On Thursday night, Andy suggested that we get away over Memorial Day weekend. So we checked out some rental homes online and found an available house. We offered significantly less than the asking price and vowed to go only if the home owner would rent the place at a discount. She did. So we left on Friday, after taking the car to get an oil change, visiting the pediatrician's walk-in hours (Henry was diagnosed with a double ear infection), swinging by the pharmacy to pick up antibiotics, and attending Miles' end-of-year party. On the way, we stopped at a walk-in clinic so that Andy could see a doctor and receive a prescription for antibiotics (sinus infection). We were a mess.
So the trip seemed ideally timed. We spent a few lazy days at the beach. And checked out a petting zoo on a rainy morning. It was fun. We haven't been to a vacation destination, as a family, since Henry was in utero. It's been too long.
Lake Geneva is cute. It's easible accessible from Chicago (~2 hours). People are friendly. The beaches are clean and perfect for small kids.
Here are the boys on the front porch (yes, we wore our pajamas outdoors -- what else is vacation for but slobbing out?):
It was really, really nice to have a front yard. The kids ran around, blowing bubbles and chasing each other with sticks. Henry so loved having a yard that he would run to his shoes at 6am, demanding to go outside. It just confirmed that we need our own lawn -- but also that once we have one, we might be in it a little too often.
To be honest, I was amazed at how well Henry traveled. We haven't taken him anywhere overnight since last summer, when we visited Nathan and Gretchen. But more than that, he's a kid who thrives on routine. He insists upon it. For instance, when he wakes up, if we don't immediately feed him a banana, he goes beserk. And no other fruit or food will substitute for the banana. And you need to sing a silly banana song while feeding him. It's ridiculous.
By now, you're probably bored with photos taken of the kids at the beach. But here are a few more, nonetheless.