Monthly Archives: February 2023

What a weird week! On Monday we had a LONG drive home from family camp. We got home, unpacked, picked up groceries, ordered pizza, started the laundry and called it a day.

Tuesday we were back to normal. All 3 boys went to school, Nate and I went back to work and Xander had basketball practice in the evening. The news was warning of an impending blizzard. Minneapolis and St. Paul schools cancelled Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in anticipation of a historic blizzard. MPA usually holds off and I was sure we would have school on Wednesday. But nope, even MPA called it.

Wednesday was a snow day, but there was very little snow. I had a dentist appointment (which is near my mom’s house), so I dropped the boys off for the morning and they swam with Grandma while I got my teeth cleaned. By the afternoon, the snow picked up, and while there was a lot of it, it wasn’t extreme historic blizzard level as predicted. It snowed into Thursday. A lot of snow, but this is Minnesota. The boys got a lot of bonus screen time. Nate and I traded off working and entertaining kids.

On Friday, Xander and KT were back to school. Gussie was home with me in the morning. We baked brownies and played our new favorite game Uno. In the afternoon, Nate and Gussie went to a play place. Saturday was Xander’s basketball game, followed by an afternoon of being stir crazy.

Sunday has been a good day. At the dentist office, I flipped through a magazine and found out there is a restaurant called Gus Gus near our house. Obviously we had to go! Xander was very sad there isn’t a Xan Xan restaurant. We started our day with brunch reservations and a VERY foo foo fancy breakfast. $93 later, we went home with a crabby, hungry 5 year old, in case you are wondering how it went. For the record, I loved everything I ate and would definitely go back (without my Gus Gus).

This afternoon/evening, we hung out with our dear friends the Danielson family! Nate was the one who introduced Nate and I (confusing since there are 2 Nates in this story). Our kids and their kids played nicely while we had drinks and caught up. We had dinner and dessert and the time flew by too quickly.

Back to normal this week (hopefully no more snow or days off school!)

When I went to Camp Menogyn this summer for their 100th anniversary event, one of the women who works there was telling me about winter family camp. “It’s so magical! There is dog sledding, and skiing and so much! You should sign up!” And so I did. Because obviously it was something that should not be missed.

2 weeks ago I had a mild panic and went on an amazon shopping spree for new mittens, hats and long underwear. I was starting to re-think this adventure- we aren’t winter outdoorsy people, what did I get us into?!

Last week I went into full meltdown panic mode as I got more and more anxious for our winter adventure. Camp Menogyn is on an island, so during the summer, you pontoon over from the parking lot. During the winter, you walk about a half mile across the frozen lake, pulling your stuff on a sled. We packed bedding, towels, clothes, and all of our winter gear. I bought space saver bags and managed to get everything tightly packed into just 2 duffle bags that weighed approximately 1000lbs apiece.

I was nervous for our adventure. Both boys were NOT at all excited. KT refused to go and spent the weekend at a friend’s house. Nate gave me skeptical looks all week, but was quietly resigned to roughin’ it in the woods for a few days. I was so nervous I got us into something we weren’t going to enjoy.

Our drive to camp on Friday was a little over 5 hours… and then at the very end, we missed a turn (at which point our phones had no service and thus, no maps) and ended up extending the drive by about 40 minutes in the dark. When we arrived, we woke up 2 sleeping boys and had to quickly get all of us bundled head to toe in all of our winter gear so we could walk across the lake in the dark. Luckily they had a snow mobile waiting to pull the sleds of gear for us. I don’t know that we would have made it if we had to pull them ourselves.

When we arrived at camp, we hauled our bags to a camper cabin- just a basic room with 6 sets of bunk beds. But there were 6 top bunks, 6 ladders and 6 little shelf areas under each bunk. The boys walked in and reacted as if we were at a 4 star resort- “this is AWESOME!” They were SO excited to jump from top bunk to top bunk, climb the ladders and explore every little nook. There were extra mattresses to turn into “rafts” and plenty of space to run around. The outhouse was nearby, but no bathroom inside the cabin, which meant at night, they got to pee off the edge of the steps into the trees. 10/10 accommodation.

We explored the dining hall, got unpacked, made our beds, and got settled in. Then it was time for bed on Friday night.

Breakfast on Saturday morning was delicious (the bagels were from scratch!) We ate family style and after breakfast, they announced, “pull out your song books and turn to page 86 for our first song!” Nate’s face was priceless. In my head I thought- Jackpot! From this moment on, Nate will plan every future vacation and it will be a 4 star all inclusive resort and we will stay in the suite. Because I happen to LOVE camper cabins and camp songs and family style meals with strangers. But I also like luxurious vacations. So either way, it was a win for me!

Nate survived the camp songs and we got a quick orientation for the weekend. After breakfast, we went to the dog yard to visit the 21 Alaskan huskies that are at camp for the season. Xander loves huskies and he was thrilled!

There were lots of activities we wanted to try, but the boys begged to go back to the cabin to play. We went back to the cabin and the boys spent 2 hours absolutely lost in fantasy. Nate had to remind me to relax and just let them play. I have been going and going and going nonstop for weeks. I have overcommitted myself and I am constantly multi-tasking, running a mile a minute and I can’t seem to slow down. We had no internet access and there was nothing to accomplish. It was against every fiber in my being to just lay there, but it was glorious. The boys were so imaginative and even though they had no toys or screens, they were so content. They didn’t argue. They jumped from bunk bed to bunk bed. They had mattresses on the floor as rafts. It was so fun to listen to them play in their own made up world.

After lunch on Saturday, we grabbed some skiis and after a little instruction from the program director, we were on the lake, skiing away. Augustus initially had the hang of it really quickly, but after a few falls, he was OVER it and angrily marched off the lake. Xander and Nate were super into it and the weather was gorgeous (walking from the cabin to the dining hall, we were just wearing sweatshirts).

In the dining hall, there was unlimited hot chocolate at all times. There were piles of board games, and almost always lots of kids to run around with. We spent a lot of time hanging out there and it was great. The boys learned how to play Uno and Clue. At the end of the weekend, we asked the boys for the highlights of their weekend, and despite all of the cool things we did, Xander said his highlight was playing Clue.

Saturday evening, we headed down to the point and enjoyed a campfire and s’mores. The boys both ate 2 and then we got chilly and headed back to the cabin.

Sunday morning was our scheduled dogsledding time. We met the Mushers at the dog yard and helped put harnesses on the dogs. Once dogs are harnessed and on the line, we helped pet them and distract them while all the dogs are added to the line. Then it was down to the lake to climb in the sled and go! The dogs can pull 50-100 pounds each. There were 5 or 6 dogs on each sled. It was a surprisingly quiet, relaxing ride. We were snuggled under a sleeping bag, zipping around the lake. It was a very cool experience!

Saturday afternoon, Nate and Xander went skiing again, while Augustus and I grabbed a sled and went down the very steep hill to the lake. The strategically placed mattresses along the tree line tells me that it is a popular place to sled. We went down the hill MULTIPLE times until I thought I might pass out (walking back up was a WORKOUT). Xander joined us for a few runs at the end.

On Saturday afternoon, we went to the sauna to get super hot and then jump into the ICE COLD lake. I wasn’t sure if the boys would actually go in the water, but they both did (Xander even went UNDER water!). After he went all the way in, I felt the peer pressure to go all the way under. I am glad I did it, but it was PAINFULLY cold. Saunas aren’t really Nate’s thing, so he was our support crew. He was there with robes and towels and helped the boys get dressed when we were done.

Our family camp weekend was fantastic. The food was wonderful (and it was such a treat to just show up to the dining hall and there was a meal- no prep, no clean up). We played Scrabble and Yahzee and Uno and Clue. We relaxed. We ate snacks and drank a lot of cocoa. We tried a lot of new things and spent a ton of time enjoying ourselves outside. We didn’t have to rush, weren’t distracted by our phones, we were fully present with each other- just enjoying our time together. And we got to sing songs after every meal!

We got so lucky with the weather- it was cold, but comfortable and it was easy to be outside for long periods of time without getting chilled. The staff at camp were friendly, helpful, fun and made it such a nice place to be. The cabin was a little boy’s dream accommodation and while simple, it was very comfortable- warm, cozy, my bed was super comfortable, it very close to the outhouse and the dining hall, and there was plenty of space for us to spread out all of our gear. I loved every moment of it and I am so glad we were adventurous and tried something so new. I feel rested and refreshed in a way that I haven’t in a VERY long time. I love spending time together as a family and I am so grateful for this weekend.

February arrived like a tidal wave. Our family has been busy and I have been in over my head. After 2 intense weeks, I am finally coming up for air for a few days, but the weeks ahead are full as well. I’m not sure what I could cut out, so I’m just holding on for dear life until things calm down a bit.

During the first weekend in February, Augustus went for a trial piano lesson. He was very excited and asked for piano shaped pancakes that morning. He was very shy during the lesson and ultimately we decided it might be better to wait until next year, but it’s an activity we are considering for him. Xander had a basketball game and we had a full cheering section with Grandma Debbie, Danny and Heather (plus me, Nate and Augustus). After the game, we all went out to lunch to celebrate.

Sundays are for Grandma Debbie adventures. The three of them like to swim, shop, and are always up to something. My mother is the greatest rockstar in the world and literally makes our life possible. The boys adore her and love spending time at her house, and having kid-free Sundays to grocery shop, bake, do chores and catch up is such an amazing luxury.

Last week was an absolute whirlwind. I was baking nonstop for Valentine’s Day and custom orders. I had a long list of organizing and cleaning projects to get our house ready for the weekend. I am also on several committees for the PTA- the auction committee (helping with the big fundraising gala in the spring), I am the lower school lead, a grade rep, chair of the micro grant committee, and I agreed to plan the lower school Valentine party. I love being involved with the boys’ school. I like getting to know other parents, the teachers and the kids. I have visions of future PTA president in my head. But I may have said “yes” one too many times as I have a lot of volunteer responsibilities that are taking over my time.

Xander is LOVING basketball, tolerating karate, and really enjoying swim club. We’re not quite a “sports family” yet, but maybe we will be!

On Friday, the weather was unseasonably warm for February and so we had an impromptu neighborhood happy hour! It was so nice to be outside and not be freezing. It was SO nice to spend time hanging with our neighbors! We stayed outside until it got dark and I am so eager for the spring to arrive! What a great kickoff to a fun weekend.

Our weekend was jam packed! Saturday morning started with Xander’s basketball game. He just LOVES it so much and it’s been fun to watch him every week! After basketball, we had a little time to eat lunch and rest, but then Xander and I headed to St. Thomas Academy for his first real swim meet! There were 3 teams competing. Xander swam in 2 races- 25 yard front and 25 yard back. He went off the blocks for the first time! He was a little nervous, but so cool. He did great and I was so proud of him! While we were at the swim meet, Nate and Augustus were at our friend Harvey’s birthday party. They had a ton of fun playing games, eating donuts and playing with buddies. Xander and I had hoped to make it for part of it, but ended up missing out.

After a marathon Saturday, our weekend wasn’t over yet. Somehow we got nominated to host the neighborhood Super Bowl party on Sunday. The boys spent most of the day with Grandma Debbie, while I finished cooking and cleaning our house. Originally, we were trying to plan a chili cook off, but it turned into a Super Bowl party with chili. 4 crockpots of chili, all the appetizers you can imagine, and kiddie cocktails for the littlest fans. It was SO FUN! I don’t care about football, but I am here for the snacks!

I was exhausted after our crazy weekend, but this week has not slowed down.

Valentine’s Day is a big holiday for cookies, so I had to pack, label and coordinate pick ups for a LOT of cookies. Like all holidays, I am at the “never want to see another cookie ever again” phase. But I really enjoy baking and am happy to have customers who fund my creativity!

The Parents Association hosts a Valentine’s party for the lower school every year. It takes the responsibility off the teacher and is a fun thing for the kids. I was in charge this year. I didn’t exactly want to be in charge, but also, I have 20 years of camp experience- if not me leading this, then who?! The gym teachers had half the gym organized in an obstacle course. Each class came during their gym time and could jump between the obstacle course and my side, which was Valentine activities. I had a craft table, bean bag toss, velcro dart balls, beach balls for keepy-uppy (keeping the ball in the air without it hitting the ground), and a scavenger hunt. Each class came in and I welcomed them and explained all the activities and then let them loose. It was SUCH a fun day. I love my new job, but doing things like this make me miss camp so much. I was happy to have a day of “camp director” and by the time I got home, I was exhausted. We had heart shaped pizzas and heart shaped cherry pies for dinner. The boys went through all their valentine loot. It was a great day!

Wednesday and Thursday are catch up days. I actually took PTO and have spent the last 2 days just catching up on personal emails, errands, etc. We have a BIG weekend ahead (stay tuned) and I needed 2 days to breathe, pack, and get organized before our big adventure begins on Friday.