Fourth of July

This fourth of July, we decided to travel up to Duluth, Minnesota and take in some nature, some swimming, and some hiking. Geno does not like traveling far distances. He used to, but now that he is maturing into a young man, he HATES it. Thank goodness that Coretta being the saint she is, loves her brother enough to keep him occupied as he scratches her and tries to break her necklaces.

Once we finally get to Duluth, we check into the Holiday Inn and decide to go down to the Thomas Carnival and spend time down in the canal. Coretta went on one ride that was called the tornado which spins you around and around and around. She loved it. It is too bad that one of the teenagers on the ride did not love it as much. She puked orange foamy liquid as the ride came to a stop as everyone around her looked on in horror and disgust. I bet her boyfriend loved that moment.

Another problem for Geno is getting enough sleep and getting enough food. At home, he is used to having his food prepared BEFORE he sits down, so when we have to wait for food, he tends to melt down. It is amazing to watch his transformation from crazy boy to happy boy in a matter of minutes as the food enters his system.

We then ventured down to listen to Martin Zellers, formerly of the Gear Daddies, playing live as we wait for the fireworks to begin. Geno did not make it. He finally fell asleep in the stroller.

Coretta also went on a ride that actually propels you in the air and seems to be a lot like hand gliding. She had to lay with her stomach down as they strapped her into this metal contraption. That was probably her favorite since her dream has always been that she could fly.

The next day, we did some shopping at Fitgers and went to Chris's house where the girls spent time jumping on the trampoline while Geno watched in awe. He definitely has a real soft spot for the girls. Coretta, Brooke, and Ashley had a blast swimming, watching movies, and hiking at Lester.

On the way home, we were all a little tired and a little crabby. It was hard to get much sleep at the hotel because Geno hates the port-a-crib. Needless to say, we made the best of it.

Just as we are approaching the cities, we here this horrible screeching sound. We come to find out that our right back tire had blew (once we smelt rubber) and we needed to try and change lanes on the freeway to find a safe place to fix it. Nick and I, watching too many shows and news reports of people getting killed on the side of the road, were worried about having enough space to change the tire. Nick, being tired, finds the jack and is about to lift the wrong side of the car when I come out and say, "Isn't the flat on the other side of the car?" We both laugh and Nick changes the tire in 90 degree heat without being killed. It was nice to finally be home.