Childhood: Elementary School

Here is my jumble of memories related to going to elementary school at Pitsch, the school across the street:


My 1st grade teacher was Miss Bowers.  It was easy to remember this because it rhymed with flowers.  She was very petite, which was nice for short little 1st graders like myself.


My 2nd grade teacher was Miss Giese.  She was extremely interested in Japanese culture.  That year, we had a Japanese exchange teacher (whose name I can't remember), who taught us how to use chopsticks, write our names in katakana, fold origami, and let us sample salted dried cherries.  Miss Giese gave us each a shell necklace when she returned from a trip to Hawaii, too.


One day in 2nd grade, we were doing a student-parent project of making a pie.  I was pretty much the leader of our small group, and I decided we were making a lemon-meringue pie.  I'd never made one before, but I thought they were tasty.  We definitely didn't have all the necessary equipment and ingredients to make the pie, so I got permission to run home and get a pot and a few other things.  I don't think our pie turned out too well.


I really liked authority figures.  I felt I could be helpful and important to them.  One such person was the principal, Mr. Wells.  I don't know how many times I visited him or left him notes, but I'm pretty sure he probably thought I was a creepy little kid.


In the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade, I participated in this patriotic I don't know what you'd call it.  Anyway, I wrote "A Bill of Rights For Kids" that was highlighted in a newspaper article about the event.


In 3rd grade, I wasn't chosen for the special combined 3rd-4th class.  This made me jealous of the students who were.  I was in Mrs. Kluender's class instead.  I remember that we had tadpoles in our class, and we played "Pass the Witches Broomstick" and sung H-A-Double L-O-Double U-Double E-N spells Halloween.


In 4th grade, I had Miss Smith.  We had hampsters in that class - Skippy and Scooter.  I got to take Scooter home for the summer.  Scooter escaped from his cage, got into rat poison and died.  I felt really bad to tell Miss Smith the next fall, but she didn't seem too broken up about it.


My 5th grade teacher was Mrs. Smith.  She had a penchant for telling us scary stories from her past, like hunting will-o-the-wisps, and the time a girl was attacked and killed by an alligator when she was lifeguarding.  She had a twin sister and her maiden name was Fortune.  She didn't like the song Jingle Bells because of the "misfortune seemed his lot" part.  I took up, briefly, the viola this year.  It was the first year that we could learn an instrument, and even though I didn't want to play a stringed instrument long-term, I took it start reading music.  I chose the viola because it seemed "different."  At the end of 5th grade, we were headed for Howe elementary.  To send us off, the music teacher, Mrs. Bures, had all the other classes line up in the hallway and sing "The Wind Beneath My Wings" to us.  I teared up.


No Specific Year:


I was on the safety patrol.  Looking back now, it does seem like a lawsuit waiting to happen if you allow other elementary school students to dictate when classmates should cross the street, even if they are wearing ridiculous neon orange sashes.  My friend Megan H. (see more below) became the Safety Patrol leader, and gave me all the crappy assignments.  Bitch.


The gym at Pitsch was pretty pathetic.  It wasn't built with the intention of allowing kids to play any sports other than jump rope, because it had giant curved beams that were maybe 12 feet off the ground at the high point.  Volleyball nets had to be hung limply to allow a ball to go over them.  They didn't bother with basketball backboards - they simply put up a pole with a hool on it in front of one of the beams.


There was a yearly bike rodeo, where Officer Arnie would come and teach us bicycle safety.  There were special events involving bicycling ability that would earn you points.  My pink banana-seated bike wasn't up for the task (or maybe it was just me), but I never did as well as I wanted.


One neat thing was the gym event at the end of the year.  It was sort of a mini-Olympics, with different events, such as a timed obstacle course, races, etc.  Again, I never did as well as I wanted, but it did mark the start of summer for me.


We had fundraisers each year.  Most of the stuff was pretty cheap and crappy.  Porcelain bells in the shape of anthropomorphic bears with their legs as the clapper, multi-spice dispensers, I can't remember what else.  Despite being so close to an elementary school, most of the neighborhood was comprised of elderly people who moved there shortly after the school was built in the 60s and didn't leave.  They didn't want to buy crap from me.


Each summer, I would attend summer school.  One memorable year after 3rd grade, I took German and Spanish simultaneously for a session.  I'd learn German, then go downstairs and learn Spanish.  Other than drama a couple of times, I don't remember any other classes I had.


Recess:


During recess, we played on a number of what would now be considered highly dangerous pieces of equipment.  There was a merry-go-round, swings, monkey bars and gymnasiums, and a concoction of tires and beams with two tire swings.  During 2nd grade, a few friends and I played a game called "Superman", where one person would be down in the middle of the tire swing and spin it on one foot, like they were doing a pirouette.  Three other people would be standing on the tire between the chains.  When the tire was going fast enough, the standing people would jump and "fly" while holding on.  One day, I was the one in the middle.  Becky W. was one of the people holding on.  She ended up letting go, falling off, and hitting her chin on the wooden support beam.  She got a cut, and I was told by Miss Bowers that I "bit of more than I could chew", which didn't have a lot of meaning for me at the time.

On this structure, we also played a game called Toilet Monster.  It was a little like tag in that the Toilet Monster, below the angled net of tires, tried to reach throw and tag someone as they ran up the tires to the top beam.

We also had a couple of creaky gymnastic pieces of outdoor equipment.  There were two metal bars, one high and one low, that we would try doing penny and cherry drops from.  Kills the underside of your knees, and it had the thrill factor of possibly landing on your face.

From about 3rd to 5th grade, hand clapping (Down by the Bay, Miss Mary Mack, etc.), double dutch, and throwing little rubber balls at the "gym" wall were the popular recess options.  We also had another way of injuring ourselves, if tire swings weren't enough.  There was a set of really high swings on the older student side of the playground.  Kids a year older than me figured out that a swing could be hitched over the end of one of the metal supports.  You'd then sit on the swing like normal, and could hoist yourself up so you were standing on the support with the swing behind you.  Someone would do the same with the other swing on the opposite side.  On the count of three, you'd both jump off and out, and tangle up in the chains until you bumped into each other.  Great fun.  The teachers eventually caught wind of what was going on and we weren't allowed near the swings anymore.

Friends: I had a couple of "friends" in elementary school.  Looking back, I am amazed how petty and mean the girls could be.  There was definitely a social heirarchy that I always fell very short on, and it was painfully obvious during recess.  There was another tire-and-beam structure that had tired drilled in vertically on each side of a vertical beam.  My "friends" would each sit on one of the top tires and hold court.  Usually, I wasn't one good enough to have my own seat and was forced to be on the ground.  This same group was obsessed with horses.  I pretended to be, too, fake-galloping my horse around the ball diamond, drawing horses, whatever.  I tried way too hard to be liked, I know that. 

Megan H. was the leader of this group of girls.  By ourselves, we were friends, but I guess I she was trying to look better in other girls' eyes, so she tended to shun me at school.  I did spend many weekend afternoons at her parents' farm west of the city, playing with her borzois and horses, playing in the hayloft of the barn, finding the occassional squished kitten.  I would occassionally spend the night in the old farmhouse with her.  I still think that place was haunted.  Her mom was so nice.  Megan shared my brief obsession with New Kids on the Block, and we went to a concert together in Minneapolis.  My relationship with Megan faded completely when we went to a new school in 6th grade (Pitsch only went through 5th grade back then).

Childhood: Not So Great First Day of Kindergarten

For being as open and talkative as I was at age 5, I definitely was nervous about my first day of Kindergarten.  I remember being shown where different things were in the room (such as the toilet), and being told what I could or couldn't play with, but what really made the day memorable was what happened on the way to the library.  What happened?  I threw up.  Yup, I didn't even get through one full day before I went home sick.  After that, things were better.  I remember that there were some really awesome toys in the room, but we rarely got to play with them and that made me sad. 

Childhood: Moving to the Center of the Universe

I figure I better explain this one right away.  A few friends and I determined in high school that Wisconsin Rapids (pop. 18,435) is the Center of the Universe.  Some how, some way, everyone you meet will have a connection to Rapids.  It doesn't matter where you are on the planet - there is a connection.  Case in point: we were getting to know the parents of our son's classmate yesterday, and after I mentioned I was from Rapids, the wife piped up that she had relatives that lived there (and I graduated with her cousin).  There it is again!  It happens too often to be denied.


So, in the fall of 1985, my dad got the head greenskeeper job at Bull's Eye Country Club and Tri-City Golf Course.  My parents already had connections in the area, and on at least one occassion, left me with a friend's daughter when they were househunting.  I remember being in her room on a snowy day, listening to Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.  They did take me on at least two house tours, including the one we eventually settled in.  I remember the other house was a lot closer to my dad's job, but also a stone's throw from the wastewater treatment plant.  It had a bannister that swayed when I pulled on it.


The house my parents bopught was located across the street from an elementary school, had no neighbors in the back, and was liberally carpeted in a 70's style avocado-colored shaggy nightmare, even in the kitchen.  That carpet lasted a long time, if I remember correctly.


We moved up on the December 30, 1985.   I remember my mom packing a few items into the car, such as a plant.  While the movers were busy unloading our stuff, my sister and I were in the care of our neighbors, the Dalys.  They have been great friends to our family ever since!  My parents still live in that house (as of this posting).

Childhood: Germantown Memories

I impressed myself about five years ago, when I returned to Germantown and could actually drive to the places I knew when I was little.  My parents and I, and eventually my sister, lived in a condo complex in Germantown from 1982 to 1985.

Since I don't have a ton of memories from these early days, and I can't place them exactly in a timeline, it seems easier to just throw them all in one post and edit to add when I think of more.

Here we go!

We lived on the second story of a condo complex at the end nearest the lake.  It was two bed, one bath.  The path to the unit would get flooded during heavy rains.  My sister and I would go and play in the puddle that formed.

My friend Missy lived in the same complex, though not in our building.  One day, she and I were jumping on my full-size bed (no toddler or kid beds for me!), and she pushed me off.  I fell on my arm.  A few days later, my mom noticed a bump on it, and took me to the doctor.  It turned out that I had a hairline fracture.  They wrapped it up with an ace bandage and gave me a yellow patterned sling.

I remember the day I learned to tie my shoes.  I was 5 and wearing blue Asics.

We ate dinner around the dining table next to the kitchen.  One night we had fish cooked in the brown, square microwave dish that my parents still use often.  I got a few bones in my piece and didn't want to eat fish for another, oh, twenty years.

My dad worked from 5 to 3 (ish), and would pick me up from day care on his way home.  When we got home, we had a tradition of having coffee (not sure if this was real coffee that he gave me or not).

There was a bad storm one night in which lightning struck a barn a few miles from our home.  I remember going out on the wet metal balcony with my dad and hearing the sirens of the firefighters.

On another summer evening, there was severe weather approaching.  We went across the way and watched the news with another family who had a basement we could go into if things got bad.  I watched the lightning outside with the adults.  Someone called it "shotgun lightning".  I still think I misheard something.  Thankfully, nothing hit us.  This might have been the same night as the previous memory, but I'm not sure.

There was one babysitter in particular that I remember.  She was an older lady and must have been watching me during the day instead of me going to day care.  One day, I was swinging my legs between two couches.  She didn't like this and smacked my bottom.  She had a son, and we gave him banana stickers and socks for a birthday present.  I also attended some kind of graduation with her.  I snuck away and played under a big bush because I was bored.

We went to the library a lot.  I liked the step stools they used, because they shrunk down and locked when you stepped on them, but rose up when you took your weight off it.  I played with them quite a bit.

My parents and I would go for bike rides around town.  They had a kid carrier that attached behind the seat that I would sit in.  I remember cruising past the cemetery.

I also remember a 4th of July parade.

We had a dog named Sam.  I would help my dad take him for a walk along the road between the condo and the main road.  There was a baseball field we would walk past.


Back then, they had little candies that were like Tic Tacs but fruity, and brightly colored.  I decided to shove one of these up my nose.  I think it was a purple one.  Thankfully, I managed to get it out.

My dad had a convention in DC when I was almost 5.  We were driving out there, and to make the trip better, my mom had a surprise for us.  She told me to go to the back of the car, where there were two Care Bears waiting for my sister and me.  I got Bedtime Bear, and she got Tenderheart Bear.  On the drive, we stayed at a hotel whose pool was under renovation and not filled.  I don't remember much else about the trip despite having many pictures to jog my memory.

I had a little Snoopy fishing pole that I used to fish in the pond by our house.  I don't remember ever catching anything, but a neighbor did.  He put the little fish in a bucket.  The next day, I went over to see the fish and they were all dead and floating in there.  I think this was my first exposure to death.

More to come...

Childhood: Menomonee Falls Day Care

Thinking about the first memory I had, I wanted to write about a few other memories of being at day care in Menomonee Falls.  We lived in Germantown, not too far away from the church on Cleveland Avenue where I went to day care from age 2 to 5. 

In no particular order:

When I was 4 or 5 years old, I brought my first Barbie doll with me one day.  I couldn't find it when it was time to go home and I figure someone stole it.

I was really talkative when I was younger, and one day when I was 5, the teacher made me turn my chair around and face away from the table we were at because I was being too disruptive.

I had an earache, so they gave me a hot cotton ball in a plastic bag to put on my ear.  (I've tried this since and it didn't work, so I'm wondering if they did something else to it.)

When I was 4, I got my picture taken.  I can clearly see the setup of the rug-covered platform in my mind.  It was in the hallway upstairs.

We had playtime outside in front of the building.  One day in the summer when I was 5, I think, I brought my tinsel-filled baton to play with, and I was wearing a white patterned shorts jumper.  While we were playing, an ambulance pulled up to a house across the street.  This caused all kinds of commotion among us kids, and the teachers were telling us to not watch.  I sat down and watched anyway.  I think the man that lived in the house had a heart attack or stroke or something.

 

When I was 4 or 5, there was a snowstorm with thunder and lightning.  Freaky.  That Christmas, we also made ornaments out of colored aluminum ash trays.  Definitely different times.

There was a Halloween party and I dressed up like a Care Bear in one of the plastic costumes and masks popular at the time.  See me?

Childhood: First Memory

It seems appropriate that the first memory I put down is the first one I can remember.  A lot of memories from my early childhood are pretty hazy, but I believe this is the earliest memory I have. 

Setting: Menomonie Falls.  Year: 1983?
I went to a daycare in the basement of a church when I was 4 and 5 years old.  Prior to that, I was at a house run by the same people, just a few blocks (I think) from the church.  I remember being at this house, where there was brown carpeting and wood paneling on the walls.  Everything is really high above me, and I'm about the same size of a laundry basket, which is in my view.  I don't know what I'm doing, but I definitely have a clear picture of being there.

Puerto Vallarta Mexico 2009

14 March 2009 - At 10 am, Mom, Dad and Cassie showed up at our house in Madison to begin our 2nd K Family Mexican Adventure. This time around, Grandma is treating everyone on a Pacific coast vacation. A few of the faces have changed from the last trip - Anne, John and Beth are along this time; Braden and Cassie broke up so Braden isn't along, but Josh's girlfriend Whitney and Erik's fiancee Angela are. I am also 21 weeks pregnant, so this is going to be a very different trip for me. We met up with everyone at the Milwaukee airport after getting lunch at Perkins. Our flight was delay 30 min, and the alleged 4-hour flight was actually 5 hours, so that wasn't terribly pleasant. On the flip side, Dad won the plane's "Bag o'Bucks" in which passengers could put in $1 or more for a chance to win the pot. We finally got to our hotel ~ 9:30 pm local time. After getting our room, we met up with the fam for a later dinner. I probably overate a ton with how my normal schedule was messed up by traveling. I came up to bed after dinner because I was tired. The hotel seems okay on first glance, though the corridors are extremely echo-y. I think I'm tired enough to ignore it.

Gate-waiting

15 March - Nick and I got up around 7:30 and went down to breakfast at ~8:30. It was nice to see the resort during the daylight. After breakfast, we took care of our transportation back to the airport. Next stop: the beach! We (Nick and I and most of the extended family) went in the ocean to face the gentle waves. The water was a little chilly, but I got used to it fairly quickly. After we tired of getting pummeled by the waves, Nick, Ben and I went into the pool with the swim-up bar. I kinda got bored after a while so I alternated between pool and beach before decided I didn't want to be wet anymore. I went up to the room to shower, and then walked around and took some pictures of the hotel before taking a short nap. I had a little difficulty finding Nick so we could go to lunch, but eventually I did and we had a nice meal with Cheryl and Stephen. Cheryl's so excited about the baby I'm growing inside of me. It got pretty windy by the beach, so we went back by the pool for a bit. Once that got a little old, Mom, Dad, Cassie, Nick & I relaxed in Mom & Dad's junior suite. At around 6:30, we met up with everyone else, and at ~7, went to have some dinner at one of the buffet restaurants. We saw the sunset just as we got there. Dinner was good, and the guy making a show out of Kahlua, coffee, ice cream and fire was even better. After dinner, we got a dose of reality finding out the Badgers are seeded 12th in the NCAA tourney. We joined some of the others in the theater area to sit and relax for a while. Loud thumping music and sound made the baby very active. Nick and I went up to bed shortly after 10 and stayed up reading.

16 March - I did some yoga in the room as the sun came up. Nick, Cass & I ate breakfast together, then met up with everyone else except Cheryl's group to plan our snorkeling excursion for tomorrow. We managed to get a deal where it'll only be 20 of us on a chartered boat to Yelapa. That took quite a while to get hammered out. Eventually, Mom, Dad, Cassie, Nick and I managed to break away and head down to Puerto Vallarta on the local buses. What a wild (as in fearing for your life) ride. With the help of some knowledgeable tourists, we managed to make it downtown. There, we briefly saw the rest of the K clan who taxi'd down. From the town square, we went to the Hard Rock Cafe so Mom could buy her guitar pin and to have a few drinks in air-conditioned splendor (warm one outside). Brian, Anne, John and Beth found us there. We left to go find lunch for the five of us, settling on Senor Frog's. That was amusing (phallic drinkware and balloon hats) and tasty. We did a little souvenir shopping, getting beaded animals (blue and white gecko for me) and a silver necklace. By that time, everyone was pretty tired, so we took another hair-raising bus ride back, stopping at the Walmart (!) to change buses. We refreshed and rested ourselves when we got back, met up with Mom, Dad & Cass in their room, then went to the restaurant along the beach for dinner. So pleasant, hearing the waves crash as you eat. The food was okay, though the fresh fruit is fantastic. They had a mini market around the courtyard, and Dad & I decided to take a turn and see what they had. I found small ceramic bowls like the ones I got last time. I wanted two, but I only had enough for one (and a bargain at that since she took 100 pesos for a bowl she wanted 150 for. We went back up to the folks' room and played Apples to Apples until 11.

In Puerto Vallarta

At Hard Rock Cafe with John and Beth

LOL

"Virgin... not!!!"

Strange things happen at Senor Frogs...

Souvenir hunting in Puerto Vallarta

Hoping not to die on the bus

17 March - This morning, Nick and I got ready early and headed down for a bite of breakfast before meeting up with everyone except Cheryl, Stephen, Erik and Angela for our Yelapa excursion. We managed to herd the cats and made it to the pier on time. All 20 of us got aboard the schooner "Elias Mann" with our Pegaso tour guides Benjamin, Lee and Luis. The ride out was pretty interesting: we saw three humpback whales, including one that went under our boat and another that surfaced ~ 20 feet from us (so cool!), giant manta rays, and a few of the girls (Alissa, Whitney and Cassie) got seasick. I was fine. The day was bright and beautiful. The water on the bay was a little choppy, but not too bad. Seeing those whales was such an unexpected treat. On our way to Yelapa, we stopped to snorkel. The water was a bit chilly and "green" but there was a variety of fish among the rocks (much better than when we went snorkeling on the Disney cruise). After we had our fill of that, we were back on the boat and headed for the accessible-by-boat-only village of Yelapa. Our guide walked us through the hilly, run-down "streets". I got some good pictures. There was a shop (not sure if it could be called that - more like a workshop/stall where rosewood items were made and sold. I found a gorgeous vase and bought it for 400 pesos. Totally worth it. From there, we walked back down to the beach where we met up with Grandma and Dennis, who didn't attempt to walk the hills, for lunch. I don't know what kind of fish I had, but it was fantastic. Nick had the same. We left Yelapa shortly after lunch. The way back was a bit more subdued with the exception of the classic rock playing. [We also stopped at one point and several people jumped off the boat to swim.] Once back at the hotel (~6:30 is when we got back), Nick and I had a long discussion about our preferences for vacations and relaxing and why this vacation is a little difficult for me when everyone around me is drinking and I can't allow myself to have more than one drink per day if any. We met up with Mom, Dad and Cassie for dinner at the Mexican restaurant. I had way too much for dessert, but it was took good-looking to pass up. Because we spent the day with the family, Nick and I decided to have a quiet evening by ourselves in our room. We put on the World Baseball Classic game on ESPN and watched the USA come from behind in the bottom of the 9th to win. I wrote today's entry and we both read (I can see the future!). Nick adds that we got a free shot of liquor with the purchase of that vase. He is convinced it was moonshine, and from my little sip, I'm inclined to agree. Also, for future remembrance - using the tiny ship's head. :)

Manta rays, the squirrels of the sea

Whale!

 

Ready to snorkel

Fish faces, part 1

Teeeeeeensy sip

Making a rosewood vase

Yelapa road

The local transportation in Yelapa

Cute little Yelapa school girls

The tourist beach

Nick getting silly

18 March - It was a very quiet day for us. We slept in until 8:30, then once up and ready, decided to go to the Mexican restaurant for breakfast. We wanted to make dinner reservations for the Asian restaurant for the two of us, but they were already booked when we went up. We decided to head down to the beach to read, but had to wait to go because a maid was cleaning our room. Nick brought a book and I brought my baby booties I was going to attempt to embroider. It was nice, but a little breezy. We saw some of the others come down, including Mom. We decided to head up to their room for a bit and sit on their balcony. Once lunchtime rolled around, we went down to get a bite (well, everyone but Dad). Cassie came back from her canopy tour excursion and joined us, and so did Anne and Beth, briefly. We headed over to the beach and went in for a swim. The water was warmer than yesterday, but didn't seem as nice. Cassie and I didn't spend too much time in there before heading up to the seats the K Clan had claimed. We sat and chatted with folks as they wen to or came from the water. I sipped my fruit juice concoctions as everyone else had more physically altering drinks. Robby told a few jokes. Oh, and some couple got married on the beach near us. Nice, but the girls were wearing dresses that seemed way too heavy for this environment. Talk turned to the woman with the enormous boobs and magical swimsuit from yesterday. (It was magical in how it actually stayed on). Nick and I headed back to the room to shower and relax before meeting up again for dinner. Somehow, after our showers but before we left the room, all the water in the hotel got shut off. It was working about an hour later, but that was bizarre. Since nobody else gathered seemed terribly interested in eating or had reservations, Nick and I went down to the Mexican restaurant by ourselves. Dinner way okay. Definitely getting monotonous in terms of food choices, through. we played cards in the lobby bar area before Ben joined us for some Rummy. When my parents joined us, we tried to teach Ben how to play Sheepshead, but I don't think it was a success. We all went back We all went out to the theater area which was incredibly loud and crowded. The baby started kicking me like crazy, probably trying to get away from the show which just had dancers and other dress up in wigs and drag, and lip sync to overplayed songs. I wanted to get away from it, too. Once I learned to ignore it, I had a better time shouting to those around me. When the show ended, Nick and I went back upstairs to read a little before bed. I'm glad we didn't spend any money on other excursions, because they've either been "okay" (just okay isn't good enough for $85) or downright terrible, like the City Tour that Grandma, Dennis, Cheryl and Stephen went on today. I'd rather save my money for potentially buying souvenirs in Bucerias tomorrow.

"How big were they?"

Fish faces, part 2

19 March - This morning, Nick and I slept in a little bit before going down to breakfast. After eating, we headed back to the room for some quiet time before I was collected by Mom and Cassie around 10:15 to head north to Bucerias. Dad and Nick stayed behind to watch the first NCAA tourney games while we had our own adventure. We were dropped off near the flea market. It was sunny and pretty warm. We wandered through the flea market, constantly having to say no to men, women and children who tried to force their wares on us. I decided I wanted a house number tile definitely. Found a few stalls, priced them out. We met Brian, Anne, John and Beth briefly before starting our second loop of the small market. The three of us each ended up buying at one stall. I got the house number and stand I wanted, plus a spoon rest and a pretty iridescent bowl, while Mom & Cassie both got glasses they'll use as candle holders. We wandered back along the beachfront street, taking some pictures. Since it was hot and noon, we stopped at a restaurant. There, we got refreshments, guacamole and chips, and I got a bowl of tortilla soup. I paid for a very... interesting rendition of La Bamba played by a strolling musician. We headed back to the hotel after that and spent a few quiet hours in Mom & Dad's room. Then, Nick (who had been swimming) and I went back to our room to rest and get ready for dinner. We all (yes, ALL) met up for dinner at 6, took a family picture (herding cats, I swear!) and went to dinner at the Brazilian restaurant. we sat with the folks, Cassie, Kathy, Grandma and Dennis. The dinner was excellent, but LOTS of meat. Afterwards, a bunch of us headed to the theater area and gathered around a few tables. Mom broke out the glow sticks and she, Dad, Nick, Tyler and I played Sheepshead. I I decided I wanted to avoid the Michael Jackson show, so I left when that started and headed up to the room to write and read.

Bucerias flea market

Sisters

Matching with a fake parrot

Being serenaded

K clan, 2009

Salud!

Nick caught cheating

20 March - Our last full day down here was by far the quietest. I was up early and asked Anne to include Nick and me on the reservation she was making for her family and Rob's family for the Asian restaurant. Nick and I went to breakfast after that, meeting up with Mom and Dad. Nick was feeling a bit hungover and I have had plenty of sun myself, so we spent the rest of the morning in the room reading, watching bball, and in my case, doing word puzzles. For a little while, we got to "see" the baby move for the first time when I laid back and bared my belly. We went down to lunch and then to the beach. Nick, Alissa, Beth, Ben, Tyler and I played volleyball against some friendly folk and Whitney. The sun and sand were both scorching, so the game didn't last long (not that it was much of a game to begin with :) ). We found out a number of family members got some sort of tummy bug that was doing evil things to them. I have my fingers cross (and washed thoroughly!) that I'm not going to get it. We headed back up to the room for a siesta and more of the same as this morning. we met up with the others in our dinner party at 6, then proceeded to the Asian restaurant. The hot food was okay, but what I really wanted and got was the sushi. Yum! Nick enjoyed the sushi and was very excited to get fried ice cream. We decided it wasn't worth it after all to catch a cab to Bucerias to watch the Badger basketball game at a sports bar, especially because we had no idea which one Mom and Dad ended up at. Instead, we went back to the room and tried to get a sense for the game from ESPN's bottom line. I got my stuff ~90% backed for the trip home. Both Nick and my tummies are feeling a bit unsettled, and I hope that's as bad as they get. At ~10:15, the final score came across the bottom line - Wisconsin 61, Florida St 59 after overtime (preceded by a phone call from Dad letting us know the final.) Woo!

Nick, me, Ben, Beth, Tyler

21 March - Our last day in Puerto Vallarta was a quiet one. Nick and I got up and had breakfast, then went back up to the room to finish packing. We had to be out of our room by noon and we were. After that, we ate a bite for early lunch, killed time playing sheepshead in the lobby, and had a late bite for lunch since we're not getting food on the plane. Even after that, we had more time to kill, which we did sitting in a big group in the lobby. Our transportation is supposed to take us at 5:10 and our plane leaves for Milwaukee at ~7:45. I can only hope that it'll be on time. And... it was.

Preying mantis at breakfast

Courtyard fountain at the hotel

Nick enthralled by the giant plants

Close enough...

22 March - We got back to Milwaukee at 1 am, swiftly went through customs and collected our bags, then found a shuttle to Mom & Dad's SUV practically waiting for us. We got to Madison and our house ~3:30 am. The kitties wouldn't let Nick and me sleep.

Unfortunately, Nick was sick with flu-like symptoms Sunday and Monday, while I seemed to get what Cassie had, preventing me from going in to work as well. I'm not sure if I'm keen to go back to Mexico any time soon.

{transcribed 1/29/2020}