Monday, July 29, 2013

A Glimpse of our July...

We've been doing the usual summertime activities... fairs, sprinklers, art projects, play dates, fairs, music in the park, fountains, bike riding, fairs, outdoor movies...and did I mention fairs?!!?! :)
I think we've been to 4 county and/or city fairs this month, which has been a blast for Danika going on rides, and us for fair food:)
Haddie is doing pretty well with her leg. Her splint ended up sliding out of place and so we had to go back to the dr. unexpectedly to have it removed. They took an x-ray and it looked like it was healing nicely, so instead of another cast or splint, he let us just do a boot for the last 2 weeks. It's been great because we can take it off for baths/showers and when she sleeps at night...Unfortunately she got a horrible blister on her heel from the splint so we've been dealing with trying to let that heal, but we go back to the Dr. on Thursday and (fingers crossed!!!!) she gets to be done all together and back to her usual, non-stop on the go! I will say though, since we've had the boot it's almost like she is back to normal...she can walk with it on, climb up the stairs (although she shouldn't!) and tons of other things she did pre-broken leg.
We are enjoying every minute of summer and can't even believe July is just about gone and August (and school:/) are around the corner!
 
 
Daren & Danika ready for the ferris wheel...
 
 
Who needs a pool when you have an irrigation system and sprinklers to run though?!? :) 
 
One of the many 'fairs' we went to! Danika loved this slide... 
 
...and loved this one even more! (Can't wait for the MN State Fair slide!) 
 
Aunt Lori & Miles came over and we did a project together, so Danika needed a project of her own to work on 
 
Ms. Determined to do everything, even with a bum leg! 
 
Danika went to a Princess playtime at the Family Resource Center...Her favorite part was making the crown and dressing up! 
 
And it was haircut time! We took a couple inches off and boy, did it make her look so much more grown up 
 
 
Fun at the Children's Museum 
 
 
"Look at my new hardware!" (the boot) 
 
Dancing Queen Danika at dance class (in the black leotard and pink skirt) 
 
 
LOVE:)
This stubborn, independent, strong-willed child will cause me gray hair before too long...but boy-oh-boy is she worth every one...she's so stinkin' cute and she knows it!
Her latest food obsession is plums! She'll eat every single bite of it, so I have to be on hand to make sure I get the pit out before she gets that too! 
 
Drive-in Movie night! 
(We'll talk about the newest purchase in the background in another post later this week....)
 
Fountain fun! 

 
Even Haddie was able to get in on the fountain fun and splash around 

 
Music in the Park...both girls had SO much fun dancing along to the music!
(Haddie isn't in the picture, but Danika is the one in front with the heart shirt on, mid-twirl when I snapped the picture:)
 
Yesterday we went to what else but....a fair! We watched Chloe show and lead her calf and then Danika went on rides with her cousins... 
 
 
The strawberry twirling ride...

 
Action shot of the waves:) Merry-go-round with Madeline! 
 
and another action shot:)

 
They had so much fun on the rides together, it was fun to watch:) Thanks to Grandma Lynn and Papa for the ride tickets!
 
Well, that's the latest and greatest around here! We do have one more post about our most recent purchase that will be coming later this week when I get time to upload pictures  ...which most of you reading this already know what it is, but if you don't, I'll keep you in suspense until then...
 
I couldn't decide on which video to post...I had a cute one of Danika dancing at dance class, but ended up choosing this one of her and Madeline on the Dragon rollercoaster. They are sitting in the very front and once in a while you'll hear a scream as they get whiplash going around the corners:) It's not the clearest video, but you get the idea...
 
 
Have a great end of July and start to August!
Love,
The Dummers

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Busy Bee's...

We have had a busy, but FUN month of June and start of July. I seriously feel like we have been on-the-go non-stop, but the girls have been having so much fun, so the exhaustion is worth it:)
 
Here's just a little of what we've been up to the last few weeks...
 
We went to Como Zoo with our cousins Connor, Madeline & Miles
(Somehow I managed to get animal pictures, just kid pics:)



 
We went to lake Eau Galle to spend a weekend with The Brenner's and had a blast just hanging out and pontooning
 
 
 
When we aren't visiting or off on an adventure we are outside ALL the time! Both girls love the outdoors and we even busted out the art easel outside the other day.


 
The girls and I spent a hot day splashing at the local pool

 
I had a strawberry picking and lunch date with Danika while Grandma Lynn watched Haddie. She was a great helper this year! 

 
Earlier in June Daren and I took the girls to the circus! Haddie wasn't too interested and just wanted to wonder around, but Danika was really interested in it. She was nervous at first to go because she is terrified of lions/tigers, etc... but the tigers ended up being her favorite part...well, 2nd favorite next to the pony ride:)

 
We also went to a few Dairy breakfasts in the area for June Dairy month. Danika  had a blast at the Pepin Co. breakfast. She jumped in a bouncy house, ate ice cream & pancakes, pet a zebra....but none of that compared to getting her face painted! She sat so still in the chair for the lady, and was very proud of the finished result:)



We have also had some opportunities to spend time with friends who also have little ones and the kids have had a blast playing together and running barefoot in the backyards, and all the other dirty fun that goes along with summertime nights:)
Danika and Haddie loved playing in their friend Evelyn's backyard, and especially driving/pushing the car around 
 
Last weekend was the annual Dummer family campout. We did the usual tenting, games, and fun by the campfire! 





 
 
This week we FINALLY had a free night so when Daren got home from work we got the boat ready and headed to the lake for the first boat ride of the summer. Both girls got a little antsy and didn't care to just sit and ride around the lake, but they did want to get in the water. I jumped in first and then took turns with the girls... 

 
Daren jumped in too! 
 
 
Our boating night was fun, but ended not so great :( There is a park right near the boat landing and we told Danika that she could play there for 5 minutes while Daren loaded up the boat before we left for home....5 minutes I wish never happened!
Haddie wanted to play too and on our last time down the slide, her leg got caught between my leg and the slide and bent backwards. Daren and I both thought we heard some kind of 'pop' or noise and she started SCREAMING. I looked at her leg and her foot look like it wasn't facing the direction it should be. Instant panic and we sped to the ER. Probably as a mom it was my Worst. Moment. Ever. I felt so guilty about taking her down the slide and kept thinking about what I could or should have done differently.

 
They did an X-Ray and the good news is it isn't a full break...the bad news, however, is that it is a spiral fracture. That means she has a crack in her Tibia (the bigger bone in her lower leg). They put a splint on her leg for now, but tomorrow she has another x-ray and an appointment with an orthopedic dr. to determine what to do next...most likely she will need a hard cast, but I'm not sure how long.
It's been a very frustrating week watching her try to get around and realize she can't walk. It took her about 3 days to figure out how to crawl with the cast, and now yesterday and today she is on the move again, in a new and different way.
Hard to look at these picture from last week when my independent Hadster was on the go with both feet.
 
Danika has been pretty understanding, but of course we've felt guilty about the major shift in attention that has had to take place the last few days. She really is a good helper though, and is genuinely concerned about her sister:)
 
LOVE these two little bugs to pieces.  
In the grand scheme of things, this is a minor thing and she'll be back up and running in no time...however it put in perspective for me how awful it is as a parent to have a hurt or sick child. I can't even begin to imagine how some families deal with much more serious situations. I know how blessed we are with what we have in our lives and our health.
 
My resilient little bug knocked out after the ER drama with her new leg accessory:/
 
Our trooper! 
 
 
On a total side note and random comment... Haddie is starting to get super curly hair! It's always been so straight and still is pretty straight in the front, but the back is curling like crazy! It will be interesting to see how it changes as it grows.  
 
 
Hope you enjoyed the update and hopefully next time it's only good news to share:)
Danika starts dance class this week so I'm excited to see how she likes it...she is a non-stop dancing, singing machine these days, so the timing is perfect for her!
Have a great week!
Love,
The Dummers