More of Saturday

Daughter treated me to lunch and the theater to celebrate my birthday.  Such fun!  I sneaked a photo of the stage before the curtain rose but ended up with some of the shirt worn by the lady sitting in front of me. 

Granddaughters went with Pawpaw and their dad to a pumpkin patch and an apple orchard. Girls skillfully created jack-o-lanterns with supervision and added them to porch decorations.

Evening outdoors was warm enough to grill and cool enough for a fire. Wonderful ending to a wonderful fall day!

Skating Lesson

Saturday morning was the first skating lesson for older granddaughter.  One more part of winter life in Minnesota!

She was soon gliding across the ice and wearing big smiles.

Younger granddaughter signed up to begin next week. Wish I could be there. 

Dinner at the Club

Friday night we all went out to dinner at their Club. Granddaughters love to dress up and have an evening with the grownups.

 

Tuesday night younger granddaughter stayed busy with an iPhone while waiting for dinner but agreed to look  up for a photo. Older one read and kept track of time to record for school Readathon. Daughter made our food come by deciding to go to the restroom, a strategy that rarely fails. Fancy burgers and sweet potato fries hit the spot on our first evening in MN.

Heritage Village

Friday we drove to the Dakota County Fairgrounds for Harvest Day at their Heritage Village. Taking a step back in time, the girls did every activity, but I missed a few photo ops.  In this group they made pinwheels, went to jail, heard about old telephones and party lines, and made rope.

Wild Turkeys

These fellows wandered over from the Mississippi River into the front yard. Dangerous move so close to Thanksgiving!

MOA

Today was devoted to the Mall of America. First stop was the American Girl Doll Store for annual Christmas and birthday shopping. Girls understand the budget concept and practice their math skills each year. They also know that once we leave the store the boxes remain closed, go into a hiding place, and emerge as gifts at the appropriate times.

Next part of our day consists of unlimited rides for three hours with breaks for ice cream and lunch, and yes dessert first. We are the grandparents, remember?

After five hours at MOA, home and an hour of rest time suits all of us. Pawpaw and I will worry about where to hide all those big red boxes later.

Daughter's Career

Yesterday A. was in N.'s third grade class giving a 30-minute presentation about her law career. We parents rushed over to catch the last half. Students had great questions, and second photo shows N. at the far right with her hand raised. For the closing activity, A. gave them a case for small groups to deliberate and determine a verdict. They were so serious and careful as they asked more questions and arrived at decisions. Quite a busy day for our family at school!

If you're wondering about the blue stability balls, students earn them with good behavior. This teacher applied for a grant and was awarded the balls for her classroom.

Mystery Reader

Guess who was the mystery reader yesterday? Ceecee! Katie is sitting in the middle wearing a blue shirt and was as surprised as the rest of her class. She introduced us and was excited that I had chosen Clever Beatrice, one of her favorite books.

Paul Bunyan #2

More thrills!

Paul Bunyan Land #1

Paul called the granddaughters by name and said he remembered them from previous years. Who were we to challenge such a big memory from such a big brain! Then he called me their mother. Smart, too!
Older granddaughter easily climbed to the top of the rock wall and rang the buzzer to announce her success to the entire park, same as last year but faster. Younger one so close but needing a little more growth to make those last stretches.

Final Flight

On our last night of sunset celebrations, another pontoon plane became part of the view, approaching, circling, landing in a pool of fire.

Saturday Final

For our last full day at Gull Lake, we stayed on the beach as much as possible, sometimes in the water and sometimes with other activities. Took a final paddle boat ride. Used art to document our stay. Ate whatever and whenever so we didn't have to take food home. Thanked and said farewell to the folks that helped to make our holiday so memorable. Built a fire, made s'mores, and toasted a final sunset.

Friday Air Excitement

The morning we shopped with purpose and focus, the afternoon we relaxed and played on the beach, the evening we ate grilled pork chops and zucchini.
As we settled back on the beach for sunset, a motor noise came from the back of the property, increasingly closer and louder, until it was directly above the trees behind us. We watched the pontoon plane land on the lake in front of us, turn toward our direction, and ease between docks on our left to an empty space on the beach. A couple of men were waiting to turn the plane, pull it partly on the sand, and secure it. By this time the sky was almost dark, as in the first photo, so I took the second photo the next morning.
Last year we grandparents had the girls at the pool near the main resort beach when another plane landed. After the pilot moored it, he invited children nearby to climb aboard one at a time for families to take pictures while he stood on one of the pontoons. (I have mine on home computer and might remember to post later,) Girls were thrilled to imagine steering the plane that day. I'm surprised that we don't see more of these planes on a lake this size. Just one more toy added to the collection.

Pontooning to Lunch

Thursday our farthest destination was Ernie's for lunch. The crowded docks proved the popularity of our plan. Some boats towed kids on tube, others had canopies up for shade, and all released hungry passengers. This time I ordered a Caesar salad with walleye strips on top. Yum! Appropriately stuffed, we focused on the ride back to our condo cabin and the need for napping. The night's menu included BLT's, more of that ice cream birthday cake, and another sunset.

Pontoon Thursday

By this morning the lake had calmed and was almost smooth, great day for being on a pontoon boat. We girls put our hair up in buns and sprayed on sunscreen as important preparation. As we putted around, we saw bald eagles perched in trees and others flying overhead. My iPhone did its best but couldn't overcome the distance factor.
We stopped for fishing, caught several, and released them. Exciting success!