Not Fair!

I work hard to be in a place of gratitude about things, but sometimes, maybe more often than I care to admit, my not-best-self will react by thinking or saying "that's not fair."  My not-best self notices everything I don't have or compares where I am, what I DO have to others.  Nearly always I know I have so much to be grateful for... that by any standards we are unbelievably fortunate. And that "Comparison is the thief of joy." (Thank you Theodore Roosevelt) But then there's a big tax bill, a vacation delayed, an expensive car repair and, you know, things just don't feel very fair.

Recently that whole fairness thing got turned on it's ear for me.  The short version... a person I work with in Wisconsin knew I was taking Ava to the One Direction concert in Chicago over Labor Day weekend.  And he also knew our seats weren't that great. Through a series of his business connections he was able to get us 9th row (yes, 9th row) seats on the floor for the concert. Sure, there are business reasons for my colleague to do something nice for me, but for me this is a moment of grace. What was already destined to be a fantastic experience for our sweet Ava got made a little richer.

When he called me to tell me he had the tickets I started yammering my thank yous, struggling to find the right words. I said, "there's no way to thank you and I know you don't know what an awesome kid Ava is, but I hope it feels good to know you've played a role in a lifetime memory for her."

I swear I hung up the phone and thought "this isn't fair..." in the most amazing possible way.

Even with all the grace and the sincere belief that these tickets were a done deal, I couldn't bring myself to tell Ava until I was really sure.  So I knew for weeks and didn't spill the beans. There was quite a bit of dithering (on my part) about plane tickets, hotel rooms and the tickets we already had.  Meanwhile Ava was day dreaming about running into Harry at Five Guys and having a REAL CONVERSATION.  Probably about hair care products because they both have a totally crazy salad.

When I got word the tickets were on their way I finally told Ava. She got shaky, teared up and ran to her room to play a little 1D music at top volume.  It is difficult to express how glad I am this unexpected good fortune came our way.  This is really going to be something....

Good-bye Summer

I've got to be honest, I'm not really a summertime person. My Danish blood prefers cool temps and cozy sweaters. Working from home with the kids at home was challenging at times. So, yeah, not so sorry to see the school year upon us. Amelia started school nearly two weeks ago but this weekend was our last official summer weekend before Ava started middle school today.

Kicking off the school year with a bang, Amelia's teachers had in-service on Friday (I honestly think they wanted to give families a week day to go to the Fair, which is fine with me) so Amelia and I headed up to Minneapolis on Thursday so we could take care of my niece Alivia while Betsy and Mack had some much needed adult time. John and Ava stayed behind a day so Ava could go to her open house Thursday night.

Friday morning we took Alivia to day care for a few hours so Amelia and I could enjoy some one on one time. We started with a trip to Starbucks for coffee for me and a hot chocolate (kid temperature please) for Amelia. Amelia loves going to Starbucks. She loves having a to go cup, which is just the funniest quirk to me.

Sometimes Amelia can be a little shy, but she likes to practice using her big voice (her phrase) to order and beat the shyness back a bit.  She ordered her drink, gave her name like a champ and it gave me such a smile to see the go cup with her name on it. Starting those habits early!

After our morning fix we headed off to the magical, wonderful Mall of America.  We were sitting in the parking lot when the mall opened and really being there first thing is very nice. We got Amelia's American Girl doll's ears pierced and bought her a pet dog named Coconut. We walked around a bit, then went to the Lego store for awhile....

After a fairly inexpensive MoA visit our day of indulgences continued with a visit to our favorite fast food restaurant - 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. Maybe it's good theres not a 5 Guys in Iowa, but it is so darn delicious I have to have it every time I find myself in a city that does.

Amelia, with her extra ketchup. She's my girl - can't have enough ketchup!

We picked up Alivia (so stinking cute!) and played for awhile....

John and Ava showed up full of reports from middle school open house.  Gulp. Middle school.

The next morning we spent some time at Lake Nokomis - the girls got their feet wet.....

Ava posted this pic on Instagram, bemoaning the end of summer....

That night John and the girls went to a Twins game while I stayed home with the baby. I kept getting pictures and texts from John through the night - little love notes from my people. Later he described the game as one of the best things of his summer. Look at those happy humans - love them so very much.

After a busy weekend we launched head long into the school year with Ava's first day of middle school. Today's reports were happy, relaxed, positive and I am so very glad. She's an awesome kid and I know she has the resources to navigate these tricky years well. But I also know they won't be without bumps.

I'm more and more aware all the time of how quickly time is passing. After we got the kids on the bus I had to go to the office for awhile, but I was home on time to be here when they walked through the doors, prodding them to tell me about their days and getting them a snack. I couldn't be more grateful for our fun summer days, our family and a job that makes all of this possible.

Iowa State Fair

Saturday morning Amelia's summer baton program culminated in a performance at the Iowa State Fair. Right up front I will confess, I kind of hate the fair.  And in Iowa that is sacrilege. In a state of 3 million people the fair will draw more than a million visitors. But yup, I don't like it. It had been a rough couple of days - John was traveling and we both got hit with a stomach bug that made everything seem hard.

So with that context, Amelia and I set off early Saturday morning for her performance.  She was so excited, which helped temper my ambivalence. Before the show with her friend Julia....

On the Budlight (yes, really) Stage. And I will say, Amelia's new baton studio runs a tight ship.  She has lots of new tricks and she was beaming on stage.... And yes, she is a half a head taller than every other girl in her class.

After the show Amelia and I walked around the fair and I actually had a lot of fun. It was delightful to have some one on one time with the littlest.  We split a peppermint/chocolate ice cream bar at 9:45am, because, why not?  We rode the big slide on a burplap bag. Amelia petted a baby cow....

We walked around the horse barn - cowgirl Amelia....

We rode the skyglinder at looked at all people.....

Before we headed home we split a corn dog and a lemonade, which frankly tasted really good.  Apparently the way to enjoy the fair is with my fabulous youngest, in and out in four hours. Who knew?

All Amelia

On Monday Amelia played in her first golf tournament at the country club. I love that John is introducing the girls to golf - a sport he loves and one they can play their whole lives.  I don't like the fact that for the youth tournament at the club there were 40 boys playing and only 3 girls. (Ava was at a sleep over at a friends house or she would have played). But what that meant for Amelia is that she was the only girl in the 9 and under division so she was playing to win!

On the course!  John said she hit the ball really well and did great with the tournament.

With the other age group winners....

Wednesday was an even bigger day around here.  It was Amelia's first day of school. With Ava starting Middle School in Indianola and me working from home Amelia asked (and we totally supported) to change schools and go to Irving this Fall. It was a hard choice for us, because we love the Downtown School, but logistically it makes so much more sense for her to attend school here in town. Amelia was nervous about her first day, but she did great. One of our neighbors in her class, as is a girl from her soccer team. Transitions can be a bit rough for her, but she's managing this one really well.  A new, back to school outfit helps!

Favorites

Since Ava took possession of my old iPhone there is an unexpected side benefit.  All the photos she takes are shared into my photo stream.  It gives me a little glimpse into her life that is fun to watch. A couple of my recent favorite Ava photos, with one of my own.

On Monday I took the girls to get their hair cut (at least a month past due) and pick out their first day of school outfits.  Amelia starts next Wednesday - Ava's summer break will last until the 18th. Ava has just started to transition from Justice sizes (can I say thank goodness?) into American Eagle and Delia . She only just barely fits into the smallest sizes in those stores, but a whole new world of teen age clothing has opened up to her. On Monday she picked out a pair of shorts from AE, a top and necklace from Delia for the first day of school.  She raced home to change clothes, telling me she felt really pretty in this outfit. 

Then this picture shows up in my photo album.  When did she get to be so grown up??

Not surprisingly the dogs are a favorite photo subject of Ava's...

Ellen on the couch!

Orbit on the couch!

With the calendar turning to August and back to school firmly on my mind, it is hard to believe how quickly this summer has passed. The weather for the past couple of weeks has been glorious, mild for July. It's balloon time again and I was treated to this scene this morning with my coffee...