Sunday, July 29, 2012

Trip to Wisconsin, Day 5

190/366

Well, it finally came, the day we had to leave Wisconsin.  Our morning was a little crazy.  Packing up always makes us Crazy.  We did Chris's flush in the hotel room before hitting the road.  It was Sunday, and though we'd taken Monday off, just in case we had to stop in a hotel on the road, we were kind of hoping to make it most (if not all) of the way home.  But first:  Reception, Part deux.  Bohl's wedding invitation had said, if you didn't get enough of a Lake Fix, we could come back.  We parked right by this field, and this was the view on the other side.  I have been so taken with the trees in Wisconsin, kind of reminds me of Arizona, such that I'm expecting to see the Grand Canyon at any moment.  But the scoop was that they are paper farms, and the gently rolling hills just lead to more lakes.  Still lovely though.


Christopher couldn't wait to suit up, because, as he put it, "Being at the Lake is AWESOME!" 


Bohl was doing a bit of fishing before lunch.  She didn't catch anything.  I was assured there were tons of fish in the lake by Daddy Bohl, but I didn't see anyone catch anything.  


But I had some sweetboys that couldn't wait to get back into the water.  As it happens, in Wisconsin, the law requires anyone under age 12 to wear a vest in a boat.  I like this law.  However, we weren't prepared for it, so we kept having to borrow vests from friends during our visit.  This was upsetting for our speedboat ride the night before, as we waited through one of Chris's freakouts to find a vest.  He was so upset.  On our long hoof back to the hotel Saturday night, he asked me ever so sweetly with May I's and Pleases, if, for his birthday (in December), I would get him a Blue boat vest.  I thought to myself as I pulled in to our hotel, we're right next door to the Wal-mart, let's stop by in the morning and see if they have any vests for the boys.  That may help them ride another boat, which was their primary goal - Swim and Boat for Day 2.  


Mission Accomplished, and we were able to find matching vests for the boys.  Nice and cushy, they took to the water.  Daddy pulled up a chair to "watch them". 


I found some dragonflies.  This guy must've been young and fresh, because he was soaking wet, and not flying far, he was stuck in the water, so I put him on some of the grass. 


Best picture of the day: 


It's called a Mating Wheel.  But I just happened to catch them in a heart shape.  


What you can't see is Eric, Chris and Sam riding along on the front of the boat.    When they zipped by the second time, they waved.  Hi Boyz! 


After a speedboat ride, Chris climbed into one of the kayaks no one was using, and immediately began using it.  And it started moving.  I think if we hadn't made him stop, he'd have gone out pretty deep, and we may have had to go fetch him. Hmm...natural skills...


While Chris was swimming along, he actually scared the snot out of me.  The speedboat below has a flat back very easy for people to climb right on to the boat, and a nice pole to attach for skiers.  He was swimming in the swimming area by the dock, and he began swimming straight for the boat, which was idling. Meaning the engine was on, they were hooking up with the skier, and under the water there was a blade spinning, and little Mr. No Fear just started swimming right for it.  And he couldn't hear me yell stop.  Blessedly, Bohl's friend Keira on the boat, did.  She cut the motor, pulled Chris up onto the boat, and off they went.  How's that?!  The day before I could barely get Chris on the boat, he was that terrified, the next day, he was climbing up of his own volition, with no parent nearby.   Crazy.  And scary.  Blessedly, nothing happened.  No one had to go running.  And Chris got boat ride out of the deal.  A ride he enjoyed thoroughly.  



He's a little hard to see, but he's down there on the front.  


Safe and sound, little brother observes from shore.  


We caught some pretty birds in flight.  I suppose, eventually, I'll play around with editing them, and make them all cool and stuff.  But at this point, I'm content with just pulling them straight off the camera.  


Seagull.  



Great Blue Heron.  I think he may have been carrying something in his mouth.  


Last tootsie dips before we hit the road.  And Auntie formerly Bohl now Mrs. Zwieg comes out to say goodbye to our little crazies.  


It was sad to say goodbye, but really I was ready to go home and sleep in my own bed.   Hopefully, we'd make it.  The first hour was hard, all the kids wanted to do was watch movies.  I told them they had to wait until Madison.  They did, but not patiently.  Whatever happened to the days before portable dvd players?  What did parents of preschoolers do?  My kids don't care to play any of the games I love and loved, the alphabet game, or the license plate game.  Chris wants to look on the map, for about 5 seconds then he is done.  He isn't too concerned with the journey, he just wants to get there.  For me, it's all about the Journey.Deep thoughts.  


We made good progress, once we turned the movies on.  They were content as long as there was a movie on.  Sad, but true.  So we made good progress.  Instead of needing to stop for Sam to pee every hour, he made it like 2-3.  We stop for gas, he'd pee.  We stop for food, he'd pee.  He was great.  At the last rest stop in Illinois, they kids had awakened from an hour or so nap.  We had left Wisconsin at 2, they didn't fall asleep until 6.  Then they were awake at 7:30 and Hungry.  So we stopped to pee, and formulate a plan.  Meanwhile, the kids played on the playground.  How BRILLIANT to have a playground at a rest area.  This is the first I've encountered.  Maybe they've had them before, but I haven't seen them.  This was the first time my kids were old enough to need it.   And they got a nice play in before we hit the road again. 


 The promise was to stop at McD's for cheeseburgers.  With that deal, they hopped back in the car, and we made it all the way home in one go, only took us 7 1/2 hours. But we did it.  It was a Wonderful vacation.  


Can't wait to go again. 

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