Chronicles in Cuteness

Well we've had a great, relaxing, and very cute last few weeks:

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I am home 2 days a week with the kids, so we have made weekly visits to the MN Zoo. A recent discovery and new favorite section is the Family Farm, tucked in one far corner of the zoo. I think it has been there a few years, but we didn't happen upon it until this summer.

They have a large group of pygmy goats that Maren loves to feed.


Luke usually takes the zoo time in the stroller as an excellent opportunity for long naps occasionally waking up for a bottle to gaze at the aquariums.
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Sally and Maren get some special time together each week with their friends Megan and Emmie where they learn all kinds of songs. One of Maren's favorites is about a dingle dangle scare crow. I have not been to story time, but apparently the scare crow song requires a special hat, so multiple times a day Maren commandeers the strainer from our lower kitchen drawer and dubs it her "dingle dangle hat."

We wanted to get one of her performances on tape but she was shy at first.


Eventually she graced the camera with a show.


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We spent the week of the 4th of July up at the cabin which was a fantastically relaxing and fun week with all the cousins. We spent lots of time on the beach. Luke enjoyed getting some rays and reading with Dad.
Maren and Amelia caught up in the shallows.

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We went to the parade on the 4th, complete with all your classic American favorites: fire trucks, floats, drag queens, marching bands, and of course red necks:


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Webster, WI also happens to be home the Burnett County Fair, so we made a visit on our last full day up at the cabin. Maren discovered some baby chicks in the chicken barn that we had to visit at least 5 times before we left.


Double cute.
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Luke is spending more and more time on his feet (with some assistance.)
He's had a rough last couple of weeks as far as the sleeping goes. (Or maybe I should say Mom and Dad have had rough couple weeks.) Not sure if it was the unusual surroundings at the cabin, a growth spurt, his recent vaccinations, or all of the above. Naps are getting a little more regular which makes up for it. (Kind of.)
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Maren has had a couple of funny quips recently. Last week I was trying to dress her in a set of sleepers that she insisted were too big. I told her, "Maren, they're not too big, they're juuust right." To which she promptly responded, "No, they're juuuuust big."

After trying to coax her out of a longer than normal bath that Maren was particularly enjoying, Sally finally told her, "OK Maren--TIME'S UP!" Again, without missing a beat, Maren countered, "No, TIME'S DOWN!"

She's getting too smart, too fast. We're doomed.