Wisconsin Dells

The three hour ride up to the Dells was filled with laughter and promises of fun to be had. After neatly eating their McDonald's dinner in the car and talking and laughing for about an hour, the kids fell asleep. Leo and I had stimulating conversation where we talked about day to day things as well as hopes and dreams for the future. Apologies were made over less than uplifting behavior and words in the last three weeks. That was a glimpse of things to come. The kids got along the entire three days, Gia slept like a champ and everyone had three square meals a day. We went to a water park and the kids skied. They all remembered how to do it even though they hadn't been skiing for three years. The girls went tubing where going up and down the hills was more fun than I've had in months. It was a completely fulfilling family weekend.

Okay, I am trying my hand at some fiction writing. How did I do?

In reality, I had to keep yelling, "If you don't stop, we are never doing this again!" Someone kept grumbling, "Shoot, I just spilled." I'm not sure anyone slept at all this weekend and they for sure did not have 3 meals a day. Leo and I did not have stimulating conversation. It was depressing conversation as we talked about all the upcoming things that are going on and how he isn't going to be home (I hate conversations that start with, "When I have to go to Europe..."). We talked a lot about Spring Break. I got the feeling that he hasn't told his mom we aren't going there this year. I really want to go to Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head. Leo keeps saying he'll look into it but that is usually code for "not going to happen". I'm sure we are too late to trade our condo for one in either of those places during that time and since doing that or going to his mom's is the only way we vacation these days, it might be a pipe dream. The other alternative is to try and visit my dear friend in Texas over one of those weekends (K, what do you think?).

We did go to a water park and I had one of those pure joy moments when we bought the tickets to the half water park, half indoor amusement park and saw the kids' faces and how excited they were. I love that. It's the same feeling I get when we go to Disney. I don't go on any rides but to see the happiness in their faces warms my heart. It was pretty much downhill after that. Gia didn't take to sleeping between Leo and me and tossed and turned and cried every night. She never napped so there was never a break. We found out after getting her all dressed up in her little pink snowsuit that she was too little to tube and after I went down a few times, I can't believe I didn't remember how terrifyingly fast it goes and that there was no way she could have gone. I am old. I hated how fast I flew down the hill and how I felt like I was going to fly over the side. I hit so many bumps, my back and rear were screaming, "What the hell are you doing?" and "You'll pay for this later." At one point, the tube left without me and I tried to grab it but instead got dragged along with it until the guy stopped it. It was definitely one of my classier moments. Gia and I left while the others stayed back. Isabella did end up skiing and I am so glad that she got over her fear. Tommy had a rough time in the beginning. I kept telling them to go on the bunny hill first but he is so stubbornly competitive with Nico that he went straight for the big hills falling the entire time. He went back out and conquered it which I am glad for but still think I was right. I'm not sure what the kids ate the entire time we were there. At one point, I made eggs for everyone and when Gia and I were alone, I made her the chicken she loves so much but that is it. I think I ate my weight in M&M's (pretzel and almond) but it was my reward for not going crazy in Wisconsin stuck in a small condo with a two year old.

The indoor roller coaster. I thought it was pretty loopy for being indoor.

How Gia felt waiting around for the others to finish at the water park.

We were alone in the condo. Thank God for the portable DVD player.



I love this picture of them.



The skiers.



Obviously, I chose warmth instead of fashion and forgot about taking a family picture when I decided I didn't know anyone in Wisconsin so I could go without make up.