We took a two-day trip to Minneapolis at the end of July in part because Jeremy had business to take care of there. It was a fun chance to explore parts of the city that we’ve never seen!
We drove up Thursday evening.
The boys loved the hotel and looking at the city streets from the bedroom window.
Dallin cuddled with me in the morning when I was still sleeping.
I was glad that Tanner was more entertained by the streets than by the morning cartoons.
On Friday, the boys and I explored Fort Snelling, where we learned all about the history of settlers in the area. It was really fascinating. We got to see cannons and guns get shot, try chores from the olden days, and see beautiful views of the rivers around the fort. I really pushed myself to be a good mommy that day. I had to work on my patience more than normal because the drive the day before was really hard on my back, and I was in a ton of pain. The day ended up being very memorable.
Amid the regular whining and brotherly conflicts (of which I only lost my cool twice-ish) and the embarrassing evidence that my kids are lacking in public etiquette, my boys manged to be interested in 85% of the things we saw and did at Fort Snelling! We spent four hours there, and the whining was only about the heat and smells and being hungry, rather than saying things were boring or wanting to leave. I didn’t hear any requests to go home until the last 45 minutes. The boys listened really well when I and others taught them history, they asked really good questions and even compared things at the site with other histroical sites we’ve taken the boys. They even held still for a group picture!
I’m not willing to say that the positive moments outweighed the bad, cuz mommying at a historical site is not a cake walk by any means. At the end of the day, I was emotionally exhausted from the highs and lows. I did find joy in the fact that the things my kids were super excited to do at this fort were because I’m their mommy. They initiated a game of chess and actually stayed focused in the game while other tourists milled around them. This was proof that taking the time to learn and teach chess to them was paying off! During one of our tours, the boys heard drums playing outside. They jumped up from their seats and looked out the door. They were so excited, “Mommy, mom! It’s music! Come on, let’s find it!!!” They were not content until we found the drum and fife players, and watched with wide eyes. This was proof that my love for music is rubbing off on them. A memorable day indeed.
We grabbed fast food for lunch, but Dallin fell asleep mid bite!
That afternoon we were able to rest and then explore the Global Market with Jackie!! There were lots of yummy foods from all over the world, so naturally my kids wanted pizza, haha. It was too quick of a visit, but so glad I got to spend time with this lady!
That evening, we enjoyed the hotel pool with Jeremy and showed the boys what a sauna is. They loved it.
On Saturday, Jeremy joined us for adventures at Minnehaha Falls, which is what Minneapolis is named after. It was such a beautiful waterfall tucked in the suburbs of the city. Wow. Green everywhere, a cute restaurant, bike rentals, park with fun playground and picnic spaces and big grasses to run, and historic monuments and home. We regret not coming here sooner and recommend this place to everyone.
Then we did a big bike ride along the Chain of Lakes to the famous sculpture garden. Our bike ride was 7 or 8 miles total. Dallin, who just learned how to ride a two wheeler earlier that week, did a SUPER job keeping up with us! We were a little worried when in the first 500 feet of the ride he fell and skinned his elbow. It was a hard lesson learned that he wasn’t quite good enough to scratch his face while riding his bike. 😉 But he was fine within a minute and started off again ahead of us! Dal Pal had us laughing when he got off his bike and laid in the middle of the bike path for a rest. But it didn’t take much coersion to get him back on his bike, and he made it the whole way there and back!
Spoonbridge and Cherry Sculpture
Tanner was inspired by the art and made his own sculpture.
We were able to get home before bedtime on Saturday evening! Little did we know we would get the chance to come back in just a few weeks!
