Kids: 'Get Your Party On'

Last night, the kids put this little video together.

This is too good not to share.

Eva and Liam's lip sync/dance to Baha Men: Get Your Party On

Summer Vacation 2016: Part 4

We left Beaver Dam at 6:00 am and made it through Milwaukee and Chicago traffic easily. Dave had seen a Big Boy restaurant in Michigan that he was hoping to hit for lunch, but it ended up being mid-afternoon by the time we came across one. Instead of having lunch there, it was a quick snack with a photo opp and gas fill up before we were back on the road again.

After a long day of driving, plus the hour that we lost moving back into the Eastern time zone, we finally rolled into our hotel at 7:30 pm. Get us out of the van!

I felt culture shock immediately. Had we accidentally driven to Las Vegas? There were flashing neon lights, live music, and bustling crowds. I said to Dave,"I think this is going to be expensive..."

Sure enough, $25 a day just to park at our hotel! 

We got a room on the 15th floor of the Four Points Sheraton and quickly ventured out for dinner. It seemed smart to try one of the restaurants attached to the hotel, but after looking at a mediocre menu with highbrow prices, we moved on. 

We followed our ears to the Italian restaurant with the live band playing, and were seated immediately. Once my rigatoni bolognese arrived, I was thrilled with our choice. It was fabulous and I am already having cravings for more. After we paid our check, our sweet waitress told is about the fireworks that happen over the Falls on Friday nights. This was a great tip, so we quickly made our way over to the mounting crowd that had formed. Even though it only lasted five minutes or so, it was a good experience. Music was piped in through the outdoor speakers, and the glowing lights from the surrounding restaurants/casino were so colorful. 

* *

The next morning, we had a quick breakfast at the buffet place nearby, and then explored the Visitor Center by the Falls. We had booked a five hour bus/boat tour and needed to be back to hotel by 10:30. To kill time, we explored the Visitor Center along the Main Street. In doing so, we missed the bus back to ourhotel, and finally arrived just minutes before the tour shuttle showed up. 

Once on the tour bus, we learned so much about the history of the falls. The geography, the important people behind it, the stories of daredevils, and some other information that we never would have learned about has we not gone on the tour. While wearing ponchos, we watched a 4D movie about the Falls, and we got snowed on and rained on! Next, we went into the cement tunnels behind the falls. 

We continued with the tour and drove along the Niagara River...past the Butterfly Conservatory and the Arboretum, along long bike trails and finally to the Flower Clock. 

Next was a stop at Whirlpool Basin and the AeroCar. To be clear, we did NOT ride in the car over the river. It was just a quick stop for photos.

Our next stop was a ride to the top of the Skylon Tower, which Amanda and I were nervous about, especially after seeing the little yellow car travel up the side of the tower.! But in he end, we did just fine. 

The 360* views were amazing! 

Our final part of the tour was the part I was most looking forward to: a boat ride into the Falls. 

Once we put on our ponchos and got on the boat, we headed straight into the waterfall.

It felt like we were in a hurricane, right into the heart of the falling water. The boat felt like a giant party, with everyone screaming and laughing every time the water blasted us. It was so much fun that none of us minded being wet. 

The tour finally ended an hour and a half after the scheduled finish time. The kids had been begging to go swimming all day long, so we promised them some pool time as soon as the tour ended. Unfortunately the pool was closed for cleaning, so we went to Plan B: dinner at Outback Steakhouse. 

By the time we got back to the hotel, the pool was open so we quickly changed into our swimwear. Our eyes began to burn, but we didn't think too much about it. The kids swam while Dave and I played cribbage. We took a quick dip in the pool before going back to the room. The kids were all coughing and it seemed like it was a good idea to head out.

By the time I got back to the room, my feet were itching terribly and the kids were still coughing. Dave talked to management about the possibility of too many chemicals in the pool, and then we went to bed.

We had initially thought about spending the next morning exploring more of the walking trails, but we woke up to rain. I left all of our unused tickets in the lobby, and hoped someone else would be able to use them.

We hit the road around 8:30 and headed for home. After some small problems (a 'check engine' light and then a 90 minute traffic jam, which we quickly detoured out of), we made our way east. It felt like slow going, as the return trip always does. After eleven hours on the road, we finally made it within five miles of home...and then Eva became carsick. 

At least we were near home when it happened. We unloaded the van in record time and enjoyed a meal of takeout wings and fries. 

We were happy to be home, in our own beds. 

It was certainly a vacation to remember, especially for Eva and Liam, who did not remember any of the previous trips to Wisconsin. 

We all hope to return again before too long. 

Summer Vacation 2016: Part 3

On Friday, we drove to Sheboygan Falls and had lunch with Grandpa Clint and Grandma Reda at Firehouse Pizza. The kids would be having a two night sleepover there, and they were really looking forward to it. 

While we were at lunch, Amanda took Liam to the restroom and a woman stopped her, asking if her name was Mandy.  It turned out to be Aunt Mary Ann, having lunch with a friend. It was a nice surprise to see her, and good to catch up for a little bit.

After lunch, we stopped by at Grandma and Grandpa's house and had strawberry shortcake. 

Dave and I headed home for some quiet time on the lake. We took crackers, sausage and a bottle of wine down to the pier and enjoyed the serenity. 

 

 

 

Once again, we tried fishing off the pier...

 

...but had no luck. We eventually gave up and went in to watch 'Castaway' instead.

We received a text telling us about all the fun the kids were having with Grandma and Grandpa. They had already been to Bookworm Gardens and the beach on Lake Michigan, and had a lot planned for the rest of the weekend.

* * 

On Saturday morning, Dave and I got up early and drove into Madison for the Farmer's Market on the Square. 

 

 

It was a bustling day down there. Dave was happy to have satisfied his craving for the hot & spicy cheesebread. I enjoyed hearing all of the musicians playing, and watching the variety of interesting people. We walked up and down State Street, stopped into a few stores, and bought some old record albums.

We met up with Uncle Josh for lunch at an Irish pub in Sun Prairie, and made plans to see him at the lake house the next day. 

That evening, we had a Mexican dinner with Grandma Jo and then went to the Flags of Freedom Drum & Bugle Corps Competition in Sun Prairie. It was a fantastic show, and we were all wishing the kids had been there to witness it!

* * 

On Sunday morning, Dave and I went for a long bike ride near the Horicon Marsh. We were the only ones on the trail, and we were once again treating to breathtaking views of the marsh and grasslands. 

Along the way, we stopped and gazed out at the water. We saw lots of large fish, probably carp, surfacing in the water. Dave decided to make it a point to bring the kids fishing there.

When we circled back on our way to the car, we looked over to see a white-tailed deer leaping through the grass, almost as if it was racing us. I really enjoyed the nine mile ride, and was happy to have finally gotten some much needed exercise.

Later in the day, Grandma Jo and Uncle Josh arrived at the lake...and shortly after, Grandma Reda and Grandpa Clint returned the kids to us. We had a relaxing afternoon - good food, playing games, guitar music and outside time. In the evening, Dave lit off a few fireworks.

Grandma and Grandpa spent the night, and the next day (the Fourth of July) we worked on a puzzle and played more games before they made their way back to Sheboygan. It was a cool and cloudy day, and we didn't do much.

* * 

On Tuesday, Dave took Eva and Liam on a bike ride back to the Marsh, and tried fishing with different bait.

Unfortunately, they still didn't get any bites!

Amanda, Grandma Jo and I went thrift shopping and out for lunch at the Glass Nickel in Sun Prairie. That was a fun day, and we enjoyed looking for treasures. We spent the afternoon packing up for our long road trip back.

 On Tuesday evening, our last night in Wisconsin, the kids were begging to see Brady, Ella and Ashlyn one more time before we left. They had been up north and were returning home around dinnertime.

We ended up going out for dinner with all of them at Hooker's Resort on Lake Wisconsin.

The cousins at the 'canoe table'

 It was a very fun night, and the cousins were delighted to be all together again. 

After dinner, we all sat by the lake and watched a boat that had run aground. It had gotten too close to the shore and hit a sand bar. Once it got free, we headed back to Uncle Jared's house for more trampoline fun, quality time with the kittens, piano music, a campfire and some fireworks. 

* *

On Wednesday morning, we say goodbye to our little house by the lake....and headed east toward home. We were all sad to be leaving but looking forward to our next adventure. Dave had booked two nights in Niagara Falls for us, and we were looking forward to finishing our vacation with some sightseeing.

...To be continued...

Summer Vacation 2016: Part 2

On Monday, we had plans to meet up with Jared's family at Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells. Taylor had spent the night with us, so we went up earlier in the day to explore. Dave was impressed with the variety of things to do, and was drawn in by the enticing signs advertising deals.

After walking around for a while, we went out for lunch and then to a nearby park before our designated meeting time arrived.

The Dells 

Lunchtime

Fun at the park

Once we all met up, we quickly split up into groups - those who enjoyed the wilder rides vs. those who were chickens! Throughout the afternoon, we met up at our home base and checked in with each other. 

The whole group, except for Pam - the photographer.

Later in the day, we ran into Pam's sister and nieces...and invited them to join us for dinner at the Mexicali Rose.

That evening, all of the cousins (minus Liam) had a sleepover at Jared and Pam's house. This later turned out to be a parenting error on our part, as Liam felt very left out. Sometimes we tend to forget how independent he is, being the third born. 

But he got a great consolation prize, one that none of the other kids got: a ride on Uncle Jared's tractor! 

And he didn't just ride on it. Uncle Jared let him steer it all the way around the cow pasture. The proud look on Liam's face was priceless! It really made his night.

The girls said they had so much fun hanging out with their cousins, and watching home movies of Jared and Pam's family. 

* *

The next day was Eva's 9th birthday, and Jared and Pam did an awesome job of making a big deal out of it. Pancakes with sprinkles!

After we picked up Grandma Jo, and then the girls, we took a drive to the cheese shop where Taylor works. We ordered sandwiches from the deli and then drove to Lodi for a picnic lunch.

After lunch, we all went hiking at Gibraltar Rock. What a scenic treat that was! I had never been there before, but the views were absolutely breathtaking.

After we finished our hike, we learned that we had come down on the wrong path. Dave quickly ran down the road and retrieved the van, sparing us the walk. Grandma Jo then treated everyone to ice cream in Lodi.

That night all of the cousins had a sleepover at Grandma's house and they celebrated Eva's birthday with cake and games. We met up with Jared and Pam for dinner, followed by darts and lots of laughter.

* *

On Wednesday, we had a quiet morning to ourselves. Once the kids returned from their sleepover, we all went swimming at the Aquatic Center in Sun Prairie. Despite it being a somewhat chilly day, the kids enjoyed their time at the pool. We then said goodbye to Taylor, knowing it would be the last time we got to see her on this trip. We were happy to have had four solid days with her.

After dinner, we decided to try our luck at fishing again. 

As we fished off the pier, Dave suddenly realized that our paddleboat was no longer tied to the pier! He and the girls got into the canoe and paddled off, hoping to find it. 

Luckily they located the runaway paddleboat a few houses down. and they towed it safely back to our own pier. What a relief!

That night, we had our own little birthday celebration for Eva. We had lemon meringue pie and sang to her.

* *

On Thursday, the girls and I made plans to meet up with some of my old friends and their kids. Dave and Liam planned a Boys Day of biking, fishing and boating.

The two Carries 

The four kids became fast friends.

The girls taught Trey and Allen how to play Set. After coffee and great conversation, Carrie and I sadly said our goodbyes, as we had lunch plans with another friend.

We met at Rocky Rococo's, which was a bit nostalgic since we always enjoyed their breadsticks when we were in college! Amanda and Eva immediately connected with Anya and Simon. After we finished lunch and were driving to the playground to meet up with the rest of the college gang, Amanda said,"Mama, you are really good at choosing friends!" I thought that was a very accurate compliment, and I was thrilled to know that she approved of not only my friends, but also their children.

Once we arrived at the beautiful park in delafield, the kids quickly scattered and began making up games to play with each other. What a great group of kids! Amanda was thrilled to spend time with her pen pal, Josie. I think some of the other kids will become pen pals as well.

My college friends and I: 25 years of friendship.

I really enjoyed catching up with my old buddies, and was sad that the time passed so quickly. When we get together, it's as if time has stood still. We just pick right back up where we left off, five years ago. 

....To be continued..