Wow....are the holidays really over? Someone pinch me, cause I cannot wait for school to start and for the kids to get into a routine that is thankfully dictated by someone other than me. Though, I must confess that the reason I sound particularly frazzled is because I just spent an uninterrupted, un-assisted 6 week period with the boys in Minneapolis, MN. You don't realize the benefit of building friends/neighbors/drivers/nannies/teachers/classes/free-play-time etc. - till you realize that you have become all of those for boys aged 4 and 6!! Did I remember to add mother and cook to the above?
In case anyone is wondering - DH was working while we were in the US, so it was really an all work trip as far as he was concerned. And no, there is no sympathy involved in the above statement, coz, there were multiple days when I would have gladly exchanged roles with him!!
So on the onset, let me confess that even though seeing the below pictures and reading about our experiences below will make some of you drool....it was not all fun and games. In fact, it took a lot of hard work and a ton of dedication from my US based friends to make all of these experiences happen. I was so thankful to be blessed with friends who truly emptied out their calendar for the period that we were there and provided us with more than enough toys/entertainment options for the boys and a warm cup of tea together with a listening ear for me.
To ensure that there are enough doors to close between the children and me, we decided to rent a lovely lake home retreat near Minneapolis. Of course, we were greeted, true Minnesota style, by a snow blizzard after we landed!! Yes, 4-7 inches of fresh, powdery snow and the kids were already in bliss! I was of course looking at maximizing the heating and getting the fireplaces going!!
The Easter egg coloring, decorating and hunting were fabulous experiences for the boys, specially considering that they managed to find some quarters, nickels and dimes in some of the plastic eggs. The candies suddenly became more of an after thought :).
Considering the unpredictable spring weather, we ended up seeking various indoor activities and honestly a warm pool with a slide, a visit to the dinosaur exhibit of the Science museum, roller skating to 80's music, and operating a crane in the Children's museum were only the beginning! The kids went to the Mall of America a few times and had a great time with the rides. They also went to various indoor maze parks. I usually tagged along with a nice book to keep me company :). On that note, the local libraries became our favorite haunt!
Luckily for the boys, we were able to get an exclusive visit to a fire station in MN to look around the truck, try the equipment, and explore the firefighters living quarters. Wow, what an evening....of course it was made even more fun thanks to pizza dinner at a train restaurant followed by a walk on the banks of the Mississippi!
I truly don't know if there is anything more beautiful than the scenery in this picture! Let's just say, that it was a great opportunity for me to realize how very stunning the city truly is!!
Did I mention the food as yet? I truly do believe that I ate more raspberries in my limited time in MN, than an average person living in the US eats in a whole year!!! They were stupendous!! The salad leaves, the edamame, the grilled vegetables....wow, it was a treat for the senses!
And yes, we were on a lake, so once it warmed up sufficiently, we were able to get out for boating and canoeing, thanks again to the extreme thoughtfulness of our dear friends!! We truly could not have asked for more!!
The farmer's market visit on Saturday mornings usually corresponded with nibbling on hot, butter soaked, roasted corn, followed by munching on pecan cinnamon rolls and the perfect glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Oh yes, we did also take some time to admire the lovely flowers and fresh produce on sale as well!
The multiple parks/beach/biking options were explored to both the boys hearts content! One time, after a bike ride with a friend, the kids came back to tell me that they were stopped by a cop! Upon asking for further details, in a somewhat panicked mode, I was informed that they were stopped and rewarded with a free ice cream coupon for wearing their helmets!!! Yep, ice-creams were a daily must!!!
And yes, I did entertain a little bit while I was there :). We had a few barbeque parties, bonfires in the evening (with smores), a little bit of fishing off the dock and tons of shared laughter.
Thanks to Jennifer, I can share a wonderful salad recipe that can be made in a jiffy!
Top with the pecans and dive in! Your healthy and delicious salad heaven awaits :)
Our vacation also involved more than one Dr visit, an ER visit (the excitement in our life never ends!), various meltdowns witnessed by strangers who could not help but raise their eye-brows, tons of falls and scrapes on the knees, various days when all I wanted was for someone to just take my children away.....but, all in all, there is no way I would not do this again in a heartbeat!
It was the most perfect way of spending the summers - after all, how many of us can claim to go to a place and start with a temperature of 20 degree Fahrenheit and end with 90 degrees!!
In case anyone is wondering - DH was working while we were in the US, so it was really an all work trip as far as he was concerned. And no, there is no sympathy involved in the above statement, coz, there were multiple days when I would have gladly exchanged roles with him!!
So on the onset, let me confess that even though seeing the below pictures and reading about our experiences below will make some of you drool....it was not all fun and games. In fact, it took a lot of hard work and a ton of dedication from my US based friends to make all of these experiences happen. I was so thankful to be blessed with friends who truly emptied out their calendar for the period that we were there and provided us with more than enough toys/entertainment options for the boys and a warm cup of tea together with a listening ear for me.
Considering the unpredictable spring weather, we ended up seeking various indoor activities and honestly a warm pool with a slide, a visit to the dinosaur exhibit of the Science museum, roller skating to 80's music, and operating a crane in the Children's museum were only the beginning! The kids went to the Mall of America a few times and had a great time with the rides. They also went to various indoor maze parks. I usually tagged along with a nice book to keep me company :). On that note, the local libraries became our favorite haunt!
The farmer's market visit on Saturday mornings usually corresponded with nibbling on hot, butter soaked, roasted corn, followed by munching on pecan cinnamon rolls and the perfect glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Oh yes, we did also take some time to admire the lovely flowers and fresh produce on sale as well!
Warm Spinach Salad
3 cups of baby spinach
1/4 cup goat cheese crumble (you can use feta)
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1/2 cup sliced tomatoes
2/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette (I used store bought)
1/4 cup sweet chili pecans (you can substitute with walnuts)
Mix the onions, tomatoes and the vinaigrette in a microwavable bowl and set aside for a few hours. When ready to serve, take the spinach in the serving bowl, and sprinkle the goat cheese on it. Warm up the vinaigrette for 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Add the hot dressing and veggies to the salad slowly so as to allow the cheese to melt a bit.
Our vacation also involved more than one Dr visit, an ER visit (the excitement in our life never ends!), various meltdowns witnessed by strangers who could not help but raise their eye-brows, tons of falls and scrapes on the knees, various days when all I wanted was for someone to just take my children away.....but, all in all, there is no way I would not do this again in a heartbeat!
It was the most perfect way of spending the summers - after all, how many of us can claim to go to a place and start with a temperature of 20 degree Fahrenheit and end with 90 degrees!!
