Ely….
The trip to Ely was really a breeze with Maddox and a tailspin with Joey. Maddox slept, woke up, we’d take a break and then we’d repeat the cycle. Perfect. We stopped at Cabella’s on the way there and got out to stretch and go inside and see the big fish tanks and wildlife displays. Then, we stopped for lunch at Taco Bell. And, then we stopped for one more break. So, we made it to Ely in 8 ½ hours. I think Joey talked 7 out of the 8 ½ hours of the trip. The kid would not shut up. So, I started making a list in the car of some of the questions he asked. He had so many I couldn’t keep up but here’s a good sample for you:
Does Papa have a boat?
Is the lake in ‘sota’? (Minnesota)
Can I have a treat?
Why is Mad Dog awake?
Mommy, will you hold me?
Can I sing my song really, really loud?
Should we stop at that lake?
Why not?
Can I get a taco at Taco Johns?
Can we go to the gym?
Can I have another snackie?
What’s this? Is this my lifejacket?
Where is ‘sota’ at?
Mommy, can I see your biggie feet? (for the record, I don’t have that big of feet, I’m not sure where he got this from!)
That monster on my movie said ‘stupid’! Why did he say that? We don’t say that.
Is it windy?
Would this wind blow my Batman Cave out the window?
Why is daddy yelling at that car, mom?
Ely was a good time, but it’s just different with kids. It’s not the most accessible, baby-proof place to go. There are 5 cabins on the island – each belonging to a different family. So, you arrive by boat- which is scary for a mom with two little kids. You hold on to them with every muscle you have, and you pray that lifejackets actually work the whole time. I thought I was over-protective, but my sister-in-law was doing the same thing I was so that made me feel better! The island doesn’t have “beachfront” – it’s more “rockfront”, so it doesn’t make for huge sandcastles or anything. And, the cabins are all open – so sleeping babies were put into the bathroom in pack-n-plays. On top of the boathouse, there is a huge deck which is way cool- but way scary for kids. So, you go to the island with an open-mind and you remind yourself that you can make anything work if you try. It’s a whole lot of work, to be honest, but I kept telling myself that I didn’t want to deprive the kids of great memories and good times, all because I didn’t want to do the work. So, that’s why we went, and we had a great time.
Joey loved every minute of jet-skiing with Uncle Tony, tube-floating with daddy and Tony, fishing with everyone, putting his finger in the fish’s mouth, and exploring the island! Kelly and I took the boys into the International Wolf Center. There were new baby wolves and Kelly and I got to see them for a whole 30 seconds before the boys needed us for something. The only thing I learned is that baby wolves eat their mama’s vomit. They even showed slides of vomit. I mean, don’t we all know what it looks like? Anyway, I’ll never forget that fun fact. We also took the boys to a fun toy store and the park. And, lots of boat rides! All the boys loved the pontoon boat- as Tony said, it was like a pack-n-play on the water! The boys couldn’t escape. I also learned to drive the boat when I was there. It’s about time!
In closing, here are my top ten favorite things about Burntside Lake in Ely, Minnesota!
Aunt Bobbye’s Coffee Cake. It doesn’t get any more delicious than this! (Don’t try making it at home for your husband to be sweet. He’ll tell you it doesn’t taste the same outside of the Ely borders and you’ll just get your feelings hurt).
Grilling out on the rock.
Blueberry Island. You can pick blueberries on it (you have to swim or canoe to it.) Really, I just like the name of it – Blueberry Island. It rolls off your tongue and sounds like some enchanted place in Nantucket, doesn’t it?
The Lodge. Cute inside, warm and cozy and I like to think of some couple coming to honeymoon there. Have you ever seen the movie “Indian Summer”? Ely reminds me of that movie. I love the scenery and sounds of that movie.
The loons. I love hearing them at night!
The sunsets, the sun and the moon. They just look different in Ely, than they do anywhere else!
The dinner bell that Aunt Bobbye rings when supper is ready!
White chocolate blueberry cheesecake from Marla. $50 may seem high – until you taste this scrumptious dessert!
The sauna – sweating at the end of the night, the smell of beer on the hot rocks, and jumping into the lake. It took a lot of coaxing this year for me to do it, but I did!
Fish frys….they actually make the men getting up at 5 a.m. and waking up the whole damn island worth it! (Actually the men stayed unusually quiet this year- I think they feared the boys would wake up and they’d have to take them with them!)
There are a lot more things I love about Ely but those were the first that came to mind. Joey said so many cute things throughout the trip, but he really got attached to Tony. I’m so proud of how he takes care of Davis, too. He has his occasional moments of “that’s mine” and “stop it” and “don’t do that” but that’s the worst of it. Mostly, I see him giving out hugs and giving Davis little tips (“This is how it works Davis” or “Let me show you Davis” or “That’s too big for you Davis” or “Say thank you Davis”). I love seeing them together.
Maddox got sick toward the end of the trip so we left early evening on Saturday and expected Maddox to sleep on the way home. Instead, it was a total nightmare. He was awful. He didn’t feel good and he was clearly uncomfortable. It broke my heart. At one point, I had tears rolling down my face, just like he did. You think of everything imaginable to calm him, and nothing worked. We pulled over a lot but he just wasn’t happy. I couldn’t wait to be home. The trip home took 8 hours, but basically because we were speeding because of Maddox. And, Maddox probably cried or whine 5 out of the 8. Ugh. I never want to repeat those hours again. I like to pretend now they never happened. We got home at 12:30 in the morning, and put the kids right to bed.
On Sunday morning, at 6:30 a.m., I called mom and dad. Joe and I were non-functioning. Maddox had been up 3-4 times after we put him down, and we, of course, had been up since early morning with Maddox, as well. So, we needed help big time. We called mom and dad hoping they’d come, but dad was busy. So, mom asked my Aunt Cathy to come and they did. As Joe said, “Hearing your mom and Cathy were coming to help were the best words I’ve ever heard in my life.” He didn’t want me to bother them, but at the same time, he knew we wouldn’t be able to get through the day without some help. Mom and Cathy to the rescue! They got here and literally took over, while Joe and I went back to bed. They helped unload the car, unpack the bags, they took the car to the wash, vacuumed it out, and made lunch. Wow. What a difference they made in one day. We were so lucky to have them! Mom even offered to take Joey home with her, but I think he needed to be in his home for a while and get back to “real” life again.
Speaking of ‘real’ life, getting back to work after a vacation is no fun at all! It’s great having your own business, but the flip side of that, is that you can’t afford to lose a client, so when you take a vacation, you worry a lot more about work. But, Joe and I are both back at work, and back at the gym (you eat a lot on the island, and you get little exercise!)
I’ll write more about Joey’s birthday party in my next entry. But, here are some pictures from our Ely trip! Enjoy!
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