Over the River & Through the Woods

The last week has been a bit crazy. I have to honestly admit that it was probably one of the most challenging for me as a mama. After being at Grandma & Grandpa's, home, to the State Fair, home, to Minneapolis, and back home followed by four days of teething and a bit of a cold (that's a lot for one 14-month-old to handle) I felt at my wits end. While Ella is usually very sweet, content, and plays very well on her own, she spent her teething days clinging to me and was constantly fussy. That was a really tough switch for me. I had hoped to get some things done around the house while she caught up on missed naps, but I really only found the energy to sweep the floor and unload the dishwasher. I sat in a daze looking at the treadmill or the pile of laundry to be folded or thinking about the list of things I could be getting done. Alas, everything did get done with Pete's help this weekend (yay for days off!) before our good friends, the Floreks, came for a visit. I'm hoping that since the house is now in fairly good order, I'll have a starting block for this week's projects.

A little catching up is in order. To grandmother's house we go...

I previously mentioned that we spent last weekend at Grandma & Grandpa Olsen's and that Auntie Kristin joined us for what was a super fun and relaxing couple of days. Now that Ella is running around, she kept everyone quite busy and very entertained. Here are a few pictures to recap our weekend.

Can you tell how much Ella enjoys being with her Auntie Kristin? Just look at how she's watching her!

Ooo, my very own ice cream cone? Grandma, you're the best!

On Friday afternoon we all headed out to the little zoo in town. We had a great time saying hi to all the animals but Ella had a bit of a hard time seeing over her tray. We're now happy to say that she can see quite clearly since Grandpa removed the tray during our stay. I've wanted to take it off for so long but never got to it. Just another reason why grandparents are so fantastic!


A close encounter with a goose.


Ella is quite curious about anything electronic, especially when she can see herself.


Corn has jumped to the top of Ella's favorite food list. No scraping it off for this little one. She'll eat it straight off the cob.


Ella loves her Grandma Olsen.


On Saturday we took a trip to the park before lunch. Ella had a great time, but I think that Grandma, Grandpa, and Kristin may have enjoyed it even more. This mama enjoyed sitting on a bench in the shade while watching her little girl get so much lovin' attention.


Ella aboard the little firetruck.


A pretty fun teeter-totter. (I know I'm not the only one who had some teeter-totter-induced accidents as a kid. Good thing they came up with an alternative.)


Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa Olsen and Auntie Kristin for such a fun visit! We're looking forward to doing it again soon!

Love,
mama ang & ella