And the winner is . . . Isabel!

Isabel entered the Mary West Solo Competition held last Sunday at Augsburg College--and she won her division (11 and under)!  You are invited to a "Winner's Recital" this Sunday, November 11 at 7:00pm at Harriet United Methodist Church, 4901 Chowen Ave South in Minneapolis.  She will be playing "The Boy Paganini" by Edward Mollenhauer.  Yay, Isabel!

Cell Phone or Artifact?

My cell phone died while we were in Chicago for our visa interviews the last weekend in September.  Since we're way out of contract and had only two months left in the country, I went to Radio Shack to get a cheap pre-paid phone to last us until we get to France.  The salesman and I had a good laugh when he saw my old phone.  "I remember when that one came out.  You might be able to sell it to the Museum of Science and Industry," he chuckled.  At the register when I was buying a new $20 phone, he burst into laughter, then composed himself.  "I'm sorry but I have to ask you this: Would you like to purchase an extended warranty or a scratch-protector?"  He couldn't get through it without doubling over!  Since we had such a good time, I asked him to pose with me and my "artifact."

Goodbye to an old friend

No, we didn't get into another accident.  This is my much-maligned 1999 Chevy Prizm, it's just a little rough around the edges.  We bought it new and put about 240,000 miles on it.  Whenever people (mostly family members . . . you know who you are) heaped shame on the Prizm, I always defended it, "It runs!"  Alas, no longer.  This afternoon it was time to say goodbye to an old friend.

Listen closely at the end of the video for the girls' unscripted praise and applause as the Prizm was hauled away . . .

State Fair Fun

The girls closed down the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday night . . . well, almost.  Miss Julie treated them to six hours of food and fun at the Fair.

Check out this video of Toodles describing her ride on the Ferris Wheel.  (It's really too dark to see, but I posted it for the audio.)

Activity Overload?

What plans would you make if you weren't going to see your granddaughters for 3 years?

The older girls came home from G&G's in Loveland this week.  I asked Dad if they were going to need to rest for a few days after hanging out with the girls for two weeks.  "For a month!" he said.

No wonder.  See the following entry from Jasmin's diary:

"We have done SO many fun things since we came to Colorado!  Here is a list of all of them:

• Wall Drug
• Sod Prairie Homestead
• Fort Larimer
• The Badlands
• Mount Rushmore
• The Rec Center @ Chilsen
• Hiking @ Devil's Backbone 1.3 miles @ 5000 ft
• Seussical the Musical
• Horseback Riding @ Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park
• Estes Park Salt Water Taffy, Inc.
• Picnic at Vistenz State Park
• Shopping and Window Shopping at the mall
• Square Dancing
• Pirate's Cove Water Park
• Seeing Uncle Jim, Aunt Viki and Jackson in Denver
• Ben & Jerry's
• Seeing Maggie
• Seeing Aunt Virginia, Uncle Jim, and Sassi
• Jazz @ Foote Lagoon
• Baking
• Making a sundress
• Exploring Grandma's Basement
• Bud's Burgers
• Watching the Olympics
• Arts and Crafts
• The Lion King
• Hiking @ Dream Lake 2.5 miles at 9000 ft
• Aunt Viki's grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary
• Playing with Amber (the cat)"

1 + 2 = 5 . . . again

Met G&G in Council Bluffs on Monday and got the older girls back.

3 - 2 = 1 . . . temporarily

G&G hatched a plan to take the older girls to Colorado with them for a couple of weeks.  We met them in Sioux Falls this weekend to make the "handoff."

Kissing Parrot

We heard polka music after dinner last night (at the Martin Luther College cafeteria), and went to the park across the street to investigate.  At the little get-together there was a man with an African Grey Parrot on his shoulder.  He said he had trained his parrot to kiss pretty girls . . .

Daddy Day Camp -- New Ulm, MN

Wear 'em out.

Hebrew Institute -- New Ulm, MN

I think a Bible translator deserves some "street cred" for wearing the cover off her Hebrew Bible.

What else would you expect from someone who always sits at the front of the class?