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A Cake for Mama

Thank you, to my little monkeys, to Mike, and to all of you...for reminding me how very lucky (and loved) I am. I think 35 is going to be a very good year.

Tiny Trip

Last week, at the end of Eva's Spring Break from school, Mike took Thursday and Friday off, and the Pauluses hit the road. We headed south (a whole hour away!) to Wabasha/Kellog, MN to visit a toy store, called LARK Toys, we've been wanting to visit pretty much since Eva was born. From there, we continued back north to my parents' house for some quality Grammy and Grampa time before heading back to Eau Claire (and reality.)

Looking back over our "simple" four-day trip, I am just astounded at how many things we managed squeeze in...and that everything went so well! In fact, the kids were so pleasant during our trip that Mike and I are considering taking a four-day vacation every week...

On to the pictures!
In four days we...

Visited the site of Laura Ingalls Wilder's birth

Arrived at LARK Toys, and posed for pictures before even setting foot inside the building

Played around for a while, looking at all the toys

Noticed the llamas who live at the toy store(!)

Then got a closer look

Picked out which toys to buy with spending money from Mike's parents (Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!) Eva chose a cute ladybug doll

Sully COULD NOT GO ON without this helmet and a plastic garbage truck (which he managed to break before we even got out of the parking lot...)

Rode a carousel (inside the toy store!!)

Stayed at a hotel for the first time as a family (probably Eva's favorite part of the whole trip) (We also went swimming and had the whole pool area to ourselves!)

Played in a room full of trampolines at Sky Zone with cousins Sebastian and Eliza

Took Eva to see a movie in the theater for the first time (The Secret World of Arrietty) (Perfect "first movie" choice)

Spent some time at a nature center

And met a cockatoo (named Reggie)

Whew!

And now (if you've read this far) today is my birthday. So Happy Birthday to ME! Wheee!

Whew!

We took a mini-trip over Spring Break. There are a LOT of pictures to sort through. Please bear with me...

So Very Fancy

Yesterday, our library hosted a Fancy Nancy Tea Party for the elegantly-inclined kiddos in our city, and (of course) little Ms. Eva and I were among the first signed up...which meant (of course) that her little brother started puking just in time to ruin our plans.

However, my angel of a friend, Sarah, stepped in and saved the day: she agreed to accompany a very fancy Evie to the very fancy tea party. And, because she's so wonderful, Sarah took many many pictures of the afternoon, so I can look at them and pretend I was there.

Thank you, Sarah. You have no idea how happy you made Eva...and me!

Spring Break

Eva's home from school this week, and Sully couldn't be more excited. He keeps telling me, "Evie's staying home with me! All day!"

Fun at Grandma and Grandpa's

Writing Another Book:

(I taught Eva how to look up words in the dictionary...)

Happy to Be Back at the Playground:

Lucky Bug

Some of my old college roommates visited last weekend...one of them works for a construction company, and she just happened to bring along an extra hard hat for a certain Bob the Builder lover.

Thank you so much, Karen! Sully LOVES his "Bob Hat."

Trouble.

(Thank you to our friends the Rasmussens for hosting the first cookout of the season last Sunday. Sully would like to come back, you guys. Now.)