Memorial Day Can Only Mean the Cottage

Hey Theo ready to go to the best place in the world?

Cottage! Cottage!

We made it just across the border before needing to stop for Theo.

Meadow and I played at some churches playground while he got fed.

We did hav to make a detour in Anoka to pick up some boat parts for my dad. 

I caught Theo looking over at Meadow and smiling once in awhile.

Brooke's been making us wait until we get to the cottage to eat. So, when we arrived frozen pizza was the de facto choice.

We already stop enough times with Theo and we eat out too much. 

The next morning we said hello to the lake. Quite the difference from the last time we were here just a few weeks ago.

It was set to be in the upper 80s and even 90s all weekend.

Miss Meadow got some new glasses recently.

Silly kid spent hours splashing water on and around the dock.

We made some pancakes from the box doctored with instant oatmeal. They weren't all that great.

Then it was lake time. I thought the water would be freezing since it still had ice on it 3 weeks ago, but it was similar to Lake Superior on a warm day.

A very warm day.

Meadow made rock and lake water stews.

Meanwhile I caught a rock bass on Meadow's Dock Demon fishing pole.

Theo was just loving it up here. He was so happy and kept talking and smiling when he was outside.

Also notice Meadow going in for a kiss.

His first dip in the lake. He wasn't very pleased.

Also not happy when we tried putting on Meadow's glasses.

I went to town to pick up some groceries for the next few days, picked up beer at the liquor store and got my fishing license at Jokin' Joe's. Oops, I caught that first one before I got it.

When I got back I got a monster bluegill.

And a decent perch. Both on a weedless jig and crappie tube combo. I didn't jig nearly enough last year. I need to get back to it.

After catching three fish on our first full day, Mr. Mike and G.G showed up.

The last couple years my grandma would join us for Memorial Weekend when it was her birthday. Last year I promised her I would make a pear upside down cake for her next birthday and I still kept my promise. 

Oh, look who it is. Blake does exist. Long time no see.

Somewhere in here Mr. Mike and I had gone out fishing. I got myself a slab crappie and that's all she wrote. Four fish on my first day of the season, not bad!

That expensive out of state license is finally paying off. 

Once Sir-Sleeps-A-Lot woke up the next morning he finally got to meet Blake.

Happy little guy.

I don't think we mentioned this, but awhile back Scott found someone on Twitter giving away a sailboat.

All he wanted was a case of beer. So, I brought some New Glaurus back from Wisconsin and met up with him.

I kind of laughed at the idea and before I knew it Scott was on his way picking it up. Now its ready for its maiden voyage.

Theo fell asleep before we got the boat out. I remember trying to get Meadow to sleep like this as a baby and she wouldn't have it. 

Baby Meadow not happy.

Brooke also recently got a hammock. Now she can join all the 'mockers of the world.

Yeah, buddy!

Once we guessed how to put it together we urged Blake to go first.

Of course he was a natural.


I started out slow and got stuck near the shore.

I got it turned around, pulled on the line and was blazing.

Soon I was chasing down a motorboat. It was all cool until I tried turning around, got stuck in the shallows again and took 10 minutes to right the boat. Eventually I got back.

Then it was cake time. Since Blake's birthday was a few days ago we let him blow out the candles.

Dudes getting old just like us.

Then my dad gave Theo a taste of the cake. He did this to Meadow at 2 months old too.

I think Brooke worries way too much about feeding 3-month-old babies soft foods.

I do not want my children's first foods to be chocolate.

I wanted my turn at the sailboat. The guys made it look too easy.

It's not.

It almost looks like Brooke wasn't falling out the whole time.

After tipping too many times I gave up.

While Blake did manage to sail around the lake, we found out what the issue was while Brooke was sailing. The hulls seal is not good and let's in loads of water. We're going to have to fix that on our next visit.

We were planning on making pizza, but G.G. complained to Mr. Mike and through the grapevine we heard back. So, I made roast Italian Sausage and veggies instead.

Then Gail asked why we weren't eating pizza.  I don't know Gail, I don't know.

Mike had picked up some Minnows and we attempted to catch Walleye off the dock. We didn't have much luck, but I did catch four or five rock bass and Mike caught some perch.

Good night, Dog Lake.

Above our screenporch is a secret room that we call the "camp". You have to crawl to get to it, but inside it's full of legos.

After fishing Mr. Mike joined Meadow and Blake. You can barely see it, but behind Mike is a giant Lego castle.

I remember sleeping in here as kids until one morning I woke up to a wolf spider behind me. To this day I get antsy that there's spiders everywhere.

In the morning Meadow and Blake took out the toy sailboat he built as a kid.

And then Blake tried out the sailboat again.

Zissou missed his Blake.

The water issue seemed to get worse, so we called it a day.

Theo's first shoulder ride.

I think it might have been his second.

Then we went on Theo's first boat ride in Mr. Mike's new fishing boat.

Meadow sat up front with me and wanted to squirt other boats.

It was hot. Like, actually 90 degrees hot. I've never seen it get this hot here before.

At least, not this early in the summer.

Or up north here.

Brooke tried dipping Theo in, but he wasn't having it at first.

Theo liked the cool water this time.

This is the life.

Wadding in some random thoroughfare is what Memorial Weekends are made of. 

Theo was not happy to put the life jacket on. We all had to suffer through it Theo. 

When we got back I tried casting off the dock. I put a small spinnerbait on my big fishing pole and I kept getting nibbles. Once I threw a plastic I finally got this big old 10 inch perch. 

We need to take this kid camping.

This was the kind of meal G.G. wanted all weekend. Meat and potatoes. I gotta say that I really love her potato salad.

Mike and I went back out to the location we got a bunch of Northerns last year. Our #5 Mepps Red and White weren't working, so we switched Silver Mepps. Mike got a Northern. I only #4 Silver Mepps and ended with a second big old crappie of the weekend.

Mike kept on catching perch with his big Mepps while I switched to an antique-orange and black #5 Mepps Comet (I bought a five lure kit at the rummage sale at last year's 4th of July in Three Lakes). I had caught a crappie on it earlier in the weekend. This time I got myself that coveted Walleye I'd wanted all weekend. 16". You can only keep one of those up here.

Seven fish (well maybe 12 if you include the rock bass I threw back) this weekend. I'm getting better at this fishing thing.

We woke up to biscuits and gravy. Thanks Gail.

Before we left Meadow chalked with Blake. She drew this picture of me holding my dad's hand. What a sweet little gal.

As it's my last day of maternity leave we left earlier than usual to get back home.

Boo, hiss.

We stopped in Ladysmith for lunch where I forgot to take a picture. Brooke had packed us lunch. I guess we're being frugal after all the trips to Chicago, Milwaukee, Three Lakes and the Fox Valley.

Theo sleeps pretty good on the rides, but inevitably cries for mama a few times.

Before making it home we stopped at another playground.

That was a good weekend even if we had to leave a bit early.