Thank you to all who played the game. Here are the answers to, Did this REALLY happen at the cabin on the 4th of July??

1. Grandpa B burned his mouth on a toasted marshmallow.

ANSWER: No.

2. Anne got her finger stuck in the opening of an insect repellent wipes container.

ANSWER: Yes. Seriously, they need a warning on these things. This was an extremely painful, and potentially life-threatening experience that I never want to repeat.

3. Kim got a blistering sunburn.

ANSWER: No (not that I know of anyway). Apparently she did get a sunburn the day after leaving the cabin however??

4. Leila bit Max in the head.

ANSWER: Yes. This happened. This was bad. Max was innocently playing with Leila and she whipped around and snapped him one in the head. If you think she should be put down, just say so. I listen to my readers.

5. Max threw a fit of rage when he wasn’t allowed to read “Llama Llama Red Pajama” anymore.

ANSWER: Yes. This is so funny to me! Max LOVES the Llama book. We had to hide the book so Max could settle down.

6. FatJ ate 10 salted nut roll bars in one sitting. (Note*: These are not the candy bar. They are an actual bar that a person (me) makes in a pan and cuts into squares.)

ANSWER: No. His dietitian would never allow such a thing.

7. Tom ate 10 salted nut roll bars in one sitting.

ANSWER: Yes. And FatJ thought Tom was going to HATE these bars.

8. FatJ caught a 24 inch walleye.

ANSWER: Yes! An Alden Lake walleye record! Sadly, no pictorial evidence for this catch exists because I was told by my fellow fishermen that bringing a camera out into the boat was not necessary.

9. The cabin toilet overflowed.

ANSWER: No. That cabin has been expertly plumbed.

10. GrandmaB brought enough whole milk to feed an army of one year olds.

ANSWER: Yes. There was no lack of whole milk.

(Answers to the ‘lake on the 4th’ game- coming soon!)

We were at the cabin again this past weekend. We were not granted as lovely of weather as we were the weekend before, so no pictures of Ryan swimming this time. I do, however, have a picture of him bathing in the kitchen sink, which will have to suffice.

In addition, here is a picture of him relaxing on an Adirondack chair.

The last morning we were there Ms. Highest Maintenance decided she needed to upchuck an unidentifiable object at 5:52am. Needless to say, that also meant I was awake at 5:52am, freezing my patootie off while letting the beast outside. In my waking-up-way-too-early daze, I happened to glance down at the lake and noticed that the sun was just rising, casting a beautiful glow over the peaceful, misty waters. I then figured since I was already up anyway, I may as well grab my camera and try to take some pictures of the scenery. (Because really, how often do I see a sunrise.) (Also, this was pretty much the first moment of the entire 4 day weekend when the sun was shining and the wind was NOT blowing).

Before we head up again this weekend, I thought I better get a move on and post these pictures of our 4th of July weekend at the cabin before it gets too late. (P.S. To entice you into reading this whole post, there is some interactive fun at the end! But I’ll know if you just skip to the end without reading.)

Spending the weekend at the cabin were:
These three dogs…

Leila
Torii
Duke

I begin with them, because of everyone spending the weekend at the cabin, the above three were the most high-maintenance, and required the most work and patience.

In addition to the three beasts, those in attendance at the cabin were: FatJ, Ryan, and I. Tom, Kim, and Max. And of course, the ones who made it all possible, GrandparentsB. Here is a shot of Grandpa and Grandma in their full cabin glory with the two boys.

And if I may, I need to add how wonderful and amazing these two little dudes were the whole weekend, ESPECIALLY Friday night when fire crackers and fire works began going off about 8:30 pm, and didn’t cease until 11:30pm, and these little men SLEPT right THROUGH all of it! Yay for you guys!! Here they are in the pool, with Uncle T.

Ryan (along with his ’sista’ Leila) developed a love affair with the lake. We could not keep that child out of the lake. He would walk right in with his clothes on. Thankfully dada had the foresight to splurge on a pair of Crocs, which just so happen to be the perfect footwear for cabin living and lake wading.

Once this fun little activity began, there was no stopping Ryan. It went something like this: FatJ places Ryan on edge of pontoon. Ryan jumps off edge of pontoon. FatJ holds onto his hands and whooshes Ryan around in water. Ryan erupts in giggles and laughter. Repeat- 37 more times. (FatJ could probably use a chiropractic back treatment at this point, but he doesn’t believe in voodoo medicine.)

In addition to playing on the shoreline of the cabin’s property, we also ventured out to a sandy, shallow area in the river where we anchored the boat and did some wading/swimming. Ryan was so excited to be there, that he shrieked with excitement at the top of his lungs.

FatJ claims I am the one turning Ryan into an amphibian.

Ryan got to practice his boat driving skills.

And enjoyed picking the heads off of every wildflower he encountered. Awwww, such a sweetie!

______________________________________________________________________________________

Now, it’s time for some interactive fun! Let’s play “Did this REALLY happen at the cabin on the 4th of July?” Feel free to submit your answers in the comments section, and I’ll do a follow-up post with the correct answers.

Did this REALLY happen at the cabin on the 4th of July?? (your answers will be ‘yes’ or ‘no.’)

1. Grandpa B burned his mouth on a toasted marshmallow.

2. Anne got her finger stuck in the opening of an insect repellent wipes container.

3. Kim got a blistering sunburn.

4. Leila bit Max in the head.

5. Max threw a fit of rage when he wasn’t allowed to read “Llama Llama Red Pajama” anymore.

6. FatJ ate 10 salted nut roll bars in one sitting.

7. Tom ate 10 salted nut roll bars in one sitting.

8. FatJ caught a 24 inch walleye.

9. The cabin toilet overflowed.

10. GrandmaB brought enough whole milk to feed an army of one year olds.

I was not going to do a FatJ+Me=Love anniversary post because that would be, well, cheesy. But we did have a fabulous date tonight on our eighth wedding anniversary, and I feel I must share.

Before I begin, I give FatJ all the credit for tonight’s date. It was all his idea, and I was happily along for the ride. Our evening began with a leisurely stroll along the parkway to the restaurant. It was a beautiful night, and how great was it that we could just walk to dine out, instead of having to drive? It was fab, I tell you. There are many a benefit to city living, and that is just one of them. So we dined at Cafe Levain, a hidden gem in our neighborhood that somehow we had failed to visit before. Not many others were eating there on a Tuesday night at 6:15pm, so we had the waitress’s full attention. We shared the Farmer’s Market Salad for starters, which was delish, even with the mushrooms!! (I typically detest edible fungi). For my entree, I ordered the burger (not a typical romantic-anniversary-dinner-out selection, I admit), but I do declare, it was probably the best burger I’ve ever had. FatJ had the 1/2 chicken. And then I made a joke about how we probably confused the waitress because I (woman) ordered the red meat, and he (man) ordered the womanly chicken dish. Ha! And then FatJ said, “that’s one of the many reasons I’ve always liked you. You aren’t afraid to eat meat!” Aw, how sweet. So the dinner was delicioso, and on my way back from the bathroom I saw one of the servers reading The New Spanish Table, a cookbook that I just so happen to have in my own (extremely limited) cookbook collection. We chatted for a few minutes, and he told me that the chef always acquires the newest and best cookbooks (I feel so proud I own the same one!), and then I went ahead and recommended my favorite dish from the cookbook that the chef could certainly whip up, and I’d be a guaranteed return customer. We’ll see if it ever appears on the menu.

Anyhoo…following this epic dinner, we immediately marched two doors down and scarfed an ice cream cone at Pumphouse Creamery. Mmmmmm. Mmmmmm.

Bellies full, we enjoyed another leisurely stroll back home, commenting along the way about how we never get to take evening walks together anymore because Ryan is in bed by 7:30, and one of us always has to stay home. So this was a very special moment- a relaxing walk on a nice summer’s night, no kid, no stroller, no dog.

Happy anniversary, oh hubby of mine. Eight is great!

I’m not sure what I find more disturbing and horrible…is it when Christmas decorations come out the day after Halloween, or when school supplies come out the day after the 4th of July?

You know those people who sometimes call in sick for really no reason, or who take a “mental health day” off of work? I have never only when I was pregnant once or twice been one of those people. HOWEVER, I think it’s time to turn over a new leaf. And call in sick. And play hookie. And take a mental health breather. From this job where you NEVER GET A DAY OFF.

Don’t get me wrong- I love my job with a passion. But I think my employer and I have maybe been spending a little TOO much TIME together. We’ve kind of been getting on each other’s nerves lately. The employer is a very busy man who refuses to remain idle at any time during the day. While I, on the other hand, like to lay low and chill out in a chair every now and again. Since the employer’s acquisition of new responsibilities such as ‘running’, ‘exploring’, and ‘digging’ have taken place, I don’t feel I’m quite up for the job. I get tired. My back hurts. I can’t fulfill the requirement of “must be able to lift 20+ lbs”. The employer also seems to be transitioning from a two-naps-per-day regimen, to a one-miniscule-nap-per-day schedule. This, as you know, frees up more time in his day for extracurricular activities such as stroller tantrums, changing pad fits, and high chair screams.

I’ve asked, I’ve requested, I’ve tried to negotiate the terms of my employment. At my annual review this past April, I was sadly denied an increase in pay, vacation time, or a personal day.

So I guess what I’m saying is, I’d like to call in sick. For a total of 24 hours. I won’t be leaving any lesson plans, or numbers where I can be reached. I’m confident SubFinder can find me a highly-qualified replacement. For one day. One. It’s all I ask.

As for the employer…

…perhaps he’ll realize what a fabulous, hard-working employee I really am, and will let out nary a whine again.

Consider this a call for papers- er, make that- photographs!

I am running out of banner photographs of delicious looking fatty grub, and thought it would be fun to have FatJ readers get involved and help me out. Yes- I could just take my camera and hit up ice cream parlor after ice cream parlor (oh wait, I already do this) and take my own fatty boom batty pictures, but this will be much more exciting. Trust me.

Here are the rules: Submit to me, in full-size electronic format, a picture of a summery, delicious-looking FatJ-themed treat. (By FatJ-themed, I mean yummy, fatty, and yummy). It can be a picture you took today, or a picture you took years ago. I don’t really care, as long as it’s summer-themed, and looks tasty.

I guess since I’m using the word “contest”, I’m implying there will be a winner. All submissions will be used (unless you’re sending something grotesque, or that doesn’t apply to the strict rules stated above) and the photographer will be given credit for his/her work. IN ADDITION… I will personally select one photograph as my favorite (based on my wealth of knowledge of photography techniques, tee hee), and one LUCKY winner will receive the prize that was offered up during the last FatJ giveaway. {For some odd reason, I still happen to have this highly-coveted prize in my possession.}

Okay, ready to play? Happy snapping! (and eating).

How it got to be June 25th already, I do not know. My mother so kindly reminded me that today Ryan is fourteen months old. I seemed to completely miss the date…perhaps the milestone monthly dates don’t seem like such a big deal once the kid passes the 12 month mark?

Anyway, my *toddler* is quite the active little man. He loves being outside, “walking” the dog, pushing his wagon, and lounging in his pool. Now that the weather’s been nicer these past few weeks, we’ve gone on some adventures around the city, and I’ve been re-exploring many Minneapolis landmarks, toddler style.

Oh wait, but first…a non-Mpls picture. Two weeks ago we hit up the cabin. Ryan was obsessed with the lake. The weather was not super warm and the lake water was not warm at all. But Ryan kept trying to walk in the lake with his shoes on, so finally I decided I’d let him walk in (sans shoes & socks). So I roll up his pants, in he walks…and down he sits. Plop. He loved it. Of course I did not have my camera with me at that moment, and by the time the camera arrived Ryan was a frozen popsicle, so all I have is the ‘after’ shot of him trying to dry off and warm up on the dock. While holding an outlawed jarts circle turned hula hoop for good measure.

Meanwhile, back in Mpls… one day we went to Gold Medal Park and the Stone Arch Bridge area. Ryan loved running around at the top of the Gold Medal hill. (His new thing is to say “Hi!” to everyone, which he did that day in full force). Basically, I find it nearly impossible to take pictures of this child because he just won’t sit/stand still, so I always feel like I’m risking his (and/or my camera’s) safety when attempting to photograph him in action. Here’s one though- him rolling down the hill.

And then here we both are, as reflected in those mirrored square things outside the Guthrie.

Moving right along…last Friday we went to the Sculpture Garden (home of the famous spoon/cherry number, minus the snow) with Jen and Sophia. From there we hiked across the bridge to Loring Park, where we witnessed only one drug deal, and then found a fun park. The babies pooh-poohed the modern art, bridge architecture, and playground, preferring instead to spend their time in intense concentration whilst examining Sophia’s stroller. (???)

Their two heads…

And these two, just because I like them.

Ryan, in true tree-hugger fashion…

and Sophia…

Because Ryan and Sophia are such BFFs, today we had our first ever pool party. In our front yard. Oh yeah. Ryan spent most of his time IN the pool turning purple, while Sophia preferred a more lady-like experience outside of the pool.

My little swimmer, warming up in his sheep towel.

These two are really starting to notice one another and interact, which is so cute to watch! They were sitting next to each other warming up, and just started poking and touching each other’s faces…and giggling about it! (Until Sophia decided to take a bite out of Ryan’s finger). I know Jen felt bad that her daughter decided to snack on Ryan, but truly, no harm was done.

Keep the sunny nice days coming I say! We have many more fun places to explore!

I figured it was warm enough today to bust out Ryan’s inflatable pool that he was gifted on his first birthday. So I blew it up, filled it with water, and brought him out there. And then I realized that was dumb because it was about 30 seconds away from nap time, so then we had a bit of a fit of rage at being taken away from the pool. I feared a no-nap because he’d be yearning for the pool, but he surprised me with an hour and 20m of bliss. The moment he woke up I stuck him in his trunks and surf shirt, and back we went.

Please note: The water in the pool was SOOH (straight out of hose).

Meaning- this water was cold. Not exactly L. Superior cold, but just about that cold.

But the dude loved it. He kept going in and out, out and in. And dragging with him all sorts of lovely lawn clippings and yard particles. Ick.

And then after a little while he decided it would be fun to DRINK from the pool. (Unfortunately I do not have a picture of this). So he’d submerge his entire face in the water and then look up at me and smile. I of course encouraged all of this- I’m determined to have a water-lover.

Later he discovered the hose. How do you like his little plumber diaper butt there?

So long!

Am I the only who gets the chills simply driving past the airport?

Which reminds me… exactly four years ago, FatJ and I were on a three-week vacation in Spain and Italy. YES. You heard me correctly. FatJ and I VACATIONED, for THREE WEEKS STRAIGHT. In Spain and Italy. (sniff, sniff). Ah, the good old days.

So, exactly four years ago today, we were here:

Toledo, Spain

While in Spain, our home base was Madrid…

Our plaza favorita- la plaza de Santa Ana, por supuesto:

Enjoying a jarrrrrrrrra de sangria:

We did two day trips to Segovia:

And then we went to Barcelona, which is a fabulously-European city, but does not fulfill my SpainLove like Madrid does. They say the third time is a charm, but for my travels to Barcelona, the third time was more of a flop. Mainly because we rented a flat online, which ended up being in the Pakistani ghetto of Barcelona, and we were scared to be out past 8:00pm. Oh, and it was the Feast of St. John, which is pretty much celebrated all night every night for a week surrounding the holiday. SO, there were firecrackers going off and screaming people partying all night long outside of our apt window (which looked out onto a homicide zone).

But anyway, here we are in Barcelona sitting on the world’s longest park bench at Park Guell:

We spent a day at the beach in Sitges…

And from Barcelona we flew to Florence. This is my favorite picture of us EVER:

We managed to eat enough gelato while in Florence to put the capital “F” in FatJ. We also had a brush with fame. That ‘dude’ in the white suit there is Cojo, at a party at Salvatore Ferragamo.

We then made our way to Cinque Terre, and the quaint town of Corniglia. This is the view of the town from the window of our pensione:

(aaaaaah, loverly. If only I had my DSLR back then. And yes, I most certainly WOULD have lugged it around.)

Trying to work off those gelatos on a 5-town hike…

Boats in Riomaggiore- one of the five towns.

The end of our trip found us back in Madrid, with a final night at the Palace Hotel. Uh-huh, yup- the PALACE HOTEL. We used StarPoints. It ruled.

Now, I know keeping up a blog is meant to chronicle things that are happening NOW, but you see, I am not traveling NOW. And I like to travel. And I like to reminisce and be nostalgic for what ‘used to be.’ Even though now is very good. And it appears I also have a need to live vicariously through not only other people’s travels, but by own past travels.

So there ya have it- Europe, four years ago.