Valentine's and more

We did a little bowling at the casino on our way to Red Wing.

Our room at Moondance.

O.k. we really have started taking ballroom dancing lessons...just starting...focusing right now on latin rhythm dance (merengue, rhumba, chacha...). So it seemed like a great idea to go watch some professional ballroom dancers as part of our Valentine's celebration. That was my gift to Joel...last Friday we attended a very theatrical ballroom dance performance at the Southern Theatre. It was very romantic, and inspiring...we have no intentions of ever reaching anything close to that level of dancing, but it would be fun to be able to do some real dancing with some level of grace. Joel and I approach the lessons in very different ways. Joel's the extrovert and loves the social aspect. Being the introvert, I definitely prefer not drawing attention to us...at least till we get a little better (and that will be a while). But it's all about having fun...and obviously Joel was having some fun when he put that little video together. (There's another one coming that you'll get a kick out of!)

Monday we enjoyed the second half of our Valentine celebration. Joel booked our honeymoon suite at the Moondance Inn for a night of romance and relaxation. It was a much needed break from our day to day routine. We also enjoyed a nice trip home through Northfield, which included a long rest stop for lunch and some shopping. There's a great bead store in Northfield, so I went home happy.

So now we're back at home and back in our regular routine...and maybe with a little dancing mixed in.

The birthday revisited

Joel as Santa last year with a friend's child.

Our room at Moondance

I was just retelling the birthday story to my mom and enough time has passed to make it somewhat funny...so I thought it might be time to share it here. Be forewarned: if you cannot stomach stories containing vomiting references, you better stop here. (I promise, it's more comical than wretched)

My birthday was last Friday--December 5th. I turned 48. Far too close to 50, but that's a post for another day.

On Thursday evening and again on Friday, Joel accompanied me to work to play the part of Santa for our annual holiday parties for the families that we serve. I played Mrs. Claus. Nearly every kid in attendance sat on Joel's, er, Santa's lap to have their picture taken. Joel is a fantastic Santa. He was a real trooper handling on those kids.

Following work on Friday, Joel and I went to dinner at Famous Dave's with my kids. It was nice having dinner with my kids...then we headed home.

I was wiped. Joel obviously was too, because I think he was in bed by 10:30. I was a little miffed that he went to bed so early on my birthday, but truth be told, I was exhausted too...and I think I was in bed at 11. At the time I was thinking we were both getting too old to have a late wild night.

Around midnight Joel said he wasn't feeling well...and soon enough I heard some wretched sounds from the bathroom...Santa was puking. About an hour later, I was in the other bathroom doing the same. Thank god, we have two bathrooms...we needed them both.

My first thought was that our dinner at Famous Dave's was making us sick...cause frankly, that was the first thing coming out. (Not recommended) I managed to reach my son, who was not sick. Then I thought it was my birthday lunch. I was a little pissed that I was being hit with food poisoning for the second time in 6 months...and on my birthday no less.

Sometime around 2 in the morning, with Joel and I each in separate bathrooms puking, I heard a LOUD crash. I rushed to Joel's bathroom as quickly as I could and tried to get in. Joel was on the floor in front of the door. Eventually Joel was able to get up...and when I knew he was reasonably ok I returned to what I had been doing...in the other bathroom.

A few hours later I heard Joel moving around...and got up just in time to see him crash to the floor in our first bedroom (we were by that point sleeping in separate beds). I tried to help him up, but couldn't...and he couldn't get up on his own. Finally, I just threw him a pillow and blanket and told him to stay put until we were stronger. We crashed for a few hours.

Eventually Joel managed to get up to the bed...and immediately puked again (thankfully in the Twins pail I had given him hours earlier...yup, we were each puking in his n' hers Twins puckets). I couldn't handle that yet and ran with my pail to the back bathroom. (Essentially we switched beds and bathrooms).

In the morning light it was easy to see the damage that had been done...in Joel's first collapse in the bathroom he had poked his eye with the door jam...not a flexible door jam, but an old, SOLID door jam with no metal tip. We were lucky he didn't rip his eyelid open...but his eye was completely swollen shut and about the size of a golf ball. On the second fall, he skinned up his knee pretty good.

Still too weak to think about going anywhere, we slept most of the day and ate a few crackers and applesauce. About 5 in the evening I took Joel to the ER to have his eye checked out. The doctors were pretty impressed...but no real damage was done (thankfully).

We had planned a number of activities for my birthday, but obviously everything on Saturday was cancelled. Fortunately, we were able to salvage the trip to Red Wing to stay at the Moondance Inn that we had planned for Sunday/Monday. I told Joel both my eyes would have to be swollen shut to miss that. It was a lowkey trip, but there wasn't any better place to recuperate. We lounged around in our jammies and soaked in the hot tub. And Joel pampered us both by booking massages at a local Red Wing spa.

Oh ya, I should add that it probably wasn't food poisoning at all, but a nasty bout of the flu...a whole bunch of folks at my work were sick as well.

So that's the birthday story...who says we're too old for wild nights!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Joel & I returned today from the land of the whirlpool jets. There's something so nice about escaping from home--even if it's only an hour away and even if it's only for a few days. We got to relax, play, and just spend time together without the intrusions of work and kids. We returned to Moondance Inn, where we spent our honeymoon. Moondance is a beautiful bed and breakfast located in Red Wing. I know there are lots of nice b & b's out there...and part of me wants to explore others, but a bigger part of me just wants to return to Moondance again and again. It is such a comforting place to be and feels so homey. I think this little respite will help me get thru the busy holiday season.

We shifted gears dramatically when we returned home. We had a brief stop at home and then Joel went with me to work. Tonight we had our annual holiday party for our program families. Joel played Santa and I was his helper. The parties are always a little chaotic...there are lots of families, adults and kids of all ages, and not nearly enough staff to keep it feeling sane. Actually, the prep always seems to be the worst part. Once the families arrive, everything just seems to happen. Fortunately, our families don't seem adverse to the craziness.

Joel was a great Santa. He handled equally well the kids that were scared of him and the kids who were determined to find out if he was "real". One kid said to him "You work for the little people." Joel responded, "They work for me."

It was a fun night. There will pictures soon--of Moondance and Santa!

From the land of whirlpool jets...

Just a quick note from Moondance Inn...it's beautiful, quiet, and restful here. This room is incredible...decorated in maroons and golds. I want to transfer the whirlpool tub to home...it's a little slice of heaven. I've been in it 3 times already...and I'll be in it at least that many times more. Joel & I are going to venture out to the antique malls and then come back to the whirlpool.

I'll post pictures when we get back (not of us in the tub!). I'm thinking about all you fools at work...and oh so glad I'm not there with you.

Until tomorrow--

The Honeymoon

We enjoyed our honeymoon in Red Wing, MN--home of Red Wing boots.

Pics from our room at Moondance Inn. Here's a shot of the "fainting couch".

The whirlpool, where we spent most of our time.

Oh ya, we spent some time here.

Proof that we left the room. Here I am on the front porch.

Joel on the front porch.

Joel and I enjoyed our honeymoon in Red Wing, MN--we wanted to go somewhere not too far away, where we could take it easy and relax. We enjoyed the drive on Highway 61, cruising through Minnesota countryside. Travelling through farmland reminds me of my childhood. When we first got to Red Wing we made our first stop at probably the nicest antique store I've ever been to--Memory Makers. Located on Main Street, it was very well organized and had great stuff.

We found the perfect bed & breakfast in Moondance Inn. (Check them out at www.moondanceinn.com) It was incredible. The home was built in 1874 and much of the original fixtures and woodwork are still in place. We decided to stay in the Queen's room--which was very romantic and filled with great light. Moondance has 5 rooms--but we had the place to ourselves the first night. We were able to see all the other rooms--all of them gorgeous--and also enjoy the common areas as if we were the only occupants. For one night we were. (On the second night we were joined by 3 other couples).

As much fun as it was to explore the house, we also enjoyed spending a lot of time by ourselves in our room. Hey, it was our honeymoon! We loved the whirlpool. It was a little bit like heaven sitting in the tub and letting the cool wind breeze through the windows and over our bodies. Yes, we did leave the room and explore Red Wing on a few occasions. We enjoyed the riverfront and more antique shopping.

Unfortunately, the good times had to come to an end. We headed back to the cities on Wednesday. Originally we had planned to made a side trip to Stockholm, WI after we left Moondance, but the pouring rain that day changed our plans. We did, however, enjoy a day trip to Stockholm this past Saturday--a beautiful, sunny day. It was a nice ending to our "honeymoon week".

I think there will be a lot of trips to B & B's in our future.