Just as it was two years ago, we went on a "relocation" with my family for a week long vacation, this time to Wisconsin Dells. Parts of it felt like vacation, but for the most part it really was a relocation of our day to day activities. Adam looked at me at one point and said that some day we would look back on this and laugh - and I know he's right!
Saturday: the day before relocation. We took the boys to their first parade with Josh and Claire. It was hot, but a good time. Nolan's favorite part was the music floats - especially the senior citizen's steel drum band float! Kale did amazingly well, especially considering he didn't nap. I spent some time running errands in the afternoon, and we packed up most of our stuff that night.
Sunday: started our journey a little after 10 in the morning. Both boys were really good all the way to our first stop in Eau Claire. We spent almost an hour and half at the mall, eating and walking around. Nolan had his first mall ride in the play area. He was content just sitting on the bus and monster truck, without me having to put a quarter in them. The last half of the trip was a little tougher. At one point, around mile marker 130, both boys were screaming - Kale because he wouldn't relax to take a nap, and Nolan because he wanted to listen to "Elvis Pesey (Presely)". Kale fell asleep about 20 minutes outside of the Dells, which was the cat nap he needed to get to bedtime. The house we stayed at was amazing - 6 bedroom, 3 bathroom 3800 square foot rambler. There were 2 living rooms upstairs and a huge family room downstairs with a pool table, card playing table and a foosball table. In other words, lots of room for 16 of us to spread out!
Christianne came with me to Walmart to help with my grocery shopping, while Adam stayed back with the boys. Talk about an experience. I have never seen so many people dressed in the most inappropriate clothes - everything from pajamas to swimsuits! We were just about back to the house a few hours later when Christianne said "is that our bean bag toss game in the ditch?" Sure enough, dad had placed it on our truck extension when we got to the house and I hadn't realized it was back there. There were two bean bags on the extension when we got to Walmart, which seemed odd, but I didn't think too much it to it. We turned around, picked up the boards and the bags and headed home. As we stepped out of the car a big dog came running up to us. It was dark by then, so it scared me a little. What scared me even more was that it smelled like a skunk had just sprayed me! I told the dog to go home, and was literally feeling sick to my stomach from the smell. A guy came running up a few minutes later, looking for a dog. I told him I sent it home, and he said it had gotten sprayed by a skunk. Duh! By then Christianne and I smelled completely like skunk. The humid air outside didn't help the matter. It was so bad that the next day when we got in the truck and turned on the air it still smelled like skunk!
Monday: Nolan ended up in bed with us around 1:30 - luckily Kale slept through his crying. Kale took a long walk with Grandpa after breakfast. We layed low most of the day, hanging out at home and at the pool. Nolan wasn't a huge fan of the water, but Kale loved it. He kept sticking his face in the water chutes that came up from the ground. It was really, really, really hot, so we couldn't be outside for long periods of time. During afternoon nap a few of us gathered round while Eric played a great rendition of Patience by Guns n Roses on his guitar.
Tuesday: Nolan got in to bed with us again at some point, but neither of us knows how. Luckily he didn't wake up Kale. Tuesday was designated as man day. The boys golfed in the morning, went to the best pizza place ever - Moose Jaw Pizza and Pub - and then spent the afternoon downing 44 cans of beer, tubing down a river. The declared it "the best day ever!" multiple times. Good thing my dad went along to drive them home! I took a long walk with the boys and my dad in the morning, but other than that stayed close to home. It was super hot again, and I didn't have the energy to take them both to the pool. They were both really good all day, which was helpful!
The biggest news of the day was that Kale started walking! He was taking steps before - 3-4 at a time. He had worked hard on Monday to figure out his balance, and he did. Gina gave him a bit of advice, too - stabalize your hips! He's walking a lot now and trying so hard to keep up with the other kids, especially Nolan.
Wednesday: Nolan slept all night in his bed! Even though the boys get up super early, it is so fun to listen to them laugh and play in the morning. Nolan brings toys to Kale in his pack n play, gives him high fives - and they hysterically laugh at each other. Nolan's favorite thing to do is to fall backward on to his air mattress, all the while saying "watch me, brudda!" Grandpa took both the boys for a long walk again in the morning. Kale tossed his nook out of the stoller at some point, so my dad spent another 45 minutes looking for it - and found it, tossed 20 feet in to a yard they had walked by! After the walk it was time to head to the downtown Dells area to get an old time photo of the cousins. It was hilarious. All 6 of them sat in an old bathtub - the older 3 girls in dresses and the younger 3 in their diapers. They all got to hold on to guns, too. Probably not appropriate, but super funny. Adam and I decided to get one with just our family, too. Our backdrop was a saloon, so Adam and the boys were cowboys and I was in a dress. Nolan was probably the funniest, wearing the little cowboy outfit, hat and bandana, and holding a rifle - all while sitting on a saddle.
We took the boys to the pool again in the afternoon, but they only lasted about a 1/2 hour. I was just happy to have spent some time working on my tan during their nap!
Thursday: Kids slept through the night - happy parent's! My dad took both boys for another walk in the morning. Thursday was designated as girls day. We spent the morning walking around downtown. After lunch at home we convinced our dad to come with us to go tubing on the same river the boys went on. It was overcast - which was kind of a bummer - but we still had a nice and relaxing time floating, drinking a few beers, and watching the duck boats and jet boats drive by. That evening most of us went to the Tommy Bartlett water ski show. I saw it 23 years ago, so my memories of it were vague. It was awesome - and really, really cheesy! Nolan had a tough day on Thurday, and we couldn't figure out why. He was having a really hard time falling asleep, so my mom had to lay with him after we left for the show.
Friday: Kids slept through the night, again. Nolan woke up, seeming to feel a bit better. I was starting to get concerned he was getting an ear infection - he kept digging in his left ear, to the point it was bleeding. Dad took the boys for a walk after breakfast, again:) It was so nice to have a little time every morning to enjoy my coffee and have time to get ready! After the big family photo in the morning we headed off to a little kids rail station to ride a train. Nolan was so excited. He kept saying "I like trains" and "where's Thomas"? All the kids had an awesome time. The train was a 1/4 size of a real train, so it was perfect for the kids. At the end of it we were all covered with soot from the coal that went in the steam engine! I was able to lay out again that afternoon. It was hot, but not as humid so it was doable. Adam was able to get in another round of golf after helping get the kids to bed, too.
Nolan really struggled in the afternoon, all the way until bed time, which was around 6 because he was crabby. He was running a slight temp so we gave him some of his "pink stuff" - generic Tylenol. He still ended up getting up twice before I finally just put him in bed with me when I went to bed around 10. I felt so bad for him - he kept saying "I hurt", but couldn't tell me what hurt. We put Kale in the 6th bedroom to sleep, so Adam slept upstairs with him.
Saturday: Kids slept through the night and Nolan seemed to be on the mend. Dad took the kids for a walk, and when they got back we headed out with the Jones' family to Circus World in Baraboo. It was a super cool experience, almost like stepping back in time. We got there in time to stand in line for the morning Big Top show. The bad part was that we had to stand in line for 15 minutes, and then sit for a 1/2 hour before the show started. While Christianne waited in line we took the boys to look at the elephant, ponies and 150 lb python! Nolan was starting to go downhill fast, and was sobbing that he couldn't "ride the horsie". Nolan didn't even make it to the start of the big top show - I took him and went and stood in entry to the tent. We knew something was up - he kept wanting to cuddle, but was super cranky. After spending about 1/2 the show with him, I went and traded for Kale - he was getting super antsy, so I took him outside to walk around. After the show was over we grabbed a bite to eat - and realized we had forgotten to bring Kale's bottle and food with us. We were thinking of heading to Madison to take Nolan to a Minute Clinic, but thought that if we got home we could just give him more of the "pink stuff". At one point during lunch Nolan was literally drinking ketchup out of a little container - our family was falling apart! Both boys napped on the 20 minute ride back to the house. Nolan was able to sleep for 3 more hours that afternoon. Not Kale - he didn't sleep another wink until his bedtime at 5:45.
Mom and dad were kind enough to stay at the house with the little kids, so around 9 all of the older kids took off to enjoy a fun night of karaoke at the resort bar. Out plans changed when we found out there was a wedding reception there, so we drove a few miles out of town, to Bronco Billy's Saloon - a nice local bar. Great people watching, great beer, and great karaoke.
Sunday: Kids slept through the night. Dad took the boys for a walk so Adam and I could pack. Nolan again seemed to be doing better. Adam was not. He was dragging a little bit from our fun night at Bronco Billy's! All 16 of us made it out of the house before the 10 am check out time. The first half of our trip to Eau Claire was loud - both kids had melt downs at different points. We stopped at Target to buy formula, and to see if it had a Minute Clinic so we could get Nolan's ears checked. They did not, so after spending an hour eating and letting the boys walk around we got back on the road. The boys slept almost the whole way back, waking up in Minnetonka. Nolan was still acting a little off when we got home, so Adam took him to Urgent Care. No ear infection, but he does have strep throat. I had already taken the day off work so I could clean, do laundry and grocery shop. Hopefully I'll still get some of that stuff done with Nolan at home with me. I was really hoping I could have one day of my vacation for me - but I guess I'll share it!
Other highlights of the trip:
Grandma Paula's craft time every afternoon
Grandma Paula's card game, where the kids won money!
Fantastic meals every night
A little burn that has turned in to a great tan
