Valleyfair, Kid Rock and Mass Transit Buses.....

These are a few of my favorite things! How lucky that I was able to spend my weekend enjoying these things along with some of my other favorite things such as sno-cones, laughing, corn dogs, walking tacos and swimming. And my ability to enjoy all of these most favorite things together over the course of one weekend is all thanks to Jason's love of Kid Rock.

Jason is a tough cookie when it comes to birthdays and any other gift giving occasion. Imagine my delight when it was brought to my attention shortly before the month of June that Kid Rock was playing at the Minnesota State Fair. You know, sometimes the stars just align. Of course I knew tickets to said concert would be the best gift I could ever think of for Mr. Kolb. Tickets were purchased and given. Jason portrayed the exactly perfect level of disbelief and happiness when opening his gift and our plans were set in motion. We figured we may as well make an entire weekend of it and added Valleyfair and Austin's 10th birthday party to the list of must do's.

Thursday after school we hopped into the trusty old Expedition and beelined for St. James and Jake's Pizza. We spent the night at the Carter family homestead (established in 1972). Before dawn's early light on Friday, we arose determined to be at the Valleyfair gates as soon as they were opened. Shockingly we were running a little late but still did well, arriving at Jeremy and Sheila's just before 10AM. Bathroom breaks, leg stretching and grocery unloading out of the way, we jumped back into the car for the short jaunt to "The Fair in the Valley". Oohs and ahhs filled the vehicle as the tall, scary looking steel and wood contraptions came into view. A brief exchange with John, the friendly parking attendant and then it was time to ride. Roller coasters, extreme swinging, power towers, tilt-a-whirls, frog hoppers~you name it, we rode it. I was floored by Grace's enthusiasm, excitement and daredevil attitude. Here, if you squint and get your face very close to the monitor, you might be able to see Jason and Grace coming down off the Power Tower.

The children, patiently waiting for the next ride...
Lily, Emma and Ella loving the "Mild Thing"...

And the "Frog Hopper" (the toddler/junior version of the Power Tower)...

Lily and Ella testing out a possible future career....

Lily intensely studying the song stylings of "The Squiggles"~Valleyfair's answer to the ever popular "Wiggles"...

JerBear and his charges enjoying the show...

Sweet job~Lead Squiggle! Way to rock this place! High Five!

The girls...Lily was certain there was an actual dead person inside that coffin. She is still talking about it today.

The final ride of the day~Steel Venom. After riding twice in a row, Grace bestowed upon this ride, the 9-year old's highest honor, declaring it "AWESOME" She also remarked it was fantastic and when I said it was like an extreme Extreme Swing, she reiterated, "It was extremely awesome."

The day is done....

and we are ready for our next adventure.

We made a pit stop at Culver's to fill our bellies (no, the pronto pups, walking tacos, regular tacos, strawberry smoothies, funnel cake fries, cotton candy and sno-cones, just weren't quite enough. You do remember how much we like to eat, right?) and it was "In the pool, if you're cool."

Everyone got a good night's sleep, tired out from the busy day and anticipating another. We awoke from our slumber, put the hurt on the complimentary continental breakfast, took a quick dip and headed to Jeremy and Sheila's, arriving just in the nick of time for our next meal. The afternoon was spent like most Carter family gatherings; telling stupid stories/jokes, eating and lounging. Next thing you know, it was time to prepare for the concert. Jeremy hit the nail on the head with this little ensemble....

However, he was afraid he would be mistaken for Kid Rock himself and opted for his second choice.

Jason wasn't able to outdo Jeremy so he just stuck to his preselected outfit.

It's been many, many years since I last attended the MN State Fair and I was completely overwhelmed by the masses of people. It was unbelievable. We fought our way through the crowds, grabbed some standard fair treats and went to the Grandstand for a slightly smaller crowd and $5.50 Miller Lites. We located our seats up in the nosebleeds and settled in, ready to rock!

Between running down for more beer and in turn, more bathroom breaks, we rocked. He put on an awesome show and when Jason looked at me and told me, "This is the best birthday present ever", I was quite pleased with myself!

Because we had taken the bus from near Jeremy's house to the concert, we had to book out of there as soon as the show was over in order to make sure we didn't miss our return trip. Running and dodging people, we made it in plenty of time to use the some seriously ripe porta-potties before boarding the bus for a memorable ride back to Chanhassen.

This is Jason and I loving mass transit....

and Jeremy and Sheila loving mass transit as well.

This is "Fella" and his friend who mistook for a girl loving mass transit.

There was a man who I dubbed Skipper and his wife who sat across from Jeremy and Sheila that also enjoyed mass transit. I thought I had a picture of them but unfortunately it didn't turn out. I informed them they would be on my blog with or without their permission. They didn't seem to mind. The two girls sitting directly in front of me did not share my enthusiasm for mass transit and I am guessing the moment they were able to disembark from what was most likely the longest bus ride of their life was the best part of their day. I made some really great friends on the 45 minute ride back to our bus stop and am seriously considering purchasing a bus pass for the Sioux Falls bus just because it is such a friendly way to travel. Plus, I have likely been banned from ever riding a bus in the Twin Cities metro area ever again and so if I ever want to ride public transportation again, it's probably the only chance I'll have.

Sunday morning rolled around and it was time to depart for home. Leftovers for lunch and then we were on the road again with a detour to the apple orchard on the route. We have often thought about stopping to check out this particular orchard on past trips but have never taken the time. Mom, Dad and Kim were planning on stopping so we thought we would tag a long. The girls loved it. In additon to the expected apples and apple related treats, they had every kind of candy you could think of from back in the good old days (candy cigarettes, Big League Chew, Boston Baked Beans, candy buttons~you name it, they had it). The building was filled with the delicious aroma of fresh baked pies which made it impossible to not bring one home with us. Grace selected a bottle of root beer to sample from the 53 options they provided while Ella and Lily preferred bottles (of the glass variety) of Strawberry Crush to accompany their candy cigs.

All sugared up, we hopped back into the car ready for the long ride home. Grace was the first to nod off near Worthington with Lily not far behind. Ella finally crashed about a half hour from home. A busy weekend filled with family, friends and fun~definitely our favorite things!

I stand corrected....

While eating supper tonight at Casa Del Rey, my children were getting rather boisterous. I was seated next to Lily and sternly told her, "You need to be quiet. We are in a restaurant", thinking to myself, "Well, that should take care of that". She paused for a moment, looked at me and primly replied, "Actually, this is a public building". What a little stinker. She just finished her snack of fresh tomatoes, popular among the 3 year old set ......and is snuggled in to her bed in this non-public building. As I was shutting the door to her bedroom she calls out, "Don't let the bed bugs bite or the puppies and go to the pet store and get me a puppy". She is going to be the master manipulator. How can I be expected to resist this....

So for now, I am off to bed hoping to get enough sleep that maybe, just maybe, tomorrow I will be able to outsmart my three year old.

The 1st Day of School.....

Jason and I had high hopes of a terrific weekend spent sunning ourselves at either Frank Olsen pool or maybe even Lake Pajoha. Unfortunately our plans were thwarted by the big gloomy clouds that stalked us all day Saturday. Always the quick thinker, Mr. Kolb was able to come up with a fun way for us to spend the afternoon...mini-golfing. The girls were thrilled as Grace has golfed at Thunder Road exactly once, Ella was a tiny baby for that particular occasion and Lily was just a twinkle in our eyes. We putted our way through 18 holes of fake grass and let's just say, none of us earned a spot on the PGA tour anytime in the near future~except possibly the only one of us who nailed a hole in one, yep, you guessed it, Lily.

Following our round, the girls explored the Thunder Road grounds.....
and decided to hang out on the swing set for a spell.


Sunday brought one last morning to sleep in, a delicious lunch compliments of the Big Swede~the Grillin' Machine, Mass and a so-so supper at Texas Roadhouse. In an attempt to a. burn off some of the many calories we consumed and b. tire our children who would be going to bed about 1-2 hours earlier than they had in months, we set off on a bike ride. We followed Jason, as usual, and he led us to the park.....the park about 35 uphill blocks from our house. Obviously this meant we had 35 blocks to ride to get back to our humble abode and thankfully the return ride was mostly downhill as we had some little people with tired legs. Now, as I mentioned, one purpose for this ride was to tire Grace and Ella so that a 9PM bedtime would not be met with resistance. As most of our plans do, this one failed miserably. Neither Grace nor Ella, had surfaced by 930PM and I thought we were in the clear. Boy was I wrong. First came Ella around 950PM, somewhat upset but not out of control. Mostly just worried that because she couldn't fall asleep, she would be very tired for school. About 10 minutes later, Grace came out, sobbing and very sad, claiming, "I'm not ready for school to start tomorrow". Jason and I worked our consoling and empathetic magic and both daughters were settled back into their beds with visions of pencils, homework and recess dancing in their heads.

Before I knew it, the alarm was buzzing in my ear, announcing the day that I have been dreading all summer. I put a big, fat smile on my face though and readied myself, physically and mentally. Much to my delight, Grace and Ella jumped out of bed with no problems and were dressed, brushed and full of breakfast in no time at all. I could tell Grace was bummed out but
in her typical Stoneface fashion, she wasn't about to spill her guts. Shockingly, Ella was just as chipper as she could be. Maybe not so surprisingly though. Yesterday on the way to church she said, "Man, this summer went quick. Well, I guess we just have to go on". I think she was upset, worried, anxious, sad, etc. about the beginning of school but talked herself through it, realized that is just the way it is and decided to make the best of it. I wish she could pass me some of her willpower. It's pretty amazing~someone so emotional is also so very rational. We took a few pictures out on the front stoop and then trucked on down to John Harris. Walking up the school, I realized I was clutching Ella's hand much harder than she was clutching mine and realized I needed to chill out. Grace selected me as her flag ceremony chaperone while Jason and Lily escorted Ella.

Tradition out of the way, it was time for school to begin. I walked Grace to her classroom and left her with a sad face but an reluctant acceptance of her task at hand. I know she was fighting tears and so was I but the show must go on and it was time to wish Ella farewell. 101 was alive with music and after the music ended, Jason, Lily and I waved goodbye to Ella from across the room and were on our way. This year's parting was so much less traumatic than last's when she burst through the crowd and clung to me with every ounce of her being. A flicker of sadness crossed her face but she had much more important things to contend with, such as introducing herself to fellow classmates.

Lily and I had a full morning of Target, Old Navy and the park planned. Swinging was just what the doctor ordered for Lily to cure her loneliness... As a special treat, I swung through the McDonald's drive-thru for a Happy Meal. Well worth the trip when Lily opened the Happy Meal box and exclaimed, "Mmm, this smells so refreshing". She has a very interesting sense of smell.

I was reminded of how quickly the day flies by when the clock struck 230PM, I was not quite finished with my "to-do" list, Lily had not napped and it was already time to pick the kids up. Lily and I waited patiently, on the playground, among the throngs of other anxious parents. Finally Ella came charging out of the building, looking happy and excited. She immediately began telling stories while we searched for Grace who once was located was slightly more subdued but no less happy with her day. After a less than successful attempt at a first day of school photo with our car pool boys....

we went home where I had a scrumptious Dairy Queen cake ready and waiting as a reward for a long hard day at the office.

Overall, the day went great and way better than I could have hoped. I was reminded of many perks that go along with school. It's nice to not feel so guilty while cleaning and thinking I should be playing with the girls. It's nice to not have to pick toys up 38 times a day. It's nice to not listen to fighting and bickering about the most trivial issues ever. It's nice to have some one on one time with Lily. It's nice to see Grace and Ella excited and animated about new friends and new experiences. It's nice to see my daughters growing up while remaining my babies.

There is something about the beginning of school that brings out my inner poet so for your reading pleasure.....

The first day of school

Has come and has gone.

My three little duckies

are all safe at home.

This morning was slick.

Eggs, ham and toast.

But a little more sleep

Was what they wanted the most.

Grace was all dressed

And ready to roll.

She seemed rather sad

Not quite ready to go.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed,

Was Ella Marie.

1st Grade was calling.

She was as happy as could be.

The flag ceremony

Always brings me to tears.

The Pledge of Allegiance

Then time to say goodbye to my dears.

Reluctantly Grace and I

Trudged to her room.

The look on Grace's face

was one filled with gloom.

Ella's class started off

The day with a song

Then shook hands with each other

I knew they'd all get along. To Ella we waved

A goodbye and a kiss.

Her face turned kinda red

And I knew we'd be missed.

Lily and I,

We decided to shop.

And then to the park

For a fun, little stop.

Cleaning and blogging

My afternoon was spent

Lily~supposed to be sleeping

But off to dream land, she never went.

We happily picked

The girls up for the day.

The four of us together,

There's no better way.

Winding down and gearing up....

Another summer is almost gone and the school year is about to begin. Our final week of freedom has been one of laughs; when Grace went to answer the phone and saw it was Josh (who spent a couple of days last week for work in Tampa at a conference for black journalists) and handed me the phone saying, "It's the black journalist." or when Lily went into the bathroom last night while Ella was soaking in the tub and commented, "You're a naked American.". And one of tears; when Ella got scolded and my tenderheart bear took it badly and cried for about a half hour worrying that because she didn't tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth she is doomed to be a bad person.

We've participated in some fun events. Supper at Casa Del Rey and then the Canaries game on Tuesday night. The girls enjoying the game or more accurately; Grace enjoying the people watching, Ella enjoying the game and Lily enjoying how her hair feels on her back when she tilts her head way backs and shakes it back and forth.
Ella and her daddy.

Things became exponentially more exciting when Cagey made a stop directly in front of our seats.

On Thursday we ventured out to the fair to take in the Heidi Newfield concert which was met with mixed reviews. Lily and her daddy had a fabulous time complete with hand clapping and foot stomping. Grace, with a stoneface, claimed to have loved it but I suspect it was the wide selection of people to watch that she actually loved and Ella leaned over to me after the first song and asked, "Is this the last song? It's annoying, too loud and giving me a headache". Apparently we don't have to worry about her adding "Groupie" to her list of career choices. By the time the concert was over, all the good exhibits were closed~much to the dismay of my little duckies but we made do with a ginormous sno-cone, a bag of mini doughnuts, an Indian taco and one stray swingset just off of the midway far from the terrible sounds coming out of the Alice Cooper concert.

We occupied ourselves for the remainder of the week with school supply kit delivering and double-checking, friends over to play, a rousing scavenger hunt ending with the discovery of a bountiful booty of Camp Rock related loot, several scrumptious dining out experiences (HuHot, Boss' Pizza, Rollin' Pin and Fryn' Pan), roller blading, bike riding, the girls serving Jason and I breakfast in bed this morning (a ham and cheese hot pocket with a Diet Coke for me and a bowl of Frosted Mini Spooners with a Sierra Mist for Jason~a miniature Reese's Peanut Butter cup and a Cherry Frootie Tootie for dessert, of course) and good old family time. I made a very conscious attempt to say yes more frequently than no. I tried to soak up the miracle of having three beautiful, healthy, energetic, spunky daughters and sisters. I tempered my melodramatic, maudlin feelings about school starting with thoughts of the peace and quiet that comes with one versus three. I did lots of laughing and smiling along with some yelling and exasperated sighing. Overall, it was just a normal week in our lives. Nothing extra special. Nothing extra memorable. Just us doing our thing and it was just the perfect ending to another perfect summer. Monday morning will come and so will the tears but ultimately I can think of worse things than sending my daughters to a terrific school for a day of learning and growing while I spend the day with this little tiny face....