Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho! It's off to the Dells we go (part 2)....

Part 2 of our Dells pictorial is all about the water park!!

The girls had a blast - Olivia cried when we had to leave.  We promised a stop at the Cheese Chalet (Wisconsin is loaded with these), and she was happy again.

Mia did really well, especially with her potty-ing.  I was worried about the pool.  It turns out, the pool wasn't the place to worry.  We decided to go out in the Dells to see a Mining Company where the girls could pan for "jewels" and could keep anything they found.  Of course, the Mining Company wasn't open, and didn't post it's hours on the door (apparently a Wisconsin thing).  We found a candy store, because like cheese, Wisconsin is famous for fudge and other homemade candies.  The candy store was open and we went in - like kids in a candy store.  My kids were traipsing around, casing the joint, figuring out what they wanted.  So, were Tony and I when I noticed that Mia had wandered off.  We went looking for her, and found her at the same time.  Soaked the entire back of her jeans and her boots.  Apparently, the excitement of candy and water parks and wolf dens got to her, and she had an accident.  So - I got to find out where the laundry room was in the hotel, because mommy didn't pack extra clothes.

I may have also mentioned a certain bag that was bought?  Well, we arrived at the Dells about an hour ahead of schedule and couldn't check in yet.  Lo and behold - an Outlet Mall - just across the parking lot!  "Let's see if they have the Coach store." I said.  They did - and like fate, it was next door to Build a Bear.  We've had a gift certificate to Build a Bear for-EVER because there isn't one near us.  So, Tony and the girls went to their shop, and I went to mine.  All three of us girls left happy!!  Got to love the Outlet Malls!!!

Let's get to the pictures - enjoy seeing us in our swimsuits while you were outside in the snot-freezing-in-your-nose cold.

Just before we all jumped in on the last day.  Did I mention that the hotel furnished the life jackets - for free?

Olivia was demonstrating her mean swimming skills.  She is still learning.  Doggy Paddle is not quite swimming - but it's a start.

Mia is a little fish.

I was trying to get a good picture of her on the slides, but she didn't seem to want to go down and only went down once on the last day.

Chillin' in her super cool goggles.

"Mama!  I simmin'!"

Cheese.

Oh yeah - I got in the pool and in FRONT of the camera too.

Sista's!

"MaMA!"

There are no words, only peals and peals of laughter.

Imitating her sister.

This is what happened on the way home...

...snoring.

I hope you all had a great MLK weekend!

Hi-ho, Hi-ho, off to the Dells we go (part 1)...

We took this lovely long weekend, and went to Wisconsin Dells.  For those of you not in the Chicagoland Area, this is a town north of Madison, WI.  According to the advertisements, Wisconsin Dells is the Water Park Capital of the World.

This could be true.

There are many, many, many, many, water parks there.  Plus, many other attractions such as an outlet mall, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, skiing in winter, boating, hiking, zip lines in summer.

Anywho.  We stayed at The Great Wolf Lodge.  Below are pictures from the trip.

The girls in their "Wolf Den" in our room.  Olivia tried to keep us out by giving us a password to enter.  She's not a control freak like her mama at all.

Mia at dinner.  This restaurant delivered our food by train.

Olivia was in a mood and didn't want to smile.

....still in a mood.

Trying to get a picture with a bear.

RAWR!!

Tony got Olivia to smile by tackling and tickling.

The large cuckoo clock in the lobby.

Mia and I waiting for story time to begin.  That's right.  They had story time every night at 8 in the lobby after a song and mechanical dance.

Mia kept howling when the wolf face would come out on the clock.

Yellow Feather and Simon answer the Black Wolf's call, and learn the rhythm of nature.

Story time includes a wolf.  This day it was Wiley.  Ummm...notice the random girl with the ipad?  Weird.  She kept taking pics with it.

Mia and Wiley

Tony and Mia.  Mia's picking her nose as usual.  Hope she picks a winner.

....would only smile in a pic by herself.  That is, if you can call this a smile.

Got me a Coach!!  That's right girls.  Must love the outlet malls!

 

Daddy was more worn out than the girls.

Part 2 to come soon....

**I was not compensated in any way by any of the company's noted in this blog.

Long time, no blogging...

It usually takes me awhile to get back into the swing of things once the Holidays are over.  This is the reason that I haven't felt like blogging.  I'm not real good at planning my little breaks.  I usually, just take them without warning.  Mostly because I don't know that I am taking them.  Time goes by and blogs are not written.

On a side note, the family is taking a brief trip next weekend.  I will be back later with pics, and hopefully before then as well.  :-)

I am top-tenning today.

How about a top ten of things that need to change now that the Holidays are over and reality has set in?

10.  My eating.  Oy VEY!!!  I have begun tracking my food again, and this weekend I have crashed through the treat points we get every week, and have moved into my activity points.  This is coming from the girl that rarely if ever used any treat points or activity points.  It's good to slap myself upside the head with this.  Weight will not come off if I eat fried foods and forget about my vegetables.

9.  My Super Mario Bros. addiction needs to be tamed.  I love to play this game and want to WIN!!

8.  I have to get back into the swing of school.  I have to read my text book, not just my Kindle.  This sucks.

7.  I need to find work clothes again.  We have been having mostly jeans days, and now I need to wear work pants again. 

6.  Dance class begins again.  There go my Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings!

5.  I need to stop shopping.  I'm serious.  Since Christmas, I have bought a new purse (needed), Clinique face care and makeup products, and gotten my hair cut (bought product).  I am planning the colors to dye my hair in a few months, and purple is in the top spot right now.

4.  Exercise.  I ran 1.05 miles today!!  Now, let's see how I feel tomorrow.

3. The Christmas decorations have been removed.  Boo.  At least I didn't have to remove them, the hubs did it for me.

2.  Cooking.  I need to cook real food for my family, not just cakes, cookies and breads.  As good as they may be, we all need a dose of healthy right now.

1. Start planning for next Christmas.  We may have an idea on how to get the girls a puppy - for Christmas, on Christmas morning!  Won't that be exciting!!  That is, as long as we have a Christmas in 2012.