Spring Break 2013

Spring Break 2013 is coming to end....back to school for everyone on Monday.  We got away to Duluth for a few days late this week.  We stayed at the Edgewater Resort and Waterpark up on London Road, everyone seemed to have an okay time (if you plan on going...take the stairs, not the elevator).

The hotel provided a couple of pools, a lazy river, a waterslide and a slide dedicated to tubes.  Basically enough for everyone to have fun.  Luke proved to be his typical self, it took a little time before he got comfortable going down the slides (he really doesn't like to be splashed).  There were several kiddie slides that he was able to enjoy (as well as everyone else).

Lex also proved to be herself, fearless and determined, always wanting things her way.  She does not have an aversion to being splashed.

Kieran was.....well....Kieran, after a few tears here and there, he figured out he'd have fun.  He enjoyed waiting for the large bucket to spill on him and everyone below (Luke would hide during these times)...

We were able to get away for a few hours to head up the shore to Gooseberry Falls State Park, where we'll be camping in a few months.  It was nice seeing a different perspective of a waterfall we know so well.

Closer to the lake, the area that the boys call the 'tadpole place' (in late June, every pool in the rock crevices is filled with tadpoles) was covered with a winter's worth of lake spray that had frozen on most surfaces.  Many inches of ice covered almost everything.

Back at the hotel, we kept swimming.  Even though Kieran is not the strongest swimmer, he found a way to walk over the water that was almost four feet deep.

Before leaving Duluth for home, we had to visit Canal Park, taking in the sites of a fairly frozen harbor.

Ice-breaking began a few weeks earlier, allowing 'lakers', those ships dedicated to traveling the Great Lakes to come into and out of the harbor.  We missed a port record by a few hours, late on Friday night, the first 'saltie' was due to come into the harbor.  Salties are ocean-going ships that pass through the St. Lawrence Seaway.  This was the first time a 'saltie' passed under the Aerial Bridge before April 1st, thus a record, who said this winter never wanted to end?!

Just a few more months and we'll see this bridge again (of course....minus the snow and ice)....

Snow Day!!

What's with the big snowstorms at this point of the year?  Last year, February 29th to be exact, one that winter's largest snowfalls canceled school.  Well....March 5th was the date this year...somewhere in the range of 6-10 inches of snow over the last two days canceled school for two-thirds of the state.

The boys came outside around 7:30 to play while I shoveled snow (for the second time), they stayed out until about 10:00, until they were "freezing cold".  They were able to push through the cold while playing with a few neighborhood girls.  After naptime, Lex joined the boys outside to play.  Sorry about the poor quality camera phone pictures.

Luke playing in the snow...by himself

Luke has always been okay with being apart from the crowd.  He spent a lot of time building mound of snow that he said was a clown...I didn't see the clown.

Kieran shoveling 'trails' for Lex so it would be easier for Lex to walk

 I prefer if the boys play with their shovels somewhere other than near the driveway.  Before knowing that school was canceled for the day, I spent 30 minutes from 4:45-5:15 shoveling the driveway, within minutes of being outside Luke was shoveling snow back on the driveway.

See.....Kieran's 'trails' work

One problem with Lex, when she falls down in the snow, she still is not comfortable getting up by herself.  She just sits and whines until she gets what she wants....which is what she also does inside I guess.

'Trails' make walking easy for little legs

Lex was really happy while playing outside....until Luke put a shovelful of snow on top of her head, most of which went down her back.  Fifteen minutes after the shovelful, she and I were inside.

Luke pretending to nap outside

Just a few more weeks and most of this snow will be gone.  Forecasts call for 40 degrees and rain/slush by the weekend.  No more snow days this year.