A Summer Vacation in Minnesota

I took the kids to Minneapolis for a week to soak up that much needed summertime-midwest-warm weather-ice cream truck-giggles with cousins goodness. It was Charlie's first time visiting my home town, and I am pretty sure he looooooved every single moment. Some of his highlights: the ice cream truck, bowling for the first time, feeding Grace's geckos crickets, roasting marshmallows over the fire, watching the cow milked at the zoo, jumping on the 'jumpoline', POPSICLES (Aunt Red spoiled him with 2 each time!), chasing the girls, napping at the pool, and belling up on the kitchen bar stool for snacks! Several weeks later and he still keeps asking for Grace, 'Mommy, where Gracie???'

He adored the trampoline, and in his excitement combined the word jumping with trampoline. So, by the end of the week all he had to say was 'jumpoline' and we knew.



Charlie had his glory moment after we filled the pool in the backyard and got to splash the girls. The more he splashed, the more they giggled & screamed. A very happy 20 minutes!!!!



We rode several rides at the Mall of America - this one was Thomas the Train, which he threw a complete fit once I tried to literally peel him off of at the end. Driving home I asked him which ride he loved & he said the School Bus - which was funny because that was the ride he literally spent tucked into my bellie shaking from pure terror!



Filling the pool (or watering the grass) was a favorite.



His first ever banana popsicle brought many smiles!



The upside-down show with Mommy NEVER disappoints!



Oh Minnesota. How you treated my little Charlie Bear right! A giant thanks to Aunt Red & Uncle Dave for introducing him to so many new and exciting things. We can't wait to return next summer.