Wednesday with Willa

Today's adventures started at 6:02 AM and went non-stop until 8:25 PM when I turned out the light and closed the bedroom door...excuse me, HER bedroom door. There was a nap in between.

The playground at the zoo  this morning.

She requested this playground.

She is climbing down, not up.

She had 3 different groups of kids to 

play-with/entertain/boss-around.

After nap we made cards.

She is holding her card creation.

Grandpa helped her make the inside of her card.

We can't show you the other cards

'cause they are a surprise.

These are just SOME of the kinds of things we used.

Miss Willa has her own initial stamp. (Las Vegas-ABC Store)

Then it was outside to the pool.

And dance lessons with G'Pa on a rug in the garage.

Step to the left. Step to the right.

She helped empty the pool by filling the big pail 

and watering the flowers and garden.

Then tonight her first attempt with a scissors, I think.

She did alright for the first time. She is an undecided

left-handed or right-handed. Next time we will try with a

plastic scissors that does not open so hard.

She goes home tomorrow.

I will apologize here for all the attention she will 'demand'.

Sorry...but the attention was the intent of her stay. There will 

come the day when she does not care to stay with us or

she will be so busy with summer activities and friends she

won't want to. We'll do the same with our grandson in a 

year or two. Thanks, kids!

Miss Willa's Tuesday Adventure

When you get up around 6:00 AM, there is a lot of day to fill...especially if you are 3 years old and full of energy, good energy.

We start the early mornings with some TV time. Breakfast about 8:00. Then some together play time. Today at 10:00 we went to the store looking for something special to help fill the summer hours at our house. It took two shopping stops but we found the perfect thing. More on that later.

We found a new playground on the way home from shopping.

We thought it was the perfect size for Miss Willa. She climbed up, went down the biggest slide and got her butt wet from a puddle of water on the slide. Which made her think of having to go potty. We drove home (2 blocks) went potty and returned to the playground, with comfy lawn chairs for G'pa & G'ma and time to kill before lunch. Miss W decided the playground wasn't as much fun when there aren't other kids to play with.

Pretty cool to have a slide made for climbing up, not down.

The one thing she REALLY wanted to do was the monkey bars, you know, moving hand over hand, above the ground. So we did try the bars.

It was OK while G'ma was holding her up and trying to take a photo, but...

when I let go and said hold on....this was the expression I got. She did not drop. We did support her while she crossed the bars.

She survived the solo playground experience.


Then it was home for lunch and a nap. After the nap...

it was time to play in her NEW backyard water pool.

 The sun was very bright and hurting her eyes, so she wore one of my visors for awhile.

OK. It is far more fun to carry water and water the bird bath...

and the garden...

and the sidewalk and driveway.

We got our money's worth today. G'pa climbed in and finally she sat long enough to to make the purchase worth it. It was a pretty good deal, 50% off original price.

Then we had to find the sidewalk chalk that she remembered from her last visit.

A fun and entertaining afternoon. We are ready to do it again tomorrow!

Two Birds with One Stone

SD/AZ friends have a place at Lake Traverse in the northeastern part of the state. There are also quite a few geocaches between here and there. So a visit to Jerry & Linda's earlier this month also netted 18 more smileys on our geocaching map. Thus, two birds with one stone.

We enjoyed our visit and a fabulous meal of fresh walleye. A bonus to the afternoon at Lake Traverse was the birds visiting the bird feeders. 

Lake Traverse

It has some interesting details  

Female orioles

Female & male gold finch

A hummingbird stopped by

A male oriole

A splash of color in the tree

Another glacial lake in northeast South Dakota

Remember This?

Hey, Daughter Dear...Remember This?

You spent many afternoons and evenings hanging around the 

area where this plane is located.

Do you know where it is?

Does this help?

We watched your dad throw many pitches from that mound.

You would not recognize the baseball park as it has been

renovated and looks great.

You can no longer park your car along the fence and watch the game.

Just look at the seating they now have!

No more dugouts, either.

Baseball is still king in Lake Norden!

The airplane is still there, but is now a part of a bigger memorial.

A Veteran's Memorial Park is next to the baseball field.

It has been years since we stopped by the Lake Norden

baseball field. What a pleasant surprise to see all the changes!

We spent a lot of summer afternoons and evenings at that

baseball field in the late 1970s. I am glad a geocache brought us back 

for a visit...a less stressful visit I might add! I sweated and worried

through every inning he pitched. I worked almost as hard

as he did! 

4th of July Fun

Traditions. That is what holidays are all about. And because we are not near family for Christmas, the 4th of July has become a family tradition, of sorts. For seven years we have been invited to share the holiday with our son's in-laws. The in-laws have had their own tradition of inviting family to their lakeside home for many, MANY years. We appreciate being included in their family event. I am sharing photos taken by Kirsten, a younger member of that family. She posted them on FB, but most of you would not have seen them, so I am reposting here.

We spent several afternoon hours sitting in the shade, at the edge of the lake, watching people in the water. I would much rather watch someone in the water than actually be in the water. 

Marek & Mommy checking out the water

Daddy snoozing after working two jobs the day before

Marek getting a little G'Pa time

Miss Willa loves the water

Me...keeping an eagle eye on everyone in the water

Someone has to worry.

The evening was spent with our friends at the other lake.

We have been joining them for 4th of July dinner and

the fireworks show around the lake for maybe 25 years.

If we are in town for the 4th, that is our tradition...

a day at the lake, but not getting wet, and enjoying great food,

family and friends and a magnificent fireworks display

celebrating America's B-Day.