I usually launch the Summer Blog during the school year, each spring, before students go home for the summer. 

This summer, after a trimester of distance learning, I opted for something analog, something which did not require a screen: letter writing! 

Students and I wrote back and forth this summer.  Each time I provided the letter writing paper and a self addressed stamped envelope.  For every letter I received from students, I sent one back in return.

Even though there is no 2020 Summer Blog, please check out past blog entries!

 

Monroe's Open House 2019 is Tuesday, August 27 fom 4pm-6pm!  That means I get to meet the new 1M students soon!

 

If you were in 1M in the past, please stop by and say "hello". 

 

If you are new to this Summer Blog...Welcome!  The Summer Blog is to keep in touch with former students during the summer and give new students some background knowledge about me as a person.  Knowing more about your new teacher always makes any first day jitters less jittery.

 

This is my final Summer Blog entry for 2019, but students may still submit comments for my approval.

Mark and I went to Montana for our last trip of the summer!  We were there for a week.  Rosie stayed in Minnesota and enjoyed "camp" with my mom and dad (Rosie's human Grandma and Grandpa).

 

Our trip began with an airplane flight from Minneapolis to Bozeman, Montana.  The flight was almost 1,000 miles, but it only took 2 hours and 20 minutes to get there!

 

 

We spent some time with friends in Bozeman and then we drove up to Glacier National Park in a rental car.  The drive to Glacier was almost 300 miles and it took more than 5 hours.

 

We hiked many miles and saw many sights in Glacier National Park.  Here are some pictures from our trip!

 

Huckleberry Lookout

 

Highline Trail

 

Grinnell Overlook

 

Iceberg Lake

 

 

You know how it is easier to sleep in the dark?

 

Rosie likes to take naps during the day, when it is not dark.  To make it easier to fall asleep, she sometimes covers her eyes with her tail or she sleeps with her head under furniture.

 

 

 

 

Mark, Rosie, and I spent three days visiting friends who have a cabin east of Itasca State Park.  The cabin is on Kabekona Lake.  This year is the second year we've been invited to visit.  It is a 4-hour drive to get to Kabekona.  Rosie does not mind car rides--especially if there's a Lake at the end of the trip.

 

 

When we were at Kabekona the four humans (me, Mark, and our two friends) played board games, swam, paddleboarded, hiked, talked, laughed, and watched the dogs.  The three dogs (Rosie, Poppi, and Josie...all Golden Retrievers) fetched, wrestled, ran, swam, and watched the humans.  Rosie surprised everyone and wanted to be the Stand Up Paddleboard with me!  She never made me fall off the board and she loved floating in the middle of the lake while I paddled.

 

 

 

 

I bought tickets to see someone very special on Saturday, September 28...Dav Pilkey!  Dav Pilkey is the author and illustrator of Dog Man books, Captain Underpants books, and many other fun books for kids.

 

 

Dav Pilkey will be in St. Paul for the Dog Man Do Good Tour.

 

 

I am excited to hear him talk about being an author and illustrator.  I also *hope* to get a signed copy of DOG MAN: For Whom the Ball Rolls (this book comes out August 13!).

 

 

I have some pictures to post from my trip to The Netherlands and Belgium!  

 

When I was in The Netherlands, I spent a lot of time playing with my niece and nephew, Rebecca and Adam, at their house.  They like to play soccer, bike, dig, read, write, draw, make games, play UNO, play music, dance...In other words, they are VERY fun!

 

When I was in Belgium, I was on a vacation with Rebecca and Adam and their mom (my sister, Margaret) and dad.  We drove to Belgium and brought bikes.

 

I took most of my pictures in Belgium.  Here they are!

 

Belgium has old canals every where.  Canals are waterways built by humans.  Canals are like roads for boats.  Many bridges go over canals.  Here is a canal at night and during the day:

 

 

 

Belgium also has many old windmills.  The old windmills have wheels inside that turn a stone that grinds grains to make flour.  Here is the outside and inside of an old windmill.  It was not windy that day, so the mill was not working.

 

 

 

We rode our bikes everywhere we went.  The roads are bumpy because they are old and made of stone.

 

 

One day we drove to the beach to cool off in the Atlantic Ocean.  It was 105 degrees, so the water and wind felt good.

 

I am home from my big trip!  I am also VERY tired.

 

I missed Mark and Rosie a lot, but I had a wonderful time.

 

My next blog post will be all about my big trip!

 

 

Today is my sister Margaret's birthday!  Celebrating Margaret's birthday is one of the reasons why I am visiting her right now.

 

Before I left to visit Margaret, I thought and thought about a gift.  Visiting her is a big gift, but I wanted to make something for her.

 

Then I got an idea!  Margaret and her family moved to a new house last year.  So, I had her husband send a picture of the house (since I had not seen it before) and I followed these three steps to make picture of her house with a needle and thread!  

 

 

Step 1:  I traced the lines on her house.  Step 2:  I traced the lines I traced so I could get them on the fabric.  Step 3: I stitched over the lines I made on the fabric and put my picture in a frame.

 

I will give Margaret her present later today.  I hope she likes it!

 

 

 

It rained a lot earlier this week!  On my way to the airport I stopped by Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis.

 

 

When Minnehaha Creek fills with rain...the waterfall is big, loud, and beautiful!

 

What waterfalls have you seen this summer?