ABCs and the Birds and the Bees

Well, no Bees, but we have Birds and ABCs to share! Above is a hard-to-see picture of two sets of baby birds in our backyard. In the hanging pot are two mourning doves. On the ground below are three baby barn swallows, just getting ready to start flying.

Here's a close up of the baby mourning doves...
And the three baby barn swallow...Mommy couldn't get too close because the adult barn swallows were dive bombing her!
A treat from a neighbor...
Maddie and Conny looking a sea lions at Brookfield Zoo. We spent the day with friends of Mommy's, Sandy and her son, Henri.
Corn on the cob and baby back ribs...

Hanging with Uncle Dave...NOTE: unsure why he is double-fisting...
What Maddie and Daddy do when Mommy is not around to stop them...
And now for the ABC portion of the program...

Maddie meets Chester

The aunties took mommy and Maddie to see their friend, Kerry, compete on Chester. Kerry let Maddie take a ride on Chester and she loved it!

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Conny has arrived!

Conny and Maddie being silly... Tea for two...

New barrette from Conny and a new phone to play with...

Camp the Aunties

I'm not sure who enjoyed "Camp the Aunties" more!

Here's Aunt Nancy with Maddie on the swings...

And Aunt Cindy showing Maddie to smell the roses (or Annabelle Hydrangeas!)...

Farewell to our Ra Ra

Sarah, our au pair for the last year, has started a three week expedition throughout the US before returning home to Germany. She left this morning just before 6am and Mommy is still in denial that she's actually gone!

Our new au pair, Conny, arrives Friday night, and our good friends and neighbors, Cindy and Nancy, are watching Maddie at "Camp the Aunties" for the next couple of days.

We love you Ra Ra!

Potty training!

It has begun! Maddie wants to learn how to use the potty. Officially, she tinkled in the potty yesterday morning (yeah!) but then proceeded to MISS the potty...twice.

A good friend once told Mommy of the $50 potty training method - let her run around without her pants until she learns the potty, then spend $50 to get the rugs clean.

Three Lakes

Some pics from Three Lakes

Maddie LOVED riding on the wave runner with Daddy!At the Children's Museum in Eagle River...
Mommy and Maddie in a bubble machine...
Ride 'em cowgirl...
Awww...
Maddie with her Ra Ra (Sarah) and Uli (Sarah's friend)...

In the canoe grandpa built...
A going away present from Ra Ra. We call him Bubba...