Max at the Mall

Today Grandpa and I took Max to Maplewood Mall.

First thing on the agenda was seeing Santa. Max watched in silence as the two boys ahead of us sat on his lap and recited their Christmas lists. Next up: Max's turn. I set him on Santa's lap and stepped back slightly.
Santa: 'How are you Max?'
Max: Looking at his feet in silence.
Santa: 'Have you been a good boy?'
Max: Silence.
Santa:'What do you want Santa to bring you?'
Max: Utter silence!
Santa: 'Would you like me to bring you books?'
Max: Imperceptibly shakes his head no.
Santa: Now talking with a little desperation in his voice, 'How about cars?'
Max: Slightly nods his head.
Santa: Exasperated. 'Is there anything else you want?'
Max: Shyly raises his little hand and points to the suckers sitting in a bowl next to Santa, all the while carefully avoiding eye contact.
Santa: 'Would you like a sucker? Okay. Santa will do his best to bring you something you like for Christmas if you are a good boy.'
Max: Jumps off Santa's lap into Grandpa's arms. When prompted, mouths Thank you.

Well, that went well.

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Next, we stop at Old Navy to let Max buy a ball from the giant gumball machine. We ask him not to bounce it until we get to the play area.

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At Victoria's Secret, a clerk with a measuring tape walks up to us and greets Max by name. LOL! Apparently, babysitter Caitlin and Max are a fixture of some sort at the mall. Grandpa absentmindedly bounces Max's ball, then says to himself, "That was naughty." Max overhears and his bottom lip quivers and is so downturned, that I am afraid he might burst into tears. His eyes well up. We figure out what happened, I take him from Grandpa, and he is feeling fine again. All is forgiven.

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We take Max to the play area, where he sits on Grandpa's lap until he works up the courage to play among the other kids. He spots the kiddy rides set up outside the area, and spends the rest of the time sitting on those while they are not moving. He is happy.

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We leave the mall and stop at the railing on the 2nd floor to say good-bye to Santa in his wonderland on the first floor. As Max looks down, Santa looks up. They make eye contact. Max raises his hand in a wave, and Santa waves back.

Wordless Wednesday

Life with Luke

Today I had Luke all to myself. It's rare that we get one-on-one time together. He doesn't live close enough for last minute invites like the other grandsons do, and most of the time he is accompanied by Sophie, or I come with Grandpa. We started the day in a gigglefest. I was getting ready to go out after washing my hair and came upstairs to say, "Let's Go!", while sporting a fright-wig full of wet hair. He dissolved into laughter after his initial shock. Then I surprised him by blowing a hairdryer down his shirt neck or into his face while he squealed with giggles. We picked up Diane on the way to Target. He spent the whole time in the store trying to find the perfect ONE-AND-ONLY-ONE item I said he could have. He traded from a slinky, to a Nintendo DS game, to cotton candy, to a bag of Airhead's, with a few items in between. I threw in a bouncy eyeball, since he said that Halloween is his "favorite ritual." We stopped at Hearthside for spaghetti and salad, and he ate everyone's garlic bread! We had a good laugh before we even sat down.When I asked him to choose a place, he said, "Here, where we always sit" and made a beeline to our booth, almost sitting on the lady's lap who was already seated there, tucked away out of our sight. He entertained everyone at Unique Thrift with his sage remarks about how they had "very good prices", and breathless accounts of how much a similar item would cost at Target. When we dropped off Diane at home, we met Zach at the License Bureau to get his car tabs and driver's license renewal. We passed the time by giving him increasingly harder sums to add in his head,and he would pause a few seconds and give the always right answer! He was thrilled to have Zach come home with us, and even happier when Zach let him help fix his car lights. When Zach left, we colored, and then played Wii Dance, until Luke got tired of losing. Ha. He did manage to save one piece of candy for his sister.SWEET!

Up North

Bob and I took a quick getaway to the Brainerd area last weekend. We drove up to Mille Lacs and stayed at Eddy's Resort on the Lake Saturday night. We took the shuttle over to the casino to donate play the slots. Since I am cheap, I walked out with the same dollar I put in the machine. I only play nickels (one or 5 at a time.) Since Bob is a big spender, he lost $10. In the morning, we had a huge breakfast at their restaurant overlooking the lake, then drove another hour to Cross Lake. We checked in at Manhattan Beach Resort on Trout Lake. The resort is a cross between a B&B and an upscale hotel. Very northwoodsy. Log furniture. Murals of Birch trees. Fireplaces. It was built in the 20's and frequented by the wealthy from Chicago and the Twin Cities who would take the train up there. During the depression and prohibition, the clientele were gangsters, but their money was welcome the same. In the 30's and 40's it was a stop for the big bands and a playground for Hollywood (according to the fact sheet that was in our room.) It's been added on many times, but all the rooms face the lake and it hasn't lost it's charm. Bob went for a bike ride and I went garage saleing in town. After his solo ride, we met up again for a car ride around the lakes to gawk at the houses and then went to the 'sister' resort to use the pool/hot-tub. When I realized we were the ONLY ones there, I pouted! I would've put on my suit too if I had known. (The front desk clerk told us there were only 7 people checked in for the night). We went back to our Inn, set up the beach front firepit for the evening, then ate dinner at the Resort. After a nice sit at 'our' fire and a stab at stargazing in the beach lounges, we went back to the hot tub. This time there was another couple, but I didn't care. We sampled the pool, hot-tub and sauna before bed. In the morning we ate a continental breakfast before heading out to try a couple hikes on the Paul Bunyan Trail. It was a warm and sunny weekend, and a not-bad drive. I look forward to doing it again.


Manhattan Beach Resort in Cross Lake.


The Lake was clear and calm. The docks seemed a little rickety to me, but Bob is brave! Of course he tried to sway the dock when I was standing on the end of it...


Hiking on the Paul Bunyan trail.



The old logging FireTower which was fenced off "for our protection"



The beginning of the beautiful fall colors.



I was hoping to see a bear or at least a deer, and this is what I got! I should have specified Blackbear instead of woolybear when I was wishing.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Rapunzel sheared her own locks. She calls her New Do her "shortcut!" LOL

Junk Bonanza

Today was the opening of the Junk Bonanza weekend in Shakopee- a favorite once a year antique boutique show of mine. I went with my cousin Robyn and we walked our legs off for 4 hours trying to take a peek at everything. I really had my heart set on an antique dress-form, but unfortunately they were either sold to the early-birds who paid extra to get in or were way too pricy to buy just for fun in an upstairs sewing room that no one will ever see. And I would've loved to have found a crystal chandelier for Sophie's room, but the cheapest one I liked was almost a hundred bucks, so I passed. It will be a lot more thrilling when I find either one at a thrift store for $9.99! But I certainly didn't go home empty handed. As one booth proclaimed on their chalkboard, " It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on."



My Loot Shoot: A little red chair for $6, 2 thick wooden painted yardsticks for $4. A spool of pinkish-red cotton twill trim for sewing for $2, 2 artist-made vintage jumbo sewing notion cards- one of buttons and one of rick-rack, $15 for the two.The artist was really cool- she also made a giant vintage camera- I told her that I love that she's a weirdo like me. (You know how I am about Big and Little!) I also bought a set of vintage alphabet tiles for a buck apiece that spell out Kippels!

Luck, WI

We invited ourselves to Mark and Danielle's 200 acre retreat this weekend in Luck,WI. Molly and Jeff bought adjoining acreage and were coming up with their motorhome, giving us a family weekend. After we arrived in the morning, we packed a picnic lunch and headed off to their lake property 12 miles away. Polishing off a lunch of hotdogs and polish on the campfire, vegies, and a salad thrown together from Danielle's own garden, we headed into the lake. There were plenty of toys for the water, and chairs for the shade. The temp was a balmy 83 degrees.The lake looked like glass, and we had the whole damn thing to ourselves! Jake and Nate loved jumping off the dock into 10 ft. of water, and spent most of the time on kayaks- either fishing or paddling. I told Bob I wanted to kayak with him, but he tried to talk me out of it, worried to be responsible for me. Everyone else said to give it a try, so I did. Guess what? I did it! I was a little weirded out by not having a life-jacket, but I stuck near shore. It really felt pretty stable, and wasn't that hard to learn. I am not saying that I'm ready to portage in the Boundary Waters, but I can putz around a calm little lake in my comfort zone. Hooray for me! When we went back to the camp, we had a fish fry.


We then boarded the tractor and trailer that Mark outfitted with haybales for us and took a moonlight hayride through the woods with his parents. It was perfectly awesome. The harvest moon was shining brightly and the kids spotted wood fairies out of the corner of their eyes, and heard deer and bears with their own ears (and a little imagination!) We topped our perfect night with forays down the road to an open spot to gaze at the moon and some odd geometric contrails (driven in a golf cart courtesy of 10 yr. old Nate), and sat by a roaring campfire to roast marshmallows for S'mores.



The next morning we headed into the woods with 6 yr. old Jake to do some hiking before we left. Nature at her best.





We ate some of Danielle's homemade Eggplant Parmagiana for lunch, then took off for the 1 1/2 scenic ride back home. On the way Bob and I stopped in St.Croix Falls at a scenic overlook, funky Franconia Sculpture Park, http://www.franconia.org/about.html and Marine-On-St.-Croix for ice cream cones.



This weekend we discovered that I have hidden talents, that you are never too old for a hayride, and we aren't that 'arsty', but we still love us a good ice cream cone on a hot day. Even when it is September!

Congrats Dale and Jen!

My baby brother Dale and his fiance are on their way to Vegas this week to be married. Yeah! We had a party for them on Sunday at my dad's house. His yard looked beautiful, full of fall flowering plants and shrubs in their prime. The tents and tables and bouquets and tissue garland looked festive. The food was delish as usual, thanks to Twylla's Italian salad and Baked Ziti with meatballs, and Jill's sausage and peppers. The cupcakes and bars were icing on the cake, so to speak. It was a small party sendoff consisting of family and a few of Dale and Jen's friends. We spent the afternoon after dinner and the champagne toast playing yard games and laughing. The kids blew bubbles, fed the horses and chased butterflies. It was a great day capped off by a brief shower and double rainbow - certainly a sign of approval from above. Congrats Dale and Jen!


My dad making a last minute inspection of the yard.


The seating under the white party tents.


The fresh from the farmers market bouquets. (17 in all!)


Max making a mess having fun with the bubbles.


Nate, Jake and Max feeding the horses apples and pears from Grandpa's trees.


Nate and Grandpa partnering in a wicked game of beanbag toss.


Uncle Dean with Max, Jake, Luke and Sophie capturing butterflies in the wildflowers.


Cousins Zach, Hannah, Maddy and Laine enjoying the beautiful day.


My grandkids sitting on a log in Grandpa's woods. (As Dale always says to me,
"Grandma sounds old, but Great-Uncle just sounds fun!")


The approval signal from above.

Where in the World?

Today Sophie, Luke, Grandpa and I went on another hiking adventure. Can you guess where? Scroll down for answer.


We went hiking on a small path that meandered beside a rippling stream. At times the path was very narrow and high, and we had to scramble over tree roots and climb over fallen trees in places!


Part of the path was a boardwalk over mudslides.The kids were very excited to see that part. Luke said," Hey, it looks like a cribbage board for 16 people!" LOL You can tell they just spent a week at the cabin with Great-grandpa Dick.


We stopped for a picnic lunch where the stream entered the river. It was nice and peaceful- not another soul in sight. Luke "planted" trees from his cherry pits for future generations.


Big excitement as a tug pushed a barge down the river! Bigger excitement when Luke spotted a fish just offshore, and when Grandpa taught them how to skip stones!


Did you guess yet? Final clue. Down 100+ steep steps we arrived at.....






Minnehaha Falls!

Heard Around Town

Yesterday, Sophie, Luke and I were sitting in the backyard working on sand art pictures. Hannah thought it would be funny to wolf-whistle at us from her bedroom window. Whoot-wooh! The kids asked who was doing that, and I told them it was my neighbor. The one who thinks I am sexy. Long Pause. "Grandma, you aren't sexy!" replied Luke.

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Today Nate and I were in Walmart. He came flying up to me with something in his hands. "Grandma, Please buy this for me. Please. Please. please! It can be my treat!" The man standing across from us burst into laughter. The treat? Axe deodorant in a spray can!. Yeah, he got it.

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We stopped by the Ford Dealership to look at cars. I was looking at the Escape, while Nate pictured me in a Mustang. Who's sexy now, Luke? He shared his joke with the salesman:
"What's the difference between grilled steak and pea soup?"
"Anyone can grill steak, but only someone special can pee soup."

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Where in the World?

Today grandpa, Sophie, Luke and I went on a secret adventure. Sorry for the poor quality phone pics.Can you guess where? Scroll down for answer.


We picked wildflowers (and a few weeds.) We watched a cool stream splash it's way down numerous little waterfalls.


We carved in rock like the Indians did. The kids wondered what it would be like to paint on them.

We saw caves. The kids wouldn't put their backs to a cave for a picture though. LOL


We ended up at Culver's for lunch even though Luke said "he prefers Wendy's big glass windows, soft music, and chicken nuggets."


BATTLE CREEK REGIONAL PARK

Keep 'em Coming

It has been almost a year and a half since my mom died. We are still working on getting her house ready to sell. Not a big incentive to get it finished with the low selling prices of late, so we have been working at a snail's pace. We do see an end in sight, mostly consisting of painting, carpeting and repairing windows upstairs before the final coat on the downstairs hardwood floors and re-installation of the woodwork. Then just a spiffing up of the yard and kitchen and we are good to go. So I guess another year and a half- LOL. Finally Bob went up there this week to paint. When he started sanding a couple of peeling places on the kitchen ceiling to prepare for painting,the entire ceiling paint started coming off in sheets! It was probably humidity damage from the "flood" last summer that we didn't notice until now.Bob was discouraged, to put it mildly...
Bob went up there again today to work. When he came home, he said to me,"Your mom feels sorry for me." When I asked why he said that, he told me he went to get his snack from the fridge, and found a dime under the vegetable drawer! Holy cow! REALLY!
We feel guilty when we think of how much you would've loved the improvements we are making to the house now when it is too late for you to enjoy them. So thanks Ma for the support. Keep it coming!
P.S. You are getting more creative in the places you put the dimes for us to find. I am half expecting to pull one out of my ear some morning when I wake!

My Own Little All-Star

As always, the pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.


The No.St. Paul Athletic Association "South All-Star" team. Nathan is 2nd from the right. This is the 2nd year he has been voted in by his team.


The excited chatter before the big game.


A small contingent of the Team Nate cheering squad. There were more than 20 people yelling for him, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.


Nathan tried his hand at pitching, center field, and short stop to help his team.


The field was chalked with a star and the 2011 All-Star logo especially for this game. The bases were replaced with a red/white/and blue set.


Nate is all business. That is the look of pure concentration that greets opposing players.


On Deck.


In the Box.


A solid hit!


Ready. Set. Go.


Safe.


Safely home. I can breathe again. For now.