Lake Life 2016

Picture post, picture post, LOOK AT ALL THE PICTURES Y’ALL.

We took a nice, long week at Shawano Lake, because a summer lake house is a Wisconsin tradition.  We left after work a few Fridays ago, and got back on Saturday. I’m still trying to recuperate – all that laying around is exhausting, y’all.  Or, you know.  All the lack of sleep (I am a neurotic insomniac in new places), keeping kids occupied during the rainy periods, running them around on their inner tubes in the lake during the sunny periods, exploring the area, parenting, Parenting, PARENTING. You know, the boring bits. Anyway, that would probably more likely explain the post-vacation exhaustion.

Here, some photos.  Enjoy.  There’s lots, so refresh your coffee first…

Friday after work we buckled the kids into their car seats, filled every last square inch with supplies, and hit the road.  We got there just in time to catch the sunset.

The rain started the night we arrived, and continued most of Saturday.  Womp, womp.  Oh well, we made biscuits and gravy and lazied all over the place and went into town for supplies.  By the afternoon things dried up enough for a dip.

Sunday was cooler and scattered storms were forecasted, so we piled in the car and drove up to spend the day in Door County.  Lots of playing, good coffee, goats, and even ran into one of Pete’s classmates at a playground in Sister Bay.

Got back to the cabin somewhat late, and made the kids their favorite lake-cabin meal: fluffernutters and Pringles, washed down with a Sundrop.  I think they ate this at least half a dozen times during our stay. #yolo

Monday was clear from the start! After rolling our butts off the couch we spent the entire day at the lake.  Capped it with some Schartner’s pie. Got a strawberry rhubarb on the way back from Door County on Sunday, and the kids didn’t like it.  WHAT A PITY I GUESS THAT MEANS IT’S ALL FOR ME AND SCOTTIE.

Pete’s perfecting his Pope wave in that picture above… Linus was beyond PISSED that he was not on the paddleboat.  He stood by the other one silently fuming.  He totally looked like old man Carl from Up.

He dealt with his disappointment by stuffing his face with cranberry muffins leftover from breakfast (my version of lake-side snacks are whatever I can grab on the way out the door).  Eventually he got his turn on the paddleboat.

Pieeeeeee.

Tuesday we did some laundry.  Scott dropped off me and Pete at the laundromat and ran some errands with Linus while we got things started, then met back up with us.  Pete wandered to the corner by the TV and watched Soaps the entire time.  I was like “this show is pretty stupid, huh?”.  He was just all like, NOPE I LOVE THIS SHOW.  Awesome.

Why were there random trophy heads in the room across from the laundromat?  It’s a mystery.

Tuesday was by far the hottest day.  When we got back I really felt hopping into the lake to cool off was the only cure but Scott insisted on going to a park to run off the kids instead.  You know, a park.  With equipment, without shade.  In the heat.  AWESOME IDEA.

And before you ask: yes.  I pouted the entire time.

I made him make it up to me by taking us to the Dairy Cove afterwards for ice-cream treats.  Beah recommended this place and boy, it did not disappoint.

We got back pretty late so grabbed some fast food on the way back. A quick trip down the pier to enjoy the view, some fried chicken, and showers for everybody.

Wednesday was rainy.  Again.  That’s okay, we were pros at keeping busy indoors by that point.  The boys found several “new” toys in the couch cushions, too.

That afternoon we went to Twig’s as recommended by my uncle Gene, to take in the soda tour.  Self-guided, mostly an ode to the beauty that is SUNDROP (the best, you guys).  Tasting room, bottling line, and we spent way too much in the gift shop because hello who the heck doesn’t need a $9 Sundrop matchbook truck in their life.  And t-shirts.  And keychains.  And enamel pins…

That is a Sad Linus that thought we forgot to buy him his $9 Matchbox Sundrop truck.  We then took the kids to the park, where Linus ran gleefully… then fell on the pavement while running to the play equipment. Fell on top of his $9 Matchbox Sundrop truck.  Busted it up but good.  Thank goodness for Scottie and his toy-fixing skills.

Then back home for some lake time and S’mores.

Get it.

Okay at this point my picture collages have saved at an annoyingly small size and I apologize.  Click on them if you need more detail and I hate you, free software that I use!

Thursday we had (wait for it…) a little more rain.  But!  Not a lot, we were able to hit the lakefront vaguely early. The Big Boys went for a loooong (Pokemon Go induced) walk and Linus and I hit the sandbar and lake.  I even popped a bag of popcorn to take down with us.  Luxe living.

That evening we went to that weird Harley Davidson/Museum/BBQ joint/Children’s Amusement Area place outside Bonduel.  Linus, poor Linus.  By that point he was Over It with the vacationing and a mess.  He started screaming in the restaurant shortly after we ordered our food, so he and I spent some quality time in the car.  Took most of the food home and just ate later.  Not the worst BBQ, although while the meat was perfectly tender it was lacking in any delicious smokey flavor. Like, nothing.  I have yet to find any decent BBQ up here yet, sadly.  If y’all have any recs send ’em so I can fix that problem!

We walked around the property afterwards, taking in all the weird and random bits.  I kinda like this place I gotta say, pretty darn quirky.

That takes us to Friday – Pete asked me to take pictures of himself with his last bottle of Sundrop, before we returned the bottles. Sad Panda.  We took those puppies back, spent more time at the lakefront, then begrudgingly spent the evening packing up the kitchen and swim stuff to get a head start on things.

Saturday it was RAINING again!  But that’s okay because we were outta there.  Finished packing, tidied up, and turned in the keys.  We were on the road by 9am.

We met up with my sister Coco at the EAA, to take in the museum there.  They were having a WWII-plane-art exhibit, some interesting pieces were there.  The kids had a good time checking everything out.  After that we had some lunch at Friar Tuck’s, then it was time to head back to Madison.  Sads.

So ends our big Lake Vacation Adventure, until next time, Shawano Lake.

And for you: Gold Star, you made it.