Ever have that feeling? I sure do. I am still recovering from all the "excitement" this weekend in the land of 10,000 lakes.
We drove up this weekend to surprise my Grandmother for her birthday. Before even leaving the house, my youngest got sick. Oh Joy! At least there is a warning prior to the "event", he cries, just like his mommy. So, I kept a watchful eye on him the day before we left and foolishly thought it was the 24 hour variety...
The drive was fairly uneventful, ya just gotta love technology. Seriously what did our parents do without portable DVD players? We arrived in Mankato in record time, and in true fashion, we took a wrong turn looking for my Aunt's house. A beautiful brick Victorian in North Mankato. Why do I keep forgetting to take a picture of her house. It is truly beautiful. They are in process of returning it to it's former glory.
After finally getting the boys to sleep, the adults stayed up to visit and play Zonk! Fun game even if it did take awhile for me to catch on. I awoke the next morning to both of my children whining "Can we please get up, I'm bored!" We venture downstairs only to realize that we won't be eating for another 2 hours at least. I found a banana and some animal crackers hoping that would tide them over until we got to the restaurant, popped in a movie and waited for the rest of our family to arrive.
An hour later, my boys are "cleaning up" the toys they had thrown around the front parlor, and I hear that tale tell warning cry. "OH No, NOT HERE!" is all I can think of... but it was too late. It wouldn't have been too bad if all the Lego's were picked up, but no... he managed to get himself, his brother, the oriental rug, and all the Lego's. Cleaning up was not a joy. My aunt was very understanding commenting that she was meaning to get the rug cleaned anyways, and was relieved that she hadn't done it already. I love her!
Needless to say the rest of the day, I was on high alert for warning cries. We made it through brunch, a trip to the Galleria Mall, the market, and the surprise party without any problems.
I love the Galleria Mall! Pottery Barn Kids made my heart skip a beat. They have Dr. Seuss bedding! I simply adored it, but couldn't justify the price. They even had Star Wars bedding, my boys were in heaven! Then we found the toy story. Cam couldn't get out of the stroller fast enough. I picked up some great supplies for teaching, the boys got a new toy from Grandma.
The store that really caught my attention was Oh Baby! We had purchased our diaper bag there years ago, and boy have they changed. The decor was amazing. There were lanterns hanging from the ceiling covered in ruffles of tulle, curtains made from fabric strips, and a wall mural made from cut pieces of fabric. Large velvet lolly pop trees were in the front window creating a back drop for the fabulous clothes. Too cute!
Then we were off to Crate and Barrel. The boys ended up in the stroller for this shopping experience. I am sure you could imagine the terrible scenarios going through my head. Everything from broken glass, to the most expensive piece of furniture getting the sick baby treatment. Oh boy! We did survive, and so did the merchandise. No need to hang my head in shame.
We were finally off to pick up dinner and dessert at the local market, and then surprise my Grandma. Good food, family, and fun!
Simply the best cake ever for chocolate and raspberry lovers everywhere.
just wait it gets better...
can you feel your thighs and tummy expanding yet?
here is my Grandma enjoying the fresh raspberries on top of the cake.
the boys celebrated with cupcakes.
the look on my baby's face says it all... this is my mom with 2 of her sisters, my Grandma, and my 2 boys.
But it was getting late for everyone, so off to the hotel we went. Mom said we had a jacuzzi room, and we did! So much for the pool, this was much easier to keep tabs on the boys. They had a blast! I was able to relax... finally. And yet I started relaxing too soon. Neither child seemed ready to go to bed. It wasn't until 10 pm that they both fell asleep. Way past their normal bed time. Sleep wasn't in the cards for anyone. Michael kept coughing, and waking up Cameron who would then start to cry. I finally brought him into bed with me and mom. Morning came way to early. The boys got up at the usual 6:30!!! Aaargh!
The boys playing with their new toys inside one of the coolest tents ever! It is a giant frog. Only Michael spent the entire night in it.
One more trip in the jacuzzi tub prior to check out was in order. After a few "No splashing" warnings I pulled to plug and made them get out. It was at this time my oldest decided he had to go potty RIGHT NOW! It was already occupied by Grandma, and I asked if he could wait. NOPE! The tears started, and I knew that meant he really had to go. He turned bare wet feet on the wet floor and fell. Mad as hell, he got up and tried to get into the bathroom and fell again... HARD! Oh the tears, and the screaming. I am surprised that CPS didn't come storming into the room. He wasn't hurt, but he was mad. 15 min later he finally stopped screaming into the mirror.
My Aunt and Uncle arrived at the end of it all, and said that the rooms are not sound proof as advertised. They could hear him screaming in the lobby. GREAT! We checked out and headed off to take Grandma out for lunch. While dining, my youngest said, "I'm poopy!" Said is an understatement. As I was getting him out of the high chair, he started that dreaded warning cry... my oldest, "HE'S GOING TO GET SICK!" Oh crap! Not now, all these people eating. I shot a panicked look to my mom, and tried to calm my youngest down. Apparently I had banged his knees on the chair while getting him out. Phew.
In the bathroom, I discover a new side to my darling little boy. He was not poopy! He lied to get out of the high chair! Wonderful.
We managed to get through the rest of lunch without further incident and get on the road back home. The trip home was ok, there was a little bit of drama, like passing the exit with a gas station only to have the low gas icon light up on the dash. Mom said to have faith, but I panicked as we passed exit after exit with no hope of refueling. The thought of leaving my boys with my mom in the car in freezing temperatures to hitch a ride or worse walk to get gas was unbearable. Fortunately, we made it to a gas station some 20 miles away from when the light first came on.
Finally we are back on the road. The boys seemed content with a cookie, some juice, and a new movie. I started to drift off while mom was taking her turn at the wheel. I awoke to Cam asking for something to drink. And then in true fashion, my oldest starts with I have to go potty! and there isn't a rest area or gas station in sight. That crisis was also averted, and we arrived at home just in time for bed. Not the worst trip ever, but trying all the same.
So today, after dropping off some tired, cranky boys at daycare, I got caught up on some much needed sleep.
