Saturday, August 14, 2010

Visit to the Loony Bin Part 2

  Its awesome to be home.  I’m definitely a home body, that's for sure.  Love my own bed, love my regular, business as usual routine, love that I’m not gorging myself with food like I do when I’m not at home and just love being here with my people.  Also, I love the internet and the use of my laptop!  LOL!  With that in mind, here is more from Loon Lodge (since I couldn’t blog from there).

Mmmm – pizza.  What's a visit to the lake without pizza, right?  These are just store bought Pillsbury crusts.  I do have plans to make a whole wheat crust soon here at home!  Very exciting, as we LOVE pizza!  This one is the taco pizza that we based on a recipe from Food Network’s September 2010 issue.  It was fab.DSCN0857 The tiny pepperoni one was for the kids.  Also had shhhhaushig on it.  That's Dylan speak for “sausage.”  He loves shhhhhaushig.  DSCN0863
And this one here is a take on Punch Pizza’s Mimi.  Olive oil and spices on the crust and then tomatoes, basil and mozzarella on top.  Its pretty much awesome.  Can’t make it to Punch, I bring Punch to me!  DSCN0864 Avos – always the satisfied customer.  Never turns down a slice of pizza.  Then again, who would?!DSCN0865 Dbert is also a pizza connoisseur.  He knows a good pizza when he sees one.  Or eats one. DSCN0866
My slices of taco pizza.  Be jelly. DSCN0868
And now its time for DRESS UP!!!! My mom brought out her “special suitcase” containing these costumes from when Tommy and I were little.  They were just as awesome as I remembered them being.  And Dylan thought so too.  Avery, not so much, as you will see.   DSCN0869 DSCN0870 DSCN0871  What the heck am I wearing???DSCN0873  DSCN0876 DSCN0877  Can I please take this off?DSCN0879    Always a bridesmaid, never a bride!  Wait a minute here…DSCN0883DSCN0886  Uh oh – Avos was having an Avos moment!  Grandma got to experience it first hand!  She was very lucky!DSCN0888 DSCN0889

He makes one heck of a bride!  Grandpa was not happy he was wearing this.  I suspect Eric will think its fun tho, right?  DSCN0890 DSCN0891

Gorgeous, simply gorgeous! DSCN0892 

He is dead set on being a ghost for Halloween this year.  So he made us fashion a ghost costume out of the dress up veil.  DSCN0893

Me with the ghost.  What am I supposed to be?  A superfisherwoman?  Yes, thats right.  A superfisherwoman.  I like to fish while wearing tutus and a robe.   DSCN0895 DSCN0896

Alright!  Grandma is getting in on the fun!  (Grandpa declined to dress up – what fun is he!?  He even grumbled about taking our picture!)DSCN0897 DSCN0898 DSCN0899

These were my fav shoes when I was little.  Dylan rocked em. DSCN0900 DSCN0901DSCN0903

And here we are on the way home.  Ahhhhhh, silence!  It was glorious.  A BIG thank you to the traffic lights of Wadena for ruining the silence.  I sooooo appreciate it!   DSCN0904

Well, I am enjoying a bit of silence right now as well so I better take full advantage of it!  Later!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Going Loony

FYI: The following post was written 2 days ago with the intention of being posted 2 days ago.  You will see that I thought my internet troubles were solved.  But clearly, they were not.  Please pretend that you are reading this on Wednesday, not Friday.  Thank you.

It occurred to me last night while lying in bed trying to go to sleep that I could just plug the internet cord into MY computer!  Problem solved and I’m back in business!   Apparently the loony-ness of this place has rubbed off on my computer smarts!  Or maybe it’s my mom’s computer savvy-ness (or lack thereof) that has rubbed off?  As a result though, I have a lot to catch you up on.  And as usual, its done through photos. 

Lets see, where were we?!  When we last “spoke” (not counting yesterday’s post) we were at home still and it was hot as you know what outside.  So what do you do when its that hot out?  Swelter in a lawn chair outside?  Don’t be silly.  Do you even know me at all?  Hot Trishy = crabby Trishy.  So we did what any crazy mom would do – we built a fort.  Why does this make me crazy?  Cuz when we build a fort – it stays up FOREVER.  Taking it down is asking for trouble and I don’t like asking for trouble.  So here they are having tea time in their fort.   DSC_9441 DSC_9443 DSC_9444 While they were in their fort, Anne and I tried a new recipe.  I must take advantage of people who appreciate fun, healthy meals and I did just that.  She was my guinea pig for all these lovely things (not all are pictured.  They had to go immediately into our bellies and there was no time for photos).  These are the sweet potato-black bean-quinoa burgers.  They were just okay.  I have yet to find a homemade veggie burger recipe that knocks my socks off.  They always seem to be too mushy for me.  Perhaps my food processor is just too strong!  If anyone has a recipe for me to try – let me know!  I will not give up this quest!

 

 


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The tiny supervisor toddled in to see what I was workin’ on.  She looks skeptical. DSC_9450

  That was, until I told her there was sweet potato in them and she was back on board!DSC_9451
Mr Persuasion talked me into this cake while we were at the best store in Baxter – Christmas Pointe.  He didn’t have to do much convincing though.  He just helped make the decision for me.  There were many lovely choices! DSC_9452
MmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmDSC_9454
So then on Tuesday morning we ventured off to Loon Lodge (my parents lake place on White Earth Lake, MN).  Grandma was excited to see them and they were excited to see her.  Apparently Avery was sick of me because she pretty much leapt out of my arms and into Grandma’s when we met at the grocery store.  Grandma then got her workout in from carrying Avery around the store.  I tried to take her, but she wasn’t having it.  And you know Brutus – sitting in the shopping cart is just NOT an option.   DSC_9455
However, her preference for Grandma didn’t last very long.  Grandma dropped her off her lap and Avos bit her upper lip.  After her scream fit was over, this is what her lip was reduced (?) to.  Poor Avery!  It was quite the fat lip! DSC_9458 DSC_9460

Here is a montage of photos from around the cabin.  Had to showcase the various things.  This is the wooden topography map of the lake.  Fannnncy!DSC_9461 DSC_9462 DSC_9464 DSC_9465

Grandma has the best toys! DSC_9466

Not sure what Rocco is doing here.  Avery must have had a piece of bacon in her hands. ; ) DSC_9467

Rocky Roccoco and Tedward. DSC_9468

Baby lip injections! Look how full her lips look! DSC_9470S

he LOVES this little table and chairs.  Perfect size for her.  She likes to back her little behind up to chairs all the time but the difference here is that she actually is able to sit down in these like a big person can.  Normally when she backs up to sit down in a chair, its too high up for her little butt to reach, so she ends up sitting down on the ground in front of the chair.  So she’s quite pleased with these chairs! DSC_9471 DSC_9475 DSC_9477 DSC_9479 DSC_9480

Corn on the cob time!  Dylan talks about corn on the cob quite often since we live near many corn fields.  He’s always pointing out how tall the stocks are in the various fields.  Funny thing is – I think he’s had corn on the cob maybe once before this?  Doesn’t that sound about right, Poppy?  He really enjoyed it this time and had 2 pieces! DSC_9485 DSC_9487 DSC_9489 DSC_9493

The lake!  (taken from inside the cabin – horrible view from up here, wouldn’t you say?)
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The boy on display!  Gotta have a pic of the boy! DSC_9496
What’s this?  A loon at Loon Lodge?   DSC_9497Another loon at Loon Lodge?  What?  (this picture is for you, Eric)

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Swimming time!  She was doing quite well until I got out the sunscreen.  She then turned into a crabcake and swim time was over for her.  I just love getting my hands all sunscreeny and then she wants out.  Grrrr. IMGP0020 IMGP0022

Dylan was actually swimming all by himself! With a lifejacket on, of course.  This is major though because before he always had to have someone with him and they were NOT to let go of him for any reason.  He went right into the water on his own and wasn’t at all scared.  Progress!  Before we came to Loon Lodge, he told me he was going to go swimming in the “clean water at Grandmas!”  And that he did! IMGP0025 IMGP0028 IMGP0039

This is setting the scene for the highlight of my day yesterday!  Dylan and Grandma were cleaning up the beach toys off of Fun Island (the blue floaty thing you see there). 

  IMGP0040She put all the toys in the bucket and he carried them over to the fancy new steps and got out of the water.  Then he yelled over to Grandma to go down the slide before she gets out.  I knew this was gonna be good.

  IMGP0043

She reluctantly agreed to go down the slide.  Her first attempt ending with her falling backwards, legs up in the air into the middle part of the raft.  Then she was able to crawl back up and rested here for a moment before trying again. IMGP0046

I was using my dad’s waterproof point and shoot and wasn’t able to catch the sequence of events the way I would have liked to (I’m sure she’s happy about this though).  Here she has fallen off the edge into the water and went under.  She came up and he yelled at her to get back up and TRY AGAIN!  She didn’t humor him.  Or me.  How rude!  We are guests here and we demand entertainment! 



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And here is our pontoon ride from last night.  My stupid camera battery died 5 minutes into the trip.  Which is a shame because there was a sunglass fashion show showcasing some of the best of my mother’s sunglass collection from over the years.  Think big, ugly and fabulous.  Dylan was the model.  He pretty much rocked every pair.  Its a shame that its raining now and we can’t go out and recreate the photo ops. 


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Well, thats it for now.  Grandpa is on the phone with the internet company now trying to diagnose the wireless problem.  Sounds like the router is to blame.  Well, better pick one up before Labor Day weekend or the people will revolt!



I will have pics of the fabulous food we are having while we are here later on this evening if I get around to it.  Laters!