Shakespeare on the Green - Hamlet

Mena heard me talking to another adult about how I haven't seen a tragedy since I started taking the kids to Shakespeare on the Green.  I've only taken them to the comedy and I never wanted to go by myself to the tragedy.  Mena said she'd go with me to see the other play.  I explained what a tragedy was and she said she'd be fine with everyone dying at the end.  Mena wanted it to be just us, but then Beth said she planned to go to Hamlet with her husband who wasn't thrilled.  So then the plan was for us 3 which Mena was fine with.  Then Maggie was feeling left out.  I told Maggie I was worried because she's so sensitive and I wasn't sure how she'd handle all the deaths.  She replied, "Mommy, I may need you to remind me that it's pretend, but I'll be fine."  So the four of us went to see Hamlet.  This is the back of my new t-shirt which just makes me laugh when I read it!  The girls didn't "get it" until I explained it but anyone who is familiar with Shakespeare has laughed when they read my shirt.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Maggie wanted Ice Cream Sandwiches so I made them myself for the first time.  They turned out yummy!

"I'm Not Tired"

The day after Shakespeare on the Green, Maggie said she wasn't tired but then fell asleep on my bed watching YouTube videos on her phone.

Shakespeare on the Green - All's Well that Ends Well

Beth Zager went with the girls and I to see "All's Well that Ends Well" at Shakespeare on the Green in Omaha.  Mena went into the costume tent this year and both girls took coloring sheets.

Lincoln Children's Zoo

The Lincoln Children's Zoo has expanded.  Mena's favorite addition is the giraffes.  It was pretty cool to feed lettuce to the giraffes.  The tiger display now has a jeep to climb into so the kids can get a closer look at the tiger.

I was really struck this year by how much they have grown.  I remember when they were toddlers/preschoolers and had to look through the holes to see the flamingos; now they can take their own pictures through the open window.  I remember when I had to lift them onto the turtle and now their legs are touching the ground.  I remember when they could just peek over the eagle's nest and now their legs are as tall as the nest.  The climbing structures show the girls' personalities:  Mena plays safely and Maggie is a little dare devil.

Dressing Up

The girls got into my storage closet.  Mena tried on my Renaissance costume and the dress I wore in Beth Zager's wedding.  Maggie tried on the prom dress I wore my senior year.  Mena is only a pound away from what I weighed as a senior in high school and is 3.75 inches shorter than I am now (and what I was as a senior in high school).  Mena is going to pass me soon! (Mena's estimated to grow to 5'7"!  Maggie's expected to be my height.)

Last Pictures from Louisville SRA

Monday we slept until 9:30 am.  We were packed up and on the road at 11:30 am.  It was a great 4 day weekend!

Hiking at Schramm SRA

Sunday afternoon, we went back to Schramm to do the hiking that Mena wanted to do the previous day.  The map showed two trails.  When we got to where it split, I asked Maggie if she had enough energy for the second trail or if we should stay on the first trail.  She said let's go on the second trail.  An hour and a half later we made it back to the car!  They stopped to take lots of pictures of everything they saw.  Mena and I tended to see the bigger forest while Maggie found the snails and bugs that were smaller.  Maggie took a video of a snail crossing the path.  That took awhile!