Grandparent Visit: They Show Us A Good Time

My little family first came to Rochester, MN about a year and a half ago.  We weren't here very long, so my parents weren't able to visit.  Rochester is one of those places that is neat to see, but that you aren't very likely to visit unless the right opportunity presents itself.  I don't see any of us coming back any time soon (if ever), so this could be our last chance to show my parents around.  In anticipation of their arrival, I planned out what I thought would be the best sites to see.  I wanted to make sure that they felt their trip was worthwhile.

We toured the Mayowood mansion (but have no pictures to prove it).  Clint, with a bad back, took my parents through Saint Mary's hospital where he works day-to-day (again, no photos).  And we spent some time walking around the Mayo Empire downtown (one picture, and it's of a male mermaid and a dolphin!).

Scotty showed Papa the trains.

It would be shameful to fly in and out of Twin Cities without stopping by the Mall of America.  We walked through about a quarter of the mall, and spent nearly half of our time at the Lego store ...

... which also followed us home.

And we spent the other half of our time at the indoor amusement park.  Papa took the kiddos on all of the rides except the train because he was too tall.

We went swimming nearly every night (I think Sunday was the only exception).  One of the nights, near the end of our swim, Grant wanted to dive for pennies, he commanded Papa and Nicole, "Close your eyes!"  Immediately my dad closed his eyes and repeated the instruction to Nicole who also promptly closed her eyes.  Unobserved, Grant tossed a handful of pennies into the pool and then jumped in to help get them back.  As the three of them retrieved all the pennies, I watched from the side, and the thought occurred to me that here was my dad, who has lived a long time in a lot of places, who has worked as a respected man until retirement age, who has met many people, and who can fly free to interesting cities.  Yet he is here, and he finds delight in taking orders from a five-year-old and diving for pennies with children.  I already knew that family is the most important thing in the world, but in this little instant, my dad was showing me that he knew it, too. 

I was hoping to show my parents a good time in Minnesota, and instead they showed us what it means to have a good time.  We parted ways in a hotel parking lot, and before we even pulled onto the main road, the big kids fussed that they missed Grandma and Papa already.  Is it any wonder why?!

Grandparent Visit: The Great Outdoors

Grandpa helping Grant slide across the rail.

And Nicole wanted a turn, too (I can't remember why Grant's crying ... maybe because he wants another turn?).

And you see that Scotty was Papa's friend one minute ...

And not the next ...

And he couldn't seem to make up his mind.

The kids captured tadpoles in this little pond.

It was such a lovely afternoon together!

Grandparent Visit: Minnesota Science Center

While Grandma and Papa were visiting the King Tut exhibit, the kiddos and I had a fun time exploring this spectacular science center.  It's the best one I've seen.

Scotty found a chair built for a giant!

Nicole and Grant tried their hands at weaving.

Scotty experimented with air pressure and gravity.

Scotty also learned how to control the elevator and rudder on a model plane.  (This was Scotty's favorite exhibit.)

Grant found a tornado.

We didn't have much time to show Grandma and Papa around after they finished with ancient Egyptology, but Nicole and Grant grabbed Papa for some help with their project.  "Papa, teach us how to construct a reservoir system."

Scotty Likes to Say ...

It's his new phrase, and he says it in the cutest way any time he wants to emphasize how much he likes something: "I WUV it!"

East Coast Trip: Pittsburgh

Our last big stop was in Pittsburgh.  Clint had an interview in this city, and I have to say that Pittsburgh is a place where I never imagined I would one day live.  Since Clint got the job, we'll be moving to PA in a year, and we'll get to visit many more historical sites during each and every one of Clint's days off work.

Clint's sister Michelle and her family also live in Pittsburgh.  We have never lived close to them before, and the last time we saw them, Nicole was only a toddler.  Nicole and Ethan had a lot of fun playing together back then, and it was no different now.  

They are so excited to get to spend more time together.  Just before we pulled out of their driveway, Ethan called out, "I hope you get to live here!"  Looks like dreams do come true!

East Coast Trip: Washington, D. C.

Clint loves D.C.  For me, this was my first time visiting.  We only spent a morning there because we had a tight schedule, but I think we got a lot accomplished, considering the ages of the kids, the walking to which they were subjected, and the fact that we had no strollers.

It took about a half hour to find a parking spot, which is probably not too bad.  Next time, we should take public transportation into the city instead of driving.  Live and learn.  We started at the Washington Monument.

We walked for a long time, and then took more pictures of the Washington Monument.  Grant and Nicole insisted on having individual shots taken here.

We paused at the WWII Memorial, which was so pretty.  We posed next to our favorite state.

Out of all the states we have visited, which are many, Arizona is still our favorite.  I'm not sure where Arizona will rank after I visit Hawaii, though!

We finally made it to the Lincoln Memorial, and we waited in a long line to get a picture with only our family in it.

Above Lincoln, which you can't see in this picture, is inscribed this tribute:

In this temple

as in the hearts of the people

for whom he saved the union

the memory of Abraham Lincoln 

is enshrined forever.

We need more great leaders around here.  Speaking of leaders ... I wasn't dying to get a glimpse of the White House (it's lost its allure in recent years), but since we were in the neighborhood ...

East Coast Trip: Williamsburg

I have heard about Williamsburg, VA for years.  My dad was sent there for his job one year over my birthday, and he mailed me a postcard from their old-fashioned post office that hand-stamped its letters.  Last year, Nicole's book club did a semester-long study on colonial times, so I thought this would be a good way to make all of her reading come to life.  She loved Williamsburg!  Unfortunately, I can't say as much for the boys ...

Their favorite part was finding a frog stuck in a dried up drain outside the governor's mansion.

Clint told the kids that they had to rescue it or it would die.  The bars were spaced too close together for Clint and me to reach down and grab it.  It took at least fifteen minutes for the kids to gather the courage to reach down far enough to touch the frog.  After that, Clint decided we need to move to a farm so our kids can learn how to interact with nature.

Nicole was the one who finally got the frog out, but on its first jump of freedom, it landed right back in the drain.

We were experienced by this time, though, so the second rescue only took about thirty seconds.  Since it hopped so fast, the kids chased it into the nearby woods.

We watched a street drama, which Nicole found absolutely fascinating, and the boys found absolutely dull.  They preferred to play with the dirt and rocks.  Silly boys!

Everyone liked watching (and following) the marching band.

The band ended in front of the governor's mansion.

We toured the inside, which isn't anywhere near as impressive as the European palaces.  But we liked the foyer ... (surprise, surprise)

and this bed was so pretty ...

and Nicole found this old organ.

This was one of the rare moments that Scotty wasn't screaming to "get out!"

Since Scotty protested every time we entered a new building, we resorted to finding outdoor entertainment for the boys, and Clint and I took turns listening to the demonstrations with Nicole.

While Clint and Nicole toured the courthouse, the boys and I wandered around outside.  Scotty wondered who lived here ...

As a family, we liked the silversmith the best.  The ladies actually hammered out some silver and showed us their tools.  I didn't know that it didn't matter from where your silver originated -- silver is silver and it can be weighed and spent in any country.  That system makes more sense than the paper mess we have going on right now!

The textile shop was also neat.  They spun wool, cotton and linen; demonstrated weaving; and gave the kids their own cotton seeds to take home and plant.

We definitely need to return to Williamsburg.  But next time, I'm either leaving the boys home, or taking them when they're old enough to enjoy it.  Or maybe I'll just lock 'em up!

East Coast Trip: Orlando

We didn't have time to pay any attention to the major theme parks, so we opted for the Orlando Science Center.  We spent an entire day there, and when they kicked us out at closing, the kids felt like they didn't get enough time there.

Hurricane simulator (season appropriate):

Jet simulator:

What would Florida be without an alligator exhibit?  These gators were only about 3 feet long. 

The kids fed them pellets and pet a baby's tail.  We didn't see any wild gators on this trip.  Maybe next time (or not!).

Grant found a giant starfish ...

... and listened for the ocean.

Nicole and Scotty prepared a meal, and then blessed it before partaking.