Gentlemen & Ladies Start Your Engines - Dirt Track Style

Its been awhile since I have been to a dirt track race myself but i thought, why not, it's a long weekend and I am sure Avery would love to see all the cars. So off to Arlington Raceway, Avery, and I and my dad went.

Watching the races with Papa

 The weather didn't look too promising that they would get all the races in but we decided to go anyway. And we were rewarded when we got there. It was Kids night which means Avery got to sign up for a prize, and Avery got to take a ride around the track on a race car (of course I went too!)

Ready to ride

Bye Papa!

Making some laps

It was so much fun Avery loved all the mud that flew up from the track! Sadly the weather didn't hold off too much longer after that, two heat races and they called it for the night.

His eyes were glued to the track

Good thing too because it got nasty real quick. Avery didn't understand why we had to go home and why he could ride in the race car more. Looks like we have a racing fan!

What I Did On My Snummer Vacation

Since daycare is closed this week, Avery has been on Summer Vacation! His vacation started last weekend with a day of spoiling by each set of grandparents. Followed by a week a sleeping in and fun.

What I did on my summer vacation:

Washed my truck

Cleaning the wheels too.

Played some catch

Washed my sandbox

Washed my Car

Went Tube'in

Climbed Around at the Children's Museum

Played with some Magnets

Did some digging

Road the Carousel

And.....napped

Alive After Five

Thursday nights during the month of August Center Center Mankato has a event called Alive After 5,  in Jackson Park across from the Post Office, people bring lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy food, beverages and live entertainment from 5-8pm.  With great weather and a new band every week Avery took in some live music every Thursday.

Checking out the band with Daddy

 Some weeks we met friends,  other weeks it was just us, but either way Avery had a great time. And mommy & daddy aren't going to complain about getting a little extra lap time from their baby boy.
 

Listening to music with Daddy

Sun & Music with Mamma

We had a great time at Alive After 5 this year, can't wait until next year!

Toddler No More

Toddler Graduate

Two weeks ago we got a letter home from daycare saying that Avery would be moving to preschool on September 3rd. Wait what? Preschool, no he is still a baby, no i mean a toddler, nope guess not. So we had his preschool conference and got the preschool tour. He will still be going to the same place but the curriculum will change and be a bit more structured. So today was our baby's last day as a toddler.

How did you get so big?

He is really ready to move and very excited for to start in his new room after "summer vacation" (daycare is closed next week for in-service), but Mom might not be ready yet. I remember when I was worried about how they were going to get him to nap on a cot, wash his hands and all the other things he learned in the Toddler room. Ready or not, today is his last day in Toddler. I am very thankful for all the wonderful teachers who have helped Avery thru this stage of his life. I am forever in your debt. Look out preschool here come Avery!!!

Pancakes & Planes

Aviation was a big part of my childhood, I spent countless hours with my parents, brother, and both sets of grandparents looking at planes and staring into the blue sky looking for planes at airshows and fly-ins. So any chance to share that with Avery I do. This morning was the Fly-In Breakfast at the Mankato Municipal Airport, so basically planes & pancakes!!!!

10 feet of pancakes!

 It was really hard for Avery to enjoy his breakfast with so many airplanes on the ground for him to see, but I managed to get him to have a few bites before convinced Papa it was time to go look at the airplanes.

I can see the planes!!!

Papa taught him all the types of planes, showed him the different wings, and engines (not sure which one was having more fun) Now if you ask Avery, "How wings does a biplane have?" he knows the answer. (go ahead and ask).

Avery's favorite biplane

Watching the planes head to the runway

Planes & Pancakes with Grammy & Papa

It was a wonderful day for a fly-in the sky was clear and he pancakes were great. I am so glad I am able to share things like this with Avery.

There it goes!!!

Pizza Milestone

Avery would be his father's son if he didn't love pizza, and because of that love, I of course had to record Avery's first time eating at Pailiai's Pizza.

Like Father, Like Son

Some cheese bread and pepperoni pizza and these two were as happy as can be.

Golden Heart Grill Out 2013

Another one of the great things Avery's daycare parent advisory board does is have a fundraiser grill out very August. It is open to everyone, and a lot of people come, it is a really great event. This year it looked like it might rain but luckily it held off for the most part. For the first time it worked out that Daddy could come for lunch too!

Golden Heart Grill Out 2013

Ice cream Sandwich!

There were a  few sprinkles but it didn't matter three of us got to have lunch together outside under a tree. What a great day!

2 years, 7 months

This is his "Happy Face"

Well another month has passed, not too much has really changed, who am I kidding, No more Diapers! is just one of the big changes in the last month. Some where along the line our toddler became a big boy.... he wants to read books with more words and play with more complicated toys and wants to play with people and interact with them. Everyday I realized how truly blessed we are to have him!
Avery currently wears 3T shorts, 3T shirts, size 8/9 sandals, 3T pjs, and 2T/3T UNDIES!!!!!

Dog Pound

One of the things to do in town during the summer is to go to a Moon Dogs baseball game. And tonight Avery went to his first one,  Papa's company had gotten tickets for the Dog Pound, basically an all you can eat seat to a baseball game, so we headed to the ball field for some fun and food. Avery had a great time. He didn't watch any of the game but he did convince Papa he needed a bat and a baseball from the souviner stand. He also got a bag of Angies kettle corn!

Look what I got Papa to buy me.

What a lucky little boy, and what a great night to be at the ball park.

Welcome to August

How do you start the last month of summer? At the pool!

Pool Day!

Avery loves the water, and loves going to Spring Lake. So do I for that matter, its a "pool" with a sand/rock bottom with sand all the way around on the outside for playing in and it only costs $1.25 for all the fun you can handle!!! 

Enjoying the Sun, Sand & Water

I swam in this pool as a kid and always had so much fun, so glad that Avery gets to have the same experience. Oh and besides an afternoon at the pool you also start the last day of summer with a chocolate shake from McDonald's! Happy August!

Milkshake Mustache!