Mid-May Update

On one hand, it seems like just yesterday that I posted about our trip to Orlando. On the other, there's been so much going on that I haven't really processed all we have done in the last month and a half. Well, here goes!

 

Spring sports started up almost immediately after we got back. Nick took on coaching duties of Felix’s rec soccer and baseball teams (on top of his already busy schedule). Iris also did a four-week floor hockey class. She’s got some good moves out there, even when wearing cowboy boots!

Did I mention Felix has been playing sports with a cast on his left arm? He sustained a buckle fracture near his left wrist on April 9th. He fell from a playset and put out the arm to brace his fall. We didn’t know if it was a break or just a sprain, so it wasn’t until the next day that we took him to the doctor. Thank goodness it comes off today, because his left hand has turned an alarming shade of dirt brown...

That was not the only Felix medical drama we’ve experienced. Felix complained about belly pains the evening of May 4th. We thought it was just gas, given the location (left side) and the suddenness. But they didn’t go away, and it kept him in a lot of discomfort for a few hours. Finally at 10:30, we got the opinion of a nurse who told us to bring him in. Nick took Felix to the ER, and I, wide-awake, awaited an update. At 11:45, I got a text from Nick saying, “Doc says he’s full of poop. Paraphrasing slightly, but not much.” The joys of parenting…

We had the opportunity to see family several times, with visits, a baby shower, and Easter thrown in there. The best by far was our trip this past weekend down to Madison. My parents, my sister and her boyfriend, Nick and I got together to see Book of Mormon at the Overture Center. I’ve been a big fan of the musical for years now, and I was so pleased to finally see it. It was all I had hoped for! It was nice to kick back and relax, grown-up style, for most of the weekend. That is, until we reclaimed the kids and dealt with ice cream- and electronics-related tears. Happy Mother’s Day! 

Felix: 7.5 yrs & Iris: 4.5 yrs

Orlando!

Yes, we were among the hundreds of millions of families (seemed like, anyway) that descended upon Orlando for Spring Break 2017.

We started planning this trip along with my parents many months ago, and after months of (im)patiently waiting, planning and packing, it was finally time to go. We drove down to Milwaukee the afternoon of March 26 and checked into our hotel with a chirping smoke alarm outside our room (thankfully, they put in a fresh battery before bedtime). We swam in the pool, ate dinner, and got ourselves ready for the travel day. We were in a pickle, because the hotel said no shuttles between 7 am and 9 am, and we needed a shuttle around 8:30. Scheduled an Uber for the next day.

After we feasted on the hotel breakfast the following morning, we packed up and waited. Lo and behold, we got a hotel shuttle all by ourselves at the right time. Not sure what happened exactly, but it worked out in our favor. We checked in our bags, and gave the kids their first taste of queuing for a ride - in the security line. :o) We had some time to kill at the gate, so we wandered a bit. Iris and I found a play room - and so did a friend of hers from daycare who was also on our flight! They played together until it was time to board. We flew a direct Southwest flight to MCO. Nick and the kids took a row, I sat across the aisle, making for one of my most relaxing flights. :o) This was Iris's first flight, and Felix's second flight (his first was to Mexico when he was 1.5 years old). The lovely people at Southwest gave them first flight certificates and wings. We arrived in sunny, warm Orlando mid-afternoon. We got a shuttle to our hotel, Disney's Pop Century Resort, checked in, and met my parents there. First stop after unpacking: the pool! After swimming, we had a low-key dinner at the resort and got ready for the next day.

Tuesday was Magic Kingdom day. The kids were very excited to join the throngs of people also going there that day. It was hot and sunny. The day was made extra-magical by the Pixie Dust Iris got in her hair. We rode the Barnstormer, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride (Iris said the drops on each ride "scared her private parts"), the Haunted Mansion, the carousel, had lunch at the Colombia Harbour House, took a ride on the steamboat, and waited for our Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FastPass times. Iris declined to go on it, so my mom took her to the Tiki Room show instead. Felix loved the roller coasters after some initial fear. We all joined up to go on Splash Mountain. Iris freaked out as we approached the boarding point. She DID NOT want to go on any more drops. Mom took her out of line, but then suddenly, Iris changed her mind and wanted to go on the log ride after all. They ended up being on a log a few back from us, so we couldn't see how she handled it. 😬 She was all smiles after, but that was it for rides. She had had enough of hiding in Grandma's lap on the drops. 

We caught the train back to Main Street and waited for the parade. While the rest of the family watched that, Felix and I were on a quest for his souvenir - a foam sword. We reconvened and decided it was time to go. Further delays ensued: someone cut their leg on the bus that was to take us back to the resort, meaning EMS was there for a long time, then they had to take that bus away for cleaning and we had to wait longer. Anyway, finally got back to the hotel, and went to the pool. Ordered in dinner. It was nice having adjoining rooms for the adults to chat after the kids went to bed.

What could go wrong? 

Wednesday, we went to Animal Kingdom. The park was much less crowded than Magic Kingdom. We wandered through the different areas, which were shady and cool. We went on the safari ride, pet a snake in another nature area, had lunch under the burning sun, and cooled off on the river rafting ride. The kids enjoyed earning Wilderness Explorer badges. Nick and I rode Expedition Everest while the folks watched the kids in the Boneyard playground. We hunted down some stuffed animal souvenirs and then called it a day. We took so many steps in these two days! More swimming back at the hotel. Nick and I left the kids with the folks, and headed to Disney Springs. We ate our way through the Sushi and Sashimi Pagoda at Morimoto Asia, and enjoyed Irish beverages and dancing at Raglan Road. It was a lovely night to walk around.

YES. 

Thursday, we checked out of the hotel, and all headed over to Disney Springs. We went to the Disney Store and the Lego Store, then ate lunch at Raglan Road. From there, the folks took the rental car and the kids and drove up to Weirsdale to visit Grandma Maxine and Grandpa Dennis, and we followed. We had a nice time chatting and relaxing. The kids swam three times in their pool, and met the horses. It was a clear night, and we were able to see the launch of a SpaceX rocket from 90 miles away. This was especially exciting for Nick and Iris. It was a quiet night.

And a quiet morning on Friday. The kids swam and swam again. They also went riding on one of the horses. I also gamely went for a ride in the yard. The kids liked it. We said goodbye after lunch and headed back to Orlando. We checked into our hotel for the night. The kids went swimming again. We decided to go to an "authentic German restaurant" nearby for dinner. It was quaint and kitschy, and completely deserted except for our family. A rather strange experience to be the only ones in a restaurant for over an hour. But the food was good, and the kids didn't bother anyone else. So, yay? We had a quiet night back at the hotel afterward.

Saturday, we goodbye to the folks (who were driving back), packed up and headed out. I was cranky until we got to the airport, then I settled down. Waiting in line to check our luggage took a lot longer than the security line. The kids were still excited to ride on the plane, which helped. What didn't help was that our flight out was delayed an hour because a nor'easter cancelled our inbound flight. Once they started boarding, they did it so quickly that I forgot about my phone at the charging station until we were on board the plane! Thankfully, my panic was short-lived, because the flight attendants were able to get it to me before the door closed. Whew! The kids had a tougher time with pressure in their ears on the way into Milwaukee. But we survived with no major problems, got back to our car, and treated the kids to ice cream to celebrate our return. The drive home was uneventful, and I scheduled pizza to be delivered minutes after we arrived. 

It was a great time, and we left a lot for us to do the next time we go down. We saw the license plates from 38 states, which was a new personal record. :o)

Felix: 7.5 yrs & Iris: 4.5 yrs

Deep Winter

The theme so far for 2017... "Is It Spring Yet?" We've been bombarded with colds and the cold, ice and ice skating. So, pretty standard winter up until this point. :P As I type this, I'm at home with Iris who has a bothersome belly.

The kids have been playing nicely together, mainly with the plethora of Beanie Baby animals donated by Grandma. (Gee, thanks!) However, it is very cute to see the "kitty hotel" and "air show" and "bucket ride" that they've come up with together.

They are both taking ice skating lessons right now as well. We see weekly improvement - both want to play hockey. Felix also just finished up playing in a brief basketball league. In the last game, it was very impressive to see him strip the ball, sprint down the court and score a basket. 🙌

Nick started teaching an evening class, which he enjoys. We're still going strong in curling. If my Facebook posts haven't tipped you off, this election has awoken the sleeping dragon that is my political side. Didn't know I had one? Neither did I... I'm calling, donating, Huddling, and doing what I can to keep our rights in place and our children's future looking bright. Iris wants to be an astronaut doctor, and I want to make that a possibility for her.

Interests Right Now: Our Washington Post subscription, Powerless, This Is Us, Victoria, and Grand Tour. Anticipating Mystery Science Theater 3000, American Gods, Bill Nye Saves the World

Felix: 7.5 yrs & Iris: 4 yrs

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

The holidays are now over and we've settled back into our normal routine. What a crazy, festive end to 2016 it was! 

We started taking the kids to curling with us. They like to opportunity to get out on the ice, which is good for all of us. We're doing okay this year. Sometimes we're on, sometimes we're off, and sometimes I'm cold. 

The kids keep us entertained with their band performances. The costumes are exquisite! It's only a matter of time before they start asking about pyrotechnics...

We participated in a few holiday gatherings of family and friends, which were a lot of fun. We had to miss out on at least one due to sickness, but that seems difficult to avoid this winter. :) The kids got lots of fun presents. Felix got several Lego airplane sets. Space-crazy Iris got an astronaut costume, a rocket play set, and a trampoline. And the kids got tablets and a telescope to share. 

I had quite a bit of time off around the holidays, and made the most of it, catching up with a friend and getting appointments out of the way. The kids spent a couple of days with Nick's parents and the rest of the week at the Y. Peace, quiet and The Crown for me. :o)

The kids stayed up later than they ever have on New Year's Eve. Iris watched the ball drop and went to bed shortly after 11. Felix made it until 12:30! The 1st was a sleepy day at our hour.

And now, we look forward to 2017. The kids are going to start ice skating lessons again, and we have a spring break trip coming up!

Felix: 7 yrs & Iris: 4 yrs

Thankful

I am thankful for so much this year!

Photos: Photographic Memories
By the Oberstadts

• • My wonderful family, who always support me and give me a reason to smile. 
  • My beautiful, amazing, smart, healthy children.
  • My wonderful husband, who works so hard to make things better for me and the kids. 
  • My circle of friends, ones from years past and new acquaintances. 
  • Nick's great job, that keeps him busy and gives him new challenges daily. 
  • My job that gives me the chance to make a difference on a statewide level. 
  • All of the opportunities I've had and continue to have. 
  • My health. 
  • My education and experiences at UW-Madison, and great teams for which to cheer. 
  • And, since the season just started, curling! 
  
  
  And, I'm also thankful Felix has had many opportunities with the local Boys and Girls Club, even being interviewed with other kids for his perspective on bullying. 

Felix: 7 yrs & Iris: 4 yrs

Fall

It seems we've skipped right past September, and are hurtling headlong toward November. Egads.

So handsome! 

Catching up on things, Felix started 2nd grade and really seems to have turned a corner. His behavior has improved (even he has noticed he's gotten into less trouble this year than in the past), he's more cooperative, and he's doing great in school. Single-digit math is a breeze and he's doing well in reading and spelling.

Making apple pie with Grandma
at daycare

Iris started 4K, and is doing very well as well. She's really on a space kick right now. Forget "to the moon and back." We expanded past that to the Sun, Neptune, the Kuiper Belt, the middle of the Milky Way and as of yesterday, Andromeda. We're still dealing with tantrums, but there are moments like the one last night that make her just delightful:

That face. . . 

Scene: dinner time, all four of us eating around the table. Nick was telling me that Iris tried eating their faux playdoh at daycare and they had to scrub it off her face, leaving her pink-cheeked.

Nick (to Iris): So, you learned something today, didn't you.

Iris: Yes, we learned about the letter T!

And then she was amused and bewildered by all the laughter.

It shall hang in a museum! 

Nick and I have been keeping fairly busy as well. I did my first paint and sip in September, and now have a masterpiece that has yet to find a permanent home. :o) We went to a family wedding (Congrats, Alissa and Cam!) and had quite an adventure staying in a 50+ year old single-wide trailer. We got wonderful family pictures taken by a dear friend. Nick's sister, Natalie, came back to Wisconsin and we got to host her and their folks for an early Thanksgiving dinner. I got to spend two days in Madison training, spending the night and seeing Cassie 3 times and her new house once. We went on a "cranberry crawl" and learned more about the cranberry business in the area, while I was unfortunately under the weather with a bad cold. And finally, I took some time off to help chaperone Iris's daycare trip to Altenburg's with my mom. Fun stuff!

Interests right now: just finished Stranger Things (Awe. Some.), really into this season in Poldark and The Durrells In Corfu, impatiently waiting for the election to be over.

We have many plans for Halloween, so I hope I get my next blog post in a little sooner!

Felix: 7 yrs & Iris: 4 yrs

August Heat

This month has been hot! The Community Picnic at the beginning of the month was sweltering; my cousin's bridal shower was steamy. At least the corn and hummingbirds have enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong - I love a good 85° day. 95 and humid? Not so much.

We got together with Nick's Dad's side for a cookout mid-month. Everybody but his sister in DC made an appearance. Quite impressive! The kids had fun playing in a sprinkler and the endless grazing from the buffet. We enjoyed chatting and playing bags.

We had a quiet weekend to regroup, then BAM! It was time for Nick's and my first actual trip in over 5 years. We drove up to Green Bay on Wednesday afternoon, left the kids with his parents, and flew out on Thursday morning. We spent about 2 and a half days visiting his sister in Washington, DC. Nick had never been there before and I had been there several times, so I let him pick what we saw. We walked the Mall (also sweltering at ~95°) from the Smithsonians to Lincoln and back, and spent a couple hours in the Air and Space Museum. The next day, Nick and I went to the International Spy Museum, which was fun. We ate and drank a lot - sushi, seafood assortments, raw bar, bottomless tapas-style brunch... all so good! We flew back home early on Sunday morning. Had a 3 hour layover in Chicago, but  made it back to GB and then to Rapids in good time.

Summary:
- 11 different types of seafood, over 20 different preparations all told
- Ate at Legal Sea Foods (twice!), Elephant & Castle, Zengo (bottomless brunch)
- Drank at Lou's City Bar, Meridian Pint, Penn Social, E&C, Old Ebbitt Grill
- 35 different state license plates, plus 6 bonus plates (Canadian, government)
- 48,500 steps (20.3 miles)

Iris turned 4! With the recent visits with family, we decided not to throw a party for her this year. We will have fun as a family instead. It's a busy day, with school open houses for both kids, as Felix starts 2nd grade and Iris starts 4K on Thursday. Iris got a My Little Pony sweatshirt, pony plush, jewelry box, indoor/outdoor pogo jumper, kid binoculars, and a board game from us this year.

The 31st is my mom's last day of work. Happy Retirement, Mom! Enjoy this time with Dad!

Felix: 7 yrs & Iris: 4 yrs