Dear SwissMiss/ConAgra Foods, Menomonie

Please make up your mind and decide whether my husband is going to get a raise, keep his current position, get bumped, or get laid off. At this point I'm ambivalent about which you choose - I would just really like to know so that I can move on with my on life and determine whether or not I finally get to build my house this year. You've been pissing around since August. Please, have some mercy.

Sincerely,
A Very Frustrated Wife

Fun times on the way home from preschool

And the best part...I got to drive my sister-in-law's "big red van" which is, quite possibly, the coolest mom-mobile ever!

The Lone Blue in a Sea of Green

[3:30pm]


[7:00pm]

A Snow Day

Up North Photo Journal

Once upon a time (two-ish weeks ago), we decided to take Aidan up north. Going "Up North" in Wisconsin is kind of like going "Down the Shore" in NJ: you stay out way too late, party, eat crappy food, mock the locals, and when the trip's all done, you need a vacation to recover from your vacation. The last time we were up north was back in September of 2008; Aidan was an infant, and the weather was warm and sunny. This time, Aidan is a toddler, and the weather was cold and rainy. Oh, and I forgot my camera so all we have are crappy phone photos. I love my Droid X, but I don't believe for a second that those 8MP are doing me any good.

Friday

Before we left, I made sure to take pictures of the kitties so Aidan could say night-night to them before bed.

Here's Aurora pretending to be indifferent about our impending absence.


Here's Gaia begging us to stay.


Here's Jazzy purring because she's getting some attention.


And here's Athena already simmering a grudge because she doesn't get to come with us like she used to when she was a kitten and we were childless. Next time sweetheart, I promise.


So off we go passed the famed Hwy 8 towards Minong. We arrive without mishap, and Aidan is excited for our adventure. The first thing he says as he exits the car? "Mama, ride 4-wheeler, please?" How the kid knew there were 4-wheelers up there (when none were in sight) is beyond me. I swear the kid can sense them. Cabin? Check! Woods? Check! Ohh, must be a 4-wheeler around. Score!

Here's what we find in the cupboards.


And here's what greets us on the opposite wall. "I'm sorry, Aidan, but you cannot ride the deer."


So instead, Aidan makes himself a slide out of the cooler.


Saturday

Amazingly, Aidan slept well in the bunk room. He also had enough sense to be quiet when he woke up. So quiet, in fact, that it took us a while to realize he was awake and helping himself to his version of breakfast. whatever, we're on vacation. Fraggle Rock on the tele and Mama gets to sleep in. Oh, and Chad made pancakes. Bliss.

AND then it started to rain. AND then we decided to go 4-wheeling anyway. No pictures, of course, since it was raining, but I did take some when we got back.

Here's Aidan gazing so lovingly in the distance at Daddy putting away the 4-wheeler. "4-wheeler go night night?" Yes, dear.


Here's Aidan trying to catch rain on his tongue.


And here's me looking like a drowned rat. I can't believe I'm even posting this.


Here's Chad, also soaking wet.


AND here Aidan, still standing in the rain long after Chad and I had gone inside to dry out. "Ride 4-wheeler again, please?"


Dinner time was exciting. Chad and I had a hankering for cheeseburgers, but we didn't have any buns. Chad's solution? The MEGA BURGER.


He used the foil to flip the burger. We also toasted the bread.


Chad was very proud of his creation, and honestly it was the best "burger" either of us had ever had. Mmmmm.


After dinner Aidan and I played our favorite game of chase me...until I chased him into the back of the lazyboy and he gave himself a black eye. Woops.


So we decided to play cards, since that was a safer game.


But he soon grew board, and went back to jumping off the cooler again.


Sunday

As promised, we took Aidan 4-wheeling one more time before leaving. It rained on and off, but I did get two pretty pictures to finish off the weekend.


This picture would have been even better had I remembered my real camera, but you get the idea. Black eye aside, it was an awesome weekend and I definitely want to do it again sometime.

Ideally with Athena and without the black-eye part.

Anniversary Weekend

Bayfield, WI

Wow, what a great weekend! When it comes to making plans, I am generally the one to make them (per Chad's preference). For our 5th Anniversary, I decided Chad should take the lead, and I gave him pretty much free rein to plan our weekend. Aidan spent the weekend with his most wonderful parents, and off we went.First order of business was a big surprise for me: my first ever massage at Lori's in River Falls, WI. Next up, we pretended to be teenagers and saw Eclipse, which was essentially mindless fluff, but not bad (New Moon was still better, IMO). For dinner we had an excellent meal at Akita Sushi, in Woodbury (St. Paul?) MN before moving on to SOLO at the Southern Theatre. This was a special treat for me, as it's been years since I've seen a dance performance, and I quite enjoyed myself. By the time we got home, though, I was definitely ready for bed!

After sleeping in the next morning (thanks in no small part to the huge bowl of food we left out for the cats, so they wouldn't have to wake us up for their breakfast), we headed off to a VERY SECRET LOCATION. Secret, because I told Chad to surprise me. All I knew is we were driving north, so I assumed we'd end up somewhere on Lake Superior.We ended up at a charming Bed & Breakfast called the Apple Grove Inn in Bayfield, WI. We stayed in the Studio room which had a beautiful view of the grounds and also of Lake Superior.

Dinner was at the Portside Bar & Restaurant, where I had the most divine pan-seared scallops, and Chad had, in his words, "the best" ravioli he's EVER had (stuffed with blue crab!). I should have taken photos of all these lovely dishes, but honestly we were so starving that by the time the thought occurred to me, we were already halfway through our meal. BTW, have I mentioned, how excited I am that Wisconsin has followed in the wake of Minnesota and NYC to go SMOKE FREE?!?!

After dinner we took a stroll around Port Superior marina, drove around Bayfield looking at pretty houses, and then took an evening walk on the beach.

The following morning, after an excellent breakfast at Apple Grove, we packed up and headed to Hauser's Bayfiend Winery before starting the long drive home.

We had lunch in Shell Lake, WI at a new place called Lakeside (sorry, no link). They're an awesome sports bar with, according to Chad, the "right" kind of Cheese Curds. When we arrived the bartender was watching some western, so I promptly switched to the FIFA World Cup Final during our meal. So yes, if you were there and you saw the TVs, you have US to thank for that. We stayed until time ran out and the score was still 0:0, but could wait no longer before continuing home. I was happy to hear, from my beautiful Aunt Dulce, that Spain did win! They were my favorites after Brasil and Portugal got the boot, so I was glad they won.

The last part of our trip involved a wicked cool storm just north of Hammond. I failed to get a picture of the lightening, but I did get a good shot of the rain moving over the fields.


I think Chad definitely outdid himself, don't you?! Thank you, Love, for such a great weekend! <3