Since Scott was still not feeling great on his actual birthday. We postponed Theo's birthdays wishes a few days. Since seeing the commercials for Burger King, he has been begging to go so he could get the $7 deal.  That's the $5 Duo and $7 Trio, Brooke. I have to say it wasn't as good as I remember. Dont know the last time I ate BK. We picked this BK for the playground. Theo's other wish was to go the Dog Man movie. We tried out the Emagine theater in Eagan.  Got the whole theater to ourselves and didn't have to rent it out this time.  I swear, it was a good time. For his birthday party this year, we finally settled on having an ice skating party at our house. We had lucked out with the weather. Today was the last cold day before a big warm up.  Meadow and I barely decorated. As soon as his friends arrived we opened gifts right away. We used to wait to open gifts after the party, but I guess kids get really excited to see their friends open their gifts from them....

     

Instead of going to the cottage for President's day weekend, I talked my parents into coming to visit us. I wanted them to try our ice rink before the season was over.  Theo and I really wanted to go to the cottage, but it was fun to have the in-laws check out the rink. As it was Valentine's day, the kids get spoiled with treats.  We got cake from the nearby Mexican market and the grandparents got the kiddos candies. We wanted to show my dad the Wirth Lake ice trail. Of course it started snowing heavily on our drive there. Meadow wasn't interested in coming. At least Theo was open to checking it out. 

I've been talking Brooke's ear off about a really cool DIY ice trail at Wirth Park. So we made a date out of it, she claimed it wasn't going to be cleared and when we got there it was perfect. It snowed the day before with more snow coming this weekend so I thought no way was someone going to go through all that work to shovel. I guess I was wrong.  This was way cooler than I thought it would have been. I wish the kids had been with us. About a dozen other skating enthusiasts were out skating the circuitous circuit. 

The day after we got back from the cottage Theo and I went to his first Timberwolves game. He was a bit scared in the upper deck, but got used to it and loved the game. Later that week it was finally my actual birthday. An unseasonably warm end to January has meant we haven't been skating. I thought we could walk to the new restaurant I wanted to try out for my (second) birthday dinner. It felt like fall outside. The old Fuji-Ya (Minneapolis' original sushi joint) at Lyn-Lake is now Jade Dynasty and I've been wanting to try it out for weeks. The owners previously owned Hong Kong Noodles in Stadium Village and Nankin in Downtown.  We upgraded to Beef and Broccoli. We were hoping the table would have the giant turntable like at MingHin in Chicago.

Back at the cottage for my (early) birthday weekend. Where else would I go for my birthday? I'm a simple man. Grandpa cleared a rink and a little loop for us. Theo just wanted dig in the snow. Meanwhile Meadow and I went cross country skiing on the Anvil Ski Trail. Meadow said she would only go with me if we did a trail with hills. We hiked this a few years ago and it was quite hilly.  She was an old pro on the hills while I wiped out.  We didn't make it too far as Meadow complained her boots were too tight. I made her check the fit a few weeks ago and she claimed they were fine... Was a beautiful trail in the Nicolet National Forest.