Theater Show

Johanna and I went to our first Theater Show together.  It was Shrek at the Grand Opera house.  She was very excited and for some reason insisted on bringing her little bear.  She did very well at the show, especially considering it started at 7:30pm and we got home at 10:30pm.  My favorite was Donkey and hers was Fiona.  She asked lots of questions about the theater like the lights, speakers, sound board, and the orchestra.  We decided to dress up and Johanna made a comment about the people behind us - "They are not dressed nice."  (Eek!)  I explained that it is just our tradition and other families have other traditions.  Next time she wants to try sitting in the balcony!

Sheboygan WI Vacation 2017

We decided to vacation in Sheboygan again since it worked so well when we went with Johanna at age 2.  We made a quick stop in Madison at the zoo but it was crazy busy so we headed on to Sheboygan and got some much anticipated ice cream before a walk along the lake.

Quote of the Day:  "Are we in Madison?" No, Johanna.  We did not arrive in Madison after the short trip down the hill from our house to stop at Hy-Vee to get some coffee.  

Lesson of the Day:  Do not trust a 4 year old's judgement on whether or not she needs a coat or you will end up the one who is cold.

We stayed in a condo at the Blue Harbor Resort again and enjoyed the walks by the lake.

We visited Story Book Gardens and the kids really enjoyed playing in all the areas.  Walter struggled a bit, throwing tantrums anytime we moved from one spot to another.  He really enjoyed that bus though - especially closing the door on Mom or Dad as he is doing in the picture below.  I am not sure Johanna had a favorite, she seems to enjoy it all!

Johanna and Tony enjoyed a little mini golf during Walter's nap.

The kids REALLY enjoyed the indoor waterpark - the only spot we visited twice.  Johanna was big enough to go on any of the slides.  Walter did well on the toddler water slides and enjoy some time in the big pool with a life jacket.  We spent a little time on the beach a well.  The weather was good for it but the water was cold!  Walter enjoyed the water guns, though he mainly got himself in the face.

The final stop on our trip was the Children's Museum.  The kids went their own way for a large portion of the visit - enjoying the same activities but not at the same time :-)  Johanna enjoyed the room sized LiteBright.  Walter learned that it was OK to move from one activity to another and enjoyed all of the museum. 

And at the end of the week back in Dubuque, Michelle and Tony got in their annual golf game.  Ironically running into Todd and Ann on theirs!

Swing Set 2.0

Why build one swing set when you can build two?  Moving to a new house meant building a new swing set.  It was slightly smaller so we added a few extras like the flower box.  Johanna helped out a little this time around.  She calls it her tree house since it is practically in the tree.  Johanna does a great job on the swings. She needs a push to get started but can keep herself going for a long time and likes to be outside just to swing.  Walter has started to graduate from the baby swing as well but is still working on keeping his hold on the chains.  The slide is a little too fast for Walter so he needs some encouragement to use it.  The backyard shade is great but we are hoping to get a little more grass going and try to get rid of the mud spot at the bottom of the slide.

Johanna Preschool Award Ceremony

Johanna's class hosted an Awards Ceremony to help celebrate the kids that would be leaving Mercy Daycare and moving on to Kindergarten.  After processing in, they sang songs and had a slide show of pictures from the year.  Johanna did a great job with no tears and no need to grab a quick hug from mom!

All the kids received an award especially fit for them along with a binder of their progress through the year, a medal, and a teddy bear as a present.  Johanna's award was for being CURIOUS - because she asks a lot of questions.  And she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.  Our neighbor was at the awards ceremony as well (for her granddaughter) and commented that they sure got Johanna pegged right!

(Johanna with teachers Erica and Amy)

Johanna wanted a picture with her best friend Naya.  Their relationship is a bit hot and cold and that day was a little cold as the picture shows.

IC Museum Trip

The kids and I took a trip to Iowa City in May to visit Jennifer and give Tony a chance to work on the swing set.  We went to the Children's Museum for some fun.  Dress up was a big hit and Walter spent a solid 15 minutes working in his "office" on the phone.