Super Saturday(s): Taking a Trip and Staying Close to Home

Last Saturday we made the long drive out to Gladwin, Michigan for my family's reunion at Lost Arrow Resort.  The "resort" itself is not actually in Gladwin, but a few miles outside of it -- basically in the middle of nowhere. And though it is on a lake, there is no beach front or anything else you might expect to find at a place that calls itself an "resort" and is on the water.  Well, there is a lama and a donkey that look like they haven't been fed in months and a restaurant that has bad service and not the best food... but, besides that, there is nothing.

Despite the lack of anything to do, we still had a good time.  Well, except for being woken up at 1am on Saturday night to a couple in the room next door yelling, screaming, and swearing.   I ended up calling the police because there was no emergency contact number in the room to get a hold of someone from the "resort" to come and take care of the problem.

Anyways, like I said, we did have a good time!  Saturday evening we traditionally go to one of the relatives vacation cottages that happens to be next door to the "resort."  We have a potluck style dinner -- everyone brings a dish -- and then there is a bon fire and a couple relatives sing and play guitar.

We actually got to stay for the bon fire this year!  It was my first time ever.  I guess they are usually later in the evening.  So, when I was a kid it was to late for me.  And, last year Froggy Boots needed to go to bed before it even started.  This year it seemed to start a little earlier and we were all able to stay and enjoy the fire and the music for a while before it was time for Froggy Boots to go to bed.

Here are some pictures from the reunion:

Froggy Boots with grandma (my mom) throwing apples into the lake that she found on the ground behind the cottage.

Froggy Boots with her big sister!

Froggy Boots enjoying her first bon fire!

So, after last weekends adventures to the middle of nowhere, we decided to stay close to home this weekend.  Today I spent a good portion of the middle of the day prepping food for this weeks dinners.  I came across the idea of doing a whole week of dinner meal prep in one day from one of the magazine subscriptions that I get -- probably "Parents Magazine."  I have done it one other time and just loved the fact that it gave me so much more time with Froggy Boots when I get home from preschool!

While I did all my dinner prep, Froggy Boots kept herself busy with some work.  She worked with her bean tub and her big alphabet puzzle.  I really need to get a bigger sensory tub for her.  The one I have is just one of those small pink tubs they give you in the hospital when you have a baby.  I'm sure many of you moms know what I am talking about!

Here are some pics of Froggy Boots doing her work:

Froggy Boots added some play utensils from her kitchen to use with the beans!

Froggy Boots has had this puzzle for a long time and has the ability to do it.  But, until recently she has not been very interested in it.

While I was putting dinner together -- from all of the prepped food I had already done earlier in the day -- Froggy Boots figured out how to open the refrigerator door and we had a mini lesson on how to carry a chair.  She wanted "more strawberries" from the refrigerator and she wanted to bring her chairs into the living room.

Here are some pictures:

Froggy Boots had the most surprised look on her face when she actually got the fridge door open!  I wish I had a picture of the look on her face!

Froggy Boots carrying a chair!  Sorry the pics blurry, but it's hard to get pictures of her when she is moving...

After we ate dinner, Froggy Boots, myself, and her dad went out to the back yard.  I decided to start pulling up the tomato plants from the garden -- their time was definitely over!  Froggy Boots helped me to pick up all of the grape tomatoes that had fallen to the ground.  With both of us working together we were able to get them all picked up!  There were a LOT of them!

Froggy Boots picking up grape tomatoes.

Unfortunately, we don't have anywhere but a dumpster to put garden rubbish, so we use the yard cart to tote it to the dumpster.  Froggy Boots got to ride back in the yard cart!

After cleaning up the garden for the Winter, Froggy Boots and I headed for the park that is only a few hundred feet from our house.  She enjoys going to that park because she usually gets to see some of the neighbor kids.  But, this time no one was there but the two of us.  She still had fun, but she kept asking where her friends were.

Here are some pictures from the park:

Froggy Boots wanted me to say, "On your mark, get set, go!" every time she went down the slide.  I obliged because of the big smile she got on her face when I said it!

Little Miss Dare Devil walking backwards up the slide!

Even though we stayed close to home this weekend, we still had a good time!