North Shore Day Trip

We decided to take Esme to the North Shore.

It's funny because before she was born, we went there all the time.  She'll be 5 years old in less than a month and we've never taken her there.  If I think about it, I would guess that Aaron and I have only been there once since she was born ourselves.  Needless to say, it's past due.

We thought a day trip would be fun so we got up early and started north.

We went straight for Gooseberry Falls.  It's one of our favorite spots.  Then we worked our way back towards Duluth from there.  That meant that we had to drive through Duluth on our way north.  There are several tunnels that you have to drive through in the city of Duluth.  Esme loves tunnels and loves trying to hold her breath through them.

That's a lot of breath holding!  My question is, how do those tunnels and that whole area not fill up with snow in the winter?  It seems to me like the whole thing would have to shut down.  But I digress...

Gooseberry Falls...

Some of the areas made me nervous.  Esme was crawling on the rocks and getting very close to the river, which was rushing by the way.  Aaron was much calmer about it than I was.  Then I saw this sign that made me feel so much better (insert sarcasm here).  The good news is that Esme is good at following written rules so then she stayed a little closer once I read it to her.

See!  Rushing water!  I know it looks like it might not be rushing, but believe me, it is!

After we safely left the falls, we headed south towards Two Harbors.  We walked around the water's edge for awhile.  Aaron tried to teach Esme to skip rocks.  If she's anything like me, that's a hopeless endeavor.

We even built a cairn.

 After that we hung out in Duluth for awhile.  I didn't have my camera, so no pictures.  We sat by the lake for quite awhile while Esme climbed around on the rocks.  Then we headed home.  As you can see, Esme was pooped.

We will definitely be going back again for a longer visit.  Esme is truly our child, because she loved it as much as we did. :)

Frozen 3D

When the Disney movie Frozen came out, my mom and I took Esme.  She loved it!  Since I wasn't sure how she would do with 3D, we just went to the regular show.  Afterward, when we talked to Esme about it, she said she would like to see it in 3D.  I happen to love 3D and think every single movie ever should be in 3D, so I was more than willing to take her again.  This time Aaron decided to come too.

Esme did great.  I was nervous that maybe when the snow monster scene came, that she would be more scared since he would be coming more out at her, but she did great.

Excuse the second grainy picture.  Hard to get a picture without using your flash in a movie theater. :)

You may be wondering about Esme's hair.  As usual, she likes to pick out her own things, and this is how she wanted her hair done.  

Pigtails, with a head band and 5 barrettes.  The blue flower had to be exactly in the center.  This child.  She's either going to be some fashion hero (in my head this means Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink) or she's going to be a huge fashion hiccup.  As I always say, I don't worry too much about it now.  She thinks she looks beautiful, and it's her opinion that matters most in that.

BTW - I want to go see Frozen again, in 3D.  And I want all television/movies to be in 3D.  The end.

Colors

Esme got some new fingernail polish from Mamoo and Papa for Christmas and was so excited to paint her nails today.  She wanted one color on each nail, so that is what we did.

Here are the results!  Pink, blue, green, orange and purple.  You can't get much better than that.

Today I went back to the Occasional Stores in Buffalo.  Yesterday when I went I was looking for something for the right side of the fireplace.  I didn't find anything really that I liked.  Then last night, Aaron suggested getting something to put behind the sectional on the side nearest the kitchen.  There were a couple of pieces that I saw yesterday that I thought might work, but they didn't.  I did get a very nice tray to put on our ottoman though.

 Perfect for doing puzzles!

Please ignore the mess in my living room, but this side of the couch is now the spot I'm looking to fill.  I'm planning on going to the occasional shops in Anoka this weekend, so maybe I will find something there!  And something for the naked corner!

Busy Day

Today was busy.  It started off with a play date for me! :)  My friend, Kelly, and I went to the Occasional Shops in Buffalo.  I was looking for a few things and found even more...  Yikes and Yaayyy!

We rearranged our living room lately because we got a new sectional sofa.  The television used to be on the right side of the fireplace and we had this old red sofa that was falling apart.  Aaron saw a sectional that was on sale Black Friday and I went and got it.  I absolutely hate Black Friday shopping, but this wasn't too bad.  The store opened at 8:30 so I didn't have to get up too early and it's right across the parking lot from a Starbucks.  So that's good.

Here is the new sofa.

As you can see, we have a huge naked spot to the right of the fireplace.  That is what I was on the search for.  I found something that I loved, but it might have been too tall and it surely was too expensive. $500.  But beautiful!

So needless to say, I still have a naked spot.  For now.

One thing that I was really excited to find was a sign for my stairwell.  I have wanted to put something up there for a long time, but I couldn't find anything that I like.  I thought I may want a saying.  But everything that I saw was super kitchy.  "Home is where the heart is", "Home Sweet Home", "Gag me with a spoon!" - sorry, flashback to my 80's self.

I kind of wanted something to do with reading, so I even looked online for something and just never really saw what I was looking for.  Today we were in our last store before going home and I had to use the restroom.  And as luck would have it, there was just exactly what I was looking for - in the bathroom.  Go figure.  So I guess I have Mother Nature to thank for this - 

Just the simple alphabet.  Perfect!

Sorry for the poor image quality.  The light from the windows is more than my little iPhone can do.  I also got a old stained glass window to hang from the upper window and I'm going to retrim these windows soon so the whole thing will look even better soon!

After I got home, Esme's friend Emily came over for a play date.  They had a great time and dressed up as princesses for dinner.

After Emily left, Esme fell right asleep on the couch.  Shortly, I plan on being asleep too!

What a great day!

Cinderella - Yuck... What???

Tonight Esme, Mamoo and I went to Cinderella at the Children's Theater.  Esme had a great time there when we went to see Charlotte's Web so I was excited to take her back.

Here she is before the show.  (BTW - she made that headband!)

The show was definitely a disappointment.  I had heard from one of my friends that they didn't really like it, but everyone else had raved about it.  I say it was 2 stars out of 5.

First of all, the story is more about the stepmom and stepsisters than Cinderella.  Second of all, it was more of a comedy than anything.  The stepsisters are drag queens which I have no trouble with at all. But there were a ton of jokes and I would say that 90% of them went over Esme's head.  None of them were particularly inappropriate for kids.  Esme just didn't get them.  For example, one of the step sisters throws something to the other one and completely misses.  Insert a joke about Christian Ponder.  

Secondly, between every single act, actors dressed as Dickens era characters did a little scene while the stage was changed behind the curtain.  Since the stepsisters looked like this

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You can see where the Dickens thing doesn't make sense because they looked like this.  Um, what?

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In my opinion, it was very disjointed.

Esme was excited to see the pumpkin turn into a carriage and Cinderella turn into a princess (which was beautiful)

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but she just watched the rest of it in a kind of detached way.  When I asked her what her favorite part was, she said that it was when Cinderella and the prince got married.  When I asked her least favorite part, she said when Cinderella was locked in the closet when they come looking for the girl whose foot fits in the glass slipper.  I don't think the rest of it even registered to her.

I know there are theatrical adaptations to every story and I may not enjoy every one.  This is that one.  Although, I have to say, there was not an empty seat in the theater.  So I must be in the minority.  But if I had to do it over again, I would sit this one out.

Play date with Josie

We love our neighborhood.  We love the location, the fact that there's a bike path that goes by the Crow River right by our house.  We can walk to parks, and have friends in the neighborhood and we have nice neighbors.  But the one thing we hate is that there aren't really any little girls in our area.  There are two boys next door that Esme loves.  But behind us, across the street from us and on the other side of us from the boys are all older people with grown up kids.  So if the boys next door are busy, there is no one to just run outside and play with.

Josie is a girl who lives a block or so away from our house.  She is a little oder than Esme and they have met a couple of times.  Out of the blue, I decided to call and ask if it would be ok if Josie came over for a play date.  Luckily, she was free!

Oh my gosh did these girls have fun.  Right away they were outside sledding down the hill and playing in the snow.  Then they came in and decided to have a party and set up for it.  They made invitations, decorated and had food.  They set the table and played music.  It was super fun!

Esme playing music for the guests

Great conversation!

Here is a close up of the beautiful table.

Afterwards they were excited to watch The Little Mermaid together.

As we walked Josie home, she and Esme were inviting each other to their upcoming birthday parties. They're both in the summer.  At one point I heard Josie say that her imaginary friend was going to look just like Esme and was going to have the same name as Esme. :)  How cute is that?  After we got home, Esme asked if she could invite Josie over every single day.

I'm so excited that she may have a little girlfriend in the neighborhood finally!

Christmas Day

Esme got the thing she wanted most from Santa this year.  A "Real Surprise Baby".  It's today's iteration of the baby that eats and drinks and poops and pees.  Yaayyy for those of us (that would be me) who get to change baby's diapers and make sure she's cleaned out so the food doesn't crust up and get gross.  Oh yeah, I now have to buy doll food and doll diapers too.  Ugh...

But Esme loves her and named her Elizabeth.

The surprise that Esme wasn't expecting, but loves is the make up box that Santa brought her.  It's a box with make up brushes and some pressed powder, lip gloss and very light pink blush and eye shadow.

She is having so much fun putting makeup on everyone.  She has a lot to learn though because she puts the eyeshadow on everyone's fingernails and says that she's "sparkling them". :)

After she opened presents we got ready for company.  Esme wanted to have brunch at our house.  So Mamoo and Papa, Grandma Barb and Grandpa Dan, and Eric and Nicole came over.  It was really fun!

Merry Christmas!