An Actual For-Real Kid-Free Break! Sans Cat-Related Drama!

I was scared to even say anything ahead of time for fear of somehow cursing this break with bad luck. As you may recall, any other time we tried to escape together sans kids has generally not worked out. B was bit by that random cat in Mexico in 2010 so the two nights away from her at the resort-next-door were fraught with rabies concerns. Our anniversary date at the hotel this past December was delayed on the front end and then cut short by the sad Stevie cat situation. On a rational level, I knew that a big cat-related crisis was unlikely, but I wasn't counting chickens, putting eggs in baskets, or doing anything else poultry-saying-related prior to the trip.

But no crisis revealed itself prior to the trip and we left the kids with my mother-in-law without a hitch (thank you, thank you, thank you MIL). This trip away not only happened but it was TWO nights and there were no problems at all aside from a little blizzard on the drive home. It was AMAZING. Yes, caps-locky amazing.

We went up to Dodge's Log Logdes, which is just north of Duluth on the North Shore of Lake Superior. I love the set-up with its little log cabins equipped with fireplaces and fantastic views. We first came here with Bella a couple years ago. I had always wanted to return in a kid-free capacity so I could focus on my life-long pursuit of wine-drinking and book-reading whilst enjoying a view of a fire, a large body of water, and a husband (preferably my own). I have dreams, people, and these dreams were realized for a nice little stretch this week.

Inside the cabin (I'm standing on the bed):

View up the shore from the deck:

We woke up by 7 am each morning...all on our own...after sleeping a blissful 10+ hours straight.

We didn't do much at all, which was what I wanted. (Also: cold as balls/witch's tits/various private parts so I was happy to stay inside 90% of the time.)

Excellent - and surprisingly trendy - food at New Scenic Cafe. I loved these tuna & avocado "tacos" in fried wonton wrappers with a cabbage salad so much that I had it for lunch and dinner.

A storm was a-brewing so the lake was very choppy and I could hear the wind howling all night long on Thursday night. GITCHEE GUMEE!

Final beach-side moment before the drive home. Just like Mexico, except with more layers.

Minnesota people will appreciate this: this was 35-W - reduced to one lane on the drive home.

And then we came home to two happy kids and two healthy cats and a MIL who was willing to do it all again someday and all was well. Whew.

I'm so thankful that this getaway happened (it was our first time that both of us were truly away from the kids at the same time beyond a local hotel stay here and there) and that I can look back on these pictures when I need a break from the child-induced weary moments. Like right now. (Three year olds: GAAAAAAAAHHHH. I continue to hope that my original sweet child will be returned to me on her fourth birthday. We are all very, very over the threenager attitude and demands and frequent unpleasantness. It's a phase, it's a phase, oh please please let this be a phase) It's not so easy for us to coordinate child care to get away, so it's extra fantastic when it happens. Maybe we can start dreaming big and attempt going out of state next time (you hear that, Husband??)

PS - There is still a couple days left to enter the book-of-your-choice giveaway on my last post!