Michigan Beaches and Vineyards Galore

I am dreaming of beaches, nice weather, and good wine this weekend as the weather gets cooler.

Last month I had the opportunity for a ladies' getaway to St. Joe, Michigan. The weather was surprisingly warm, and I had a final taste of summer. Along with three of my lady friends, I had a weekend of sleeping in, girl talk, and good wine. We visited vineyards and sampled lots of different kinds of wine and grapes.

I found wine I liked at every place we visited, and I went home with nearly a case of wine. Now I wish I had bought more, because there are only a few bottles left. There's nothing like drinking wine that was made just feet from where you're standing. I think we ended up visiting four or five vineyards, and all of them were excellent. My favorite one was called Karma Vista. They had this white wine called "Starry, Starry Night." It was so good I wish I'd bought four or five bottles. They also had a red wine called "Watusi Red." It tasted like grape jam. Yum. 

Wine grapes taste very different from the grapes you buy at the store. We sampled a few from each vineyard. I was amazed at how different each kind of grape tasted. 

My friends and I also spent a lot of time at the beach. The weather was gorgeous and the town of St. Joseph was just amazing. 

I love the way sand feels between your toes. I haven't visited a real (ocean) beach in years, but this one in Michigan is about as good as it gets without a plane trip. The sand was so soft. I love walking right where the water meets the land. The water was ice cold, but it felt great between my toes. Walking on the beach is great exercise, too.

I'm so glad I was able to go on this weekend getaway. Oh, and the next time I go to this part of Michigan, I'm leaving enough room in the trunk for a few cases of wine.   :)

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

The last of the Milwaukee pictures, from our day at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Milwaukee Vacation: The Third Ward

Everyone told us, "If you go to Milwaukee, you have to see the third ward." So we did. I have to say I liked this part of Milwaukee best. It's located along the river, and has lots of interesting stores and restaurants.

 

The Milwaukee Public Market was amazing. I really wish there was something similar in the Chicago Suburbs. Basically it's a huge open building with food related vendors.

There was a spice shop, a wine shop, a fancy cheese place, a candy shop, a bakery, and a fresh flower shop.

We decided to try the seafood vendor for lunch, and they had an awesome lobster lunch.

Nothing like lobster dipped in melted butter to make an afternoon special.

I think I would go to the public market everyday if there was one around my house. I loved the chocolate shop. I think my favorite thing were the dark chocolate sea salt caramels. (Yum!)

After lunch, we went on a boat tour of the Milwaukee River and part of Lake Michigan. Though it was a cloudy day, we still got great views of the city, and learned about the architecture and history as well.

See the bridge in the picture above? Some of the bridges in Milwaukee actually raise up like that, almost like they are on stilts. That's how the boats can fit underneath.

The boat tour was really interesting, and also relaxing. We had a few drinks and sat up on the deck, watching the city and enjoying our freedom.

Milwaukee really reminded me of Chicago in many ways. It was, however, much smaller and easier to navigate. I recently got a new smartphone, an HTC Merge, and it has a GPS as well as Internet access. So we were able to look up any place in Milwaukee, figure out which places were closest, and choose that way. For example, Greg wanted to find a bookstore, so I found him one, complete with resident kitties.

Milwaukee Vacation, Day One

Sleep deprivation can be absolutely horrible. I, for one, turn into a raging meanie when I haven't had at least 8 hours. Since Henry was born, I've lost a lot of sleep. Greg and I wanted to have a little getaway before my school started, for two reasons. First, we didn't celebrate our anniversary much this year, because it was on June 8th, the day before I had Henry. Also, we wanted to get two full nights of sleep.

We chose the Manderley Bed & Breakfast in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A few months ago a Groupon came up for a discounted rate, and I took advantage of that to get Greg a surprise present for Father's Day and our 3rd wedding anniversary. Grandma Toni and Aunt Sarah came to our house to watch the boys, so we wouldn't have to worry about them. We could just enjoy ourselves.

The giant jacuzzi bathtub helped us to relax. I desperately want one of these in my home. Yes, that's a hand-painted mural in the background.

The house itself was gorgous and beautifully maintained. I love old houses, and there were many antiques to look at throughout all of the rooms. At first, we were a little concerned because the neighborhood wasn't the most affluent, but this house was gorgous. The innkeeper is a stained glass artist, and his work is shown throughout the house.

The grounds were lovely, and there was a family of kitties roaming about.

We have never stayed in a B & B before, and I have to say that highlight of the trip was the breakfasts themselves. We got to sit at the fancy dining room table and indulge in a leisurely breakfast while asking the innkeeper questions about the home and about Milwaukee. He had great ideas of where to visit, and the food was spectacular.  I believe this meal was a veggie frittatta with yogurt, sausage, and toast. There were also yummy muffins.

I would definitely stay in a B & B again. I loved the experience. It was far more personal than staying in a hotel. Every antique in the place was touchable, so it was kind of like living in a museum for a few days.

The best part, though, was the sleeping. We got at least 8 hours each night, and I, for one, woke up each morning feeling like a new woman. Everything looks brighter and more beautiful when you have had enough sleep.









My Week With Nick (Guest Post)

This is a guest blog by Melissa's husband Greg. I have been on vacation for the past week, and I took the opportunity to have some bonding time with Nick.

On Tuesday, we went to the Brookfield Zoo together. We got there a half hour before they opened their gates, but that didn't stop Nick from doing his happy dance when he realized where we were. Nick entertained the other waiting guests by dancing around in his squeaky shoes and shouting "ANIMALS! ANIMALS!" Once we were inside, Nick especially liked the turtle at the Swamp. He and the turtle had a tender moment as they shared a kiss with ony the glass in between them.

Nick and I then moved on to the Living Coast, where we enjoyed the penquins among other creatures. Nick was fascinated by the crashing wave, which first scared him, but then drew his curiosity like a magnet.

After our adventure at the Living Coast, we visited the Rain Forest, where Nick received an up-close demonstration of how to care for a boa constrictor.

It was a really exciting day for both of us. After five hours of running around, Nick was ready for a long nap.

On Thursday, we were joined by Grandma Toni and took a trip to Chicago to see the Museum of Science & Industry. The highlights included an exhibit featuring a retrospective of Jim Henson's work. There were no pictures allowed, but Nick was able to see Bert and Ernie and Miss Piggy up-close and in puppet. Nick got to create his own story using several etch-a-sketches, and got to use his own hand puppet to put on a show with the other children there.

Nick really enjoys planes, so he was thrilled to see an Omnimax show featuring the making of the new Boeing 787, as well as an old 727 in person. Here is Nick conversing with the captain of the 727 about its various innovations:

On Friday, we spent the day relaxing at home, reading stories and watching episodes of Sesame Street. Combined with trick or treating on Halloween at Grandma Linda and Grandpa Ray's place, it was certainly an exciting week for Nick. It was a good week for me too. I look forward to my next vacation with Nick.

A miraculous gate and the joys of locating my desk

Today was my last day of school before our winter break. I feel free! Nick looks excited, too, doesn't he? The stress of the last few months has been getting to me, and I am totally ready for a break. I felt great when I left work today, and I fully intend to savor every last one of my 16 days without work. The last day before a holiday is always funny; some teachers really try to keep their lessons going, but by around eleven a.m., most of them have given in to the chaos. Movies are being shown, coloring is widespread, and chatting is constant. It's nice to see the kids playing and talking for a change. The teacher's lounge was very festive this week, too. Any excuse for a party. They set up a tv with Christmas DVDs playing all day, so that if you had a few minutes, you could sit down and eat some cookies while watching something festive. Oh, and the treats. . . usually we have a Friday Morning Feast, but in honor of this last week, we all picked a day and had treats EVERY day. If you've ever worked in a school, you know that the teacher's lounge is a very dangerous place for calorie counters. Between that and the seven (yes, seven) boxes of candy given to me by various students, it is like the fates are conspiring against me.

All of this partying in the classrooms led to teachers keeping their kids, and this meant that I finally had time to tackle the mess that is my desk. Me? Clean my desk? Nick thought this was so funny he laughed until he had to rest his head. (Really. He laughed so hard he nearly fell over.) This year, my desk/mess has spread from the actual teacher desk onto four file cabinets and three bookshelves. Since I share my classroom with two teachers and an assistant, we often will have to move one another's piles of stuff. Therefore, as of this morning, every conceivable surface was covered with student files, sometimes up to two feet deep. I was determined to find the actual surface of my desk, which I believe I haven't seen since perhaps October. I triumphed just in time, and it will be so nice coming back in January to a neat, tidy desk. Of course, I'm sure it will be covered in piles within about two days, but it's still great to have a fresh start.

Oh yes, onward to the gate. It is indeed miraculous, for it is gate number five. My dear, beloved husband is incredibly brilliant and a wonderful father, but tasks that involve screwdrivers and instructions are a challenge for him. Since this summer, Greg has been trying to get working gates on the top and bottom of the stairs. First, we tried a simple pressure gate (take 1). This gave easily under pressure and didn't seem very safe. So we decided that something stronger was necessary. Greg bought a more expensive gate (take 2) with many parts, and that gate turned out to be broken. So it was returned and another model chosen (take 3). Thank goodness this gate worked at the top of the stairs, because Nick was really moving by this point. (Although, I might add, that gate is slightly crooked and you have to wiggle it around and then push down with all of your body weight in order to get it to click closed.)

The gate at the bottom presented an additional challenge. First, the studs were crooked, meaning that you couldn't screw the gate into the wall on both sides evenly. So chunks of wood and a saw had to be involved. Apparently, this still did not work, because there is wood trim that makes the edges uneven. I'm probably not explaining this very well, because my understanding of all things tool is even less precise than that of my husband. Let's just say that several more trips to the baby store were involved, and there are now multiple holes in the wall around where the gate is installed. But it is installed, and I am overjoyed. Nick seems to like hanging off of the gate, for some reason. In the picture above you can see him holding it while chewing on one of my hair bands. It's funny how the cats and the kid both think plain hair bands are wonderful toys. Forget the expensive developmentally appropriate toys--give them a hair band or a cardboard clothing tag, and they are thrilled.

A Cookie Tradition and the Craziness of the Season

My family has a tradition. Each year my mom and my sister and I bake cookies for work and gifts. My grandmother usually joins us, but this year she was in South America, on a cruise. Last year, Nick joined us but slept through the whole thing. This year, he played and tasted cookies. Our cookie adventure ended up taking us two Sundays, so these pictures are from last week and this week.

Above you can see Nick hugging a puppy book, and below he is having fun with his Auntie Mandy.

Nick read stories with his Grandpa Ray. This one is called "Gallop," and it has moving pictures, which Nick was fascinated with. He loves turning the pages in books. It seems like he's listening carefully to every word. Tonight I read him three books in a row, and he sat quietly listening to all of the stories, helping to turn the page and pointing to things in the books.

Doing "So big!" with Grandma Linda.

Christmas, this year, has been a little more overwhelming than in past years. Last year was my first year of being a parent during Christmas, but I was on maternity leave and had plenty of time to shop and get things ready. This year I'm working full time plus teaching an after-school program, we had three parties to go to last weekend, and the stress of buying all of those gifts is getting to me a bit. Thank goodness Nick is a happy shopper.

My next week or so is going to be pretty crazy. Next Monday through Wednesday, Greg is taking me downtown for two nights at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. It's his Christmas present to me, and I'm really looking forward to it. Nick's Grandma Toni will come and watch him. Then come the four Christmases. Other people might have two sides of the family to have Christmas with--Greg and I have four places to go. This Saturday we will spend with my dad and stepmom, then off to Chicago Monday-Wednesday, then Christmas Eve with my mom and stepdad and grandma. We go directly from there to my mother-in-law's house, and spend the night and all of Christmas Day with Greg's mom and sister. Finally, on the 26th, we'll go up to Wisconsin to visit Greg's Dad and Stepmom. Wow, I didn't realize how busy I am until I wrote that. I'm totally going to need the whole next week off for vacation.

Central Iowa: My Exotic Vacation Destination

To finish off my summer break, I decided to take Nick and go on a relaxing getaway to visit my friend GardenMom. I've known her since we lived on the same co-ed dorm floor at NIU back in the mid-1990s. Boy, did we have some fun back then. After college, she moved to Iowa and I moved back to the Chicago suburbs. But once or twice a year, we try to visit one another for a mini-vacation.

In this picture, you can see Nick sitting on the edge of the world. At least it looks that way to me. The corn and soybean fields seem to go on and on forever. I thought the hills in this part of Iowa were beautiful and so different from Illinois. GardenMom lives on a dead end street, with beautiful fields behind her.

This was my first time making the trip since having Nick. He was very well-behaved (for a baby) during the drive; I found the local NPR affiliate and he went right to sleep. I guess Iowa Public Radio does that to some people. At one point, he did get fussy and I had to fling him (literally) a teething cookie, but the rest of the way he was great. I'm hoping for the same kind of luck on the trip back this Saturday.

Here is GardenMom standing with Nick next to her huge sunflowers. She is an amazing gardener, and her whole yard is filled with vegetables, herbs, and flowers. She has given me much advice on how not to kill my plants through neglect and/or abuse. I've become better at keeping plants outdoors alive, although I have a 100% record of killing indoor plants. We'll see if I can break that record this year; I'm going to buy plants for my classroom next week and try to keep them alive. In the picture below, I'm standing in the middle of her monster garden of joyous vegetables. Nick kept trying to grab them.


For our first full day in Iowa, we went to the Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University. They were gorgeous, but the highlight of the trip was the Butterfly Gardens. There were so many different kinds fluttering all around. Nick didn't know which way to look.

Pardon my poor photography skills, but if you look closely, you can see a gorgeous yellow butterfly sitting on the pavement towards the left side of the picture. Nick was enthralled. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he sure liked it.

He also had the chance to flirt with this little girl, maybe 2 years old, who wanted to hug him. She kept saying "Baby," and touching his hair and his hands. She patted him on the head like a dog and would have followed our little group if her grandma hadn't pulled her away.

Nick was just as attracted, but to the little girl's shoe. She was wearing Crocs, you see, and he enjoyed poking his fingers through the little holes.

The experience of standing in the butterfly gardens with hundreds of wings fluttering around you is wondrous. I sat on a bench and just watched them fly around for quite awhile; it was incredibly relaxing. I will be thinking of the butterflies next week while I'm sitting in staff meetings and organizing files.

I was at Brookfield Zoo on Tuesday with my dad and stepmom, and we went to the butterfly gardens there, but this structure was more permanent and the plants were larger and more beautiful. I'd recommend the Reiman Gardens to anyone who visits this part of Iowa.

This little pond had frogs, giant dragonflies, and lilypads galore. GardenMom's son had to walk all the way around the pond to make sure he introduced himself to every frog he could find. I don't blame him. At the age of six, I would have done the exact same thing.

As it was a hot and sunny day, I of course packed sunscreen and dutifully applied it to my son. We've been using it for months now, but I think Nick might have developed an allergy to this baby sunscreen. Almost immediately after application, a rash appeared on his head and spread to his face. He must have rubbed his eyes right after I put sunscreen on his hands, because his eyes got all red and his nose was running.

This picture was taken after the rash had mostly calmed down. You can still see it on his head, though. I am going to try a different sunscreen tomorrow. We're going to the Iowa State Fair, and I'm sure we'll need plenty of sunscreen. That and Pepto Bismol.