Atta Girl Charlotte!

You know you're doing something right as a parent when your daughter sits down to a bowl of bran flakes (or raisin bran without raisins, as we call it here) and says, "This is gonna be good!" with a huge smile on her face.

Home Sweet Duluth

 Last weekend we took a four day weekend trip to one of our favorite cities--Duluth, MN!!!  We stayed with some friends and spent some quality time with them, ate at some of our favorite restaurants, stayed at Duluth's indoor waterpark hotel, and went hiking at Gooseberry State Park.  It was a great trip with a good mix of activity and relaxing.  We miss living there!

Hooray, we're in Duluth!

 I'm so excited I'm jumping for joy!

 We were lucky to see a few of the big ships coming in to Duluth.  We didn't get to show Charlotte the lift bridge in action up close though.

 Family of 3 (+1) at the lake.

Charlotte convinced us to get a caramel apple at the (expensive) Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Canal Park.  Yum!

  At the waterpark hotel! A couple of years ago we took her and she HATED it!!!  She wouldn't even dip her feet in the pool and cried whenever we went near the water.

 This time, however, was a completely different story!  We couldn't keep her out of the pool or the activity area!  She must have spent at least 6-8 hours at the waterpark out of  the 24 hours we were at the hotel!

 I think she went down this slide at least one hundred times, and I'm not exaggerating!

 Hanging on a rope swing that makes water come out of a spout.

 

 She and daddy had so much fun!

  

As Mayo employees we get awesome discounts on hotels in MN and across the country.  We stayed in the whirlpool/fireplace suite and paid less than a typical hotel room!  Charlotte thought it was fun to have a bath in the whirlpool while watching cartoons.

 We went up to Gooseberry park for a hike and picnic.  The weather was absolutely perfect.

Uff da, look at that belly getting bigger!

  Daddy and Charlotte looking for agates.

 Charlotte was getting pretty good at identifying agates after a few hours.

I remember learning how to find agates when I was a little girl!

 And of course we had to get some ice cream on our way home.  For supper.

Charlotte's first hot fudge sundae!

Chickmunk

Two other mispronunciations I forgot last post:

grav=grab
chickmunk=chipmunk

Today while hiking on the North Shore at Gooseberry Falls, Charlotte wanted to "grav a chickmunk."  :)

Dinosaur

Grandpa Mark and Charlotte like to play a game involving running away from a meteor.

Charlotte mistakenly thought they were playing a dinosaur chasing game in which they flee from a meat-eater...

Last day of preschool!

Charlotte had her LAST day of preschool last week.  I cannot believe how FAST it went!  I am pretty sure I just posted about her first day of preschool.  Wow.
I took the day off to attend her last day with her, and it was so fun to see her preschool routine and watch her interact with her classmates.  Here are some pictures of her last day.

 Playing the "popcorn game" where the teacher says a pair of rhyming or non-rhyming words.  If they rhyme, the kids all jump up like popcorn.  

 Charlotte's favorite dress-up item, a calico dress.  :)

 Charlotte and her teacher Ms. Kunze in the favorite dress (Charlotte, not Ms. Kunze...).

 Special last day snack ICE CREAM!!!

With a classmate.

 Coloring "My Favorite Memory of Preschool."  Guess what she picked?  The ice cream we had JUST eaten!
 

 

Coloring with her friends.

 Waiting for her preschool "diploma."  Look how big her backpack is compared to her!

 Diploma time with Ms. Diane, one of her teachers.

 Charlotte and Ms. Kunze, her lead teacher.

 Mama and Charlotte!

Goodbye preschool!

Funny Words

I just wanted to document that last few things that Charlotte still can't pronounce--I love those words and hope that she doesn't start saying them correctly anytime soon!

aminal = animal
naybe = maybe
the letter L still doesn't quite come out right, especially at the end of words (like "hill" sounds like she's from the deep south where she just trails off at the end without actually saying the L)
She just recently changed from saying exskept instead of except.  I was sad to see that one go...

Insert foot in mouth

Today a man came to the door selling magazines.  He offered a suggestion for a subscription for me:  Women's Shape.....  I wasn't amused...