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Hayward, WI (part 1)

When in Rome, visit the Vatican. When in Hayward, go

here to Scheers Lumberjack Show.

We were staying nearby the night before we could hear hoopin' and hollerin' from across the lake.

A little bit of competition. Red plaid vs Green plaid. Or Hayward against the other town.

A bit of a steep walk up the bleachers, but we were in the shade (hurrah).

What does Roman remember?

Lumberjacks drink Lemonade.

As the host explained,  after a hard day in the forests lumberjacks in these parts would often make their way to the bar, to drink...lemonade (it is a family show, after all). And when they drank a lot of lemonade they would get boastful about their exploits.  Thus lumberjack competitions were born.

Like logrolling.

Kerplunk.

Tee hee.

Cross cut sawing...

...by you guys! At 'halftime'

Official junior lumberjacks

Grandma Candy had the great idea of giving you some colored pencils and notebooks so you could draw what you did and show her when you got home. And you did more than I expected.

From Roman's notebook (spelling help from Mom and Dad.):

"Lumberjack Shows"

Roman might also remember that this is where he first got stung by a bee.

Which was later recorded by both Roman and Zoe in their journals. 

Roman's take:

"Bee Sting"

It was on the knee and happened while Dad was holding him.

The sequence of events: Zoe told me she had squashed or shooshed a bug. I didn't think much of it (although this is odd because she gets hysterical when she sees a bug, any bug). A few seconds later Dad is asking Roman what's wrong because he's shaking. Da bee, that Zoe had just waved off. Normally she sees a fly and she screams (shrieks) at the top of her lungs, but in this instance the bee didn't do it. Which was good because the bleachers were a bit treacherous and we only got up them by carrying you two up.

And Zoe's take:

"Roman cry. It's gust a stinger Roman"

Big tears. Orange hat, orange shirt and a MASSIVE bee.

Not even 5 years old. Thanks adult teachers in my little one's life.

And you left with a souvenir - a chunk of debris from the carnage that was the competition. Signed by the lumberjacks!

Como

In front of the 'mingos.

Get the sense we go here a lot?

Yes.

Sometimes I coax you to hold hands. For a photo? Maybe. To watch out for each other? Sometimes. Other times you just do it yourself. Which applies above? I don't know. It may have started as the first and progressed to the 2nd.  You guys can be best buds.

And you can torment the heck out of each other.

Typical siblings.

The new Gorilla exhibit.

Much better.

But those guys are HUGE.

And a little less scary now, you guys never wanted to get too close in the inside exhibit.

When I look one in the eye I get a little freaked out. They're so...real. And familiar.

Blowfish.

Unprompted.

The seal (sea lion - I can never get it straight) was playing catch again - this time with an orange cone. 

Summer in the conservatory - go 10 minutes before it closes. Then it's you and the guard. And a few stragglers. They've got a pretty strict photo policy - no posed kind of stuff (tripod) without a permit. 

We stayed for a concert after. 

Crankshaft.

It was a good time.

the end of July

I've let these pictures sit so long I forget where we were.

In a school bus filled with antique and not so antique toy cars/vehicles.

Okay, I do remember WHERE we were (south of Hastings, MN), but I forget what it's called.

Old time village. Sort of. You guys got to grind some grain.

At ye old mill.

Spy a pond

And the mill. Again.

Say "queso".

Drink a little beer.

Root beer.

BTW Zoe loves this skirt. She wears it all the time. 

And she likes the sweater, it says "whatever it is, I didn't do it".

Like drink the beer.

Do some laundry, my boy!

My grandma had an electric version of this (the wringer part) in her kitchen when I was growing up. And your grandma informs me she never had an electric/gas dryer.

How?!

Making a broom?

Okay, I broke down and Googled it.

Little Log House Pioneer Village & Antique Power Show. With a name like that it's SO surprising I couldn't remember it!  Open once a year.

Enjoying popcorn with Uncle Andy. We both remarked on the price of beer. We almost wanted to get it because it was so cheap. But I'm not in my 20's anymore and Andy's a dad to be (tapering off perhaps...). Yes, life will change for him and Laura. In all the best ways ;)

Oh my. Appropriate.

You guys are starting full time preschool in just over a week.

Weep. Cry.

No. 

Joy. You learn, you grow.

Roman noticed the hole in the desk to hold the ink."This is for your drink," he told me.

Kids these days...you got it too easy. 

Roman got to ring the bell.

It made him happy.

See?

Grandma Jane joined us as well (and Uncle Dave too).

Smile!