I guess it's not a giant playground

The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden may look like it's filled with fun jungle gyms, but alas it is not.



I hadn't been here in a long time. We'll be back. It's a fun place.



Spoonbridge and Cherry - from the vantage point one should take a picture. Hey, look, it's the twins. Imagine that!




The view from the little red wagon was pretty good.



I really wonder what they are thinking.
When Roman sees a spoon he keeps his eye on it. That is where the good stuff comes from. Mmm food.



Even though we were on the edge of downtown Minneapolis...
There were duckies!



These definitely are city ducks. No fear.
Daddy thought we should feed them french fries. Why? Ah, an old Qwest aught-4 story...(groan). When we were in Boise, Idaho our hotel was next to a Red Robin Restaurant. It was a nice day, so we walked over and had dinner on the patio. The restaurant was on a pond, and in that pond were ducks. Not ordinary ducks, no sir-ree. These ducks took full advantage of Red Robin's all you can eat french fry promotion. Or maybe it was the patio patrons who took advantage of that. Those ducks LOVED french fries, and it showed. I've never seen such a fat duck in my life. There's probably a joke there, but I'm too tired to figure it out.



We had no french fries for these ducks.
Quack? That's more like it.

I didn't know Google maps did this...But here is the patio we ate on 5 years ago. Ducks are on the lawn.
Scary, just scary.


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Roman: photographer's assistant

Camera?


That calls to me.


Tripod?
Even better.



What's this?



Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!

Hey, the assistant has to entertain the photographer.

Zoe, za za zoom!

It used to be that Roman was noticably more active than Zoe. It's probably still the case, but Miss Zoe doesn't sit still anymore.



She's gotta come check out the camera.
Try to touch the lens. Suck on the wrist strap.



Lucky me, I got some closeups. That's harder and harder to do because you won't sit still! Blurry messes is usually what I get.

Everyone loves a parade

Or do they?
Yes. Of course.

It's been years since I went to a parade. And it was probably the Lumberjack Days parade in Stillwater. And that's the one we visited as a family last Sunday. Grandma Jane came with and we sat in the front yard of one of her friends (Mary - that's easy to remember!)



We had a little time to kill before the parade started. Mary's house is actually on one of the streets leading up to the start of the parade, so we had some floats (Washington County Historical Society, anyone?) staged in front of us.




We had a nice time waiting. Grandma got some quality time with Roman (and you too Zoe!)



Here they come! I'm guessing this was for some martial arts school. Everything and anything seems to be in this parade.


Zoe got some cool shades. Not that she'll actually wear them, but hey...


Michelin man? Stay Puft Marshmallow guy? Am I the only one who confuses these (yes, probably...and probably because they are tangential references for me. I can identify, but only because I've learned what they are. No context for me) [Wikipedia tells me the Stay Puft Marshallow guy is fictional -gasp. Ghostbusters. And that's where I saw it. Didn't I just reference Ghostbusters? Why is this on the top of my brain?!]



Dad liked this. And we all liked another car that I neglected to get a picture of. I did get video though. It was a car with two front ends welded together(that's what Dad said) with two drivers, each facing a different direction. I can't describe it, but it was hard to take your eyes off it because of the way it floated across the road. I don't know if this video captures it, I was a bit mesmerized by it and forgot to move the camera!




Red truck.

Also, there were lots and lots of princess floats. I didn't take pictures. Princess meaning Princess of the city of X, for Y days. Princess Brittany Jessica Swensen from the City of Olafville's Snickerdoodle Days. Yeah, I made that up, but you get the picture.

And they seem to try to differentiate themselves by waving in their own unique way. I didn't know it was possible, but a wave is not just a wave apparently.


Brine's meatball. I think this was before Acapulco came by with bags of chips and salsa (and a bottle of water- ole!).




We needed to wagon to collect all our goodies. I said it was like Halloween. Daddy said it was better than Halloween because the candy came to us. Candy, gum, chips & salsa, meatballs, water, coupons, sunglasses, movie posters...oy! We'll be back.


After two hours (! that's a long parade!), you two were ready for a bottle.

Just call me "Puff Romie"

I've previously mentioned that the twins like to feed themselves. We've been giving them puffed rice. That is the most flavorless, bland cereal! I'm deluding myself that if I keep away the sweetened stuff they won't become little sugar monsters. I don't know why I think this will work. We do eat fruit (and LOVE it). Although I'm sure there is plenty of sugar in fruit, but there's something comforting in that it is part of the actual food, not added.

Roman wastes no time when food is put in front of him. He grabs a handful and tries to shove it in his mouth.






When his high chair tray is empty it doesn't mean he's done. Nope, just sweep it off his face and there's plenty more to shovel in.

at the Sculpture Garden

I thought this one turned out real nice...(better in a larger view)

I'm Popeye the sailor man!

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
I'm strong to the finich
Cause I eats me spinach.
I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

p.s. I gave your dad ample opportunity to use this picture, but I can't stands it no longer. I had to get it on the blog and archived in my "published folder". Don't let anything linger too long for mama. Gotta get er done.

Zoe seems to get her camera face from....

...her mom.
We went down to the Sculpture Garden tonight. More photos to follow.

Ring! Ring!

Mama is letting me play with the phone.



It beeps. It lights up. Just like every other toy we have.
Who should we call, Zoe?


Ghostbusters!

[Ugh, a reference lost on Zoe and Roman, although I suppose your daddy will make sure you are schooled in movies he likes. Oh boy. Don't worry I'll be sure to give you my opinion as well. Your daddy's taste is....different]

In the meantime I'll be sure to check our phone bill to make sure there aren't any calls to Timbuktu.

Yoga Champ, Saturday July 25,2009, our house

I've just recently noticed how Roman is keeping himself balanced in the sitting position. Until recently neither one of them have been very good and keeping themselves upright in the seated position. Lately I've been amused at Romans legs. Looks comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time.




One leg forward, one leg back.
Nice balance.

Feet (and legs) - we're upright

KERPLUNK is now kerplunk

After spending the weekend comforting our unstable twins after they took a couple of spills to the wood floor, we decided a padded mat would probably be a worthwhile investment. So far, it has been. The thuds aren't so loud, and the "ouches" not so bad, although you two still look to mom, dad or grandma for sympathy when you take a tumble. I think too that Zoe still gets stuck when she pulls herself up. She'll stay in the same spot for quite awhile, then she'll start to cry (I can't move! I'm stuck!).

Here's a few minutes of action on the new mat. Like our new primary color palette for the living room? ;)










He goes right for the camera!

Miss Zoe (and Roman) like their veggies

They seem to really actually like peas.

Not sure why, I couldn't sit down and eat them by themselves. It's taken me until I'm adult to enjoy them when they are in something (our catch-all "hotdish").

You two also really like to feed yourselves. I think you prefer it actually.

Happy Saturday.

Dad's working and we're just hanging out at home. We've got some activity tomorrow, so I figured today was a good day to hang around the house. Time for you two to wander around, and today it's mostly been the kitchen. A fascinating place.

One thing I noticed this morning: you have a sixth sense (or just a keen sense of hearing) because anytime one of the doors to a "forbidden" room opens you two are there in a flash. Mom opens the office door to grab something - here comes Roman. "What is this place, and why do they want to keep me out?"

The bathroom is also a destination. Kind of like Hawaii for adults. Small, warm and tropical. There's a beach there too, and the sun shines nicely (it faces East and gets good sun). Huh. If the bathroom is Hawaii, I wonder what the kitchen is. Arizona? Dangers lurk...A dry heat (the stove), some "air conditioning" (the refrigerator) and a doorway that leads to the Grand Canyon (the basement). Where did this come from? I don't know, but it makes me want to go theme-decorate these rooms. Oh boy.

Zoe & Tio Dan

No, we don't really call him Tio Dan, but for our purposes in this moment (blog) he is Tio Dan.

And why not? We took a walk in a park in his neighborhood.


Se habla Español en San Pablo del Oeste.