2010 Walsh Family Road Trip Day1: To Fargo we go!

Preface: Each year Joe embarks upon a wondrous journey helping coach the Milaca Speech team and judging at Speech meets while I embark on an equally wondrous but more whine-filled journey of having no Saturdays as a family from Jan. through March. As a result the money earned from judging is mine to spend.

Last year we bought a bike trailer for Truman to ride in (remember everyone tripped on it at the State Fair?). This year I dreamed bigger.

This year we headed on a 10 day road trip to Yellowstone National Park. This the true story of the 2010 Walsh Family Road Trip to Yellowstone.

You will also find tons of pictures here, but the really stunning pictures worth mulling over in photoshop will be posted on www.spellboundjungle.com, and a few stories related to our potty training adventures while camping will be posted over on www.spellboundbaby.blogspot.com.




June 3rd: After Joe got off work he came home and we finished up packing. I had almost everything packed already, but you know how it goes prepping a house to leave for over a week — turning everything off, asking my neighbors to water my garden, double checking that things were unplugged/off, running back in the house 5 times to grab various items.

Then we hit the road.

We picked up sandwiches (and cookies) in St. Cloud then made our way to 94. Then we ate said sandwiches and had a cookie party. I had a total mom-win the day before when I realized his highchair tray could be used as a car seat tray.







We stopped at this rest stop with newspaper boxes for such periodicals as "Country Singles," "18-wheel Singles," and "Diabetes Cure 101.com."

Truman spent some time ever-so-carefully crossing the 3-inch divide between two benches and then leaping off the end to land 2 ft. below. I didn't bring my camera out at the time, so later I channeled Demetri Martin and drew a diagram:




Then we got to James' and Nikki's house in Fargo, ND and spent a lovely night sleeping in their guest bed (Thanks again J&N for having us!).





As Truman fell asleep he hugged Joe tight, telling him over and over again "I love you."

I had been telling him for weeks that daddy would be with us every day for 10 days on our vacation and I think he was really looking forward to it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We're having a family get together over the weekend to celebrate a multitude of things, so I'm posting my little Cupid today. Have a great weekend!

Adventure Tuesday: San Diego

For our San Diego style adventure we headed to the New Children's Museum, which puts a modern art slant on museums for kids. Truman had a blast with his Nana, though much of the stuff was geared toward older children.







My mom pretending to be a rock-throwing giant in the toddler area:








They had a giant room filled with old mattresses to jump on and these pillows shaped like tires My mom took these lovely photos:

Adventure Tuesday: Minnesota Science Museum

(What's that weird thing bisecting the picture, you ask? Why it's Truman's painting I just happen to snap as it whisked to the ground.)


We cheated and did Adventure Tuesday on Monday this week with Sarah and Khai because the Science Museum runs a special Preschool Playdate event on Mondays. Kids under 5 are free and there are activities specifically geared toward little ones, such as watercolor painting and fun with wind tunnels, both of which we tried.

Truman loved just about everything and ran all around the museum like a banshee. Although I guess a banshee would probably float. He found a small living room built into the middle of the light exhibit where families cool read books and take a rest. He was having a good time there until he noticed that there was a tiny closet-sized office tucked into the corner that contained a computer and other office accompaniments. Of course, this quickly became the most interesting exhibit on display.

The museum worker was kind enough to show them some special non-exhibit items from the closet-office — a ball that lit up when you touched two metal segments on it and a strange puzzle that involved a glass tube, sand and a ball bearing that she challenged me to solve ("I bet mommy can't even figure that one out"). I was on my way to proving her wrong when he realized the light up ball, like all balls, looked great when you throw it and we began bouncing from exhibit to exhibit for a while.

We forgot to pick up the paintings the boys made, but here are some pictures of the painting process:















Oh, and he loved the musical stairs just as much as you would expect a budding audiophile to.

Bingo Baby

We headed to the Saint Stephen's carnival in Anoka today to play bingo with the Walsh clan. Before I took the photograph below I said I was excited to compile all the images I have taken of my nephew Joe at his high school graduation open house (which is quite a few years in the future). This one will definitely have to make the cut.

Spring-time garden planting

Don't let the sweatshirts and winter hats fool you, it's spring. We were down at the Walsh Farm for Mother's Day where Truman got his first taste of wagon rides and good old Southeastern Minnesota soil.






















Truman training for the hands free phone usage portion of the Microsoft customer support training test:













More garden:








































As if we hadn't worked Josh hard enough in the garden:




The diaper Houdini strike again:


(notice he also has a phone in his hand.)