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Today was the Trash Lab field trip. I initially though they went to the Trash Lab, but it is actually a mobile Trash Lab (the lab comes to you!).

I had never heard of the trash lab - here is what it says on their website.

Created by the Dane County Department of Waste & Renewables in collaboration with Madison Children’s Museum, the Trash Lab is a mobile exhibit designed to educate and motivate us to create less trash and rethink our relationship with waste.

Here is their website if you want to learn more.

Here are the pictures from today. 

We got done with dinner earlier so we could play outside. Initially we planned to go under the bridge, but we ended up playing with water.

Ardro is a bit sensitive to water, so I really feel guilty if I get him wet. For the most part, I just let them soak me. They seem to have fun, and some day getting their Dad soaked isn't something they'll want to do. 

Here's the fun...

Tomorrow is a garden day, followed by playground and swimming. 

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Today won't be much of a blog. The kids were scheduled to be at McKee Farms Park for their splash pad and Dream Park in Fitchburg. The weather however did not cooperate and the trip was cancelled. Ironically their school trip to this very park on May 22 was also cancelled. The gods don't want us going to Fitchburg this year.

Instead of the field trip, they watched the movie "Chicken Little."

At the end of the day, he was playing Connect Four with Millie and Elinor (twin sisters). Just before it was time to leave, Elinor and Kai made this pattern on the board, then Elinor went to the other side of the board to give Kai a squeeze. It made for a great photo. Kai enjoyed it, even though he has this frowny face on.

At night, the mosquitoes were bad and Kai went to Ardro's basement. I did a little yard work and took a picture of the baby robins.
 

Tomorrow they go to the trash lab.

43

It is a Monday and a slow day. Sometimes I like it when iPhone shows you a photo from a year ago. Here is us on July 22, 2023 crossing on the Merrimac Ferry.

July 2023

He's been looking for some unique LEGO blocks recently. Now when I pick him up from school, he is taking pictures of those blocks to help us find how we can purchase them. We aren't sure which set these come from.

The park they went to today was called Hillcrest Park. After dinner, he wanted to go back to there to continue playing. I think there were a bunch of them in this sandbox. He played there for about an hour. I played basketball. He only needed a little help digging and putting up the wooden fence.

The grand finale was the video at the end where he explains everything. He starts talking 37-seconds in, so be patient.

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Just looking at the numbers, we're about half done with summer vacation 2024. Personally, I think the highlight was Isle Royale National Park and getting back to Opera in the Park after having not been there for at least 7 or 8 years.

Today's highlight was to meet Gammie and Auntie Dawn at the Janesville Rotary Gardens. Janesville isn't exactly a midpoint, but it is a destination somewhere near the middle of the NW suburbs and Middleton. The garden was in full bloom, which was nice to see. Here are some photos that were taken.

obligatory selfie

His highlight is to play gatekeeper. It is what he said was his favorite moment.

gate at the Japanese area of the garden

I did like this video showing the scene from the long and winding bridge.

From the long and winding bridge you could see this northern. I don't think I've seen anything but bluegills here, so this was fun.

the northern pike lurks

Here is a photo I took to help set the scene of the day.

from the far NE corner where a new restroom facility is

Sometimes I forget to take a picture of us having lunch. This was at the very end. I'm not sure if anyone saw this photo coming...but I always like to have a lunch photo.

we tilted the umbrella to help create better shade

Here is another photo before we left. I did my best to get the flowers in the foreground.

The art for the summer has to do with owls. Naturally the one with LEGO was his winner.

At home, we played with the tractor and flatbed he got from the garden. My role was to play with the helicopter. Growing up, the neighbor's farm field was 1 mile long, and they used a helicopter to spray herbicide. I still remember waking up to that helicopter flying back and forth.

We'll see what the 2nd half of summer vacation has in store for us. I'm hopeful it is less rainy. It rained quite a bit from 5PM to 7PM again tonight.

 

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We'll start with some pictures of the usual stuff. I think he has gotten really good at swimming this summer. Because he has a birthday party next week, this is his last session of the summer.

I think this might be the first weekend without a birthday party since...I'm not sure.

He went to gymnastics today. Heidi sent me pictures, but I forgot to save them, so none will make the blog today.

He did have have fun making some play-doh stuff today. I guess that will make the blog.

I am not sure of the last time we went to Opera in the Park, but I'm pretty sure is was 2016 or some prior year. It was a really nice night out, so we went for the first half of the free performance.

Kai wore his train conductor's hat, just in case they needed him to direct the performance.

One of they ways they make money is by selling all the light up rings, necklaces, and apparently new this year of the glasses. They're fun for the kids and they are a fundraiser after all.

And happy 55th anniversary to the lunar landing. The moon is nearly full tonight.

46

Today's blog might have more content than pictures. 

Today the school was at Cross Plains again. They won't be there again next week. We didn't get any pictures. 

It was a nice day on the deck doing some work and watching golf. The British Open is happening overseas, and it makes a perfect companion to working on a spreadsheet.

After work, we had dinner and then hosted Matt and Jessica and their two kids for a little dessert. I work with Matt, Heidi works with Jessica, and one of their kids goes to Little Red Preschool.

Before they came over, Kai and I played "Garbage" on the picnic table.

I didn't get a ton of pictures of us tonight. I think Ardro got curious and came over. The kids of course were all over the place, but they always came back if they needed something to drink or eat.

No first time visit to our home is complete without a walk up the hill. There was a nice moon tonight.

Kai picked some Queen Anne's Lace - so did Sam, their daughter.

Here we are walking down the hill.

That's it for the blog. Saturday will bring us swimming, gymnastics and perhaps Opera in the Park.

47

This summer has been very pleasant. I know they had their trip to the garden cancelled a few times because of soggy conditions, but not today. The highlight is always the ice pops at the end.

 The message we got from school is that the kids are wiped out after the farm, the playground and swimming. Even the teacher said he is normally ready for bed at 6PM after a long day like this one.

At night, the world famous Pinwheel Springs Golf Course and bowling alley was open for business. Cost to play is 10 cents.

Even Pinwheel Springs is not immune to wood ticks this year.

Near the end, we heard the neighbors out. You can always hear the older brother, Namro, bouncing the basketball. Initially they were spraying each other with water, but it quickly became my turn to be sprayed.

He is fast asleep now.