her toy area:</div>
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This is the doll house my parents made me when I was a little girl and it is fun to give it to Charlotte. She was a bit thrown off by the door that doesn't actually open..."pretend" can be a difficult concept.</div>
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This lucky little girl had 2 gifts that arrived before her birthday to open. Here she is opening a game from the Morrell's, she was more than a little excited. </div>
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Check out this book, Dad! What a cute bag from Aunt Jocelyn, it even says Charlotte on it. </div>
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Charlotte went to school today while Patrick and I worked in the morning. In the afternoon she celebrated her birthday with her school friends while we prepped for her party. Her school did a great job of making her feel special. When we arrived this morning she was greeted with a big round of "Happy Birthdays" and she got to wear a special birthday vest. In the afternoon all the kids had popsicles to celebrate and the kids made Charlotte a "birthday book" of drawings and messages. Then, it was time for the party...</div>
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Charlotte's birthday cake! This is the first cake I have ever made from scratch and frosted. I'm quite proud of this attempt and I now understand why I often hear people wish they could open a bakery. I don't want to get up at 3 a.m. everyday, but cake decorating would be fun!</div>
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Charlotte's party all ready at Van Cleve Park in Minneapolis, just waiting for the guests. The park is great with 2 playgrounds and a wading pool.</div>
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She had fun playing with the kids and seeing family and friends. Here she is posing with her cake, which she patiently waited to eat. </div>
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Leading up to Charlotte's birthday anytime I asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said candles. Here she is basking in the glory of her birthday candles with this fantastic candle-blowing-out face. </div>
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Patrick helped her get a better angle and she blew her candles out all by herself! At bedtime tonight I asked her what the best part of her birthday was and she said "my candles" - aww. :)</div>
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Not sure how many more years we'll do this, but here she is in September, 2009, less than one month old.</div>
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And here is our happy, healthy, growing 3-year-old. So much to be grateful for.</div>
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Speaking of 3-year-old, how does that whole fingers thing work? Mom, Dad, a little help please?</div>
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That's it, got it.</div>
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It's fun to post some patch-free photos. Charlotte is still patching, but we gave her a little extra time off for her birthday. She wore it all day at school. She had an eye appointment yesterday and we learned that her eyes haven't changed since her last appointment. We go in every three months and if there is no change for three appointments we may be done patching. While I'd like to be done patching, it will mean her eyes are as good as they'll get and I'd love to see some more improvement. Time will tell! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-3308516331059174432012-08-06T22:24:00.000-04:002012-08-06T22:24:39.493-04:00August 6, 2012And another weekend has flown by! We had a nice time at Patrick's family reunion on Saturday.
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Charlotte enjoyed playing catch with the football. </div>
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And this girl always knows there's reason to celebrate!</div>
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She got to try out her fishing skills again. Only this time, instead of slimy fish, she caught a bracelet and magnifying glass!<br />
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Family photo time! </div>
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Patrick let loose with some mad hula-hooping skills.</div>
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Charlotte braved the inflatable water slide. This climb was successful, but she slipped backwards on her second attempt and decided to stick to jumping in the water closer to ground level for the rest of the afternoon.</div>
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That one trip down the slide was a big drop! She looks a bit nervous here, but she was all smiles at the bottom. </div>
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Fun photo op with Grandpa and Grandma Russell!</div>
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Here is Charlotte all ready for school this morning. She was very excited to wear the t-shirt she tie-dyed at the Family Reunion. She picked out the design and colors: blue, green, red, and pink.</div>
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The latest tube-free adjustment has been Patrick and my blood pressure not increasing everytime Charlotte goes down a slide on her tummy or climbs in any way using her tummy for leverage. I still get a little nervous and then I remember that there is no tube to pull out and she can play on her tummy all she wants!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065801753411960030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-11535949849285719442012-07-29T11:55:00.002-04:002012-07-29T11:55:39.327-04:00July 28, 2012We had a pretty exciting week, which you may have gathered from our previous post. At Monday's speech therapy appointment Charlotte's therapist said she was doing well and didn't need any additional therapy (woohoo!). This made us even more confident going into her 3-year well-child appointment on Wednesday with the goal of having her tube removed.<br />
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She gained about 4 oz from her previous appointment (however, this time they weighed her with her clothes on), but our pediatrician agreed that it was time to remove the tube because she has not lost weight.<br />
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Here she is showing off her tube one last time!<br />
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And Dr. Borman-Shoap removing the saline from the Mic-key button...<br />
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Ta-da! Just a teeny tiny hole that is already closed up. Charlotte was pretty mellow throughout this process while Patrick and I were elated. Once the initial excitement wore off I was surprised to find that I felt a little sad. Her tube was a part of her and it's hard to let go of something that we considered special about her (I might be insane, right?!?!). This morning she broke my heart when she was touching her healing scar and said she wanted her tube back. Obviously this is a great step for her future, and we're all excited. It is a transition, though, and one we welcome.<br />
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She will be 3 on August 10, but her 3-year well-child appointment stats are:<br />
Weight: 24lbs 12oz (3rd percentile)<br />
Height: 35.75" (6th percentile)<br />
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We met a little girl at a b-day party on Friday who is 16 months and already wearing 3T clothes. She's in the 99th percentile for her weight. It was fun to see the spectrum and hard to imagine Charlotte outgrowing her 2T clothes. Her waist is tiny, but she does keep growing taller. I noticed yesterday that one of her dresses was getting scandalously short. :)<br />
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Speaking of yesterday, we had a great day with Grandma and Grandpa Distad. We traveled down south to check out the Olmsted County Fair and just visit. <br />
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Grandma Distad has flowers as big as Charlotte's head! I love love love this photo.<br />
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The fair was a blast! Here is a photo of Charlotte "milking" a plastic cow. The fair had a great petting zoo, Charlotte really enjoyed all of the animal barns, and they even had their own version of the Miracle of Life barn we've seen at the State Fair. Only this Miracle of Life barn was not nearly as full as the State Fair barn and we actually got close to the animals.<br />
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Charlotte pet a newborn piglet and duckling, saw a baby chick hatching, and also saw a very newly born calf.<br />
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Thanks to Grandpa Distad she also discovered a love of mini-donuts. I think she ate 5-6 of them!<br />
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She enjoyed her first corn-on-the-cob at lunch and dinner yesterday! Here she is trying to pose with her corn (and wondering why her mother thinks mealtime is a photo op).<br />
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Charlotte is a toddler, which means she can be described as independent, free-willed, impatient, and easily frustrated. She is also incredibly sweet. As we were leaving Grandma and Grandpa's last night Charlotte said "Goodbye Grandma and Grandpa! Thank you for sharing your home with us!" - so, so adorable and unprompted. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-59539350358810516692012-07-25T16:54:00.001-04:002012-07-25T16:54:18.533-04:00Charlotte Is G-Tube Free!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today Charlotte's pediatrician removed her G-Tube. Adios!</div>
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Charlotte was very excited to put on a life jacket. She insisted upon wearing it and was frustrated she had to take it off to go to the bathroom. Prior to this photo Charlotte got to go fishing for the first time! She caught a little fish that Patrick threw back. A faculty member was fishing with his kids and they offered to let Charlotte give it a try - very nice!<br />
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The life jacket was for our canoe trip. Here's Patrick putting the canoe into Lake Itasca. Neither of us have canoed in a very, very long time so it was perhaps not the fastest or most efficient canoe trip. However, I define success as staying afloat and we did not tip over! Success!<br />
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Of course we had to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi, just a short distance away. Charlotte was not shy about putting her feet (and then her whole body) into the Mississippi.<br />
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Water is for splashing. Especially the water of the mighty Mississippi River (which doesn't seem so mighty at the headwaters).<br />
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Taking a break from splashing with Dad. Take note of the water bottle in Patrick's hands. It's the Dora water bottle that we bought Charlotte as incentive for going BM in the toilet. I was very excited to come back to our cabin late one morning to see Charlotte drinking out of her Dora water bottle and then Patrick was kind enough to show me the photo he'd taken of her BM in the toilet. What a Dad. We have not seen a repeat of BM in the toilet, but we're excited that she has done it once!<br />
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Walking across the Mississippi River!<br />
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Our last night at Itasca! Charlotte roasted a marshmallow with Patrick. She enjoyed more than one s'more while at Itasca. Notice the fabulous shirts! These are the traditional Nature of Life shirts that are to be worn with pride. It was very nice of the NOL staff to give shirts to Charlotte and Patrick this year.<br />
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As a result we were able to take this adorable family photo in our cabin. Charlotte was a trooper over the past few days, staying up until after 10 p.m. each night! Today we got home around noon and we all slept for at least 1.5 hours. It's good to be home and, despite being surrounded by a pile of laundry to fold, feeling refreshed!<br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-47528430126745666722012-07-16T20:36:00.002-04:002012-07-16T20:36:34.865-04:00July 16, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFFWRYOlqjAPeEqntkqFzKWi36IIFH4hqKTgG0cVbcKLvAkqu1NbfYnH4i0DfKRLBtvXw6jlLtR2aknx4exOH9M4u1Kv7bHhyphenhyphenRXTpLfKbMqd0ZHhbo3ZFQObXj0BGupet1Cb5YqQfAsKZ/s1600/DoraBoots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFFWRYOlqjAPeEqntkqFzKWi36IIFH4hqKTgG0cVbcKLvAkqu1NbfYnH4i0DfKRLBtvXw6jlLtR2aknx4exOH9M4u1Kv7bHhyphenhyphenRXTpLfKbMqd0ZHhbo3ZFQObXj0BGupet1Cb5YqQfAsKZ/s320/DoraBoots.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Quick post. Charlotte met Dora and Boots at Nickelodean Universe (Mall of America) a couple weeks ago. We made a quick trip to the mall to pick up a few things for a baby shower when all of a sudden she spotted her favorite characters.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">She had no fear and could hardly hold herself back from jumping to the front of the line. By the time it was her turn and Dora turned to wave her over Charlotte was already hugging Boots. In addition to seeing Dora and Boots Charlotte reminded us that she also got to see Backpack and The Map. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-26648499988438559002012-07-15T23:24:00.000-04:002012-07-15T23:30:57.837-04:00July 15, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Summer! We've been loving it. So much so, that the blog continues to be neglected. I was chastised this weekend by my brother-in-law's mother, so this post is for her. :) </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Three weeks ago Patrick traveled to the Badlands of South Dakota to pace a friend, Kurt, who was running a 100 mile race. Kurt and his family of 5 were gracious enough to have Patrick travel with them in their RV and I can only imagine how crowded that was for 4 days. He had a nice time and while he was away imagining crazy things like running the race himself in a few years, Charlotte and I spent the weekend at my parents' house.</span></div>
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Charlotte has grown so much since last year! Here is a link to a blog post with a photo playing in the same spot last year. Her head was about level with the telescope:<br />
http://charlottekrussell.blogspot.com/2011/07/july-4-2011.html<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa Distad have gorgeous flower gardens and here is Charlotte with a bowl of flowers she picked with Grandma.<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa took us to Oxbow Zoo. Grandma introduced Charlotte to the fact that goats eat grass and, as the old adage goes - the grass is always greener on the other side. Despite the green grass available in the goat pen this goat was going nuts for Charlotte's grass. She happily complied and would still be picking grass for the goat if we hadn't pulled her away.<br />
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Break time! Here's a nice photo of Charlotte with Grandma and Grandpa.<br />
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Since this weekend we've been pretty low key. On June 30 Patrick and I enjoyed the Twins tickets he won at a race earlier this spring while Grandma and Grandpa Russell babysat Charlotte. We all had a great time, especially Charlotte. :)<br />
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We've spent quite a bit of time at the park. Here's Charlotte swinging away. We continue to love our neighborhood. This past week we had a neighborhood picnic and the neighborhood association provided live music, a bouncy castle, and a climbing wall. Unfortunately I didn't have our camera with us but brave Charlotte put on the straps to climb the wall but didn't quite make it to the wall. I think she would have given in a try if not for the little boy who started crying on the wall and needed someone to help him down. She got nervous after that - maybe next year!<br />
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We cooled off on the 4th of July with a bike ride to a nearby splash park. Charlotte is much more comfortable in the water and holds her own with the bigger kids this year.<br />
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I thought this was pretty cute. She kept climbing onto Patrick's back while he sat in the pool. <br />
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Last weekend Grandma and Grandpa Distad came to visit and we took in the Mill City Farmer's Market, a tour of the Guthrie, and lunch at Cap's.<br />
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We took a very similar photo of Charlotte in the Guthrie last year and her shoulders met the break between panels. It's so fun to watch her grow: http://charlottekrussell.blogspot.com/2011/08/august-29-2011.html<br />
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Today we had a baby shower for Pat's sister, Kelly. She is having a baby this September and I took a few photos at the shower. Above is a fruit basket carved by Grandma Russell. Thank you Pinterest for models we could draw ideas from!<br />
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And the super cute punch bowl. <br />
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And the super duper cute little girl I brought with me. <br />
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Charlotte enjoyed coloring with markers while we played games. Here she is with Grandma Russell. Charlotte has recently become interested in jewelry and paid Grandma Russell a few compliments this weekend. She likes to touch jewelry, and says things like "I love it" and "that's beautiful" - it's very sweet.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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Aunt Kelly let Charlotte help with a couple gifts and Charlotte loved the bows. She is looking forward to meeting her first cousin, Molly, this September. <br />
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And I still find Charlotte eating to be a beautiful, glorious image. A nice photo to wrap up a blog post.<br />
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Her eating is having a positive impact on all areas of life. On July 3 I took her to her second appointment at the dentist and she has perfect teeth! Last time we were at the dentist they said her teeth were not as worn as they would expect and this was because she wasn't using them. This time, the dentist said she never would have remembered if I hadn't reminded her by asking about how they looked now.<br />
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And, just this past week she tipped the scale at 25 lbs. We got home late tonight and I didn't get a chance to weigh her, but hopefully she continues to maintain this weight and grow steadily. Next week we see our pediatrician for her 3-year well-child visit and to have her growth checked. Hoping for good news!<br />
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Addendum:<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">I forgot to mention that we have eliminated diapers from our daytime routine! She still wears a diaper overnight. Charlotte's new school uses correct terminology for all body parts and bodily functions, so toilet, urine, and BM have become common vocabulary around our house. She has been doing great urinating in the toilet. She seems to be afraid of having a BM in the toilet, so we have the pleasure of cleaning a pair of underwear daily. Let's be honest, when its a big mess, we discard the underwear. It was pretty gross opening up plastic bags of dirty underwear from Charlotte's school, so we implemented a throw-a-way policy.</span><br />
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I purchased Dora water bottle for Charlotte if she takes a BM in the toilet. So far it's not working, but there's always tomorrow...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-43320973961776669762012-06-17T23:07:00.001-04:002012-06-18T06:30:09.151-04:00June 17, 2012We had a lovely 3-day weekend! On Friday we departed home at 7 a.m. for Duluth and our first stop was Chester Bowl so that Patrick could run in one of his favorite spots and Charlotte could play off some energy built up by the car trip.
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Here's a photo of Charlotte after she and I checked out the water running through Chester Bowl. It was a beautiful day in Duluth! Oh how we miss living in Duluth, but we agreed we need to go back in April when it's spring in the Twin Cities and still very much winter in Duluth.<br />
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We braved the Grandma's Marathon traffic and parked at the DECC. It was worth it because moments after we arrived at Bayfront Park we got to see a ship depart the harbor.<br />
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Charlotte ran the Whipper Snapper race! She was pretty pumped to run and we think she is getting close to running without Patrick. He said he put her up on his shoulders so she could see the mascot race, which preceded the Whipper Snapper, and she anxiously scrambled down when the first wave of 4 and under kids took off. She was not about to have a late start!<br />
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We stopped by the Expo to pick up my packet for the half marathon and Charlotte's favorite part was playing in the curtains set up for the pasta feed. We've taken to counting to 3 to get her to do things and this was one time counting to 3 was necessary. I don't know why this works. I rarely have a plan for what to do if she's not complying by the count of 3. Hopefully she doesn't test this anytime soon.<br />
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After packet pick up we enjoyed a pre-race meal and celebrated the eve of my 30th birthday with dinner at Little Angie's Cantina. I don't have any pictures of the race (the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon) because I was running, but it was pretty fabulous. I thought it would be a fun way to spend my 30th birthday and it was! The weather was perfect - cool, partly cloudy, maybe a slight breeze at our backs. Patrick, Kelly, and Pat's parents all made signs that helped keep me going through the last few miles, and it was fun to celebrate with them at the finish. Afterward we went to a new-to-us cafe on Superior Street, Takk for Maten, and I enjoyed lefse with butter and brown sugar - it was delicious.<br />
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After lunch Pat's family departed Duluth and the three of us took naps at UMD. Then, after we enjoyed our annual malt from the Portland Malt Shoppe, we decided to check out the Duluth Children's Museum (pictured above). It was a fun way to get out of the rain and do something new in Duluth!<br />
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This morning the celebration shifted from my birthday to Father's Day! Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there. We had intended to leave Duluth at 10:30 a.m. for a Father's Day lunch in Eau Claire, however, we had car trouble. We were at Tires Plus when it opened at 9 a.m. and despite the staff person's initial concern that they wouldn't be able to fix it until Monday, we were on the road by noon with new brakes!<br />
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Here we are killing time at Caribou while our car was assessed. We were glad we thought to grab crayons and books for Charlotte. </div>
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Then, on a whim we got Charlotte her first hair cut! Here she is after the cut, the stylist only took at most an inch off but it was good practice for Charlotte. She was a bit nervous but she sat on my lap, answered all of the stylists questions, and stayed still for an even cut.<br />
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Shortly thereafter we got the call that our car was ready and we were off to Eau Claire!<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa Russell got Charlotte this great bat and ball. Charlotte may or may not have hit Dad's hands a few times, but she definitely connected with the ball more than once!<br />
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And because I'm always up for celebrating my birthday I was excited to blow out candles! Charlotte helped and to be fair, the cake was for "Katie and the Dads" :).<br />
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It was great to see Charlotte's Great Grandpa and Grandma Mehls even if it did start raining after our arrival prompting a move from the nice deck indoors. I think this is why we didn't get any family photos this gathering! Below are a couple shots of Charlotte playing with Grandpa and Grandma Russell.<br />
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We had a great weekend and I'm walking pretty well although going down stairs/hills is not my favorite thing right now. Patrick just reminded me that tomorrow will probably be the worst day as far as muscle soreness goes...thanks dear.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522429626477247934.post-60188289280175640642012-06-09T23:20:00.001-04:002012-06-09T23:20:39.781-04:00June 9, 2012Charlotte has become quite the animal lover! Memorial Day weekend Charlotte and I visited my parents and after a few hours she petted Kira Bear and even played fetch with her (see photo below).<br />
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The next morning she had almost forgotten her new friendship with Kira and instead wanted to snuggle with Big Gray. Unfortunately Big Gray didn't reciprocate the feeling and eventually hid behind the couch where she couldn't be reached. Baby steps.<br />
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AHH! I got new glasses! </div>
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We recently learned that kids outgrow their glasses in 18 months or less - yikes! We found a great boutique in Uptown called <a href="http://www.kidseyes.com/">Glasses Menagerie</a> and picked up a new pair of frames. At her last eye exam her prescription changed only slightly, but it's nice that she has the latest prescription as well. And the best part - they are transitions lenses!</div>
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Last weekend Patrick set out to run 50 miles at the FANS 12 and 24 hour race around Lake Nokomis. He made it 43 miles before stomach cramps sidelined his efforts and then we all cheered for our friend Sonja who was among the brave (read insane) souls running for 24 hours.<br />
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Charlotte is becoming quite the running fan! Here she is clapping for the runners and saying things like "Go Runners!" and "Yeah Runners!"<br />
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Daddy's biggest fan crashed for her nap about 3 hours into the race. She is such a good napper that she slept for 1.5 hours while people around her cheered for runners.<br />
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After Patrick's finish we went home and cleaned up, played, rested, and ate dinner. Then, after all that, we grabbed DQ on our way back to Lake Nokomis to cheer on those who were STILL RUNNING. The race finished at 8 a.m. and I can only imagine those runners are still sleeping, over a week later.<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa Russell went to Vegas this week and we got their plants to water! Charlotte took primary responsibility for this job as she loves the spray bottle.<br />
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Here is Charlotte walking her dog on the streets of downtown St. Paul (note: her "dog" is a wooden cat on wheels handed down to her by our wonderful neighbor girls). Last night she named her dog Kira Bear (after Grandma and Grandpa Distad's dog) and has insisted upon taking her absolutely everywhere today. This afternoon she renamed, for a brief period, the dog Sandy and she and I replayed the scene from Annie where Annie needs to call Sandy to evade the dog catcher.<br />
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Here's a fun photo to wrap-up the blog post. We love the slippers Charlotte received from Grandma and Grandpa Russell from their trip to Amsterdam. She even wore them today in spite of the 90 degree temps.<br />
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We're going strong on the no tube feeds! We've adjusted easily to needing to stop and eat at mealtimes rather than just hooking her up to her tube and plowing through life. Her weight has been stable and we're hoping she can pack on a few ounces before we see her pediatrician in August.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08561124386100187249noreply@blogger.com0