So We Did

I’ve seen it in pictures but it was one of those things that I have always wanted to see in person.

So we did.

These are my kids in front of Mount Rushmore. What? This isn’t the real one you say. Oh yes, this is a knock-off at Wall Drug in South Dakota. Wall Drug is also another place I always wanted to see after I received a post card from a friend when I was 10 years old stating her parents took her to Wall Drug in South Dakota. In her postcard she didn’t state what it was or what she did there so I had no clue what she was talking about but to me it really sounded like a questionable place to take a kid. It wasn’t until many years later (like 2 years ago) I found out that it is a famous pharmacy in South Dakota.

It is best known for it’s 5 cent coffee, amazing doughnuts, a ton of crazy photo props and a huge T-Rex dinosaur that scared the bejiggums out of our 2 year old!

My husband being a good sport and posing with his 5 cent coffee!

I’m pretty sure this is the only place in the world that you can have your picture taken with a huge jackrabbit with a saddle on it’s back!

This giant T-Rex that roars, his eyes light up and his head moves has turned my 2 year old into a dinosaur hater!

Honestly though, I have always wanted to see the real Mount Rushmore. As an American it kind of seems like it’s one of those things you need to see before you die.

So we did.

My kids in front of Mount Rushmore

It really is a sight to behold. I’m glad we went to see it. It’s amazing to me that someone not only thought about doing this so long ago but actually executed their plan and brought it to fruition. Absolutely remarkable in my opinion.

Isn’t it spectacular?

Another truly great moment on our recent vacation! Two Mount Rushmores in one day!

 

 

 

 

 

Grandmas Have A Dark Side

The word Grandma conjures up images of sweet little old ladies. They are busy knitting, baking cookies and going about doing charitable good deeds. This all may be very true but I know a dark side to Grandmas. They also have suppressed frustration towards their own children.

The years of headaches I have caused my mom is having its repercussions. I have proof my mom has a personal vendetta against me.

This is what I witnessed the other day.

My mom giving Cesar a sip of coffee

I have seen with my own eyes, Cesar ask Grandma for sips of coffee, and her in amusement oblige his request. She laughs and says, “It’s his Norwegian blood running through him. Norwegians just LOVE their coffee.”

I already have my hands full keeping heads and tails of this child so clearly a sip of caffeine will not further my cause of keeping a handle on taking care of an already mischievous 2 year old.

Apparently, my husband was a very naughty child as well that left his mother on a mission to get back at him too.

This is a scene I caught earlier this summer when Cesar’s other Grandma came to visit.

My husband’s Mom giving Cesar a sip of her coffee

I guess Cesar’s Hispanic blood that he has running through him was craving some coffee too!

Both my mom and mother-in-Law ARE very sweet ladies. They are the best Grandmas my kids could have. However, they do have a dark side.

Their dark side causes them to dole out one too many cookies, say “yes” when they should say “no” and give out sips of coffee. This is what my husband and I get after the amount of gray hair we gave them and years of worry we bestowed upon them. Sometimes I wish they would just give us a spanking.

Don’t Forget to Drink Your Coffee

I need coffee EVERYDAY. Like many people I am in a slightly catatonic state when I wake up in the morning. I’m sure it doesn’t help that most of my mornings start at 5am and that almost every night our 5 year old sleep walks into our bedroom, crawls into our bed and gives me 2 inches to lay on and virtually no air space to breathe.

I know it would be healthy if I started my day with a brisk run but there have been studies linked to coffee and its ability to delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. So really I am doing my family a service by being fully awake each day to meet all of their needs and I will forever remember their names.

One day, I didn’t have coffee and I actually forgot how to run my washing machine. I have been doing laundry for 20 plus years, and in recent years, it is sometimes 10 loads a week. The only explanation for my mind suddenly becoming blank to this chore was that I had momentarily let Alzheimer’s slip in with my lack of caffeine.

In an effort to prevent forgetting one of my children at a store or the ability to be able to figure out how to open a box of cereal and give my kids breakfast. I will continue to drink coffee!

Here is a cool tip we do at our house to have gourmet coffee on a serious budget. I got this inside information from my Uncle Jeff and it is so good and easy!

We buy regular coffee and whichever one is on sale. Put your grounds in the coffee filter and sprinkle CINNAMON on top of your grounds. Add your water and turn on the coffee pot! That’s it! You will now have great tasting coffee and be given the added bonus of keeping your memory forever or at least be awake enough to make it through another day!!

My morning coffee