Midwest Marathon

In the middle of August, we took a ten-day road trip back to W*sconsin and M*nnesota to visit family.  Of course, Sarah and I needed pretty toes for the journey....


She's got this "being pampered" thing down.

 

It took two 10-hour days to get to Emily and Omar's in W*unakee.  We spent the night both ways at the same hotel in M*ntor, OH, where we stayed on the big move last fall.  It was nice to have a familiar stop. 

 

Sarah did great on the drive out...if you call staying awake and chattering for more than 1,000 miles great.  I guess she didn't want to miss anything.  In all fairness, she was good-natured for the most part and spent quite a bit of time entertained by my N**k.

 

Sarah loves eating on the road.

 

We spent three nights and two days at Emily and Omar's.  Sarah had been anticipating holding Baby Omarcito for weeks, and he did not disappoint.  She was smitten with him.  Of course, Don and I were, too. 

 

 

Mother and son

 

We were fortunate to overlap with Omar's parents, who were visiting from M*xico, the first night there.  Once again, I wished I had studied Spanish, instead of French, in school.  The language barrier was no match for their warmth, however.  It's obvious where Omar gets his good nature, as well as his good looks.

 

The second night we were there, we went to a National N*ght O*t event in town. 

 

 

 

Sophia, Omar, and Omarcito

 The next day, Don and I took the girls to the zoo in M*dison. 

 

Sarah rode the train with Sophia (and without Mom!).

 

 

Showing off their rocket-stained tongues

 

 

Giggle time

While Sarah and Sophia had some good times, it was not all grins and giggles.  Sarah tends to be edgy around Sophia, who is a take-charge kind of girl.  I think the unusual family dynamics of playing with her niece make her head spin sometimes.  She's used to being THE five-year-old who gets Don's and my attention.  While she seems able to manage her emotions around other kids, Sophia, who is obviously special to Don and me, too, really pushes her buttons.  At times, it's just too much for her to take (for instance, when we were parallel-parked, and I said Sophia had to get into the car first because her seat was on the road side of the car).

 

On Friday, we left for the Tw*n Cities.  We decided to swing by our old neighborhood on the way and were treated to lunch with our former neighbors Jim and Linda and Ken and Marie.  It was wonderful to see them.  Our old place certainly looks different with cows in the pasture instead of goats and donkeys, but it looks loved, which is nice. 

Sarah finally fell asleep on the drive to the Tw*n Cities (1,350 miles into the trip), while writing in the H*llo Kitty journal that Jim and Linda gave her.

It was a beautiful day to drive north along the M*ssissippi River, a journey very familiar to us. We had dinner with Don's parents.  Sarah was so excited to see them.  Then, it was over to Rachel and Matt's new home in St. P*ul, where we settled in for the next few nights.

Three generations -- Sarah, Don, and Dell

Saturday morning, we took a walking tour of Rachel and Matt's neighborhood (it's a great location).  After lunch, it was off to see Circus J*ventas, a performing arts youth circus school.  It was amazing.  I haven't been to the circus since I was a kid, and this was better than any I remember.  It was really hard to believe all of the performers were 21 or younger. 

The show was a little long (more than three hours) and intense (it was a Wiz*rd of Oz theme), and Sarah was a bit overwhelmed, but she insisted that she liked it...until the next-to-last act, when they started juggling fire.  A couple of months ago, she went through a big fear-of-fire phase, with nightmares and problems getting to sleep.  When I saw the fire, I shot a look at Sarah, who was sitting on Rachel's lap.  She looked concerned, so I asked if she was okay.  She didn't answer, but climbed over to my lap.  I told her we could leave, if she wanted, but she was fixated on the flames.  I said, "You need to use your words: do we stay or go?"  She said, "Go," so I picked her up and made our way out of the row, down the bleachers, and out the exit. 

Once outside, she was fine, and we entertained ourselves watching for Don, Rachel, and Matt from a high footbridge that spanned the road near the circus.  At bedtime, she was scared of fire once more, so Dad lay with her while she went to sleep.  I was afraid the experience would re-ignite (sorry, couldn't help myself) her sleep problems, but that was the last we heard about it.

Sarah, Rachel, and a tiny bit of Matt at the circus.

Sarah on the footbridge

Matt, Sarah, Rachel, and Don looking at photos that Sarah took during an evening walk around the neighborhood

Sunday afternoon, we had a cookout with Don's family at his sister Dawn's place.  It was great to see his siblings, nieces, and nephews, some of whom Sarah had never met.  She was excited to see her big brother Reid for the first time in quite a while.  She also loved hanging around with Grandma.

 

Sarah and Rachel decorating the sidewalk in front of Rachel and Matt's house

 

Don, Matt, Irv, and Dale at the grill at Dawn and Irv's

Don and his brother David

 

Sarah and Grandma

Matt and Sarah take some techie down-time

That evening, Reid joined us for dinner at Rachel and Matt's, then took us on a tour of the L*ngfellow Neighborhood of M*nneapolis and the Gr*nd Rounds.  It was just lovely!  I haven't spent much time in M*nneapolis, and I was quite taken by this area.  We then walked to M*nchie's for frozen yogurt.

Matt, Sarah, Rachel, Don, and Reid enjoying frozen yogurt

Sarah adding her name to the chalkboard

Monday morning, we started the long journey east, stopping in W*unakee for one more night.

Sophia and Sarah with Omarcito

Sophia loves her baby brother.

Two more long days, and we were back at the cozy colonial.  Sarah stayed awake almost to the M*ssachusetts border, when she announced, "I think I'll take a little nap" and was asleep instantly.  The girl has willpower, I tell you. 

Every road trip needs a soundtrack, and ours was D*isy Mayhem's R*nky T*nky.  I just stopped singing the songs in my head the other day.  Sarah's favorites are "Bear to the Left" and "Fly*ng P*rple P*ople Eater."  Mine is "When I Gr*w Up I Want to be a Tree."  I think Don's is whatever one is last, if you get my drift.

Sarah became a fan of B*kers Square on this trip.  We ate there our first night on the road, and she insisted on going back on the return trip.

Sarah navigating from the back seat