Beat the [Grand]Parents

One more post to close out March's activities ... then it's just April, May, and half of June to catch up on. Blergh!

Anyhoo ...

We did a little grandparent switcheroo on the Saturday of Fiona's Lady Pirates play. Gpa V came down for the matinee and then headed back north. Shortly after he left, Gma and Gpa J and Auntie arrived for the evening performance. Since we had a bit of time to kill, we decided to play the board game Beat the Parents. The teams were divided into Auntie + 3 mini Vs [kids team] vs Mike, me, Gma, and Gpa [parents team]. You guys, chaos ensued!

Highlights were the sock fight between Dec and Gma. He picked her as his opponent and underestimated her sock fighting skills! The game was neck and neck throughout and game down to a final challenge to determine the winner. The challenge: fastest person to roll across the floor. The kids picked Quinn as their representative. Then Quinn picked Gpa as her opponent. 

They were supposed to roll simultaneously, but our living room isn't big enough (#furniture) so Mike timed them instead. Q went first and was fast. Grandpa was nervous! But anyone who knows Gpa knows he was not going to go quietly into the night. Despite having vertigo and having his feet clip the wall, he squeaked out the win! 

The kids were not happy to have lost (mostly because the "no fighting" wager they had made was probably less than achievable). But we all had a really fun time and it was a great way to fill the time before dinner and performance number 3.

Enjoying a White Christmas

Christmas morning was fun, relaxed, and delicious. As we opened stockings and presents, Gma had an egg bake cooking in the oven. That was a fantastic treat once we had finished the presents portion of the morning. We cut back a lot on presents this year across the board - and no one seemed to mind a bit. In fact, everyone seemed to be able to enjoy what they did get a little more. 

Fiona was thrilled by the white board and dry erase markers she got for her room; Quinn immediately wrapped herself up in her new tie dye blanket; and Declan made good use of his new Battleship game. 

They had opened their big presents from us before we headed north because this year, they were actually big. Declan got an air hockey table that has proven quite popular and Quinn got a balance beam. We got Fiona a chair for her desk, but I fell victim to the risks of online ordering and it was waaaaaaaaaay too small for her! Post-Christmas break, it was returned and a new chair has appeared in its place. 

After we all thoroughly enjoyed Gma's egg bake, I pulled out the gingerbread house kits that I had bought for Thanksgiving that were never used (ahem, covid). I put together two gingerbread treehouses and then divided the family into two teams. It was Mike, Gpa, Q, and Dec vs Fiona, me, Gma, and Auntie. 

We had 20 minutes to decorate our treehouses and it was, of course, a competition that was taken VERY seriously. The end results were pretty impressive. 

Early afternoon, we headed out to Auntie Tracey's house to see everyone, including Gpa Vanneste. It was a beautiful day, so our gang spent most of the afternoon outside. Auntie Tracey and Uncle Kyle have a rather death-defying drop-off at the end of their hill, which of course meant we needed to sled it. There were a lot of wipeouts and bailouts - combined with a ton of laughter. Gpa watched from the window and thought we were all crazy!

Declan (and the girls) also spent plenty of time checking out Nate and Ben's new slot track. There were some serious races. Auntie and I spent our time placing cars back on the track. I think their favorite part was making the cars fly off around the corners. And, of course, there was playing with the cats too. That was probably Fiona's favorite part of the day. So when we got back to Gma and Gpa's, no one was allowed near Gpa until they were showered and wearing clean clothes! [And a convenient reason for me to require the showers that they very much needed]

We had a wonderful dinner back at Gma and Gpa's, played a few more games of Battleship, and started a movie to end our night. The day was a perfect balance of activity, downtime, outside time, and fun. We never felt rushed, but the day have a good amount of things to look forward to. As we tucked the kids in that night, they all agreed it was a very merry Christmas. 

Last Summer Weekend: Waterfalls

Sunday looked to be a gorgeous, but chilly, day - so Mike and I had decided that we'd make a return trip to Amnicon Falls. You may remember that we headed there as part of our northern Minnesota Spring Break tour. It's just under a two hour drive (each way) from Rapids, but we knew that we could get a lot of exploring in to make the drive worthwhile. We also invited Gma and Gpa J and Auntie to join us. And met Gma and Gpa N at the park! 

We all knew that there's been quite the drought in the upper midwest this year - but wow, the water level compared to when we were there in April was crazy low. Several of the waterfalls were barely dripping, so the falls were much less impressive than in the spring. Conversely, the water was so low that all the big river rocks were up out of the water. I have never crossed a river via rock path so many times in my life. In fact, I joked on instagram that clearly my kids are allergic to the actual trails!

The smoke from the western wildfires was impacting the air, so Gma N was having a hard time breathing. We all had lunch together and then my mama grabbed a picnic table spot with Gma and Gpa N to visit while the rest of us wandered down to the river and then tested our rock jumping balance. My dad was laughing so hard and Emmy and me as we tag-teamed a crossing. We stand by our team effort and our dry feet. We even did a trio crossing with Fiona and everyone was successful thankyouverymuchdad! 

Gma and Gpa N left shortly thereafter, but we are so glad we got to see them for a little bit! Then we brought Gma J with us for the next batch of exploring. Because of the low water levels and exposed rocks everywhere, my family did a lot more "off roading" than we had done in the spring. We definitely should have had Gma wear her hiking shoes! Gma and Gpa claim they need to go back again in the spring so 1) they actually get to walk on the trails and 2) they can see the falls when they have more water running through them!

Overall, we spent about four hours exploring the park. Only one Vanneste got fully wet (cough, Declan, cough) but it was mostly on purpose. He had taken off his socks and was walking around in the river in his crocs with his pants rolled up. He missed a rock and took a bit of a swim. Thankfully I had brought extra clothes - because I know my people! 

[Several other Vannestes may have had wet shoes and socks. Auntie may have had a rolled ankle from a long leap from rock to shore. No family members were permanently maimed in the exploring of the waterfalls.]

It was an easy drive back to GR, where we had a big bowl of Gma's famous potato salad waiting for us! Dinner was easy and delicious. Then we ended the night by watching a couple episodes of The Floor is Lava, which, if nothing else, reaffirmed Em and my tag team approach to obstacles! Oh, and then a bonfire at Auntie's house with s'mores because what better way to end a great day!

Last Summer Weekend: Went North

It is our last year of the crazy weird schedule of the kids starting school on the Thursday after Labor Day. Only elementary schools start on Thursday. Middle and High School start on Tuesday ... and we have a middle schooler next year! So we decided to take advantage of our longer Labor Day weekend one last time - and headed north for a few days of trees, lakes, and family before the craziness of the school year started!

Because of work and sports schedules, we decided to head up on Friday ... even though that meant that traffic would likely be less than ideal. You guys, traffic was less than ideal. So we went some back roads, where in the world are we and is there a gas station anywhere in the next 30 miles route. Other than honestly only vaguely knowing where(ish) we were, it was just fine and much less car-sick-inducing than the stop and go traffic on our regular route. Lunch was a little trickier than expected and we ended up with gas station pizza slices. As one does. We made it to Rapids mid-afternoon and were very happy to be there. 

Gma surprised the kids with a brand new bunk bed in the guest room and they were thrilled! The girls slept on the bunk and Dec decided to make himself a bed on the floor in their room. It was the world's best sleepover! The rest of Friday was pretty low key. We headed to the park to burn off some energy, played a full contact frisbee version of keep away, and tested the path between Auntie's and Gma's a few times. We even tried the [fairly sour] grapes on Auntie's grape vine. 

Saturday was the day we had been looking forward to since the 4th of July ... CABIN DAY with the cousins! We headed up right after lunch and were sooooo happy. It was a lovely sunny day (until it wasn't ... more on that in a bit) but not terribly warm. Quinn and Dec (mostly Dec) went in the water. Fiona was happy to just put her feet in and play in the sand. They were all so excited when the rest of the cousins arrived.

The kids were all happily playing in the water and sand until a bunch of clouds blew over us. It started sprinkling and the whole crew huddled under the canopy of the pontoon. We could see that it was going to blow over pretty quickly and were telling the kids to just wait for a few minutes. Then there was a gigantic crack of thunder and the.kids.were.out. Of course, two minutes after the thunder, the storm was over. But it didn't matter. The safety-first moral compass gang was done. 

So we got everyone dressed, cleaned up the beach, and headed up to go on a woods walk. With a short pit stop in the cabin to wait out another quick rainfall and refuel with fruit snacks. Once the rain was done, we headed out for the loveliest hour-plus long walk on the trails. The kids had so much fun running ahead, hiding, jumping out, exploring, running back to us, and just being together. Fiona delighted in being able to carry Arlo part of the way - and he even fell asleep on her shoulder! She felt so grown up and was such a big help to Anna with Baby A. 

We all headed out around 5:00 to get to our various dinner locations. We were so glad to get one last day at the cabin - and even better, to have such a fun day with our people! The kids live for days with their cousins and always look forward to the time together!

Auntie's grapes

Sweet baby Arlo

Just a Bug and her Gpa

Went North: Part II

In the first half of 2021, my sister moved north and bought a house, my cousin Anna bought a new house and moved her family of five, our family of five moved to a new house … and not to be outdone, my cousin Liv remodeled her kitchen. Which sounds less intense – but we all know that remodels always take way longer than expected. So Liv was kitchen-less for months with a toddler and a preschooler. I’d rather move than do that!

All that to say, Saturday morning, the kids, Auntie, and I headed out to see Anna’s new house and get some baby Arlo snuggles as a bonus prize. It was interesting to see how the shift from Little to Big plays out in an environment other than the cabin (where everyone is just all in). Declan lived his best life wandering around the yard and the woods with Otto and Milo, jumping in the new trampoline, climbing on the playset, and running around the rink (which is a soccer field in the summer … Yes, they have a permanent full-size rink in their yard. Yes, we will spend most of winter break right there).

Meanwhile, the girls didn’t quite know what to do with themselves. As it turns out, adults just sitting around visiting is still so boring but the little boys don’t need “mothering” anymore (and in fact, also don’t care for mothering. There was a definite spat!). So they kinda flopped about and waited for baby Arlo to be in the mood for snuggles. At least there is one tiny cousin who still wants them to mother him. This tween thing is for real. They simply don’t know what to do with themselves and don’t know where they fit in the ecosystem.

Thankfully, there were Big Girl plans for the afternoon that took out some of the sting from the morning. The girls had a special date with Grandma. It was Quinn’s idea. Gma asked me if she was being hustled. I told her to always assume that Q has some sort of long-game hustle going on – but in this case, I did know that the core of it was just wanted some special time with Gma. The hustle report reflects the procurement of two “grown up” outfits, a swimsuit cover up, and make up for Fiona – but Gma didn’t seem to mind. Sounds like they had a great time together.

Since the girls had a special date, I told Dec that I’d take him on one of his own. And then his daddy showed up too. We were going to go fishing, but ended up just meeting Auntie at the Hale Lake boat landing (about 5 blocks from Gma and Gpa’s house) because no one was there. We fished, we swam, we lounged in the sun, we made 495 trips back to the house for potty breaks and towels and snacks and whatnot. When the girls were done with their date, they joined us. It was the best time!

Day 2 in the lake was in the books!

Spring Break: The Grandparents Tour (Chasing Waterfalls)

Tuesday morning, we were up and at 'em because we had big plans. First up, Gpa V showed up with donuts (as he does). Against all odds, I agreed that they could each eat a whole donut. Dec picked one as big as his face ... and ate every single bite of it! Fiona decided it was too much donut and saved half of hers for the next morning. After breakfast, Quinn beat Grandpa a few more times at Go Fish and we explored the woods right outside our villa. 

Then we hopped in the car for the next adventure. Step 1: drive across the big bridge to Wisconsin. As you remember, I hate bridges and the ones from Duluth to Superior are the worst. [When we were dating, Mike used to have to drive over from northern Wisconsin to pick me up in Duluth - or I would cross over in Hinckley where it was a much more manageable bridge.] We took the Bong bridge over and the kids thought it was so cool. Although the High Bridge on the way back was the clear favorite. And by clear favorite, I mean "from what I could tell with my eyes squeezed closed, practicing my deep breathing exercises while I waited for us to plummet to our untimely deaths."

Step 2: we were heading to Amnicon State Park, where Mike and I used to go often when we were dating. It has several beautiful waterfalls and fun trails to explore. But best of all, it is near Gma and Gpa N's house - so they agreed to meet us there. In normal times, this would be great. But you guys, we had not seen them in person or hugged them in eighteen months! Eighteen months. Gma was fully vaccinated and Gpa was just a couple days away from his official "two weeks past second vax" - so we hugged with masks. BUT WE HUGGED! It was the best!

We got to the park before Gma and Gpa, so did a little exploring while we waited. Which basically meant off-roading, ledge perching (Quinn!), portaging across multiple log bridges, accidentally falling in the water while testing a log bridge (Mike!), and declaring "this park was made for us!" (Declan). 

We paused some pretty extreme off-roading to meet Gma and Gpa at the picnic tables for lunch. Then they spent the next two hours staying safely on the path while the rest of us followed Mike's lead when he said ridiculous things like: "I think we can make it to that cave if we pick our way down to the river there, shimmy along that rock ledge, make a leap to that ledge, and then climb up to the cave." [almost direct quote] Gma loved it. It was like watching three little mini Mikes, a big one ... ... ... and me. 

When we were cleaning up our lunch, the park ranger came by the picnic area. The kids told him how much they loved the park and how much fun they were having. He loved their enthusiasm and gave them each a Smokey Bear gaiter. They were both terrifying and hilarious when pulled up over their faces. At one point, Declan lined up the mouth perfectly and it was moving while he talked. So creepy - and yet we could not stop laughing.

After Gma and Gpa headed home, we did a bit more off-road exploring. We also were able to watch the best teamwork on this hike. Log navigation is not easy for Fiona. She lacks some sensation in her feet, so relying solely on them for balance makes her quite nervous. Quinn would skip across the log (for real - she'd skip) and then she'd skip back to take Fiona's hand and would ever so slowly and carefully work the way across with her. She would never rush Fiona and F felt so much more confident holding Q's hand. Great sister moments for the two of them.

We also ended up with a sad Declan, who had wet feet from falling off a log. I was so proud that I had extra shoes for everyone. Except guess what I didn't have extras of ... socks. So Dec's wet shoes and socks went in the back and he got his crocs. Q decided to change into her crocs as well - just for fun. 

Mike decided to stop at Wisconsin Point before we took the bridge back to Duluth, so the kids could check out Lake Superior on the Wisconsin side. It was cold and windy on the lakeshore. And by windy, I mean some waves were unexpectedly large and crashed much further up the beach than expected. And by that, I mean a rogue wave totally knocked Dec's croc off and it went floating out into the lake. Little Dude went running out to save his shoe and had very cold wet feet as a result. Quinn and I also got hit by a wave and had cold, wet feet.

So two out of five Vannestes were crying as we left the lake (I was not) and it sounds ridiculous but was also so funny. Sometimes you just have to embrace the crazy. And now, even Q and D find the humor in it ... "remember when Lake Superior tried to steal my croc?" [Everyone's favorite part of Wisconsin Point (except me) was chasing the seagulls (gross) by running into the flock. In addition to bridges, I'm terrified of birds. Sometimes I think Mike plans things just to torture me.] 

Once we got safely back across the bridge to Duluth, we went down to Canal Park on the shore of Lake Superior (Minnesota side). The kids wanted to see the big Aerial Lift bridge, that goes up and down to let the ore boats in and out of the harbor. They talked Mike into driving across the lift bridge and I feel like I have had my quota of bridges for the decade. We also got out to take a bathroom pit stop, get a treat at Grandma's, and walk along the lakeshore. There were a lot of people out and about, so we didn't stay long. But it was a fun way to wrap up our exploration for the day.

Then we went back to the treehouse so I could make dinner and Gpa V could join us! Everyone used the big bathtub one more time (it's almost a month later and we all still talk about how great it was) and it was off to bed. Everyone got a much better night's sleep and we woke up ready to pack it up and head back home.

It wasn't a fancy Spring Break, but we had so much fun and got to see all the grandparents for the first time in forever (raise your hand if you are singing the song from Frozen). Getting away for a few days and being able to just have fun together was exactly what we needed. And we still had a few days left of break to get organized and settled and test out the new walkie talkies from the Easter Bunny. Fact: you can be over a mile (straight line) from our house and still talk to people in the house. Well played, Bunny. Well played.

Spring Break: The Grandparents Tour (The Treehouse)

Monday morning, we packed up our stuff and pointed the car toward Duluth. We were off to spend a couple nights in one of the Mountain Villas at Spirit Mountain. Because each villa is a "raised cabin" structure, we'd taken to calling it a treehouse - much like the dwelling in Swiss Family Robinson. Since the villa wouldn't be ready for check in until mid-afternoon, we decided to take the kids to Jay Cooke State Park to do some exploring first.

Fittingly, the kids watched part of Swiss Family Robinson on the drive while I logged into a work conference call from my phone. I think Mike enjoyed the relative quiet! We made a quick stop in Cloquet to check out a fun park that Mike remembered from back in the day. He was right - it was super cool. And extremely crowded. But we donned masks and let the kids run around. There was a zip line that Bugs could not wait to try. Meanwhile Q and D figured out how to climb the ropes to the tallest slide and were not disappointed by the slide ride down!

After the park, we grabbed Arby's lunch, ate the Walgreen's parking lot (I had to run in to grab a few toiletry items for the treehouse), and made the short drive to Jay Cooke. We were pretty worried when we pulled in, because there were a lot of cars! But once we got off the beaten path beyond the swinging bridge, there were hardly any people. 

I'm not sure I've admitted this to the blog world, but I am terrified of bridges. Like hate them so very much. So the swinging bridge across the rushing St. Louis River is not my favorite - to say the least. Mike told the kids to let me go first so that they could take their time on the it (and I could sprint walk with purpose ahead of them). Somehow Q ended up in front of me and rest assured, she inflicted just the right level of torture on her mother. But we successfully made it across without plummeting to our deaths, so ... yay. 

We spent the afternoon climbing rocks, perching on ledges even though Mom had just said to not get too close to the edge (QUINN!), picking our way through non-trails, skipping rocks, and having a blast. Mike helped the kids climb out to the edge of one of the bluffs and lie on their bellies to look over the rocks at the river below. We also experimented with throwing branches in the water at the top of the rapids and then sprinting along the river to watch them go down the waterfall and come out the bottom.

It was so much fun, but the kids were also really excited to leave - because that meant we could finally see the treehouse. They had been looking forward to it for months. And let me tell you, the treehouse did not disappoint. The favorite parts were the three beds (including a bunk) in the kid room and the enormous jetted tub in the master bathroom. The kids wanted baths every night we were there - and we were happy to oblige. 

Once we got settled, Mike ran to pick up some groceries while the kids and I settled in. Then Mike returned with both groceries and ... GRANDPA VANNESTE! We haven't seen or hugged him since Fall Break in October. The kids were as excited to see Grandpa as they were about the treehouse - and that's saying something. Gpa joined us for dinner and the Q schooled him in Go Fish, multiple times, while I cycled small Vs through the giant bath. 

It was a new place and there was a big rainstorm that night (with a bit of hail) so Mike, Fiona, and I didn't get the best sleep. But we got enough to be ready for another busy day on Tuesday.

Spring Break: The Grandparents Tour (Auntie's Birthday)

Not only did we get to celebrate Easter while in GR, we also had an early birthday celebration for Auntie. Quinny and Gma made cake and I cooked up ribs and we made sure that Auntie's birthday was far better than her isolated quarantine birthday of 2020. But before we stuffed ourselves silly at dinner, we had some Bunny business to attend to.

The kids were up fairly early and started hunting for their baskets and eggs. Finding baskets was a whole new ballgame at Gma and Gpa's. So many new spots to search! Fiona eventually found hers in Gma's sewing room, Q's was in the washing machine, and Dec's was on top of the kitchen cupboards. He thought it was so funny because he couldn't reach it AND it was where great grandma's urn used to sit. At home, the eggs and baskets are usually on separate levels of the house. But in GR, it was a free for all. The final egg was one of Declan's and everyone was looking for it. Turns out, it was on the floor right next to the couch. We laughed that our last egg was in such an "easy" spot.

As Q started to piece together the clues in their shared eggs for the big surprise, Fiona solved the puzzle and announced where it was located. Quinn was super annoyed, told F to "hang on," finished putting the words together, and then made the same location announcement. F rolled her eyes, but ran off to the oven of the toy kitchen in the porch with the other two. Where they found three walkie talkies! 

Without batteries. Silly bunny! Thankfully Gpa had enough batteries to test out a couple of them.

By the time Auntie arrived, everyone was excited to show off their Easter basket treasures. The girls are enamored with their new hair towels and Dec could not stop laughing about the wind up bunny that poops jelly beans. Once Auntie finished admiring things, the gang headed down to the playground to get out some energy and test out D's new frisbee [I was sent by Q to take a shower after my run so met them later]. Even though the water was still freezing cold, the kids couldn't help but to be right at the lakeshore - even dipping their toes and fingers into it. 

The rest of the afternoon was both busy and relaxing. We had a lunch picnic in the yard (such a beautiful day!), went to the skate park and watched some definite increases in skill and bravery across the gang - until a whole bunch of big kids showed up, and then went for a hike in the woods behind the high school. It was so pretty back there, but the day was quite hot and by the end, everyone was a little melted. 

[By the end of the walk, I'd tied off Q's t-shirt into a crop top and handed over my hat to help shade her from the pretty intense sun. She was not in the best mood about overheating.]

We ended the day with Auntie's birthday celebration. Quinny proudly gave her the present she had picked out and purchased with her own money. I shared with Auntie how Q was so methodical in her gift selection process that it took all my willpower to not lie down on the floor of Target in exasperation. Since I have actually sat on the floor of a store in exasperation because of Auntie (as did Mike. And the sales person), it truly seemed a fitting detail.

Last year, we spent Easter alone in the middle of an April snowstorm. This year, with our people and overheating in the woods. We certainly like one of those options better than the other - even though Easter sledding was pretty cool ...

Spring Break: The Grandparents Tour (Hunting Eggs)

The kids started Spring Break on Good Friday and I also conveniently had the day off. After a very home-bound spring break last year (hello quarantine), all Vannestes agreed that we wanted to be away. We weren't really picky about where away was. Just somewhere relatively safe and not here. 

My parents are fully vaccinated and my sister, Mike, and I have all had our first shot, so we decided to spend Easter in GR. Mike's dad, mom, and Bill have all had their second shots (but not all had cleared their two-weeks post #2) so we figured we'd spend a few days after Easter in the Duluth area to see them. 

We finished packing and were on the road by 10:45 Friday morning. The kids were so excited to see grandmas and grandpas, but were quite bummed they wouldn't be seeing their cousins. Otto, Milo, and new Baby Arlo were in exposure quarantine and because Hux and Beau had seen them before they knew about the exposure, we wanted to play it safe. Since Auntie Tracey and family had just gotten back from a trip to Hawaii, we wanted to be careful, so would also miss them. Summer and fully vaccinated family members cannot happen soon enough! 

[We delivered candy-filled plastic eggs to the little cousins and air-hugged and loved from afar. In hindsight, that may have made things harder for the mini Vs. They really love their cousins and it was so.dang.hard not to play. We had moments of not the best attitudes - but things shaped up as break went along.]

We made it to Rapids by mid-afternoon and spent the rest of our day playing baseball in the yard and eating pizza and ice cream for dinner. We love that Gma always remembers Ice Cream Friday!

Saturday morning, the kids helped me stuff the plastic eggs and the girls and I toured Auntie's temporary apartment (she moves into her new house at the end of April). Then after lunch, it was time for our annual egg hunt. Mike, Gpa, and I hid 96 eggs in Gma and Gpa's yard. Turns out, our backyard has a lot of stuff in it, which makes for a lot of hiding spots. We had to get pretty creative with our hiding places because Gpa keeps a pretty minimalist yard. 

The kids had a good time looking for the eggs and laughed at the few they couldn't reach. The egg in the bird feeder was my favorite. We somehow even managed to find all the eggs and it was pretty evenly spread out between the three of them. Quinn can get rather competitive, so it was good to see Fiona and Declan finding plenty of eggs as well.

After the hunt, we made our cousin deliveries and went out to the Government Dam on the Mississippi River to do some hiking. We got really hot in Gpa's yard during the egg hunt so didn't bring layers with us. This was a tactical error as it was quite chilly at the dam. Quinn got out of the car and immediately complained about being cold - so I gave her my quarter zip and Mike gave me his fleece coat. Ten steps later, Dec complained and ended up with Mike's fleece. Fiona did fine in what she was wearing - except she had crocs on and ended up with a blister.

We walked across the actual dam, which intrigued F and D and freaked Q out. They were all really interested in how the dam controls the flow of the river and loved watching the water rush through it. Then we checked out the railroad tracks, where the family Moral Compass freaked out about it being dangerous and refused to stand on the tracks. While D lectured the rest of us, Mike had the girls put their ears to the track and showed them how you can hear a train coming from quite a distance. Even the Moral Compass took a break from his lecture to put his ear on the track.

We let them go to the playground at the end of our hike. Fiona was really sad because her blister was bugging her, so she wouldn't go play. Declan has the same size feet as F so he (reluctantly - but without having a fit) put on her pink crocs and gave her his shoes so she could play too. He's a really good brother!

We ended our day by dying Easter eggs. We even brought our cool spinner from last year and got Auntie and Gma to try it out. All the eggs turned out beautifully and were ready for eating on Easter morning. 

Grammy's Birthday

We woke up Monday morning to a rather awful weather forecast for the following day (when we planned to head home). There was a winter weather advisory with blizzard conditions in the cities from 9am to 6am the next day. Usually this would mean that for the millionth year in a row, we  would bail on Grammy's birthday and head home early to beat the weather. But not this year. We had promised Grammy a celebration at the cabin and it was happening! 

After examining the forecast and the radar, Mike sighed and said "we better hit the road early tomorrow." I looked at him in shock and said "that's not what I expected you to say." I was completely prepared for him to suggest we contact the cabin owner and see if we could extend our stay an extra night. Honestly, that was all the permission Mike Vanneste needed. Within the hour, he had done just that and we were excited to spend an extra day up north (on top of the extra day we got on the front end of the trip).

We spent the morning making Grammy's birthday cake and testing out Fiona's new modeling clay. Then shortly after lunch, Auntie, Grammy, and Grampy arrived! The kids had to give the grand cabin tour first (mostly to show off their rooms and the pool table) and then out we went to the sledding hill. It has gotten colder overnight and we discovered that the snowbanks at the bottom of the hill that we had been going through the day before were now solid ice launching pads. We learned this because Grampy went sailing off of one! 

As I warned the new sledders about the various obstacles, Auntie jokingly told me that I forgot to mention the fire pit. I told her that I figured if you missed the septic tank pole and the snowmobile trailer, you'd also miss the fire pit. [Fact: I had to text Auntie the next day because the girls had crashed into the fire pit. So many obstacles. So much fun!]

When Mike had talked to the cabin owner earlier in the morning to extend our stay, she mentioned that there were sleds in their shed and to feel free to use them. She had failed to mention that there was also a toboggan! GAME ON! We had so much fun sledding, but after watching Gpa launch off the jumps, Gma decided that she didn't want to kill herself on her birthday. So while Mike hung out at the hill with kids, the original Johnson four went for a walk on the lake. It was a perfect day and a great walk. We even got a visit from Mike and Fiona on the snowmobile!

Then we were back inside to play games, shoot some pool, make animals out of clay, and enjoy the fireplace. Meanwhile, I had the important responsibility of making Grammy's birthday dinner. We couldn't take her out to eat (all indoor dining in Minnesota was paused), but we could make her dinner in a different location. Quinn helped me (we had to make several game time substitutions with what we could find the spice cupboard), but we made brown sugar baby back ribs and cheesy au gratin potatoes. My dad said the ribs were better than at the Forest Lake (which is high praise). We ate sooo much - but still managed to squeeze in birthday cake. After we sang to Grandma, that is. 

We went back outside after dinner to enjoy moonlight sledding and walking (or to work off all that dinner!) before we said good-bye to our visitors. Grandma sent messages to the kids the next that that it was one of her very best birthdays. We are all quite proud of ourselves that we made not one, but two, December birthday people feel very happy and loved.

First Snow

Well, we woke up in GR to the first snowfall of the year! By mid-morning when we headed toward Duluth, there was already an accumulation of over four inches. It was so pretty! My favorite was when Mike's sister texted me a snowy picture (as she always does because she knows I love the snow) and I responded with "I know. We're here." It was weird to basically sneak into (and out of) GR - but I guess that's Fall Break: Covid Style. Go somewhere. See no one. 

The drive east was very snowy with fairly low visibility, which meant it plodded along at a slower speed than we would have liked. But we finally (and safely) made it to the hunting shack, where Gpa V had just pulled in to meet us, 4-wheelers in tow. Mike, the kids, and I walked over to Mike's old neighbors' house to say "hello" and to borrow one of Jim's wheelers (so we had three). Then we popped into the hunting shack, started a fire, and had our picnic lunch while the kids checked things out. Official consensus: they loved it. Quinn loved sitting by the fire and the coziness of the shack. Fiona loved the adventures in the woods. Dec didn't stop smiling the entire time we were there. He's made for shack life!

Once we finished lunch, we got our hodgepodge of gear on to take the wheelers out. We had not expected that much snow, nor for it to be so early in the season. So we didn't have the girls' big gloves, Fiona's snowpants were so short that they stopped mid-shin (and she couldn't zip them), and I didn't bring any winter coats ... so we went with double sweatshirt layers. It was a hot mess, but we made it work! [When we got home, I put in a major winter gear order at Amazon. Clearly everyone grew!]

The first trip out on the wheelers, poor Fiona's hands got so cold and she didn't have much fun. We drove past a few of the deer stands so Mike and Gpa could check them out and then went back to the shack to warm up. We got a better system for F's hands for wheeler trek #2 and it worked much better. We were out for over an hour and had the very best time. We drove through some really wooded trails, where the pine branches were covered in snow and hung over the trails in the most beautiful way. We kept having to move them or duck under them and everyone was laughing and giggling ... and shrieking when snow went down our necks. 

Dec was having the very best time and did not want it to end. So while Q and I went back to the shack to warm up and pack up, Mike and Gpa took F and D out for one last spin. By the time we were changed and loaded back into the car, it was dinner time ... way later than we intended to leave! But it was just too much fun to get of the woods any earlier. We made a pit stop in Duluth on our way through for dinner to go and hit the road toward home. 

We got home around 8:30, unloaded, and tucked the kids into bed. After two great days of outside fun and a lot of fresh air, everyone slept great. While not our normal fall break plan, we really enjoyed the change of scenery, grandparent time, and playing in the snow. Plus Mike is so happy that the kids finally got to experience the hunting shack!

Recalculating

It snowed almost seven inches on Tuesday, which (for the record) was October 20. Further proof that 2020 is bat crap crazy! Wednesday morning, I got up to go for a run. I ended up feeling like the Garmin GPS lady as I was constantly "recalculating," looking for routes that were plowed and/or not sheets of ice. It was not a fast run, but I didn't end up on my butt, so we called it a success. 

Fall break (or as it is known in Minnesota - MEA break) was last weekend. Mike and I found ourselves recalculating our plans several times. We usually do our Baker Boo camping trip over that weekend. That was canceled weeks ago. We thought we'd go north to the hunting shack. Then that fell through. So we found a little house on the Soo Line Trail and rented that for a few days. Fell through. We made plans with Gma and Gpa to go hiking. Then they had a possible Covid exposure. I told Mike the universe clearly did not want us to do anything. 

Thankfully, Gma and Gpa ended up with an all clear on the exposure (yay!), so we resurrected the hiking plan. We met at Banning again, but this time, I brought a second adult mountain goat to help chase the troops. As we packed up our picnic lunch and the car, giant snowflakes began to fall. The kids were thrilled (and I grabbed snow pants for the troops). The snow wasn't sticking to the ground here, but we had to brush snow off the picnic table at the state park to eat our lunch. 

It was definitely colder than our last trip, but once we started hiking, it was very pleasant out. However, I did not wear shorts this time! The snow had stopped, but the rocks were wet and slippery. So we were more careful in our climbing than last time - and definitely hung back from the edges. But it was just as much fun. Since I had Mike to help, Gma and Gpa were able to hike more of the main trail (and then doubled back to meet us) while we scaled up and down the bluffs. They claimed it was easy to pinpoint our location because they could hear Q's shrieks of delight. [There was a chasm that I wouldn't let Quinn jump last time. Mike helped her jump it. Pure happiness for her. Partial heart attack for me.]

Around 2:30, Gma and Gpa hugged us good-bye (we were still on the trail) and high-tailed it back to their car. They were heading down to the cities to spend a couple days with Auntie. We meandered our way out of the woods and headed north to Gma and Gpa's house for the night. We got there just in time to test out the new Legos, order our favorite Sammy's Pizza, and eat the apple pie the Gma had left for us. Not a bad start for what felt like Plan J in the recalculation exercise.

Hiking Adventure at Banning State Park

Last Friday, the kids were off of school (you know, because going to school every other day is really taxing). I was also taking the day off of work. Since we have spent so many days home together, we all wanted to go somewhere. I cooked up a plan to take the kids hiking at Banning State Park. We explored it last fall and really enjoyed it. Plus it's less than a two hour drive from here, so felt manageable for a day trip.

Then I did math and realized that I have three kids. Mike had to work and wasn't going to be able to join us. I'm a pro at zone coverage, but rock climbing on river bluffs with only one adult did not feel like the best ratio. So I called in reinforcements named Gma and Gpa! Banning is almost exactly in the middle - so just under a two hour drive for them too. I'll be honest, it was not hard to sell the plan!

Friday morning found the kids and me packing all varieties of clothes (fall in Minnesota is quite unpredictable) and a picnic lunch. We were out the door and on the road by 9:30, just slightly later than I had hoped. There was so much road construction in the cities that the first hour of the road trip was very stressful for me. The three people watching Newsies in the back seat seemed perfectly relaxed. The second half of the drive was so easy in comparison. At least for one of us. 

We got there about five minutes before my parents and had to park in the overflow parking lot. The main lot - to our surprise - was already full. Once Gma and Gpa arrived, we grabbed our coolers, wandered over to the picnic area, and ate lunch. We also made a huge dent on the cookies Gma brought! It was noticeably colder than it had been at home, and after lunch Q and D decided they wanted pants and sweatshirts. I stood by the car for a couple minutes assessing my bottoms choices, but ended up sticking with the shorts. 

Folks got changed, we packed the hiking backpack, and hit the trail. Or more accurately, Gma and Gpa hit the trail. The kids' favorite way to hike a trail is to hike "off trail." Ten minutes into the hike, I was wondering if I had brought three kids - or three mountain goats. However, sticking with the shorts was the right choice. I was definitely no longer cold! 

We were up and down the rocks, finding all the best non-trail trails. Gma and Gpa came down at times, when there was a good route to us, or followed on the actual trail above us. At one point, my dad teased me that they had gone 100 yards and I retorted that I had gone 2 miles. The kids were taking a much less optimized route. Interestingly enough, according to my fitness watch, my heart rate was lower scaling rocks than driving through that stupid road construction. 

We hiked in for about an hour and half, and had the best time - minus the stern lecture that Grandpa and I gave about not messing around so close to the bluff edges. And what would happen if they fell 30+ feet to the rocks below. They are not used to stern talkings to from Grandpa, so it actually sunk in. So you know I didn't exaggerate (too much), the 90 minute hike in took us 25 minutes to hike out when we just followed the regular trail. The kids were ti.red, but so happy with the day's adventure. The walk back was definitely quieter and less rigorous from a rock scaling perspective. 

After a couple more cookies and big hugs from Gma and Gpa, we loaded up for home. Just as we pulled on the freeway, it started to sprinkle - so our timing was perfect. Traffic was not too bad on the way back (we were going through the cities during rush hour) and we took a different route home. My heart rate was much happier. We got home just before 5:00 and Mike was glad to see us. I announced we were ordering pizza for dinner. I was worn out from all that mountain goat activity as well.

It was such a lovely way to start our long weekend. The fall colors were spectacular, the company was superb, and it was just plain fun. We are hoping to maybe squeeze one more trip in before winter - since our weekends are less busy than they typically are. Do you think I can convince Gma and Gpa to meet us again? I am for sure bringing Papa Goat along next time!*

*Most common conversation of the whole day ...

Gpa: Sar, where are you going?

Me: I don't know. I'm just following Quinn.

Suomi Trail Day

Well, that last post was enough of this "on-time" blogging stuff. Back to summer!

As you may remember, we were spending our last full week of summer up north (and were not sad about it). Unfortunately(ish ... we do not take employment for granted!), Mike still had to work. So Monday found Gma, Gpa, and I hanging with the troops (Auntie was also up - and also had to work). That morning, Gpa, Gma, and Declan put together the brand new game that Gma had purchased - Mouse Trap!! Both Dec and Gma were so excited! And so annoyed that it took half the morning to construct the silly thing. But it was well worth it when finally completed and there were many rounds of Mouse Trap played during the week!

After lunch, the six of us loaded up with our hiking gear to explore the Suomi trails. I haven't been out in the Suomi area since high school and my mom hadn't for years either. It was just as awesome as I remembered - with great, beautiful, wooded trails. And so many mosquitoes. Ugh! We sprayed the kids before we started, but they were still swarmed every time we slowed down our pace. Because of the bugs (and some complaining from the smallest hiker), we made a pretty small loop. We hiked just over 1.2 miles, further convincing everyone that our Kathio State Park hike was NOT 1.2 miles!

We had a quick snack IN the car when we got back (to get away from the bugs) and made the short three minute drive to the cabin to explore the trails on the back 40 acres. There is an awesome network of trails, complete with homemade signs, and it was fun to check out all the work that's gone into them. We also looked at Neighbor Al's garden and marveled at all his vegetables!

After all that hiking, we headed home since it was my night to make dinner. While I made fajitas, Mike took the kids to the skate park that Gpa had shown us earlier that day. It was such a hit that they tried to take me back after dinner - but it was very crowded with big kids. Since we had all our gear in the car, we continued up the road to the high school and bladed/scootered on the marching band's practice lot. It was fun to show the kids around my old high school and to enjoy the beautiful evening. It's also a lot of work to play tag on roller blades. My skills are rusty!

Since they were so disappointed that I didn't see their skate park skills, we went back there Tuesday afternoon when it was not so busy. Fiona scooters and does a nice job on the ramps. Quinn, Declan, and Mike were all on blades. Q even (accidentally) did a drop in on the half pipe - and found herself on her bottom at the bottom of it. She'll get it next time! It's so fun to watch them push their skills cautiously and work on some tricks. 

Quite honestly, not getting back to the skate park one more time was probably their biggest disappointment when we finally had to head back home.