Nordic Mess 2011

I have a few iphone camera shots highlighting our short trip back to D-town for Nordic Fest. The boys could pass for 100% Norwegian with their blonde hair and blue eyes, despite their mix. Ben's side is German and I think my dad is 25% Norwegian so that would make the boys.....no idea. Maybe in my free time I'll spend some time on ancestry.com. Maybe not.

The festing began with the early morning 5k Elvelopet race with my sista, the exercise fanatic. She even let me keep up with her. It was so much fun running with her. Immediately after the race she promised to move as close as she possibly could to ME so we could run together all the time! How exciting!

This picture was even taken after the race. Proof that I survived!


The best part about the 5k is that the race ends right near the fire station where there's an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. And, if you've read this blog before you know that this family worships pancake breakfasts.

Anyway, Prior and Mason had their first bites of lefse this year - pretty exciting! For those of you that don't know what lefse is, here's how wikipedia defines lefse: 


Lefse is a traditional soft, Norwegian flatbread. Lefse is made out of potato, milk or cream (or sometimes lard) and flour, and cooked on a griddle. Special tools are available for lefse baking, including long wooden turning sticks and special rolling pins with deep grooves.

It was HOT, and I had brought squirt bottles to the parade for the boys to play with. That turned into a squirt bottle fight between the two of them and they ended up taking off their shirts.

(I've eaten a lot of lefse in my day!). And based on the amount of sugar I put on the lefse, it was impossible for Prior and Mason not to love it!


After the parade and eating all that we needed wanted to, the boys went for a quick ride on Pokey Pete. Pokey Pete is legendary. It's vintage. I have my mom locating some pictures of Cara and I riding in Pokey Pete, but it's the exact same train, 30 years later.

After a ride on Pokey Pete (thankfully, they were not enforcing the "no-shirt, no-shoes, no-service" policy, we went to Grandpa Don's for a BBQ. We played basketball, jumped on the trampoline, ate popsicles, and hung out with family.

The door handle on the porch door was kind of high and this was just easier than waiting for someone to open the door.

The boys were so tired when we jumped in the car and headed north. Here's a video. The fake-crying mid way through the video is when we turned off the DVD. It's hilarious watching them try to stay awake!

Sleepy Boys from K Schultes on Vimeo.

Good Bye Noi!

This day feels like a few weeks ago! This was taken in the fall of 2009 when Noi joined us as our new au pair. 

My, how time flies...

Noi's visa had expired and it was time for her to return to Thailand. {The maximum time an au pair can stay in the US without enrolling in school or getting married is 24 months - so this wasn't a surprise.} But it was still very stressful.

Noi was the best nanny. I could write a book here about how great she was with the boys and how much she taught them. {big sigh!} They are pretty smart cookies for only being 2!

On July 1st we had a little going away party for her. 

While we prepared for the party, the boys took a 1-2 mini bites out of every peach in in the basket. And put them back in the basket, of course.

The celebrations started earlier in the week with a party with the boys' best buddies, Ben and Will. The Johnstons brought over cake and ice cream to wish Noi well in her future adventures.

Will, Mason, Noi, Prior, Ben

This is what happens when you ask four two-year-olds to raise their hand if they like cake and ice cream!

The celebrations continued with an official going away party. The menu, of course, needed to be Thai food. I've learned a lot about cooking Thai over the last year and a half, but I left the cooking to the expert. 

The menu consisted of:

- Pad Thai (of course)

- Pinneaple and basil chicken

- Fried rice

- Papaya salad

Chef Noi

Um - YUM!

Noi and one of her friends

 I contributed to the cooking by hiring my friend, Kristi, to make some delicious coconut key-lime cupcakes. They. Were. Amazing! Thanks, KM!

Noi and P

Noi and M

We were all very sad when we dropped Noi off at the airport in the wee-morning hours of July 2nd (especially momma). Now, whenever we see an airplane in the sky the boys say: "Noi go on airplane. Noi go Thaiwand." It's super cute.

When we were evaluating all of our childcare options way back when I was pregnant and decided on the au pair route, I had no idea how attached we would all become to our nanny. It makes sense - she lived with us, took the best care of our precious rugrats, and was literally part of our family for a long time! We hope that some day we will see her again. Good luck, Noi!

Auntie Cara's Shades

(P)

Pictionary

The boys love their magnetic chalk board. 


If there was a Pictionary card that said "raising twin boys", I think P&M's "drawing" looks exactly like what I would draw.

Cheeeeeeeeeeeese!

Poor kid has no idea what a camera is.



Cheese! from K Schultes on Vimeo.


(it's Mason)