Last Thursday we ventured to the big city, or at least as big of a city as the Minneapolis area is.
We really have not gone on a family vacation in the past year. When our usual every other year fishing trip to northern Minnesota unexpectedly got scrapped, I knew I wanted to do something. We have friends in Shakopee who are always kind enough to let us stay with them, so I figured we better make it happen before the craziness of Harvest Days and the school year takes over.
The trip started bright and early Thursday morning so we could make the Twins game that afternoon. It was a lovely 95 degree day, which meant our plastic seats in full sun were probably closer to 105.
We had been sitting for about five minutes before the kids were already hot, cranky and asking when we could leave. My husband kept wondering why we managed to get such great seats. I am pretty sure the fact that they were located inside what amounted to a giant outdoor oven had something to do with it.
We spent some time making laps around the concourse to cool off, stopping for what felt like a million bathroom breaks. At one point I thought I had found the solution with ice cream. The kids certainly enjoyed it, but they also managed to wear about half of it as it melted down their shirts.
Meanwhile, the Twins were doing absolutely nothing to keep our attention. They trailed the Royals 3 to 0 and could not seem to put anything together offensively. We took the kids over to the play area, thinking that would improve everyone’s mood. Instead, they just started fighting.
By the end of the eighth inning, we decided it was time to call it a day.
Now maybe you saw what happened next.
We sat in the parking garage for what felt like forever trying to get out. At one point we noticed a Twins player being interviewed on the Jumbotron, which seemed odd considering we thought they had just lost. About an hour and a half later we finally learned the truth.
The Twins had pulled off one of the wildest comebacks in franchise history.
With less than a 1 percent chance of winning, they loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and Kody Clemens blasted a walk off grand slam.
I could not believe it.
To make matters worse, I had already posted on social media that we left early because the game was boring. That post aged about as well as milk sitting in our 105 degree seats.
I also felt bad for my husband, who is actually a pretty big Twins fan.
Lesson learned about leaving games early.
Although, in our defense, I still think we really did not have much of a choice. The kids were getting unruly, to put it politely. My repeated threats of, “If you do that one more time, we’re going home,” rang a little hollow considering home was more than four hours away. And, apparently, publicly spanking your child is frowned upon these days.
The rest of the trip was much more successful.
We spent time with friends we rarely get to see, whose three daughters instantly became best friends with our kids. Friday brought rain all day, but honestly it was a welcome break from the heat. We went miniature golfing and even made the obligatory stop at the Mall of America, where we essentially set money on fire at Nickelodeon Universe before handing over another small fortune for $7 Dippin’ Dots.
The kids thought it was fantastic. My wallet not so much.
Saturday was probably the highlight of the trip. We visited a city pool that was about the size of a small lake and even had a sandy bottom. Zephie impressed me by passing the swim test so she could jump off the giant pirate ship even though she was not tall enough to meet the height requirement. Between the slides, diving platform and pirate ship, I am pretty sure the kids climbed and splashed hundreds of times. It was expensive, but we definitely got our money’s worth.
Sunday wrapped things up with a visit to the Minnesota Children’s Museum. Better yet, admission was free thanks to the excellent timing of our friend’s ticket reservation. The kids played, explored, learned and then played some more. Meanwhile, the adults actually got to sit on a bench for a while and simply watch the chaos unfold.
It was four fun filled days and a nice break from our everyday routine.
Sometimes we get so caught up in work, activities and everything else on the calendar that we forget to make time for those little adventures. They do not have to be extravagant. Maybe it is just a night at a hotel in Aberdeen or a weekend camping somewhere nearby.
The kids are not getting any younger. I know I still struggle to slow down and enjoy these moments while they are happening instead of rushing on to the next thing. This trip reminded me that sometimes the best memories come from getting away for a few days, even if you blow it by leaving early from the unforgettable baseball game.
