Kalahari not Africa

Going on vacation to the Kalahari! Sad it's not Africa, seems to be a cool place to go. BUT in place of Africa, I will be going to Wisconsin. Dells that is.

The Kalahari is one of the dells amazing indoor waterparks. It's about the size of 3 football fields, 7 resturants, a spa (that sadly I don't think fits into the budget),

a pottery place

, a 10 theatre movie place, Damons resturant too. They just added a few years ago a indoor amusement park.

No shit all in the middle of Cheeseland. (some people go to the Wilderness Resort, the comepition, haven't been. The Great Wolf Lodge is fun but about 1/2 the size, I've been spoiled by the Kalahari and it's greatness so that is where I stay) You park when you get there, and you never really need to leave the parking lot. If you want to gamble at the casino... shuttle bus!

I'm sure with the little ones it will be round the clock water park, we did get a special room with a dinner gift certificate (worth $50) and 4 movie tickets!

 I can't wait to see Spaghetti try the florider again. It's an indoor wave. Not like the wave pool, but a wave you can surf on, or for me at least boogie board on my tummy!!

Oh and you can NOT forget about the Sweet Hut. Sure it looks like a normal candy counter, but let me tell you this place is know for making adults and children dry hump the glass window over looking the Pixie's that are the size of my hand...a moment of silence for the Pixies, and for Spaghetti's Taffy Apples...


Moving on.

I can't wait to take the kids. This will be Weakys first waterpark where he can walk! It will be myself, Spaghetti, Bagel, Weaky and for her big 30th birthday we are taking Aerial with us. Bagel is always a blast, and well Spaghetti and I have gone toghether, and with Aerial to the Dells before.

Should be a fantabulous time, all hopes that Weaky is on a good week with the damn teething (nothing says road trip like a teething 19 month old!) But we have the fantastic IL's van with DVD player and if luck is with us we can comatose the kids with DVD after DVD after DVD. (it's about a 3.5 hour ride)

The Dells themselves are fun, it's good Midwest fun, durring the summer there is TONS to do, but thanks to the indoor parks, now we can go there in the shitty weather too!

Spaghetti set the alarm this morning, in hopes I would get up and clean house, and have everything packed, nothing says procrastination like blogging instead of packing! We aren't leaving till he get's off work at 2, so I got a little bit of time, been up cleaning and packing for 2 hours so I deserve a blogger break. (I say so)

So time to get the monkey children from their rooms, feed them the lovely cinnimon rolls that I just took from the oven, some where in this day I do need to fit in a shower to landscape. This whole SAHM gig makes for one lazy shaver.

Have a fantastic week, I will be home Tuesday night! Miss me!!

Random coffee induced post...

Random is a good word for this hot mess I am about to type. Got lots to say. None of it really post worthy material. Enjoy...

• I made bad ass good coffee this morning. If you care to know I drink Starbucks Espresso Blend coffee every morning.
• Why is my "save now" over on the far right?
• Why is it that I have to poop every time I get a chance to blog? Could be the coffee...
• I am still in love with the SD card reader. It has SAVED my blogging life.
• I am SO in love with staying home today. It's 3 degrees out. But feels like -17.
• So I switched over to the newer blogger. Umm... where the new post page is. But I don't have spell check? That is a problem. Until then I am not responsible for any spelling errors.
• The Save Now is getting weird. It is saving every 10 seconds.
• I still have to poop... farted... now I can focus better...
• Is it me or does everyone else sing the Mickey Mouse "Hot Dog Dance" in there head all day?
• I can't wait till Sunday. We are leaving for Wisconsin Dells! Staying at the Kalahari indoor waterpark. It's fucking bad ass. It's been 5 years and 3 weeks since we last stayed. I can't wait to see what the kids think.
• I made my FIL his 50 damn handmade Christmas Cards, they are awesome. Now need to finish mine! I have 18 of my 35 done. Just waiting for their Stickles glitter to dry! I will post a picture soon.
• BRB...
• Alright, finally gave in to pooping. To much farting for me, sharfing in your own home is not cool.
• Then Bagel needed me to get her a different doll house from the 3 degree attic. (she has many doll and toy houses, BUT in my defense only one is from Christmas, the rest are garage sale toys, and most are from when I was a kid)
• Weaky is happy. He gets the WHOLE front toy room, and the Mickey Movie ALL to himself. Bagel is at the age where she likes to go in her room, away from her brother. And that means Blog time for mommy!
• I am hosting Christmas Eve, and I have LOTS to pick up around the house. (like boxes of crap to go through, that have been cleaned from a room, and I just put them in the loft. There are some in the kitchen, and basement t.v. room. Just pure I don't wanna, and a bit of Where do I put it?)
• Bagel is less irratating to me. The 3.5 version is WAY more fun then the whiney 2.5 to 3 yr old version was. Plus I do think I am out of my postpartum funk, and seem to scream less. Glad that they won't remember that.
• Bagel just said to me I am going poopy on the potty. And then she asked Do you wanted to smell it? I said No thanks. She responded with If you say so.
• I can't wait for Christmas with the kids. I should do a post on what they are getting. I know you can't wait right?
• I think I'm done rambling for now. Gots me some laundry to do, and kids to attend to. Miss me!

A staycation of nuts and berries and all around a good time

This summer has been all about staycations for this little family of 4. Money is tight, blah blah blah, I know we are all broke.

Spaghetti and I have now started the Mc family adventures of going on evening bike rides to find different parks or just revisit the ones we like alot.

Spaghetti and are are trying to get out, exercise more, and so why not exhauste ourselves and the kids by taking a long bike ride. Now we do visit parks for a break. The main need for a park break is when a 3 year old and a 16 1/2 month old are trapped in one of those tiny two seater thingies that ride behind daddies bike (yes daddy's bike. Mommy proudly strapped it to her bike the day our nice neighbors gave it to us, and almost died riding to the bank (1.4 miles away) since it was uphill going there, AND I didn't realize that the carrier itself weighs in at about 40 lbs. Add the 20 lb baby and the 28 lb tot. Holy shit. Again why I quickly strapped it to Daddy's bike)

This has now required me to ride side saddle on my bike to either yell at Bagel or Weaky. It's pleasent. I mean who doesn't love a beautiful family of 4 ridding down the lane, all while the mommy is yelling...

"Bagel stop pushing!" "Weaky no pinching" "Bagel don't hit your brother!" "Weaky no bitting, well I did tell your sister not to touch you"

So yes a park break has become more of a necessary stop to sepreate the monkey children.

So this adventure leads us to the Hunt West park. A sister subdivision built right across the way.

We like to play on all the fun toys (parks have the weirdest inventions of things to ride on)

This first fun toy we found at the park. I like to call, simply... Barf. Not much else to it. You hold on, spin and probably barf. I laugh at the picture, because I either look the same height as when I was in grade school or that my legs have been removed from the knees down. (I did not barf though)

Spaghetti has been really into getting his picture taken. NOW if you know Spaghetti, you must know that he HATED getting his picture taken. REFUSED to smile, and now after 10 years together, I have NO idea what I did or said. But I will take it. He smiles, and for the most part will humor my momarazzi photo stalking ways.

Spaghetti wanted to try something different since he is 6 foot over my 5 foot. And so he said. "I want to throw my feet up to the bar and spin, you take my picture. K?" "oh and I hope I don't rack my nuts."

Yes folks like the genius he is, Spaghetti did not think that jumping up, spreading his legs to straddle the HUGE yellow pole would result in racking his nuts. (before I tell you more, the kids are safe in the baby swings about 5 feet away laughing and pointing at daddy. And yes we are the only ones at the park)

In fact he did rack his nuts.

I fell to the ground in a fit of laughter. I clutched my crotch to hope not to completely wet myself. (I did) I was covered in playground mulch and urine, tears of laughter streamed down my face. Spaghetti to was laughing, since he already thought he would rack his nuts he was able to let go fast enough so there wasn't to much damage.

So for the photo opt. I picked myself up, dusted the mulch from my hoodie, attempted to adjust my urine soaked Capri sweats (oh it was SO worth it though) and then Spaghetti attempted to put both legs to one side.

Nice shot.

They also had this cool rock wall that you could go into. Or climb. Or even use the funny 1/2 ladder to play with. Either way everyone played on this. Happy Bagel below...

Daddy enjoyed being king of the mountain...

Along with Weaky Man who also enjoyed his time on the rock wall...

Bagel loves the slides, funny it take her the WHOLE park visit to get up the guts to go down but once she starts she is on EVERY slide, covered, twisty, you name it.
She even raced Daddy a few times!

Afterwards we all returned home to sit on the counters and eat some blueberries!!

(How do you not just LOVE this picture of my little man?!? OMG! To cute! And yes, for a TMI FYI he did eat to many and pooped out a blue berry pie the next morning!)

Hope you enjoyed your summer of vacations, or staycations, or just relocation's!

Blogging from the pantry in Tennessee

Hello!!

You all guessed it. I can not go more then a few days with out blogging!


I am in a pantry at Spaghetti's cousins house. There pantry is HUGE. So huge, like my main bathroom huge. And they are not using it as a pantry. They have it as a little office.

I HAD to at least type out SOME of the zillion fun things we have done so far... sorry if it's a bit all over.

Thursday night
Pack the van. off to bed by 11 pm.

Friday
Up at 6 am in the shower, get myself ready
Spaghetti is home by 6:20 am. showered and ready

We leave at 7:06 am
McDonald's to go. Gas for the van.

7:28 am Alex starts crying. Crying, crying.
We stopped at Charleston IL (Eastern Illinois University) Spaghetti's school. Had lunch.
Weaky still cried.

We stopped one more time before we were out of Illinois.
After a V.E.R.Y. long Illinois, a hour of Kentucky, and a bit more into Nashville. Sigh, it was 6:04 pm when we FINALLY arrived at Nikki and Lorens.


Weaky screamed. We tried it all. I DO NOT suggest taking a 11 month old on a 11 hour car ride. OH hell no.


Bagel should get the award, or should it go to the DVD player in the van. She was a SAINT.


Alright enough about our horrible car ride. Now to the vacation itself...

Friday night.
Unloaded our stuff. made dinner. hung out with Nikki, Loren was in Vegas for the CMA's.

Saturday.
Woke up. Nikki took the kids for a walk on there CRAZY steep hills, and her awesome lab, Belle.
Came back, loaded up, to the Nashville Zoo.

After the zoo, came back home. Loren was back. We had lunch, chilled. Then walked downtown Nashville, FUN!!!

Home for dinner, kids to bed. Chilled on the couch with Spaghetti.

Sunday (today)
Woke up, ALL of us, too the kids, Belle the lab, and us 4 adults on a 2 mile walk. Phew! Came back got dressed, then Loren got out the guitar, we had a fun jam session, rocked out to some stuff we all knew.
Then off to some Forks for a drive through a tiny fun town,
Then to downtown Franklin. Too cute, Starbucks, and cupcakes. Poked around in the stores.
Then to the Natchez Trail? I will explain more later. Very nice pictures, more later on that too.

Then to the Loveless Motel. Now a restaurant and shops. Cute place, food was like Cracker Barrel.

Then to a Civil War site, tiny place, took a fun walk. Rain was on the way. Back to the van just in time!

Now we are back home, Nikki and Loren are putting together chairs (we gave them a good excuse to finish that project)

I am blogging, Spaghetti is trying to rock weaky back to sleep.

Bagel is still up at 8:38 pm, insanity I tell you. Something about a biscuit and a flashlight.

Alright I got to get off the laptop in the closet. Put the tot to bed, and zone out before another fun day tomorrow!

Oh and for all the sorry saps in cold weather. I got sunburn on my neck this morning. (don't worry they are calling for snow tomorrow!)

Miss me!!

Feisty

Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee
April 3rd - April 7th 2009

The Mc family is leaving this Friday morning, when Spaghetti gets home from his night shift, to hop into the IL's mini van and zoom away 7 hours and 53 minutes to Nashville, Tennessee.


Spaghetti's cousin, Nikki, and her very musically talented husband, Loren, moved to Nashville last fall. It only makes sense. Loren currently plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, and sings for the country rock band "Drew Davis Band" they toured with Hootie and the Blowfish all summer, promoting there first CD "Crossroads". He also sings the opening song for "Suite life of Zach and Cody" on the Disney channel. Oh and did I mention he did work for the show "Alias" oh and in the first season of LOST when they show Charlie playing guitar, that is Charlie's hands, but Loren playing the music, some work on video game sound tracks... oh I could go on and on. Let's just say Loren is on interesting guy. From the stories of music, to his personal love of diving (not a shocker he's certified to dive over 100 feet, wreck dive, and I do believe some sort of medical dive too?) Alright enough on Loren.

Nikki herself, is a beautiful and sweet girl. She needs a bit of Loren to feisty her up a bit. She teaches 8th grade students, now in Nashville. She hand makes beautiful jewelry and has a big yellow lab named Belle.


Phew.


Back to me and the insanity of the trip. Maternal Mirth taught me a valuable thing about vacationing with children.

She said to me once "It is not vacation for us mom's. It's simply called relocation" how true that is.


Weaky is the most to pack, he needs more clothes (messy boy!) and special jar food, and formula, and bottles, and teether rings, and Tylenol, and diapers, his alcohol for his helmet, special tooth brush to clean it, he has to be bathed everyday because of it, and his pack and play, and front carrier if we go for a hike... good god, maybe a kitchen sink too.


Bagel is clothes, diapers, sippies, and a pack and play for her. Oh and her hair ties, detangler spray, oh, toys for them. Nikki and Loren have no kids, and NO toys!... oh my...


I checked the weather. It looks like sunny and 70 when we get there, but Sunday and Monday will be cooler and rainy. So I have to pack for mild summer/chilly spring/ who knows what?!


Oh and I have to pack the cats up. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are going to stay with Thing 3 at my IL's house. So they need food, dishes, water bowl, litter box... that is happening today. We will be packing up the cats, and swapping out our Ford exploder, and my MIL's focus for our Pontiac back and to use there mini van for the trip. (don't ask about the swap of the Pontiac and the Focus. Long story) We were going to do the cats and dogs all tomorrow. Hello insanity. So we moved the IL's to today. Good thing I could use an extra day to pack the van


And Ding and Dong will be getting packed up and shipped to my parents tomorrow. They will stay there. They have 3 cats, but they also have an acre of land fenced in. Ahh... freedom for the dogs! They won't have much access to the house. Mostly the workroom, and laundry room. (maybe the kitchen if they are good) It's a big deal that my parents take them. They have a very nice house, and yard. And for my two Buffalo's to be there for a week is SO nice of them!


I have food to pack, a cooler, van entertainment, and everything needed to take an almost 3 year old, and an 11 month old on a 5 day vacation 8 hours away?!?


Insert psycho laughter here.


So I NEED to get off the computer and pack my ass off. We will be leaving soon to get the van. I have SO much to do...

What you can do with 24 hours

The last 24 hours have been SO much fun! Let me tell you about it...

It started with our usual Monday routine, everyone up and ready, breakfast eaten, and out the door for Weaky's DOC band adjustment (I do need to post a picture of him with that) that went well. When he first started they took digital pictures from every angle, and made a hard mold of his head. Now when we go back we can see the difference from the start.


Then we learned some new exercises to do for his Torticollis. I know they will help him out, but I HATE to pin him down and make him stretch his neck. And agreed, Weaky hates it too.


So we leave, with a new exercise schedule in hand. We head over to our favorite place, Buffalo Wild Wings (I am a Parmesan Garlic, Medium, and now the Medium Garlic on my wings) As we enjoy our dinner, Spaghetti and I are deep in thought on something fun to do. Mind you it's a breezy 20 something degrees out, so the park, Chicago's lakefront, and the Zoo are out... we think of the Childrens Museum, then we decide that we need to get the kids down for a nap anyway. Then we will go from there.


As we walk to the truck Spaghetti, looks at me and says he has a good idea. We get in, and I ask, "What is your awesome idea?" he then wrings his hands as if a trip for 4 to Vegas is crossing his mind...


"Isn't there a indoor waterpark nearby? I thought of Wisconsin Dells, but it's too late. We go home, pack, make reservations, and go. Come back tomorrow?"


I get the same Vegas smile across my face. "Really?!" I asked "Your not kidding? Were just going to up and go on a mini vacation right now?"


And off we went. Home, while packing, Spaghetti called and booked the night. It was $120 for the 4 of us. We had a room with a beautiful view of the Woods, two double beds, big couch, table, all perfect for us.


If your ever in Illinois and are looking for a beautiful place to visit, go to Utica IL, and there is Starved Rock State Park, fall is amazing, Summer is perfect, spring is awesome (a bit muddy) and even winter if you dress like an Eskimo, you can go to see the Bald Eagles, or walk the paths for the ice falls.


So a genius thought to build a big fat "Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort" right across the street! The water park was SO nice, lazy river, wave pool, playground with water effects, and the highlight of the trip for Bagel and Weaky? The baby pool! The deepest the water was, was 1 foot, there was a slide, waterfall and with two match box cars they were set!


I can bet you there was a total of 15 families staying there, just the way we like it! We arrived around 3 pm, checked in, and went straight for the pool! Had dinner at Applebee's (in a nearby town) then Spaghetti and Weaky went up to the room and crashed. Bagel wanted more pool and we had a blast! At one point she grabbed my face (while in the midst of the wave pool) and yelled "I love you mommy!" I tried not to tear up to much, and just enjoyed our moment. Spaghetti had his own bed, and Bagel and I slept in the other. Weaky had his little pack and play all set up. This morning we were up early, went to McD's for breakfast, and then back to pack up, and swim some more! Weaky and Spaghetti played in the big arcade, scoring tickets and some fun floating ducks for the kids. Check out was at 11, so at 10:55 we left the pool, scurried up to the room, changed and headed home. We just got home, Bagel and I are headed to the shower, Weaky and Spaghetti are sleeping (Spaghetti has to work today)


It was fun, fast and if I can keep the budget in check. Spaghetti promised more of these getaways more often! So here is to the spontaneous Spaghetti for his amazing idea! Muah!

(I will post pictures soon!)