A leisurely drinking cruise

There is more to life than blogging about one's wee little child (or not-so-little as the case may be). Biking and drinking are just two of many things that come to mind. In fact, this blog was actually rooted in those activities, as the Saturday Night Bike Rides were too under-documented back in those days. But, as this author has strayed from regularity on those rides, the sighting of the famed "Pedal Pub" as it went past Quinn's day care will have to suffice as a means of reconnecting this corner of the web with those who drink and bike.

And with that, it is time to reflect on the goings-on just prior to the pub sighting: a window decorating project at Quinn's daycare...

The project was preceded by a parent/child potluck in which we got to socialize with the parents of Quinn's roommates.

In other Quinn related news, Heather finished Quinn's Halloween costume just in time for Zoo Boo. Since Quinn is so fond of Boobahs, Heather figured this is what she would want to be for Halloween if she were capable of saying as much.

Also, Quinn got a bee at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I had the foresight to take a photo shortly after she received it. Moments later, one of the wings popped.

Catching Up

So we have a little catching up to do again. A couple weeks ago I celebrated birthday number 32. Now David and I are the same age again. Though age doesn't seem to phase him as much as it does me, it always makes me feel better that David reaches his birthday almost five months before I do.

I spent most of my birthday weekend shopping. I made a trip to the Apple Valley Goodwill with mom and Faith. Then on Saturday, David and I went furniture shopping at Ikea. Thanks to mom for watching Quinn for us overnight too!

Last weekend the weather was perfect and we decided to go apple picking at Aamodt's Apple Farm. Apparently every other family with young children had the same idea. The crowds were a little too much for Quinn. She prefered the seclusion of the trees near the edge of the farm. Next year when we go apple picking, we will likely try cousin David's family orchard.

This recent weekend we made another trip to Duluth for the MRID fall conference and to see family. While I was busy with morning workshops, David and Quinn enjoyed the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center. We had a nice visit and lunch with Aunt Pat and Cousin Bob. After more workshops, we had a wonderful time sharing good food and good conversation with Cousins Mary and David who were kind to open their home to us again.

When we got home we celebrated Quinn's half birthday with half a birthday cake! Happy 1 1/2 Birthday!

We have also updater our Flickr photo album with the above photos and more (including the ones missing from our last post), so enjoy. And keep your eyes peeled there for more photos to be added soon (as soon as Gmail is working again).

Music and more...

So this post is a week late, but better late than never. We were waiting on some photos of our trip to the indoor water park in Bloomington, but it may still be awhile before we get a chance at copying those photos. Although the real reason for tardiness is that we've been a bit on the busy side. Anyway, rather then preempting every day's title with "last", just remember that they are all from the week prior...

We'll start with Wednesday [9/26/07 for those keeping track]. Wednesdays are the days that Quinn and David get to spend together. Since David is prone to early naps on these days, it is best that we go out somewhere where there are no couches. And since school is now in session, the local playground is no longer an option. So we went to Margret Rec Center; a playground Quinn has only been to once before. She loved it. She is finally big enough now to go down the big kid's slide.

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Friday morning was Quinn's weekly trip to Grandma's house. Reports indicate that she had a blast.

Friday evening, Quinn and David went to the third annual "Watch the Glow of the Setting Sun on the Red Brick Brewery". Quinn didn't see much of the sunset, but she enjoyed climbing on the rocks (as did David).

Saturday morning began with yet another trip to Swede Hollow, This time to see the band Barra. A great way to wake up on a Saturday morning. Quinn even seemed to recognize one of the tunes she has heard before on a Solas CD.

Saturday evening, Thanks to Grandma Jan's friend Billy (and thanks to Grandma Nan for watching Quinn at the time) we went to the Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald. More good music. Jan even had to go out and buy the CD of the featured band. David, on the other hand, was impressed enough by just the house band. There was even a surprise appearance by Martin Sheen. He made his singing debut on the show. Though his singing abilities left a lot to be desired, his acting, of course, was phenomenol.

On Sunday morning [insert missing photos here] we went to the Water Park of America, again, thanks to Billy. Unfortunately for Quinn, water slides are still too much of a big kid's thing. But there was plenty to do there to keep her entertained. This was followed by a lunch feast (on Billy's tab - thanks Billy) at Outback Steakhouse. David ate so much that he was able to go to the evening's concert without refueling. The concert, if you were wondering was Harv; the headliner at this year's Nordic Roots Festival.

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Normally David devotes countless hours and numerous blog entries to this festival. However this year, things changed a bit. For starters, Quinn's time demands make a weekend long event hard to enjoy. Secondly, this year's festival was lacking ever-so-slightly in the "wow! This is the most amazing thing ever!" department. And lastly, with so many great new local bands playing more traditional styles, it is hard to go an entire year without seeing great live music. Next year is likely to be different though, as it is rumored to be the last Nordic Roots Festival. This of course means that all of the big names will likely be there.

Anyway, until the next belated post, which will cover Heather's birthday, enjoy last week!