Meadow Goes to the Other Grandparents

We both had a few days off and had been meaning to get down to Milwaukee this summer. So why not?

We had made it near Pigeon Falls when we decided to take a detour through Pigeon Falls.

I saw the exit and said, "Do you think there's a waterfall in Pigeon Falls?"

Meadow has caused us to take our traveling time slower. Instead of driving straight to places we usually have to make a couple of stops. In a way it's kind of nice. We get to see places we don't normally get to see on our usual drives. I think I've taken the midwest for granted. We really do have some beautiful landscapes if you stop and take a look at it.

When we came out the other end we were in Sparta, Wisconsin and hungry.

El Vallarta was a mixed bag. My carnitas burrito was quite good with buttery, crumbly pork, but Brooke's tacos had a weird SpaghettiOs taste. You really never know what to expect at small town Mexican restaurants.

Meadow quickly pointed out that she was one to her Grandpa Tuska.

Meadow had bumped her chin after we arrived and only wanted me. She's been really snuggly lately and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Then Meadow got to open her birthday presents.

She got a bedtime bear, two books about mommy hugs and daddy hugs and a puzzle that she already has. We are going to exchange the puzzle for something else.

The next morning we had breakfast together for the first time ever at Scott's parent's house.

Meadow loves breakfast.

She takes after her Mama. 

We found an old radio flyer walking bike in the garage while looking for our old sand box. I thought it would be best if she wore a helmet, but she wasn't having it.

After awhile she started to get how it worked.

After rinsing out the sand box I decided to fill my dad's empty bird bath.

Yay, a sandbox for Meadow to play in.

I always remember this being a turtle shaped sandbox, but it turns out it was Cabbage Patch Kids themed.

Our friends Zach and Ann had moved to Lake Geneva last year. We hadn't seen each other since Ann and I were both pregnant.

We hadn't even met to little Owen.

It finally worked out that we could meet up and have our littles meet. It's so great that most of our friends have babies the same age as Meadow. 

They chased each other around the house.

When Zach got home from work we talked him into taking us on a boat ride on Lake Como.

I didn't even know that there was another lake so close to Lake Geneva.

They happened to have an extra life jacket for Meadow. 

This is the face the Meadow makes on every fast boat ride.

They not only got a new house, but also a beautiful new boat. I'm jealous Zach.

We stopped and let the boat drift in the middle of the lake. I took Meadow's life jacket off so she could crawl around, but she kept trying to jump off the boat.

We sure go on a lot of boat rides. Growing up this would only happen every five years or so.

While beer, cheese and beef sticks were holding us over, we were all ready for dinner.

For dinner we decided to skip on going out and grill out instead. The guys ran to the grocery store to pick up food. 

Cheeseburgers and your usual fixings.

It's a nice excuse to go to a new place, but I wish they still lived in Oshkosh so we could see them more.

When we got back my sister had already arrived and Simone was asleep.

We hadn't seen Katie or little Simone since Christmas. We're just far enough away (they live in Grand Rapids, Mich.) that we don't see each other that often.

Scott's aunt and uncle were also in town from Phoenix. We had plans to meet up with them and Scott's cousin Jenny at a coffee shop.

Apparently Alterra Coffee sold their name to Mars and decided to change their name to Colectivo.

While I see Uncle Don and Aunt Carol from time to time, it's been years since I saw my cousin, Jenny.

Meadow got to meet her first second cousin, Jude.

For that matter, it was her first time meeting this side of my family.

Simone was showing up Meadow with her sweet babbling skills.

I told my aunt that I think Meadow is going to be short like her. I never knew my Grandma Tuska, but I guess she was also around five feet tall.

Meadow is never happy unless she's sitting on the table.

The ladies and their babies. I guess I should've been in this pic.

In the past month she's figured out how to put lids back on.

She wanted some of Jude's milk.

What a cute little dude.

It's pretty cool that the Colectivo bakery is right inside their new (to me, at least) Bay View location. That neighborhood has changed so much since the days that my family lived here.

I'm happy to hear that my aunt and uncle will be spending more summers in Milwaukee. They're always a blast to see.

Next time we will have to go on a bike ride with them.

Until next time Jude.

We were hungry for lunch, but the baby girls were ready for a nap. We finally settled on Tsing Tao. Should have gotten Pizza Shuttle. 

Mine was pretty great, though we do need to get Pizza Shuttle next time in town.

When the girls woke up they got to play together.

Now that they can both do the same things it seemed more fun for them.

Meadow has so many cousins to play with.

Come winter time Simone will be a big sister and Meadow will be a big cousin.

I think they had fun playing with each others toys.

I think they liked the remotes better than their toys.

In between the downpours the girls played in the sandbox.

It started to rain so Katie picked up all three babies. Get it? Because she's pregnant.

When in Milwaukee.

Katrina wanted to make a stop at Kopp's. We couldn't say no.

We would have gone anyway.

Butter Almond and Chocolate Chip Mint. The former was the winner.

How many times has Meadow been here in her life?

I think my sis had been remembering Kopp's better than it actually is. It's great, but not Earth shattering.

Meadow got her first taste of frozen custard. She's definitely her father's daughter; she kept asking for more.

I wish we got to see the Wrobleskis more often.

I think my sister wanted my cone and I wanted two scoops of Butter Almond.

Later we decided to go out for dinner. Simone was already in bed so we thought we would leave Meadow behind too.

I was surprised my dad volunteered to watch Meadow. I guess he doesn't get to see her that often.

We decided on La Fuente in Walker's Point. It may no longer be the cool place to go to, but it's a Mexican institution. 

The tacos were much better than the ones I had in Sparta the other day.

The next morning when we woke up Katie and Simone were taking a nap. I suggested we take a quick bike ride before they woke up. We had after all dragged the bikes all the way here.

We took the Oak Leaf Trail along Lake Michigan.

What a view. Too bad we didn't have time to go to the beach.

We passed both of the Catholic churches that I attended as a boy.

The east side of Cudahy almost feels like an extension of the south side of Milwakee.

There might not be as many bars, but Ladish and Patrick Cudahy seem to still be going strong.

I was surprised to see a bike trail behind Ladish. Next time.

When we got back Simone was awake and Meadow needed to take a nap.

When Meadow woke up it was time for Simone to take a nap. We let the girls play together for a bit first.

They seem so grown up here.

Play time was interrupted by a photo session.

Grandma and auntie wanted to get some pics of the babes.

Then we had to go since we had jobs to get back to.

Simone kept turning away when I tried to kiss her. Meadow did the same to Katrina.

The blue spruce has left its mark. Maybe next year they'll have a new tree.

On our way out we stopped at The Little Read Book in Wauwatosa to exchange Meadow's puzzle for two new books.

I didn't remember their downtown being so picturesque.

We got pizza at Costco after getting gas. When Meadow woke up from her nap we stopped at a wayside to change her and let her eat some pizza.

An Amish man walked by and made a comment like, "Go for it little guy."

Folks are still mistaking her for a boy...