Busy but very fun weekend

Dave and I have been on the move for the last few days. Friday night we spent in Mason City with my parents and had a little birthday celebration for me. My mom made a nice meal and after a short walk on the lake, we had a very chocolately ice cream cake. We got the kiddos to bed (Calvin is easy, Violet is more of a challenge!) and talked more over a nice bottle of white wine. We made plans to spend most of the day on Saturday with some friends of ours we know from Bethany Bible Chapel. The Stickfort family was so kind to invite us to their lake condo in Clear Lake for the day. We arrived at 10 am and sized up the weather for the day. It started to sprinkle in the morning as we were walking out to the boat to take a boat ride, but after a few minutes it cleared up, and the whole day ended up being really sunny and bright. Before lunch we went to the condo's indoor pool and let the kids get wet in the water. Dave and I switched off holding Calvin the whole time and tried to let Violet got to float in the water with her life jacket. She's a pretty fearful kid...and wouldn't trust her life jacket to hold her up. She had to clutch to one of us the whole time, or hold our thumbs while she floated. She was mostly terrified that she was going to end up under water somehow. Then we took a boat ride. Violet enjoyed the boat very much. She loved to look at the water and talk about how windy it was. Calvin was fine, too, but didn't seem all that excited. He was mesmerized by the hum of the motor. The water was pretty choppy in the morning. Doriece and I were on the front of the boat and got soaked. We enjoyed a yummy grilled lunch (burgers, brats, hot dogs, salad, fruit) and got the kids down for naps. Violet was excited to have all her bed time stuff with her, and was even more excited to sleep on the top bunk bed in the bedroom. She fell asleep quickly. Calvin, however, did not. He may not have even slept 15 minutes, poor kid. We didn't have a fan for him to sleep with, so he didn't seem to settle down with out that white noise. We did get to go out on the boat for awhile. I actually woke up Violet from her nap so she could join us on the boat. I knew that if she woke up and we were all on the boat she would be upset that she couldn't have gone. Doriece volunteered to stay back with Calvin and get him to sleep a little so the rest of us could get on the water. Dave wakeboarded a little, I waterskiied a couple times, Skylar waterskiied, Nate waterskiied, and then we all boated back in. Later in the day we took the boat out again so Dakota, Skylar, and Nate could all go tubing. Dave somehow convinced Violet to go on the tube. He started by just getting her to sit on it. She seemed happy with that. Then he got her to lay down on her tummy and hold on. She seemed happy enough, so he went one step further and said "how about Randy pull us with the boat realllly slow?" So she went for that, and before we all knew it, Dave and Violet were being pulled by the boat on the tube, and the both of them were grinning from ear to ear. She loved it! Supper was pizza, and I got a chance to bathe both kids and get them in their pajamas before the car ride home. We left Clear Lake around 7:30 pm. I thought for sure both kids would pass out in the car and fall asleep, but that wasn't the case. They stayed awake for the hour and a half drive home. Calvin did konk out the last five minutes, but Violet kept him entertained almost the whole time. Sunday morning, Calvin slept in til 9:15. Dave and Violet took the truck to BBC and I waited until Calvin woke up, knowing that he would need that extra sleep. I woke up that morning STIFF as a board, I was soooooo sore. I am still sore this morning. I know I skiied probably more than I should have, but it was just too fun. I'm still battling a sinus cold. We had made plans with our friends Scott and Jeanne Hansen to spend the day with them on Sunday. The summer gets so busy with plans that we had to schedule this one out a few weeks in advance. Violet and their daughter AnneMarie are good friends, and really enjoyed playing together. We drove to Charles City where they live on Sunday afternoon and let the kids take naps there. Calvin had snoozed off in the car ride there, so he wasn't exactly ready for a nap when he got there. Violet did sleep for a long time, though. We had a nice time talking and catching up and letting the kids play. Jeanne prepared a yummy meal (Scott grilled steaks) with broccoli salad, bread, fresh fruit, baked potatoes, grilled garlic and buttery mushrooms, and even made her famous butterfinger dessert. She stuck a couple candles on the cake for my birthday and we sang happy birthday - that was very nice. We took the girls for a walk to the park between dinner and dessert and let them feed the ducks and geese who hang out by the river's edge just waiting for people to come by and feed them. It was really late by the time we left - close to 9:30 pm. Calvin was an absolute nutcase...running around all hyper and overtired, crashing into things and making a fool out of himself. He was body slamming me and laughing so hard. Violet picked up "the big bad wolf" story from AnneMarie and they tore through the house and laughed all crazy...it was nuts. We had to get them home and in bed though....this whole weekend of not sleeping that much is catching up to me and them. I still haven't gotten completely better. My sinuses still feel plugged and I'm really sore still. Today is my birthday. :) I'm 28. The weather is beautiful! We have the air off and every door and window open possible. I'm enjoying the refreshing breeze after such a humid week. Calvin was a mess this morning when he woke up (tired, clingy, not eating much), so after being awake for about an hour and a half, I put him back in bed for an early nap. He went down at 10:30 and is still sleeping. Violet is running around the house talking to me, begging me to read her a book, asking me to take a walk with her in the house, just asking for attention. I read her a lot of books, and now she's asking me what is wrong with the air conditioner, lol. Sorry if this post is disconnected, I've had to get up and sit back down about 15 times since sitting down to start writing.