ANOTHER Surgery

Sigh. We just finished with the pediatric orthopedist. It was not the news we were hoping for.

First, the good news: Alex's "nighttime brace" won't be doing him any good for the next few weeks, so we can put it away for now. And, we'd better really enjoy not using it at naptime and bedtime, because we need to feel like this is a little vacation before the bad news kicks in.

The bad news: Alex needs surgery.

It appears his Achilles tendons are still very tight, even after the procedure our doctor did when he was about 4 months old. This is causing him to walk on his toes, even after all our attempts with various braces and after months of walking and running on his feet. So, our orthopedist will lengthen his Achilles tendons on both feet. It is a very intense, 2-3 hour surgery, after which he will have large casts for three weeks and cannot put any weight on his feet.

Anyone have any ideas how to entertain a hyper-but-immobile 2 year old?

After that, he will be moved into a set of walking casts for another 3 weeks. Presumably, he would then transition back to nighttime braces.

I can already feel the terrified mom in me growing anxious over the thought of my baby under anesthesia, especially given Alex's respiratory history and the length of this surgery. I don't want to watch him feel frustrated when he can't walk afterwards. I don't want to have to entertain him or carry him everywhere. I feel bad for our daycare provider, who will have to keep him off his feet while simultaneously caring for a bunch of other kids.

More than anything, I just want to do what is best for Alex. I want to make sure he can run and jump and skip and not have future problems.

Mark your calendars for August 27 -- I feel we will all need positive thoughts that day.

Lake Vermilion

Nina is one of my BFFs. She may live all the way in California, but most days I don't know what I'd do without her. She and her family come to Minnesota every summer, so seeing them while they are here is always on my summer bucket list. Her parents live on Lake Vermilion, and I told her we would love to do a day trip up north. Our first stop was the Soudan Underground Mine.

I can't say enough awesome things about this state park. Well, I could, but I would be typing a very long time. In short: very cool mine, a VERY long ways underground, with a train ride 27 stories below the surface.

Three of the Chunglunds. The littlest stayed with Grandma for the mine portion of the day.

We rode the old mine lift down. Victoria was good, holding onto Daddy's hand. Alex was terrified, poor guy. It rattled loudly and shook violently and it was dark. He cried the whole way.

Alex and the tour guide in the lift

This is a VERY long way down. Even I felt a little nervous about it.

Alex was a little nervous about the train ride too. Thankfully he learned he would be OK and the ride was even a little bit fun (!) so he was more into it on the way back.

We got to climb up a spiral staircase with railings. The real miners? They had to use ladders!

Victoria was in charge of the tour guide's flashlight. She loved this job.

One of the lifts:

After our time underground, we headed for the exact opposite: sun and water. Nina's parents have a house on Lake Vermilion. Or, maybe I should say IN Lake Vermilion. They have one of two houses on tiny Sundeen Island, and you have to take a boat to get there.

I was very intrigued about how all the island residents on Vermilion get around. Where do they keep their boats when they aren't on the lake? Where do they all park? Is there enough parking for visitors?

The answer presented itself with this very foreign sight -- a row of boat houses along Stuntz Bay that seemed like something you'd see in another country, someplace colorful and exotic ... not in northern Minnesota.

The boathouses are for storage of residents' boats whenever they need to leave home. They pull up to parking spaces right outside the boat house, then unlock their doors to jump into boats and head home.

Now an experienced boat rider, Victoria was ready to have her own seat and not hold anyone's hand. Look at this happy face!

I adore that smile and crinkled up little nose.

A-Man wasn't thrilled, but also didn't cry.

Just sat in Mommy's lap and watched.

On the island, we hiked around and visited this little cove. Alex wanted nothing to do with the water.

But, he fell in love with this log nearby! He climbed up and sat there quite contentedly, not wanting to leave.

Man, I love that little boy.

We had lunch on the deck and the kids had their own table! My kids thought it was pretty cool to sit with their "friends" (yes, Nina, I know they didn't really talk to you guys much but they still call you friends. What can I say -- I have shy, quiet kids).

After lunch, what else would we do -- but go swimming, of course!

Just so you know, Victoria is the one who insists on BOTH a life jacket AND arm floats.

Victoria loved it. She is my little fish, a girl after my own heart! She and I swam in the deep water, she jumped off the dock, and we even swam all the way around the docks and boats.

Both Juliet and Jonah loved the water, of course. Here is Nina and Gus's little outdoors guy:

Matt and I had planned to stay later, but when Victoria and Mommy slipped on some rocks we came out to catch our breaths, and once V rolled up in her towel she looked exhausted.

Alex made a pillow out of his life jacket and also asked to be covered up. He did miss his nap time, after all.

We asked the four kids to pose for a picture, and while Victoria smiled, she still didn't feel she could lift her head.

Alex, Juliet, Jonah, Victoria

So, we decided to pack up our bags and hitch a ride back to the mainland for the drive home. Alex was asleep within minutes seconds.

It was an awesome day with great friends. Thank you to the Berglunds and Chunglunds!

4th of July

Independence Day has become a special family holiday to me, ever since having kids. It must be the combination of summer weather, of feeling free and having fun, of donning red, white, and blue, and feeling nostalgic -- more than any other holiday, it really does feel like a vacation to me.

I don't consider myself an especially patriotic person. I don't even normally fly a flag. But approaching the 4th, the kids and I decorated the porch.

Our plan for the day itself was to enjoy the parade in Cloquet, drive to Cromwell to see family at my uncle's cabin, then back to Duluth for fireworks.

Victoria picked out a 4th of July dress. Yes, it's the same one as last year and possibly a tad too short, but there was no swaying her. She asked me to do her hair with braids, and she looked so cute.

Grandma and Grandpa came to the parade.

And Adam and Megan.

Oh, the anticipation! Victoria was excited we saw "big Alex" from daycare, and couldn't wait for the parade to start!

Alex had his necklace from Adam's birthday party two days prior, and was very excited to wear it.

Megan's sister Laura, Laura's husband Craig, and their kids Ana, Claira, Eli, and Estelle, joined us as well.

Craig and Estelle

Ana (also wearing the necklace from Adam's party!)

The parade started. Alex loved the sights and sounds. The police car and "army guys" that started the parade, the marching, the cars.

Victoria was all about candy. Let me just say that parades have changed since I was a kid, when I had to sit on the curb. Getting candy is now akin to a contact sport, with parents having to help their kids against the few kids who are being selfish. And no one sits on the curb anymore, so everyone has to stand and move out into the street to see. Sigh. It definitely makes parade watching more challenging, but I am trying not to ruin it for the kids with my disappointment or with comments like maybe parades should stop having candy altogether.

Because, look at the fun of running for the candy ...

And the kids clapping and waving.

Victoria, Eli, Claira, Ana, and Alex!

I can't resist another comment ... see how far out from the curb we have to be to get candy?? At least the kids are adorable in their red, white, and blue!

I love this. He stuck his face right in Daddy's camera, being silly.

After the parade, we followed our tradition of walking to the fire hall to see trucks and eat root beer floats. Mmmm!

While we were there, Adam and Megan headed over to the park, for Megan's very first helicopter ride. Wheeeee!

We went home for a brief nap, then hightailed it out to Cromwell.

After checking out the cabin in progress, we suited up for a boat ride. My kids had never been on one.

Eva, Victoria, and Alex (and me) - ready for V and A's first boat ride.

V was excited but nervous, even anxious when the boat started. She insisted on holding my hand the entire time.

Alex wouldn't let me go without him. But he was terrified the entire time. He held a death grip on me, whimpered, and kept saying "I go home now?" He also cried over leaving Daddy behind, little worried sweetheart.

As for me, I loved being out on the water. And I knew it was good practice for our upcoming trip to Lake Vermilion, where we would HAVE to ride a boat.

With Ryan and Brooke (my cousin) and all our kiddos.

Victoria and Eva

Matt, my dad, Teresa, my mom, Ron

As the sun set, the kids saw Matt watching the lake, and quietly went out to hold his hands and enjoy the moment.

We packed up and drove back to Duluth, putting the kids in the wagon for the long trek down to Canal Park. What lucky bums to get to ride everywhere!

Seeing the carnival nearby, I began to crave something sweet. Mini doughnuts perhaps? Victoria and I instead found cotton candy and brought a bag back to our blanket.

I love how she is scarfing it down, and Alex is watching her with pure glee! I think we had finished the bag in about ten minutes (Alex in particular being surprisingly adept at shoving wads of the fluffy candy in his mouth), and convinced Daddy to bring back a second bag.

I wanted to include this photo, not because of its high quality but because, looking at Alex here, I think he looks just like Daddy as a small boy!

On a sugar high, and settled onto our blanket, we only had to wait a short while for the big booms to start.

And, this being Duluth, even the Lift Bridge celebrated the holiday.

I love that we were able to spend time in a small town, on a quiet lake, and in our favorite little city. Northern Minnesota has it all. In all three places, we were surrounded by family, friends, community. Thanks for having a birthday, America.