Category: travel

Wolf Pack

Blast! Not a real cookie…

The summer is fading and so we all went on a little vacation to the Wisconsin Dells. Mommy found the perfect place: The Great Wolf Lodge. It had just the right touch of Northwoods, animated animals and toddler friendly waterpark attractions. Apparently you were swept up in the spirit of the place, since you now can imitate a wolf (with a tiny “oooohahhwwrr”) and distinctly told Mommy “HooToot”  for the owl sound when she read you Rokko tonight.

Yes, yes. I know… hand before the door.

Daddy’s not fond of heights (or anything remotely dangerous, actually) so staying on the fourth floor with a path overlooking the lobby didn’t make him terribly comfortable. But you did a really nice job of hanging on to our hands when we had to go to the elevator. Once there, at your eye level, we were always greeted with a dusty old badger, which you seemed to like.  You also constantly told us the elevator was going “UP!” no matter which direction we were heading.

Our dusty buddy…

The first night we were there we went to story time and you only lasted as long as the clock show (an animated adventure with a talking owl, squirrel, beaver, turtle, little native girl and a settler boy from Joliet). You got so squirmy we decided to just finish stories in the room, but you weren’t too thrilled about sleeping in a borrowed, uncomfortable crib in a strange place.

You say I’ll be bored with this later? I don’t believe it!

The waterpark was probably your favorite part. We suited you up in swim trunks and a rash guard (a shirt worn to keep surfers from getting board rash), then bundled you in a lifejacket, since some of the pools were too deep for little guys. While it was loud and water came at us from every angle, you seemed to embrace it, sitting in the toddler pool and splashing like mad, chasing squirting streams and rushing face first into what Mommy called “the baby car wash”. You also got to do some time in the bigger pools with us. Daddy even took you in the outside pool where you swam with him under a waterfall.

BETTER THAN BATHTIME!
Wait, no! THIS IS BETTER THAN BATH TIME!
Ok, excuse me while I open my mouth for this one.
Swim class is so “two weeks ago”!
Geronimo, as they say

 

I fear no deep pool (with this thing on).

Our second night there your oldest (half) brother Brandon and his wife Maureen came to have dinner with us. You got some wolf ears which Mommy had more fun with than you did. After you went to sleep, Daddy, Brandon and Maureen went to play “MagiQuest”; a interactive scavenger hunt with a wand and fantasy theme.  The next morning, you and Daddy got up and used the MagiQuest wand to make all sorts of things in the lobby talk.  Mommy was at the spa enjoying HER vacation with a new haircut, so you and Daddy got more pool time. While in the wave pool, you had a blast while Daddy held you up like a cork above the waves and you learned yet another new word: “bob”.

What are you looking at? A wolf doesn’t use a fork.
Nice try mom. You’re not scaring anyone.

You also got along very well with the mascots we saw. You saw Wiley in the lobby several times and then you saw both him AND Violet while we ate breakfast.

Yes, yes, Wiley… you can take a picture with ME.
These toast sticks are gonna’ ruin my figure.

And it must have been a great vacation because your sense of humor was on overdrive. You bundled up in towels one night for photos, you sniffed your own feet when Daddy told you they were stinky, and you just wouldn’t stop howling when you saw wolf pictures throughout the resort. You also started combining some pretty funny words that don’t really go together like “Elmo Coke”and “Whole Coke”.

I bring the cuteness!
I dunno. I think it smells like flowers.

Today, our last day there, we spent walking around the main (and very tacky) street of the Downtown Dells. We took a diversion for a bit and walked the path along the river. You seemed to have a great time pointing out trees, boats and the water. Mommy even got you to say river (which sounded very close to “Rivah”). We ate at Monk’s Pub which had one of the best black bean burgers we ever had. On the ride home, you squirmed and fussed a bit, but entertained us with your new Leap Pad by singing your version of the ABC song which pretty much goes “Ay, Bee, DEEEE! Ay Bee DEEEEEE!”.

And made from beans, you say? Brilliant.
Nothing tacky about nature!
STILL fresh!

 

We’re… going… home now… right?

Next weekend, Ren Faire (if we can handle it).

Approaching 19 Months

How we START every fun event…

We had a fun weekend, despite daddy getting a little sick. You visited the Science Museum of Minnesota and were probably the most delighted at the huge, snarling polar bear next to the lockers where we put your diaper bag. We spent most of our time near the dinosaur bones and your favorite thing was not the exhibits but the puzzles you found.

While the museum is pretty extensive, most of the exhibits were for older kids or adults, so you became bored fairly quickly. Bunny crackers helped get you over the energy lull and then we went outside where you played with a (leaky) bucket of water.

Is that Perry’s mother? Raaawr!
I see my future and it’s upside down.
So, should we run?
Yum. Bunnies are delicious.
Puzzling over dinosaurs
Hey, where’s the water going?

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

The previous weekend we went to the Minnesota Arboretum, where we walked through a forest, let you play with plants and even discovered a HUGE snapping turtle (which daddy almost stepped on, thinking it was a rock).  We also drove the three mile trail where you shouted one of your new words (“EPIC”, which sounds more like “eppa”) everytime we saw a new group of trees or shrubs. It had to be epic, since you’re big enough to face FORWARD in the car.  Later, we stopped at an Applebee’s where you had a great time with crayons and could say another of your favorite words (“Apple”, which doesn’t sound as much like Epic as you’d think), because there were apples everywhere.

Facing forwards is EPIC!
What’s that???
The mega-turtle!
Knock, Knock.
Let me fix this for you…

Rambling Guys

Several times this month mommy has had things to do and daddy took you out for fun. We went to the MOA Aquarium, the Walker Library, Dunn Brothers coffee (where you had apple juice) and today we took mommy to Wild Rumpus Kids’ Bookstore where you got two new books.

Fish... fish... SHARRRRK!
Yes, computers at the library are as fun as the ones at home.
MY JUICE, pal!
Chickens? Ferrets? Books? What is this place!?

April Fools and Easter Bunnies

Well, it was a really big weekend for us all this weekend. Your older (half) brother, Brandon, got married in Madison, Wisconsin. So we drove for over five hours to get there. It was your longest trip in the car so far. You did a great job of napping and chatting along the way.

On the trip we stopped to eat at a mall in Eau Claire where you played in a sea of little children in a play area. We were amazed that you didn’t get trampled because the kids ranged in ages from 10 months to 6 years. Still, you didn’t seem to mind the occasional thump.

When we got there, you weren’t really thrilled with the hallway to the hotel. In fact, everytime we walked out there, you got very nervous and fretful. Perhaps it was bad carpet? Or in reality, it might have been the thrum of the ice machine, because it was slightly intimidating. We found a great little diner called Monte’s Blue Plate where we shared some really good veggie burgers with you.

The wedding was short and you were well behaved. The night before we all had Indian food with the family of your new sister-in-law (Maureen) and you got along very well with her father, Ken. He brought up a tub full of toys for you to play with before the wedding and you were quite content.

After the wedding, we walked up State Steet and you seemed to take in everything around you. It was Spring Break so the normal hubbub of the city was calm. Even the capitol was quiet, since it was a Sunday. The next morning we had breakfast with Brandon and Maureen at a charming place called Lazy Jane’s.

On the way home we stopped at several places and you marveled at the scenery. From the big pink flamingo & life-sized Trojan horse at the Wisconsin Dells to the very battered fiberglass cows at a roadside cheese shop, you had something to say about them all (which sounded suspiciously like “What’s dat?”, your go-to phrase).

Once we were home, we relaxed with a vacation day for daddy. He spent it going with you and mommy to get your first haircut. You handled it like a champ. Then we got your picture with the Easter Bunny at the Ridgedale Mall. It was a wild, long weekend that lasted until Tuesday.

Art, Art, Art! (and some food)

Today we took you to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It was probably more fun for daddy, since he loves this sort of thing. But you had a GREAT time playing in the kids’ room (so much so, that you loudly protested when we took you out to see art). Eventually though, you began to notice, question and enjoy the art.

Later we took mommy to one of her favorite restaurants, the Hard Times Cafe. You fussed a bit at first, since you were slightly tired (we got there just around nap time), but you practically made snack time dinner time by eating mommy’s seitan, two of your “squeezie fruit” snacks and the bananas in the fruit cup we ordered you.

The Tiny Vacation

This weekend we took you to Stillwater, Minnesota. It was only 40 minutes from our house but felt like a world away. Our intention was to spend the night, get up the next day to see the frozen St. Croix River and do a little window shopping on it’s charming streets.

The Water Street Inn and Stillwater Lift Bridge

We stayed in a great hotel called the Water Street Inn with a large bed, a fireplace, a setee which looked like it came from the 1930s and three large, tall picture windows. The TV was in a cabinet that we barely even opened. And momma and daddy’s bed was a large, carved relic from an earlier age (or perhaps, made to look like one).

Our amazingly big room

But it was too cold, so it became a little jaunt to a tiny local brewer, a mexican meal at Nacho Mama’s (which, as it turned out, was far too spicy for daddy’s palette), some Saturday shopping and staying near our hotel.

Eating at Nacho Mamma's

The Inn was very charming though. There was a pub downstairs, a formal receiving room and a great set of dining rooms.  And there was a tub in our room! Mamma wanted to get into the whirlpool jaccuzi, but the jets were far too loud to allow you to sleep. We still managed to have fun. You got to see an Irish band play a couple of songs (you watched from the door), ate at the restaurant twice and absolutely shocked your mother by saying “hi, da da!” very plainly when I joined you at the table.

Just after saying "Hi, dada!"

You did wake up fussing in the middle of the night, which turned into screaming; we weren’t sure if it was your teething or if you were just scared at being in a different place. But after about a half hour, daddy rocked, sung and snuggled you back to sleep (and pulled his back in the process). On the way home, daddy stopped to shoot some pictures while mommy guarded you in the car and you slept all the way back. It was a fun weekend, even though it didn’t exactly turn out as we’d planned.

Sorry, buddy. Not your bed this time.

Under the Sea

Today was mommy and daddy’s tenth wedding anniversary. Instead of running off and doing something without you, we just couldn’t resist taking you to do something fun. So we went to the SeaLife Aquarium at the Mall of America. You love fish, so this was a huge feast for the eyes. Jellyfish, seahorses and a MASSIVE tank (1.5 million gallons, we were told) where sharks, rays and sea turtles swam over our heads.

Included here are some pictures of you while we were there and a short video of some of the things you saw.

Zoo Redo

We went to the Minnesota Zoo again today. You really enjoyed the reef section. In fact, next time we come, we may just spend most of our time there, since you seem to enjoy it most. We didn’t see much more today, since it was a very short trip. And because it was chilly outside, we walked inside the Tropics Section, saw the Minnesota Trail section then rode the monorail. You squirmed a bit at first, but you enjoyed it by the end.

However, as you can see in the pictures, you were a little annoyed that I pulled your hat down to keep you warm as we were leaving. In fact, you pretty much kept that glowering stare at me through the entire parking lot.

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The Wild Wedding Weekend

What a weekend for you! On Thursday, Oct 6th, we boarded a plane and headed to Tennessee to your Uncle Todd’s wedding. You’d never met any of your uncles and aunts, so this trip was even more special for us.

Your plane trip down was fine. You slept and were generally adorable and quiet. All the passengers around us were amazed at what a great boy you were. When we got to the hotel, we met your grandma and grandpa (Mimi and Doc), who showered you with outfits, toys and then took us to dinner.

On Friday night we ate at the rehearsal dinner, where there were NO high chairs, so you were sort of shuffled from relative to relative. No worries, since all of them wanted to hold you. You spent a good portion of your time with Mimi and with your Aunt Amanita (from New York; Uncle Chad’s wife). Again, you did very well.

On Saturday we went to the mall and saw LOTS of people dressed in orange. It was the day of the big Tennessee vs. Georgia football game. You were occupied at the mall, but got a little fussy when we didn’t get you fed quickly enough. However, you ate bright orange carrots, so you fit right in. That evening, we dressed you in your finest pinstripe suit and your Paul Frank hat that mommy bought you. You were a big hit. The pictures here when you’re wearing the hat were taken by your Uncle Chad (my brother).

You were fairly well behaved as long as the “puffs” (tiny cereal that you eat) were handy, but once they ran out just before the ceremony, you started to get a little fidgety and chatty. The wedding was outside, so you and I retreated to the back of the service, far away and looked at flowers.  That night you went to the reception where you continued to get passed from relative to relative, giving mommy a little rest. But when it got late enough, we put you in your pajamas and you fell asleep comfortably in mommy’s arms.

The next day we had some time before our flight, so Mimi and Doc took us to a park where we did a very light bit of hiking. You had a good time. After, we went for coffee and Mimi fed you. Off to the airport soon after, you still were in good spirits and again, were the best kid on the airplane. You actually got your Delta wings from our flight attendants, Jerry and Christopher.

All in all, a fun trip. It was great to meet all your uncles, aunts, great aunts, cousins and new aunt.

Here is who you met:

  • My brothers: Chad, Tim & Todd
  • Their wives: Amanita, Betsy & Emily (your newest aunt)
  • Your second cousin, Brad Love
  • Your great aunt Libby Love (Mimi’s sister)

OH. And almost forgot… your desire to take your hat off right before the ceremony gave me one of my favorite pictures of you. You’ll find it HERE.

Fearless First Mate

Today was your first Renaissance Festival. And after the State Fair, we were a little nervous about exposing you to thundering horse hooves, crazy costumed crowds or overweight girls in bodices. However, today was “Pirate Day” and boy, what a day to take you.

We forgot your hat and while looking around, we bought you an appropriate first mate’s kerchief (shown in the pics). You were the talk of nearly everyone you met.

Firstly, you took amazingly well to a Jack Sparrow impersonator. SO much so, that I thought you were going to leave with him. In fact, every pirate with a beard was your friend.

You were fairly bored with the horses, but the Festival had two “riding” elephants that you cooed over.  The Minnesota Herptelogical Society also had snakes and lizards on display. No worries to you, as you eagerly made a grab for the snakes (nothing poisonous or big enough to eat you though). As the day wound down, we watched “Alice the Cook” (our friend Chris Olson’s wife) do a cooking demonstration; we watched, you slept. Your little kerchief smelled like smoke the rest of the day.

We even got a chance to meet up with our friends Jason and Rachelle, who you always seem happy to see. They may even have some pictures of you that we didn’t get.

It was a long day, a dirty day… but you proved yourself a mighty, fearless pirate!