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Hope!

Dare I say it?  Winter is gone in Minnesota?

Emily Dickinson comes to mind on a day like this...I mean, why not?  I'm of the geeky English teacher sort. I often think in random verse and think of obscure ways of tying it to whatever I am thinking about.

HOPE is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I ’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me. Look at all the smiles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's hoping that Spring is here to stay and we all have healthy and happy warm months ahead.

Casino Buffet and other Easter Adventures

 I know you are all jealous.  Almost every year, sometimes twice a year, we get to spend a major holiday at Jackpot Junction in Morton, MN.  The rez is our destination since my grandma decided a few years back that she didn't want to have food at her house (even though we would bring it all and clean up).  The woman is 91.  We obey.

So, we end up eating at a casino buffet.  In theory, not a horrible choice...salad bar and something for everyone, and well, there is a wide assortment of meats.  Somehow, they manage to make all of them tasteless and overdone.  There is hope just around the corner from the meat troughs...a lovely ice sculpture with plump and juicy looking shrimp cocktail. Deceiving.

Tasteless, once again.

There are a variety of bland side dishes with crusty coagulated starches or buttery veggies or sauces covered with a sheath of gelled fat.  Both strangely reminiscent of curds and whey.

We are bestowed with this bounty after waiting, with two 16 month olds for about 40 minutes.  Really, I can feel how jealous you are.  It is all worth it. 

 It makes Grandma happy to have us around.

We also, the day before Easter, went to the Saint Cloud Easter Egg Hunt.  Never again.  Between the two boys, they (we) got one egg.  It was a sight to see,  Hoards of people vying for little plastic eggs full of last year's gray and waxy  stale Easter chocolates and a few elusive paper slips with the big prizes. 

I will pass.

Above, Kian with Grandma and Great Grandma (playing with their earrings)

 

The boys with grandpa while waiting in line for the buffet and "playing" the player piano...also entertainment while waiting for the buffet,  Whatever works.  The boys LOVED it and thought it was very cool.

Above, at the Easter egg hunt in Saint Cloud.

..and then, I must share Finn's little quirk.  For some reason, he has developed a need to walk around his his hand in his shirt. Just the one hand and in his collar.  Not sure what's up with this, but, well, it's his new thing.

Whirlwind

     

 

 

   

 

 

 

   

 

In a little over 24 hours, we drove from Saint Cloud to Mapleton and stayed the night.  We were then off to Rochester yesterday morning for Scott's birthday (Finn and Kian's cousin) and Easter Egg hunt.  Then, late that afternoon, we drove to the Twin Cities and spent some time with friends, The Martins and the Steinkes and we headed home around 10:45 last night and woke up in our beds this morning. 

Photos: 1.Kian's egg booty.        2.  Finn getting ready for the hunt        3.  Kian didn't like to put the eggs in the basket.  He rather hang on to them.        4.Finn trying to eat a car.        5. Kian is trying to figure this egg hunt thing out.            6.  Finn is digging the Matchbox cars        7 and 8:  Both boys playing with cars.  Their first time for big boy cars.            9,Carissa strikes a pose        10.  Grandpa Brad and Jake..  Love the look on Jake's face.        11.The birthday boy, Scott.

Ground Zero. Can we burn this place down?

Yes, I am talking about sickness, once again. I sound like a hypochondriac.  I wish. This sucks.

This Fall/Winter has been horrible.  We have been sick more than we have been well...and I really don't think I am exaggerating.

We were hit with another round of the stomach virus.  Kian started with an amazing display of projectile vomiting at brunch on Sunday.  Bob camein second with a spectacular final "elimination."  (yeah, nice code word, huh?) and Finn and I rounded things off with general malaise and whininess.  All of this commenced on the final day of antibiotics for the boys who had RSV and ear infections, which were followed by a couple previous bouts of stomach virus and colds.

Are there people who can come into our home and professionally disinfect this place?  I have Cloraxed everything and it just isn't doing the job.  I think we need people in hazard suits.  Maybe the CDC can use this as a study?  I feel like we are ground zero.

Here are my sickies (who are doing better...knock on wood.)