Children's Museum of SD

Last weekend we took a road trip to the children's museum in Brookings. We shopped in Sioux Falls on Friday, got a hotel room for the night and went swimming, spent Saturday at the museum, ate at Carnaval Brazilian Grill (where we'd never been before, yummy!) on Saturday night, and then went home and slept in our own beds that night!

Grocery shopping...

Learning about crops and how they make it to our stores...

Gathering eggs...

Irelynn doing some Native American dancing. It was at the museum that we noticed she was really starting to take lots of steps...

Learning about buildings and earthquakes...

Gracie showing off how brave she is in front of the T-Rex...
Playing outside with water. Will the water flow faster through the rocks or the sand???

This cracked us up! Irelynn just lounging in her stroller...

Postwoman Gracie (this was Gracie's favorite place to play)...

Ella making Dad a sandwich in the cafe...

Irelynn found a comfy spot to read...

Putting on a show...

Can you see them on the TV screen???

Irelynn making a new friend...

Good times at the museum...

Painting on the window (the spray bottle was Ella's favorite)...

Climbing...

Fixing a car...

Ella's Preschool Graduation

I'm behind on my blogging! On May 12th Ella graduated from pre-school. It was her first year, and she'll go again next year since she'll be 4 this summer. In the picture below, Ella is third from the right (with the red hat)...

Receiving her diploma from Mrs. Brandt...

Our graduate...

Letting their balloons go...

Shining Stars Pre-School class of 2011 (Ella is front row, center)...

With her teacher...

Summer So Far

I have no photographic evidence yet, but Irelynn started walking last weekend. She is wobbly, and falls often, but she is definitely walking! She's still crawling too. Her mode of transportation depends on how quickly she wants to get where she's going and whether she's wearing shorts or pants in combination with what type of surface we're dealing with.

Summer activities are underway. Softball started yesterday morning for Gracie, and swim team starts for Gracie and Ella very soon. Several days have us at swim team meets from morning to early afternoon and softball games later that same afternoon.

Last weekend we took a trip to The Children's Museum of South Dakota in Brookings. A very fun place with lots to do. I have a million pictures from the museum, but they haven't made it off my camera yet. We also got to have an impromptu dinner with some friends who we don't get a chance to see often.

Gracie is enjoying being able to go along when we have lunch dates with Mark. She missed out on those during the school year! We've also spent lots of time outside and at the park.

It's shaping up to be the busiest summer we've had, but hopefully lots of fun too.

"I'm A First Grader!"

This morning Gracie graduated from Kindergarten. Seems like only yesterday I was dropping her off for her first day... Cliche, but so true. Here she is walking in...

Introducing herself and then signing her name, here she's on "c"...

Receiving her diploma...

Her whole class (Gracie is in the back row, fourth from the right)...

Gracie and her teacher, Mrs. Kocmich...

Her gift from her teacher, two Junie B. Jones books...

Gracie's First Track Meet

Gracie had her first track meet today. It took place after graduation this morning, and she participated in the 50 meter dash and the softball throw. She is in the red t-shirt and grey shorts...

In the City

Gracie's spring dance recital...

Gracie is second from the right in these last two...