Here Comes the Sun

Nothing like 6 hours in the swimming pool to give a kid his first sunburn of the year! No, I am not joking- last Wednesday, Max spent six hours in Grandma and Grandpa's pool, taking breaks only to use the bathroom and eat a super-quick lunch. Even with several reapplications of sunscreen, the rays still got through... but for how fair Max's skin is, I think we did ok.

The big development this year is that Max's toes can touch the bottom of the pool! This opens up a whole new world for him; we put up the rope to separate the shallow from the deep, and he is free to do as he pleases! What fun! Understandably, he was a total zombie after his six hour swim, and the next day he was still tired. But by Saturday, he was ready to go at it again! This time he "only" swam for four hours, and Sunday he was back in for another three. Thirteen hours of swimming in five days?? I think this week was a preview of the next three months. I am so thankful for the access my kids have to the water!

Poor Lucian missed two of the three days of swimming because of his marathon afternoon naps, but I'm excited to get him in the pool more this year! When he did swim, he worked up the courage to jump off the side of the pool into my arms! This is the same kid that would barely leave the steps last summer. I think with his big brother as an example, he may very well turn into a fish too.

I didn't get any swimming photos this week, just the rosy aftermath. But next time I'll be sure to snap some good ones!

Hopefully next time you hear from me, it will be with baby news... but so far, nothing to report!

Visiting the Sculpture Garden

Having Megan around has made this very pregnant woman much more brave about taking the kids out! Even though she has no expectations of being given the grand tour of the Metro Area, I do want her to see some of what the Twin Cities has to offer... seeing as this is her new home for the foreseeable future. There is only so much sightseeing we can do with her two nephews in tow, especially when I can't walk more than a block without wishing for a motorized scooter.

But there are a few things we can do, and we discovered one of them last week: the Sculpture Garden near the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. It is basically a free, outdoor museum surrounded by a tall hedge to block it from the busy roads nearby. Wandering around inside, you would barely realize that there is traffic whizzing by only yards away!

Uncle Ben met us at the park and we wandered from sculpture to sculpture on a gorgeous 70 degree day. The boys may or may not have climbed on a few sculptures that said, "No climbing please"... but hey, Max can't read, so... no harm done. Our last stop was a huge swing-like sculpture that was meant for climbing, and as you can see below, it instantly became a pirate ship.

I don't know why we haven't been before, but I definitely hope to get back again soon! This is one Minneapolis stop I would recommend to anyone.

Over the River and Through the Woods

Paul's sister Megan graduated from college last weekend! I can NOT believe she is done already. Paul was able to join the rest of his family in North Carolina for the celebration, but alas, I am too pregnant to fly... so the boys and I hunkered down at my parents' house for the weekend. I sure missed being there for the graduation festivities, but it ended up being a fun and relaxing weekend with Grandma and Grandpa.

We dropped Daddy off at the airport on Thursday evening after dinner and then drove to Grandma and Grandpa's house to begin our long weekend away from home. The boys stayed up long enough to read some stories with Grandpa, but the real fun began the next morning with... you guessed it... pirate pancakes! It's become so much of a tradition when the boys sleep over that during bedtime prayers that night Max said he was thankful for "the pirate pancakes Grandpa is going to make tomorrow!" (As if there was any doubt.)

Friday, Max helped Grandma plant some flowers, we went to a few garage sales on a hunt for little girl clothes (success!) and we went on a walk around the neighborhood... cut short by the imminent rain and my inability to walk more than two-tenths of a mile without nearly falling over.

We were greeted Saturday morning by doughnuts from Grandpa, and then Max literally spent the entire day playing in the back yard. For dinner, we grilled hot dogs and cooked marshmallows over the fire pit, then Grandma and Grandpa put the boys to bed so I could have a "sibling date" with Ben. Yeah, believe it or not (I barely do), I was out in downtown Minneapolis on a Saturday night! Crazy, right?

Sunday (Mother's Day) we had a lazy morning, with more pirate pancakes. We went to Mass at 11:00, then in a repeat performance of the day before, Max explored Grandma's beautiful backyard for the entire afternoon. Come evening, my mom and I met up with Ben for dinner and a show, leaving my dad with the boys, some buckets and a hose. Oh my, did they ever have a good time. The show was great, things went smoothly at home, and Grandpa and the boys picked up Daddy from the airport at 8:45. We all met back at our house around 9:00, when I walked in the door to find Max and Lucian with plastic daggers clenched in their teeth! Auntie Kelley had decided to deck out her nephews with pirate goodies, and they were wired!

We said goodbye to my parents, settled the boys down and got ready for bed. It was a great weekend, but it's sure nice to have my husband home. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for taking such good care of us!

May Day!

We decided to kick off the beautiful month of May by delivering May Baskets to some of our friends and family. Max got to pick out the color scheme for our baskets... chosen because of the resemblance to pirate treasure, of course. (Gold and jewels!) He and Lucian decorated the cups with stickers and buttons, punched holes for the ribbon handles, and helped me make tissue paper and pipe cleaner flowers. It was a fun project, but the highlight for both boys was definitely the delivery!

On Tuesday morning, we packed all of our baskets into a box, put them in the car and started our deliveries. Most people weren't home when we delivered their flowers, so Max go the joy of running away from each house without getting caught... which would have been nearly impossible had anyone actually been home, seeing as we had to buckle into a carseat before driving away!

Special Delivery!

Gotta get away...

Whew! Made it.

Lucian's turn to ring the doorbell

We did get caught at Grandma and Grandpa's house! After ringing the doorbell and running around the corner to hide, Max got caught by Grandma, which he was not a bit upset about. We even got to take a lunch break before hitting the rest of the houses on our list! It was a fun way to spend a day and usher in the season of Spring.

Caught by Grandma!

Shopping with a Pirate

I wonder how many of my blog posts have a pirate-related title? It seems like any time I have a story to tell about Max, those scallywags are somehow involved. Tonight it was a simple trip to Target for corned beef and heavy whipping cream (not to be used together, I assure you). We were waiting at the deli counter and Max started softly singing, "fifteen men on a dead man's chest... yo ho ho and a bottle of rum..." The deli worker looked up at him and asked, "So you like pirates, huh?"  "ARRR!" was his enthusiastic response, followed by, "Do you want to hear my pirate song?" Of course she did, and he repeated (at a much higher volume) "Fifteen MEN on a dead man's CHEST! YO HO HO and a bottle of RUM! Want to hear it again?" and hear it again she did, whether she wanted to or not. By then our meat was sliced, but as we wheeled away from the deli counter, he continued to sing at top volume until he finally got distracted by the frozen dinner aisle. I could barely keep a straight face, but I couldn't help wondering what all the other customers were thinking of me... "Where did that sweet, innocent child learn a song about dead men and rum? What kind of mother lets her child sing about such things??"

But crazy mother or not, I made no attempt to stop him. In fact, our pirate adventure continued into the kids clothing section, where Target was having some great deals on summer clothes. I started sorting through shorts and t-shirts and found not one, not two, but three pirate-themed t-shirts in Max's size. Meant to be? I think yes. I took the kids to the dressing room so Max could try on some shorts, and he Argh'ed his heart out to the dressing room attendant, who assured him that he made a very convincing pirate. When he took out his "hook" and began challenging her to a fight, however, I decided it was time to move on. By the time we made it to the check-out, Max Salty had retired for the evening and my own Maximilian was back. But what an adventure we had!

Real Pirates: Aboard the Whydah

Months ago, it was brought to my attention that there would be a pirate exhibit at the Science Museum starting in February. Of course we marked it on our calendar right away, and soon we started to see Jolly Roger banners and posters finding their way into downtown St. Paul. The Red Balloon Bookstore hosted a pirate party a few weekends ago, and Max has been on pins and needles to visit the actual exhibit since then.

Thursday evening turned out to be the perfect time to go! We ate a quick, early dinner when Paul got home and  made it to the museum by 5:30. Apparently 5:30 on a Thursday is not prime museum visitation time, because we had the run of the place. Max got to spend as much time as he wanted at each piece of the exhibit, and we even backtracked to his favorite spots a couple of times.

And what an exhibit it was! I'm heartbroken that I forgot my camera, but I guess words will have to suffice. We started out in a dark room watching a short video on the history of Captain Sam Bellamy and the Pirate Ship Whydah, then the screen rose to reveal the actual ship's bell that rang as the ship sank into the sea three hundred years ago. It just got better from there. We learned how to load a cannon, make sailing rope and play "Sheep's Knuckles" - Max lost the game to a "real live" pirate and was told he'd have to be pressed into service on a ship til he could pay his debt. (Too bad it didn't really happen... it would have been a dream come true for our son!) The rope maker even gave Max a piece of the rope that he wound right in front of us... and that rope stayed tight in Max's fist for the remainder of the exhibit.

We also hoisted a Jolly Roger, learned about the different flags used by famous pirate captains, and touched actual pieces of eight-- real Spanish silver pieces recovered from the wreck of the Whydah. Interesting factoid: the treasure from this shipwreck is the only real pirate treasure ever discovered! And there were chests and bags full of it! Wow...

The crowning moments for Max were getting to step foot on a scale model of the Whydah's main deck, stand in the captain's cabin next to a model of Cap't Bellamy, and walk down into the hold of the ship. For the first time, all his imagining became totally real for him and he could stand among pirates on a ship! Unfortunately he wasn't allowed to climb the rigging (yes, he asked) but he still had a magical experience.

This was our first trip to the Science Museum, and we learned that they really know how to do things right! If we could, we'd go back again every day until the exhibit closes. Max certainly would never get bored, and honestly, there's plenty more I'd like to see again!

If ever his interest in pirates was in danger of waning (which I don't really believe it was), this trip to the museum was enough to solidify his passion for the foreseeable future. So shiver me timbers, mateys, we're off to sea!

Real Pirates

Coming next weekend, the Science Museum is opening a Real Pirates exhibit! I had a few friends alert me to this news months ago, so we've had it on our calendar forever. But just last weekend, I accidentally stumbled across an event that happened today at the Red Balloon Bookstore in St. Paul- a 'Welcome the Pirates' party! Of course there was no way we could miss this!

When we arrived at the Red Balloon, Pirate Anne Bonney was reading a pirate storybook to a room stuffed full of kids and parents. Max took his place right down front and center, curved his finger like a hook, and yelled "Arrr!" when things got too quiet for his liking. After storytime, the workers handed out bags and the kids got to go on a treasure hunt around the store. On all of the bookshelves were piles of plastic "treasure" - gold coins perfect for any four-year-old pirate.

Then we brought Max over to introduce him to the "real pirates" and get his picture with them. He was, I think, a little star-struck, but he put on his hook and a brave face and posed for some pictures. Between moments of uncharacteristic shyness, Max chatted a little with the pirates, telling them his name was Max Salty and showing them the proper way to walk with a peg leg. I think they were quite entertained by him!

Paul waited with Max in line for face painting while I read books with Louie. When I brought him over to snap a picture of Max getting his face painted, he suddenly realized what he was missing! He threw a fit when another little girl sat in the chair before he could. So after a little time to settle down, Louie got his own face painted too! I was really surprised by how well he did, but as soon as the woman said "All done!" he responded with his own "Ah-Dah!" as he wiped his hand across his cheek. So much for that!

After having a piece of cake (yes it was only 11:00 in the morning... but hey! We're pirates!) and decorating a paper eyepatch with glitter (which will be in Max's hair for a year), we decided the boys were partied out and we went home for a relaxing afternoon (read: after lunch, Mom took a 2 hour nap). What a fun way to welcome the pirates to St. Paul!

Go Wild!

Last month, my dad called to see if Paul might be interested in bringing Max to a Wild game at the Xcel Center- he has a friend with season tickets who couldn't use them one day and had offered them to my dad. After much hemming and hawing (ha, yeah right), Paul took him up on the offer and prepared to take Max to his very first hockey game!

He did some prep work ahead of time, explaining the basics of the game, the gear, and the players. Max was super excited about the whole thing, but he hit a turning point when he realized that the game was played on ICE! And the players were going to wear SKATES!

The game was on a Tuesday night at 6:30, a good time for Max. I figured they could stay for awhile and if he got tired they could always duck out early. Little did I expect my night owl to make it til the end of the game, but I shouldn't have been surprised. At 10:30 they finally rolled in; I was upstairs and heard the door open, followed by excited chattering in a sweet little high-pitched voice. I came downstairs to find Max decked out in a new Wild hat- very stylish. I got the lowdown from both of my boys about the awesome game they witnessed. After overtime and a shootout, the Wild were victorious! Even if Max had been falling asleep, I doubt Paul would have been able to tear himself away. But luckily his son seems to have a place in his heart for hockey as well, because he was pretty engaged the whole night.

The highlights of the night from Max's perspective were pretty clear: The light show at the beginning of the game, the Zamboni, the shootout and the snacks. No hockey game would be complete without an ice cream cookie sandwich and cheese curds. I think he might want to go back again someday...

Turn, Turn, Turn

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven"
-Ecclesiastes 3:1

Summer has been a whirlwind, full of travels and weddings, swimming and enjoying the great outdoors. But it looks as if the seasons are changing. Who knows, we may have another 80 degree day try to sneak its way past the autumn guards.  This is Minnesota after all, the Land of Ten Thousand Weather Changes. I won't hold my breath, though. I think it's time to sit back and enjoy the cool breeze and changing leaves.

We were able to make the most of one of the last beautiful days of the season by going to the Fire Muster Parade with Grandma R. It's been awhile since we've been to a parade, and this was definitely the first one that Max fully appreciated. In other words, if you're looking for candy, the Fire Muster is your parade! He started out a little apprehensive, but after watching the other kids dive for the candy as it flew from a few of the first floats, it clicked. Then there was no stopping him!

Got it!

My favorite moment: a bag of Skittles fell on the pavement and Max dove for it, reaching it just before a big kid sitting to our left. While the kid stood sorrowfully watching the candy go and moaning, "Skittles are my favorite...", Max moved on to collect an armful! Ok, so maybe I do have just a little competitive edge to me... at least when it comes to my son.

Max graciously shared his take with his brother

Lucian was in on the action the whole time, not moving quite as quickly as his big brother, but getting his share of the loot nonetheless. Actually, we had to teach him that it was his job to collect the candy, not throw it back to the floats. "But guys, they threw it to me first!"

Yes, they gave out freezy-pops!

We now have a plastic grocery bag full of candy, which I know will still be half-full when Halloween comes around. Oh my goodness, what will I do with all of these sweets??

Post-parade sugar high

Vienna and My New Best Friend

I know you've all been dying to hear about my trip, I just thought it would be fun to keep you in suspense for awhile. Well actually, T&C and family were Stateside until Friday so I've been spending lots of my time with them rather than writing about them. But now they have departed... and now I will spend time reminiscing about how much fun we had!

The overnight flight to Vienna was uneventful and relaxing. I don't know when the last time is that I've been surrounded by quiet for that long. (Or maybe I should say "surrounded by noise not caused by my own dependents...") I finished an entire book and slept for a few hours... and no one was seated next to me. Score! I arrived in Vienna mid-morning and a driver brought me to the house where Cath and the boys were waiting for me. Alexander and I hit it off right away; he asked me to build towers with him and told me all about his dino claws (He's a dinosaur, you know).


And I got to meet little angel baby Isaac. Oh what a dear! He let me hold him and gave me all kinds of smiles and coos. But he was also content to just lay on the floor, kicking his legs and examining the ceiling. Seriously perfect baby.


Between playing with dinos and cuddling a baby, I still had plenty of time to chat with Catherine and catch up on life. Honestly, one of the very best things about this trip was sitting around chatting with my sister-in-law when both of us had nowhere to be and nothing to do... I've never gotten to spend that much time with her before, and now I feel like we finally really know each other.

Tony got home in the late afternoon, and we ordered Chinese for dinner and had a lazy evening in. We went to bed pretty early, and I slept like a rock. I awoke in the morning to a little voice calling "Taaaaayn! Taaaayn!" and my brother quietly saying, "Shhh, Auntie Taryn is sleeping", but I couldn't stay in bed. Zander wanted to play!


It was Saturday, so the whole family went to the mall for party supplies. Did I mention that I got to be there for Zander's Dino Birthday Party? What a treat, what a treat. So Saturday we got groceries and a few odds and ends, and of course stopped at Starbucks. Tony and Catherine are a living Starbucks commercial- they met working together at a Starbucks, and their son already has brand loyalty. It's quite adorable. Then Tony and I ventured into the city for some errands and decided to grab a beer at the organic market in one of the town squares. Oh Austria, I agree with you- no farmer's market should exist without a beer stand!


That night we took the bus to a restaurant with a beautiful outdoor patio. Alexander got to explore while we ate and took turns chasing him! Dinner was authentic Austrian and super tasty.

The next day was the Big Dino Party! Alexander helped his Daddy assemble and cut out an enormous green dinosaur to tape on the window for decoration, and he also got to decorate the cake with little plastic dinos. He was in dino heaven! While the family prepared for the party, I braved public transportation in order to attend Mass at Stephansdom in downtown. I get nervous any time I travel somewhere by myself for the first time, and even though there was only one bus ride followed by a few blocks to walk, this was no exception. However, I got there and back without a hitch and the Mass was beautiful!! One thing I love about the Catholic Church: you can attend a Mass in any language and still know exactly what's going on.

That afternoon, I got to meet many of Tony and Catherine's friends at the party. It's been awhile since I've been in a social setting full of new people and I didn't have my own kids to hide behind... Max tends to make socializing pretty easy. But everyone was so nice and I got along with them well. Presents were opened, cake was eaten, champagne was consumed, and everyone had a ball.


Monday was the actual date of Catherine and Alexander's birthdays, so Tony got up and made crepes for breakfast. Oh yummm. Alexander got to open presents from his parents, including an adorable carry-on suitcase for the flight to the states. He packed and repacked it several times with all of his very favorite toys, and he practiced rolling it around the house until he was a pro!


That night T&C went out on a date while I stayed in with the kids. It gave me a chance to call home and do some reading... but I definitely ended up doing more reading than calling. Max would have nothing to do with me on the phone, he was far too busy with Grandma and Uncle Liam to waste time talking to his Mother. I could hear Maureen on the other end of the line, "Say hi to your mom, Max! Max... say hi! Just say hi." and then finally I got a "Hi, hihihihihihihi. I wanna watch Ponyo!" and off he went again. Oh well, better that they didn't miss me at all... (Sob...)

Tuesday night was my turn to go out with Tony (thanks Cath!) and he took me to a vineyard for a glass of wine. Apparently every little restaurant in Vienna has their own vineyard, and after we drank we were able to walk through the rows of grapevines on the hill right behind the restaurant! The view was incredible. I attempted a couple of pictures, but it was dark by the time we were walking, so all I have is my memory.

Catherine and I took the boys into town Wednesday for a little bit of last-minute souvenir shopping (and a Starbucks stop, of course), and when the boys got tired I continued on to meet Tony for lunch at his office. Yes, you heard me, I once again braved public transportation ALONE. Three cheers for courageous ME! Tony's office is in the tallest building in the area, so his view is unbelievable.



The rest of Wednesday was spent packing and preparing for the trip, and we left Thursday morning. Aside from being randomly chosen for a security check involving bomb dogs and being herded like cattle through DC customs, the trip was pretty flawless. The kids were wonderful!


So in all, the trip was everything I dreamed it would be. Alexander and I are best buds now, and I think this time he's old enough that he'll remember me next time I see him. Grandma and Liam were a Godsend, and the kiddos did great for the week without me, even if part of me wishes they would have missed me more.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for making this trip a reality, and Thanks, T&C, for opening your home to me! You have a beautiful family, and now I can picture you in your beautiful home and your beautiful city! I miss you already.