An Unexpected Trip to Northern Wisconsin

On Thursday morning, we set out on a journey that we hadn't planned on taking. Greg's grandmother passed away, and we went to Merrill, Wisconsin, for the funeral. The drive up there takes at least 5 hours, more if you stop for food and bathroom breaks. We left around noon and didn't arrive at our hotel until nearly 7 p.m.  Crabby two-year-old plus mourning driver plus pregnant lady equals a challenging ride.

When we arrived at our hotel, it only took Nick about three seconds to find the phone and figure out how to dial it. I have no idea where he learned this; we only have cell-phones and I haven't had a corded landline since. . . well, since I was in college. But he somehow knew what to do, so we had to unplug the phone so that he wouldn't randomly start dialing people.

All of our previous trips have been for fun, but this one was (obviously) tinged with sadness. At the service, the minister talked about Grandma Marie's four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, with one on the way. It occurred to me then that she would never meet her great-grandson, and that was tough to think about, especially with all of the pregnancy horomones running through my body. Greg and I walked around and looked at all of the pictures from her life, and I think that helped him with the grieving process.  Living 96 years is quite an accomplishment, and it was impressive to see all of the things she was able to accomplish in her life.

I didn't take many pictures, because it somehow seemed inappropriate to snap pictures of Nick and his cousins running around and playing at the visitation. Plus, Nick decided to perform like a typical two-year-old during our trip. He barely slept at night, refused to nap, would only eat junk food, and threw countless fits. So pulling out my camera was not even on my mind. Thank goodness for Grandma Toni, who, along with Nick's Aunt Sarah, helped me distract Nick. When Nick started having constant tantrums right before the service, Grandma Toni offered to take him back to the hotel room. I think I have the best mother-in-law in the whole world! I don't know what we would've done otherwise.

One bright spot in a sad trip was the hot tub at the hotel. There was a pool, too, but only Greg was brave (and cold-tolerant enough) to take Nick there.

The rest of us opted to stay in the hot tub. I would like constant access to a hot tub. I think Nick agrees, because through our whole trip, he would randomly start asking, "I go in the hot tub?! I go in hot water!"

You would think that would've tired him out, but no. Even though he never had a nap and is usually asleep by 8:15, Nick was still screaming at the top of his lungs, refusing to sleep, at 11:30. Nothing would stop his screaming. Lately, he does this thing where he'll throw his blanket, his Elmo, or his stuffed dog out of the crib, then scream for it back. The exchange goes something like this:

Nick (throwing his Elmo out of the crib): I no like Elmo. Elmo out!
Mommy: Okay, honey. Elmo can sleep with me.
Nick: Want Elmo! Elmo! I want Elmo!
Mommy (handing him Elmo): Here you go.
Nick (throwing Elmo out again): No want Elmo! Elmo out!

The situation repeated itself for several hours, with Nick's pillow, blanket, book, and stuffed dog. I could not find anything that would stop his screaming. I know better than to play the throwing game with him, but it's hard not to give in when I would've done anything to get the yelling to stop. When he screamed for a straight hour, I was really afraid someone in the hotel was going to complain and we'd be kicked out. No one ever complained, but I feel really, really bad for anyone with rooms near ours.

Nick's incessant screaming plus my severe allergies made for a very long night, with an all-day car ride today to top it off. He did sleep in the car, though, and today he was better overall. Hopefully being back in his bed tonight and back to his regular schedule (and diet) will put him back on track.

Some Sad News

On Tuesday morning, Greg and I received some sad news: his paternal grandmother passed away. Nick's Great-Grandma Marie lived to be 96 and was a sweet, wonderful lady who will be missed. This picture is from September 2009, when we brought Nick up to see her for her birthday.

This picture is from our trip up to the farm to see her last September. Great-Grandma Marie really enjoyed coloring with Nick, and even drew him some pictures that they talked about together.

Greg was close to his grandmother, but he's taking it very well, at least so far. While her passing wasn't unexpected, I think it's still a blow for him. Grandma Marie was his last living grandparent. Here they are in 2006, the first time he took me up to the farm to meet her. The first time I met Grandma Marie, I was struck by how spry she seemed for a lady of her age. Until just last year, she worked as a volunteer at a juvenile facility for troubled boys. I've never heard of someone working until the age of 95!

I think the fact that she lived such a long, full life helps. It's also wonderful that she was able to live long enough to see Nick and interact with him. Here she is with Nick (and Aunt Sarah) right after he was born.

Grandma Marie will definitely be missed.

A Trip Up North: Part Two

Today I'll talk about our Sunday up in Gleason, Wisconsin, and our trip back to Illinois. After we woke up at the hotel, we checked out and went back to the farm. Nick sure loved being outdoors. I'm glad we brought our jeans and long sleeved shirts, because it was a little bit chilly. We walked all over the property, and Nick picked up sticks and followed his Great Uncle Bob around like a little puppy.

Nick really liked the rocks on the gravel path, and he picked up a bunch and put them into a plastic cup. He brought them inside to show his Great Grandma Marie, and then he threw them on the floor. I guess he liked the noise they made.

There's an old Estonian Church on the property, from the 1800s, and it's all boarded up. It's kind of neat, actually, and the road is named after the church. Nick looked at it for a minute, then found an interesting stick to play with. Toddlers have short attention spans. My impressions of the farm? It's lovely and peaceful and chilly. I like the stars and the quiet and the smell of the woods. But I hate the mosquitoes. I believe I got over six bites just in two days. Nasty, big mosquito welts. At least the peacefulness of the woods makes up for the hours of scratching.

We had a delicious brunch with Nick's Great Grandma Marie, Great Uncle Bob, and Great Aunt Mary. Nick ate more bacon than any boy who's not even two should be able to eat! Then he asked for his "colors," and Nick and his grandma colored pictures together.

After we left Gleason, we drove for hours and hours while Nick (thankfully) napped peacefully in the car. He started to stir right around Madison, which is where we'd decided to stop for dinner and to walk around. Can you tell from the picture that I was glad to be finally out of the car? Madison is pretty cool for a college town, and I think I would've liked going to school there.

We really liked Madison, but at some point Greg and I realized that not only were we way too old to be mistaken for college students, but also . . . The kids who are freshman at this college right now? Were in diapers when Greg started college. Freaky. They were probably just in kindergarten when I started college. Sigh. Anyhow, it was an awesome college campus. Nick was glad to be out of the car, and he especially liked pushing the stroller up and down the sidewalk.

We stopped at a Brazilian Steakhouse for dinner. It was super-expensive, but very yummy. I like the places where the costumed men keep bringing you different cuts of meat. Nick just liked playing with the meat tongs. He did eat a ton of beef, though.

After dinner, it was just a few more hours in the car to get home. Thankfully, Nick was tired and slept through most of the trip, with not too much screeching. We were so glad to be home and out of the car.

A Trip Up North: Part One

Last weekend, Greg and I took Nick up north to his family's farm in Gleason, Wisconsin. We go every year. It was quite a long trip to make for just two days, but it was for a special occasion. Greg's Grandma Marie (that would be Nick's great grandmother) just turned 96 years old. We usually go up there every year for her birthday, to see her and Greg's Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary, who live at the farm, too.

It was a very long car trip (over 6 hours one way), because we were way up, north of Wausau. We left Friday night right after work, and drove all the way to Rockford before we stopped for dinner. It's a good thing we stopped there, because at that point, Nick had been screaming nonstop for a good 45 minutes. It was time to get him out of the car before we all sustained hearing loss. We stopped at a place called Thunder Bay Grille, and the food was pretty good. Nick sure liked it.

After dinner, we changed Nick into his pajamas because we knew we would be travelling long into the night. It was funny because the changing table at this restaurant was really high off the ground, and Nick got really scared. He was clingy and sobbing and truly scared. I haven't seen that side of Nick very often. Apparently, he's afraid of heights. That doesn't seem to apply when he is climbing on the furniture, though.

We didn't get to our hotel (in Merril, Wisconsin) until about 11:30 p.m. Nick had been sleeping for hours by that point, which is why we had decided to travel at night. Containing a screaming child in the car for six hours when he'd rather be running is a nightmare, and we wanted to avoid the trouble. It wasn't a bad plan, even though Greg was extremely tired by the time we arrived.

First thing Saturday morning, we headed straight for the farm. Well, after stopping for coffee at McDonald's. You know you're in the middle of nowhere when the nearest Starbucks is an hour away. Sigh. But we persevered, and Nick loved running around outside on the farm.

It's funny how the weather just one state up can be so very different. We went from 90 degree heat on Thursday in Illinois, to Friday night in the mid-40s at our hotel room in Merril, WI. Good thing we brought our sweaters and jeans!

Everything is so beautiful in this part of Wisconsin--and quiet! You can hear each individual car even if it's a couple of miles away. Nick loved watching the sky for birds and airplanes.

Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob took us all out to dinner at a golf club nearby. I was very glad I'd brought some crayons and some little animals for Nick to play with. He's been getting more snuggly with his toys lately, and he kept hugging and kissing the little zebras.

Great-Grandma Marie watched him play and laughed when he threw his toys.

Nick enjoyed lobster, beef tenderloin, and fried chicken. He also ate salad, french fries, mushrooms, and green beans. Then he had ice cream for dessert. I cannot believe how skinny this child is compared to how much he eats. Here's a picture of Nick with his Great Uncle Bob, Great Aunt Mary, and Great-Grandma Marie. This was after dessert, thus the giant smile on Nick's face.

After dinner, we went back to our hotel for a swim. This was Nick's first time staying in a hotel, and he seemed to like it. He was especially interested in climbing into the drawers, so we had watch him pretty carefully. Stealing things out of our suitcases, screeching randomly, and climbing everything in sight, Nick thought hotel rooms were pretty cool. I don't know what our neighbors thought of all the noise. Nick loved opening the refrigerator. . .

. . . and stealing my sunglasses.

Tomorrow I'll write about Sunday with Great Grandma and our trip through Madison and back to Illinois.  :)