We Got the Beat

Rock and Roll lives on in this household, in one form or another. Vivian has said "been there, done that" with the electric guitar, and now she's on to the drums. As a parent, part of me feels badly that we let kids drop things like this so easily...should we force them to continue to learn something they aren't interested in for the lesson of sticking to something? Part of me feels that yes, we should. Then again, Vivian has spent her own money on the guitar and the lessons and if it's not something she really loves or wants to pursue, what good does it do anyone to force her to? How would one know where one's passion lies unless they try it all?

Jamming with her cousins on their set got her interested in the whole drumming thing and I might say she has a natural knack for it. It's like that with any instrument she tries, really, so it wasn't a surprise. We'll see if this one lasts...ah well, if not the drums will go up on Craig's List, where we found them, and it will be on to the next thing. It has been great fun to have those drums set up for anyone who wants to give it a try. Coreman and Vivian have actually gotten a good jam going, I think I heard some Sex Pistols filtering up the stairs at one point. nice. The girl has to learn the important beginnings of rock and roll!!! I fiddled around on the set and let me just say Vivian does not get her natural drumming talent from her Metal Mommy. I have a hard enough time accomplishing one thing, let alone trying to do 3 or 4 different things at the same time--which is essentially what drumming is. Now I just have to figure out how to have a conversation on the phone around here...!

Zen and Now

The other afternoon I was pretty much in my heaven hanging out at the lake with my son. (Vivian was off with a friend...such is the life of a 12 year old) Living in the land of 10,000 lakes, I still often forget that within just a few minutes drive I can be laying there on a sandy beach, taking in the glorious sites and sounds of the water. Sullivan loves it too. Our friends Carleen and Susie joined us for the first hour or so and then had to leave--but Sullivan and I stayed on and even went back that evening with the Coreman. (I then remembered to bring my camera!) We were amazed to see that the sand castle complete with bridge and moat that Sully made earlier and was so proud of was still there!

If you live in this area and haven't been to the lake awhile, don't forget about them! You can definitely get your zen on at a place like that, even if you do pull a Marcia Brady and get konked in the nose by a runaway football that someone didn't catch well. ('tis true, it happened...luckily my nose did NOT look like Marcia Brady's in the aftermath!)

All in All...

Doesn't this look good? It is my friends, it is. Stephanie and John's pool is pretty much a little paradise, especially because whenever I am there they are such wonderful and gracious hosts that I feel like a queen. Lucky me has been able to enjoy the pool and the hosts (or at least one host) a lot lately and that's just fine by me. Sprinkle a little Kim in there, and it's all good.

July 4th was a blast, as I knew it would be. It's been our tradition to spend it with Steph and John for a few years now, and this year it turned out to be a bonafide party with Stu (yes, the Wine Genius) and his wife Debbie, Debbie's sister Michelle, Harry, Stacey, Coop-a-Doop, and Digby, Margo and Levi. Yes, doggies were invited too and darn it all, I did not get a photo of those guys. It was quite hilarious, all of them running around and sometimes in the pool. Poor Margo was just trying to get away from these crazy boys. She took refuge in anyone's arms, and that made for one happy Sullivan. Everyone contributed to the meal, and the food was delish. After some swim and some vittles, we all went out onto the golf course for the show. We all agreed that this year seemed to be the best one yet, amazing! Pretty darn satisfying, even if the fireworks are over very quickly--as Sullivan would say, "Just like a good sneeze." :-)

Stephanie, Kim and I took advantage of a last-minute free evening and went out for dinner to a restaurant called Luci Ancora in Saint Paul, of course on Steph's suggestion. YUM with a capital Y, it was positively delicious. And you just can't go wrong with a cozy dinner out with your peeps anyways. It was lovely!!

Then again with my fine friends, and again by the pool. It was a Mom/Kid affair, bringing the Trio together again. (sorry, but for certain annoying reasons only 2 of our children are shown in this photo...!) Btw, the kids are the only people you will see on this blog in their bathing suits, in case you are wondering...!!!

All in all, I'd say summer is going pretty darn well. Other than the fact that every time we have a storm lately it's a violent one, and in our woody lot it's causing many branches to be broken. Not fun because each time it happens they are left hanging over power lines or something and we have to pay to have someone come out and saw them down. This is getting expensive! I guess to be expected when you live in Cakeville...!

Recommended Homework

One of the great things about kids is that often you do things because of them that you normally wouldn't do...well of course there are the things like wiping bottoms and cleaning up puke and those kinds of nasty but necessary things which given the choice I'm sure most of us would not really opt to do...but then there are things like striking up conversations with strangers at the park or their school that end up being your best friends, or getting to see cool places because your daughter has a homework assignment over the summer that of course has to involve you as the parent. That is exactly what happened and as a result the whole family had a mini-vacation up in Two Harbors the past couple of days.

Vivian had to pick a historical site that she had never been to and now must prepare a presentation to be given on her first day of school--as a proud parent I have to add that it's for Advanced Social Studies. (my smart little girl!) After looking over a pamphlet made especially for celebrating the state's 150th birthday, she chose the Split Rock Lighthouse, which is up in Two Harbors. Since my brother and his family live in Duluth, we made a stop there and hung with them for a while. My nephews are a blast, and very musically talented. Vivian loves to jam with Simon--and she found a new talent, the drums! She hopped on there and before I knew it she was actually playing a beat. Nice! Does this mean there will now be drums in our future? yikes. Good choice tho...good drummers are always in demand. Like Spinal Tap, they are usually the bane of your band existence...and The Charm School Dropouts were no exception. But I digress.

After spending the day in Duluth we made our way farther up north. Two Harbors is such a cute little town and we stayed in a great little Motel called the Country Inn--highly recommended! Nothing fancy, mind you...if you're looking for room service your not going to find it there...but it was clean and friendly, and you can't beat the 18 hole putt putt golf course out front! :-) They also had a pool which is always a hit with the kids. We did some exploring around there, going down by the water and walking out on this pier in I think was called Agate Bay. Beautiful! The wind about bowled us over out there and it was freezing--but totally worth it. That lake is amazing, you totally feel like you are looking over the ocean.

The next day we made our way to the Split Rock Lighthouse--time to get the homework done! Very cool. We did the tour complete with people in period costume and up into the lighthouse we went. This Metal Mommy got a little claustrophobic in that thing, but I managed. The stairs were high and tight, and getting about 15 people into that little lighthouse was not easy. The whole thing is pretty amazing though, and hearing how the old lighthouse keepers kept things running smoothly makes my lazy days seem pretty, well, lazy. Nothing like running up those steps first to the building and then up into the tower every two hours of every day to keep you in shape. Makes my little Tae Bo on demand work out look kind of flimsy. From there we made our way to Gooseberry Falls--not on the homework agenda but definitely a must-see if you are in the area. Gorgeous! You can hike all around the falls on various paths. At one point we went onto a bridge that spanned over the entire thing, it was an incredible view to see that all beneath you with Lake Superior out on the horizon.

After that we got in the car for the drive home. It was a short trip, definitely something we want to go do again. The kids could have spent an entire day climbing rocks and throwing little ones into the water. The perfect kind of play, in my opinion. It's funny how when you live in an area for so long you kind of forget what is right out your back door.

So Happy 4th! Any fun plans? We're heading over to Steph and John's for a nice little dip in the pool and BBQ, before heading out onto Interlachen for the fireworks show. It's going to be a group this year, a bonafide party! Have a great one!

Silly Me Indeed

Silly me, I thought my diapering days were over. Well, at least on hold until I am a Heavy Metal Grandma--which (heaven help us)won't be for a VERY long time. But alas, we are leaving Sir Digby in the care of some dear friends as we embark on an overnight journey, and that little boy has been known to mark his territory at the slightest smell of another dog's...uh...markings. (sorry, Steph.!) The solution: a Doggy Diaper, complete with a hole for the tail. All I can say is, hilarious. Poor Digs, he looks quite humiliated, but luckily went along with it in stride. I'll feel much better knowing that if the leg does lift in someone else's home, all will be dry.

And silly me again, I thought buying a little plastic bunny for my daughter would be a nice little gift for her. We came across these guys in a bin and Vivian was instantly enchanted by them...they totally cater to her love of anything off-color (WHERE does she get that from?!) and the fact that it was a surprise as to which one you were actually going to get upon opening the box. Opening the box was definitely a surprise--and Vivian definitely got something off-color. We innocently turned it over and noticed that this bunny has a penis! Goodness! I am buying my daughter X Rated toys. Who knew?? Well, it was Urban Outfitters after all...I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. What next??? I'm afraid to ask. What I love most is that she actually took a black sharpie marker and colored the naughty bits right over so you can't even tell it was there. She did that on her own accord, kind of like Sullivan telling me when I do something that's not appropriate. You gotta love it when kids regulate themselves.

So tomorrow we're doing the Family Getaway---to be continued...