ever seen a tadpole tantrum?

 sunday afternoon my partner in crime maggie and i, decided that we were going to spend the next day together. we didn't know quite what we wanted to do- but after tossing a couple other options around, we decided to take her adorable 3 yr. old ~whom i still refer to as my dula baby since i was on board when she was born~ and head to the minnesota landscape arboretum.  I hadn't been out there yet this summer- ( which is such a shame- as i live less than 5 miles from this incredible playground for both children and almost grown ups-like me!) you know me- if there is anything cute or interesting to photograph- i will be snapping pictures along the way.

i hadn't had the fun of taking Josie's pictures for quite a while and it was a blast. girlfriend is so hilarious, cute as a bug's ear and animated. she'd pose for me and then dart off to explore whatever captured her attention next.

here is a snippet of the fun that we had on monday. (it may be a lot of photos- but i could have added more-so get a cup of coffee and get settled k.?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

o.k., here's where the hilarious part of the story started to happen.... maggie bent over and let this little green tree frog crawl up on her finger and jos admired it and then even held it for a while (such a brave girl)- then maggie noticed that there were tadpoles in the fountain too! she scooped one up and josie proceeded to try and catch one to hold. she couldn't get a hold of one and it caused a full blown meltdown. the kind only a 2-3 year old is capable of having. it makes me chuckle every time i think about it.

she stood up and stomped to the opposite side of the pond crying and then sat down and looked over her shoulder at her momma and i and screamed "the tadpoles don't LIKE ME"!!!  (maggie and i didn't even try not to laugh- we just  threw back our heads and had a good laugh about it and let her stew a little while before m. headed over to console her and cheer her up). the whole episode lasted about 2 minutes-but will make me smile for a long time.  : D 

 the photo below looks all sweet and precious, but it was the end of the "tadpole tantrum".

      pretty sure jos was doing some meditative deep breathing here- getting her mo-jo back. 
                                                      

                                       it worked!!!    look at this angelic smile!

                                   course i had to get my picture taken with the little honey too~

                           aren't they adorable? Maggie is an amazing mother to this lucky little girl.

                                                                it was pure joy watching this little girl
                                                 discover the wonder of the arboretum for the very first time.

                                     
                                                                                 there's just something so
                                                                        magical about a lazy summer day isn't there?
                                                                                                      xo, beth

 

friday night lights

                    last friday I joined friends for a local rodeo. I LOVE A GOOD OL'  AMERICAN 
                                                                       SMALL TOWN RODEO!!!
                        the 5 of us sashayed up to the concession stand for the obligatory hot dog
                                           before finding our seats and enjoying a fun evening of calf
                                                                   roping and bull riding.

                                       here's us cowgirls lined up ready for fun and below
                                           these two cowboy wanna-be's asked if they could sit with us.
                                                 (dude on the left swore his cowboy gear was in his other pickup truck).

                     the evening ended with a bunch of redneck volunteers going out in the arena
                              to face off against a big bull that had REALLY big horns. there was only
                           a cheap costco tote table between them! it made me squirm...i'm not going
                                           to lie and say it didn't.  that big old bull kicked up dust 
                                                 and rammed into the table a few times
                                                but they all got out unscathed-leaving me
                                                    to wonder if maybe my group should try it next year.

                                                                        yeah right....hahaha~  yeah right

now i'm going to switch gears and put up a few pictures from wednesday

 night at burger moe's, dining and enjoying the music of the dead pigeons.

 

 

i don't remember when I've enjoyed a summer evening as much. this joint is so laid back and cool i felt like i was on vacation. the weather was as perfect as perfect could be and it was the first time hearing the band that friend and old neighbor kid ryan is in. (he's on the left and one heck of a mandolin player) if you get a chance- go hear them play there any wednesday night. easy blue grass music. loved them!

 

 

 

the band had a great old trunk full of free shirts with a hand stenciled logo on them

check out mark sporting his!  :  )

 

(rumor has it that mark was first runner up or second cousin to the homecoming king in high school- he's that kind of nice).

    i told him he looked more medical than groupie to me in his shirt. he's the father

to the handsome mandolin player too.

 

 

this is my friend mary~

 

 

 

baby Jackson, who you've met before pretty much stole the show though and he got

fought over and passed around-that is till he had a large accident that kind of

shut down his popularity with everyone but his grandma and mama for a bit...

 

i went along to the bathroom for the haz mat cleanup that followed... i'm a mother to

three and have never once had to completely strip down a baby and give them a bath like they did to this little fella. as usual he just smiled thru the whole affair. (and as per usual if i'm there, i will document these auspicious occasions.)

 

 

mark and cindy are going to be the grandparents to another little

papoose by fall and here's the proof~

 

hi keely and papa aaron!

 

 

i know that was a lot of pictures but i wanted to get caught up before the weekend and

what will surely be more to come....

 

we're headed north and it sounds like the weather will be so much cooler than the last couple times we've been to the lodge that i'm betting we'll feel like a bonfire and

smores. crazy minnesota weather- last week it was so hot we about melted and now it'll be in the mid 40's here at night.

 

hugs you guys,

xo beth

 

 

 

 

 

late yesterday i took a mini vacation. i loaded my $15 huffy garage sale bike (that really IS
an awesome bike- i don't care how much my youngest- who owns one of those designer babies- laughs at it) i drove to excelsior and hopped on the amazing bike trail that runs alongside lake minnetonka.

i hadn't been pedaling long when i just had the nicest feeling settle over me. it was almost a religious experience.it was warm out and there were no bugs flying as fast as I was flying. off to the side of the trail was the beautiful lake and it was so peaceful.  there is dense woods on both sides of the trail too so occasionally it was dark and mysterious. i had great music playing in my ear and the occasional walker, runner, biker to smile and nod at. and then there were the homes.

* oh my, the homes. for all i knew i could have been far far away on a vacation. it could have been a bike ride in nantucket! you get to see homes along the trail that you'd never see from your car- and there are some beauties.  anyone biking with me probably would have been annoyed by all the stopping to take pictures- so i was glad i was alone this time.    :  )

my destination was the cottagewood general store. it's a throwback to norman rockwell 
days and pretty much the cat's meow in my book. i got there about 8 p.m. so it had just closed and i didn't get to buy an orange crush and sit outside to sip it, but that's o.k.~
next time! in the little village of cottagewood where the store is, the homes are adorable too.
they are quaint and all drapey with flowers and "oh so cottagey". here's some pictures for y'all.

                                                                                check out the rock work on this old beauty!

                                                                       this cute little girl had just closed the store- shucks!

                                                                                 if this was a  b & b  i'd so be reserving a room...

                                                                                         this is one of the marinas on the way

                                                 please take a moment to say "ahhhhhhhhh"  about this amazing tree.

                                              

                                                  
                                               then back in excelsior, this mural is on the side of a shop called artworks

                                              hope you enjoyed kind of being on my bike ride with me.
                                  i came home with my cup not just half full- it was right up to the top.


                                                    i have some pictures from the rodeo too and later this
                                                           week i hope to have a little somethin-somethin to
                                                                   show you of last weekend's wedding celebration.

 
                                                                  right now i'm off to peel peaches and make jam,

                                                                                                      xo, beth

                   p.s. i also want to send a big virtual hug to my dear sister out in the oil fields
                          of north dakota. she and her hubbie are living and working there for
                          the next year or two and today she feels very far away. LOVE YOU sis!!!