fairly nuts...

State Fair, Trip # 2 (because it's never the same day twice)

Don't buy two orders of anything, let alone Cheese Curds. Even if you are eating them for breakfast with a Pronto Pup. (clearly this employee can't wait for the fair to be over, or else she is just camera shy. Charlie is thrilled to have his picture taken, as well.)

Do support the global economy by shopping at the International Bazaar. (I bought so much stuff from this family they invited me to come and stay with them at their home in Guatemala):

See something you haven't visited before-this year we checked out the Pioneer cabin, and Charlie mailed a letter to his grandparents from the post office inside. (and why did the Post Mistress have to be in a cage?)

Bypass the long line for the River Ride (you'll just get wet, anyway) and head to the Pirate Shootout!Visit the Cow Barn, if just to marvel at the architecture (but the Brown Swiss are pretty wonderful too).

And visit the Llamas (we even got to see them decide on Best In Show!)

Do let your weapons obsessed 10 year old (and hubby) play the shooting game on the Midway:

Don't let him hold up the carnie when he doesn't win:

Enjoy the view from the top of the Ferris Wheel, and feel the nice breeze blowing over Falcon Heights:

But mostly, just appreciate being together as a family, (while your 10 year old still wants to hang out with you).

fairly fun !

State Fair Survival Tips

Do visit the Scarecrow contest in the Agriculture building:

And watch the honey bees work, and try the Honey Ice cream. mmmmTake time to stop and smell the lilies at the International Bazaar:Get lots of napkins with your Fudge Puppies:Rest every now and then, and just watch the clouds go by:Savor your favorite flavors: ( I HAVE to figure out how to make Walleye Cakes for myself!)Don't forget to look up!The Creative Activities building is a must-see; the quilts! the jewelry! the cakes!And the most important tip of all, know when it's time to call it a day:More State Fair memories tomorrow, Charlie and I went again on Friday with Mike, and it was a completely different adventure!

not enough hours

It's been one of those weeks.

Where I am trying to pack too much stuff into days and some things have to fall by the wayside. Like writing my blog, or doing laundry.

We just had a little get together last night to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of our dear friends Mike and Tracy Lane. The torrential rain held off until we were all safely inside, enjoying wedding cake. Thank you, weather gods. Here is a glimpse of the night, more pics and recipes to be posted at a later date:

Before I get going on all of those dirty dishes, and head to our bank in downtown St. Paul so I can avoid it next week during the big convention, here are some pics from our trip to the fair with Heather and Riley last Friday.

Arriving at 9 am:

The same street, leaving at 4 pm:I have found that people rarely have mixed emotions about the fair, you either love it, or hate it. I am on the loving it side. In fact, I believe we are headed back there tomorrow.

I go for the Turkey Sandwiches, with a cold glass of all-you-can-drink milk.And the bunnies. I love the bunnies. There were even some for sale, but I don't think Claude would appreciate one for a companion.And the great photo ops. They are clearly not too happy that contrary to the giant sign on top of the Icee stand, they only had two flavors to choose from.

If I plan on getting to the fair, I better get that laundry done...

how to fit it all in?

Whenever my sis arrives, it does not matter if it is just a weekend, or an extended visit. The minute her car parks outside my house, time speeds up and the clocks move too fast.

It was a whirlwind adventure, and we packed as much fun as we could into each day. Swimming at Cascade Bay as well as Highland Pool, checking out the Star Wars exhibit and all of the fun the Science Museum had to offer, trips to Trader Joes and the Farmer's Market, and of course, topping it all off with the fair. This worn out body of mine couldn't have handled much more!

Since it took several days to make all of these memories, I will need to spread the blogging out over several days too.

My nephew Riley was SO EXCITED to see the Star Wars exhibit. And being true to my nature, we were up and ready and at the Science Museum in plenty of time. Riley and Charlie were the very first people to walk through the doors that day! Sadly, no prizes were given out for punctuality. I keep waiting.

Yoda was happy to see us, as were C3PO and R2D2.

We checked out available men for Heather (not bad, looks like the quiet type...)

Might be a lot to clean up after, but would be nice for all of those heavy lifting projects:

Hey, he could be programmed! But not much good to cuddle up with in January.

So we abandoned that idea, and decided to just focus on having fun with our young men. We learned about light:Studied geography:

Or was it opera?

And rescued the boys from prehistoric beasts:

Nothing like getting a little education to go with your vacation.

hiatus

Taking a break from blogging for the next few days, my sweet sis and her son are coming to town for their annual August visit. I will have tales to tell of Cascade Bay, the Science Museum, and of course the State Fair! And good food, and nights spent under the stars, and having fun with our boys.

See you next week.

market day

If asked to name one of my ten favorite places in the world, the St. Paul Farmer's Market would definitely be on my list. Especially in August, when the tables are just groaning with the bounty and variety of the gardens and orchards. And I prefer it over the Minneapolis Market, as the St. Paul market only sells locally produced items in season.

I haven't made it to the market as much as I like to this summer, usually it is just Charlie and I on Sunday mornings, and he does not have much enthusiasm for a market trip these days. When he was little, he used to love it. Just another sign of the approaching teenage years, I guess.

Charlie and Mike headed out early to the National Motocross event (just as spectators), so I was able to have a date with myself at the market.

Oh what a wonderful time! Sadly, I couldn't carry a camera AND all of my purchases, but I did take pics when I got home of my selections. Warning: you may get hungry.

I treated myself to a fresh bouquet-just $5.00!I stocked up on scallions, garlic, Walla Walla onions, and shallots. Just perfect for fall cooking.I nearly do a little dance when I see that the apples are out, as I know my favorite orchard will be selling these pears. They are unbelievably yummy.

Nothing tastes better than a fresh carrot, unless it is crisp green beans that have been lightly steamed, buttered, salted, and squirted with a little lemon juice.And then there are the tomatoes! Oh, groan, I love them so. The romas are destined for a batch of Sun Dried Tomato Pasta, while the Big Boys are headed into a bowl of Black Bean Salsa.And you can't leave the Farmer's Market in August without corn. I picked Bicolor-which is my favorite. In a few weeks I will buy extra and freeze it to use in Corn Chowder this fall.

If you have ever had a locally grown cantelope, you know what I mean when I say that the flavor far surpasses any melon you buy at the grocery store. The same is true for raspberries, which are like biting into a juicy little piece of heaven. These are going on top of frozen vanilla yogurt for dessert tonight. And if I can hide some, the rest will go on my cereal in the morning.Baby potatoes, destined to end up in Tuscan Potato Salad, with perhaps some grilled walleye fillets.And lastly, one of my many vices. Bread. I think these will go well with the Sun Dried Tomato Pasta salad (and a nice glass of Old Vin Red).

Told you there was a chance you would get hungry....

before, and after

After finding that picture of Charlie cooking eggs when he was small, I found a chance to snap one today, as he was cooking eggs again. It also provides an excellent before and after of the kitchen remodel!

before: (yes, he is standing on a stool)

after: (no, he is NOT standing on a stool).

Sorry for the bad lighting, but you get the idea. I was ina hurry. He liked having his picture taken much more when he was four.

More before and after shots to come, we are really close to being finished!

time flies, part VI

Haven't blogged much this summer about time flying in the life my 10 year old, but it hit me smack in the face yesterday. Or rather, my nose.


I had been gone all morning and when I returned Charlie's friend Noah was here to play. Noah has been gone most of the summer with his family on a road trip (view their adventure, here:


http://web.me.com/caheids/Summer_2008_/Welcome.html ) and they were having a blast.


(Welcome home Heiders!)



After lunch, he pulled me aside with a big smile on his face, and a new look in his eye that I had not seen before. "Well mom, something happened to me today. I'm not a kid anymore, I'm a man."


And he lifted his arm, and the aroma wafting from underneath it was definitely not that of a child. "Mom, I'm gonna need some deoderant."



So I went into my personal drugstore stash (hey, you never know) and got him his very own stick. Showed him how to put it on, gave him a hug, and sent him out the door.



He's only 10 ! Okay, I know he is almost 11, and kids bodies are maturing faster these days, but I'M NOT READY. And then last night, he told me that was going to be the last time he would need me to come and hug him before he went to sleep, as "Mom, I'm not a kid anymore". gulp. sob. Where did these nights go?

I fondly remember the sandbox days:
Learning to read:
Footed pajamas, and learning how to cook (old kitchen pic alert):
Now, I suppose if he read my blog, he would be completely embarrassed by the fact that I am even talking about this. But he doesn't, and hey, it's my journal. But if you happen to see him, let's just keep this between ourselves.

at least nine...

...lives, that is.

Claude is one of those cats who can really survive anything. You already know about his broken leg, and kidney infection, and hyperthyroidism that we have been battling this summer. He is really doing great-even if his leg healed a little crooked. Kidneys are back in shape, he is eating normally again, life is good.

While Charlie and I were off enjoying our Wisconsin weekend, Mike accidentally bumped one of the knobs on our gas stove on his way out the door Saturday. Charlie and I arrived home Sunday afternoon to a house filled with that nasty aroma that instantly signals terror and panic in your brain.

I grabbed Claude and brought him outside, then opened all the windows. I think the only thing that saved him was that one of our smaller windows in the kitchen was still open, and allowed a space for at least some of the gas to escape.

So the three of us spent the rest of the day outside, waiting for the house to air out. When I felt it was safe, I turned on fans throughout to help get rid of the nasty air. It worked really well, by the time Mike arrived home later that evening things were nearly back to normal.

Wouldn't it have been horrible, after all that poor cat has been through, to get gassed?

I wonder how many lives he has left...

olympic dreams

Adore the Olympics, always have. Charlie and I have been watching it every night, until late. That's okay, he can sleep in.

My favorite part is the individual stories of athletes, and how they got there. Bravery, courage, determination, sacrifice.

The story of Michael Phelps, and his mom, kind of brought me up short. His coach came to his mom when he was 11 years old, and said "Your son could be an Olympic athlete." I can't imagine what you would do with that. Charlie turns 11 in October. What would I say? And unlike Michael Phelps mom, I am not a single parent trying to raise three children.

So this year I watch it with fresh eyes. If there was something that Charlie really excelled at, and wanted to do, now would be the time to get it in gear. I told him that, and he looked at me, with a gleam in his eye, and said, "Well, how about Shooting?"

You won't see that as a featured event at night. Those poor athletes get no respect.But hey, when he won his gold medal, I wouldn't have a camera in my face looking for my reaction. And that would be a good thing. Go for it Charlie!