Hello Kent Mountain View Academy!

The day started off with swim lessons.  Sabrina is in my class, and our friend Andy came to join us afterwards in "Open Swim".  We had fun in the water until it was time for lunch.  Sabrina re-joined us after lunch and we played "Rayman", a fun game that we could all play together!

At 2 o'clock, Andy & I had orientation at our new school, Kent Mountain View Academy (aka KMVA).  It starts in 3rd Grade and goes through high school.  Sabrina will be starting 2nd, so she couldn't come with us.

We were gathered in the school gym.  I still have swimmer hair.

Standing in the distance is Principal Knipp.  She welcomed us and told us some of the events that we could expect our first day of school next week.

All the staff sang a song to: YMCA, instead using KMVA!  Afterwards we got to met our teacher. Miss Newbie, see our classroom and some other fellow 3rd graders.

My parents got finger printed, so that they may help out at the school.  

This is me with Miss Newby.  She is really nice.  I am looking forward to getting back in the classroom!  They day ended with Sabrina and Andy at Goju Karate

Mall of America

Our last day in Minnesota was stormy.  It started raining the evening before and was constant all day Tuesday.  Mom and Grandma decided to drive up to the Mall of America and get some exercise by walking around.  It is the largest mall in the United States. 

 There was an amusement park in the middle of the mall.  It was Nickelodeon themed.  Dad laughed and said that is was originally Peanuts themed-Camp Snoopy when it opened!

I decided not to go on any rides.

They did have a really big Lego store.  Afterwards, Grandma dropped us at the airport.  I was glad to be coming home.

Oxbow Park

Mom, Uncle Shanth, Tha-tha, Max, Quinn and I went to Oxbow Park today.  Oxbow is located about 5 miles outside of Rochester.  It is a preserved wilderness with a zoo, picnicking and trails.

 Here we are with two eagles.

There's a badger!

Goats!

There is a wolf right above Quinn's head, sitting on the rocks.

Grey foxes!  Next tot he zoo was an interactive play area-it looked like it was not quite finished.

 They had bridges and a gong

 Uncle Shanth is standing on Saturn.

 Other planets

After a short walk, we had a snack by the Zumbro River.

Max and I were tired and did not want to go on a short hike.

 We did go up on the bridge and watched dogs playing in the water.

Cousin Max

 Cousin Max came to visit Tha-tha and Grandma Judy too.  They took us to the Rochester Athletic Center.  Max and I had fun there.  We climbed....

 We played miniature golf.... 

 kicked a ball and

 jumped on a trampoline!

We also took turns playing Minecraft on my lap top.

Quinn, the boy next door even played with us.  He shared his slip and slide!

We had a ton of fun!  

Vesterheim Museum

My mom and Grandma Judy drove me to NE Iowa (Decorah) today so that mom could go visit the Vesterheim Museum-The national Norwegian American Museum and heritage center.  I was really good and did not ruin her day.

 That's me by a fjord!

This was painted on a wall of an old cabin from the 1790's!

There was a lot of rosemaling-or painted furniture.

This is a small ship that some Norwegian immigrants sailed on to America.

Another old cabin.  Mom was amazed at how wide the planks of wood were.

 Woodcarving!

Rosemaling!

 Paintings of old Norway!

Mom was sad that she was going to miss this!

A small house from Norway.  We ate lunch in downtown Decorah and walked around.  It was hot and not terribly interesting.  We did find this sign though:

It was an hour and 20 minutes back to Rochester.  We did get to drive past several Amish carriages and farms.  Here's hoping that tomorrow will me a much more interesting day.

Quarry Hill Nature Center

My parents love this place when they lived in Minnesota.  I enjoyed the visitor center.  They had turtles, snakes and fish and this T-Rex skull!

 

 Below is the main entrance to the nature center-they were having afternoon summer camps.  Mom tried to sign me up for one, but they were full.

We decided to walk the shorter trail up to the old Quarry.

On the way, we found the old caves carved out of stone.  They we made in 1890, as a produce storage cooler for a nearby hospital.

 

It was a climb up to the Quarry, and we had to push Grandma Judy up the hill but we made it.  Trees and plants have grown back in the Quarry.

I was glad when we started heading back towards the nature center.

The woods in Minnesota are full of deciduous trees, with a lot of oaks.

The pond is next to the nature center.  I was ready to get in the car.

 

I did not enjoy Quarry Hill as much as my folks and grand parents do.