We had a great weekend in Madison visiting Aunt Rachel and Uncle Kevin. As usual, our time there was full of good food and drink, walks, coffee, and at least one knock-down, drag-out fight between the Klevar sisters.
After we got settled in on Friday evening, we dined at a nearby Thai restaurant that Rachel and Kevin frequent. It was good. Ava’s a real nut for Thai food. She loves the noodles and the baby corn.
Saturday morning we awoke, had a light breakfast, and set off with the intention of walking to one of Madison’s farmer’s markets. Time started to slip away, however, so we cut our walk short and made beeline for the nearest Starbucks. Ava enjoyed her usual steamed milk, and Uncle Kevin helped her eat a scone.
After coffee, we walked back to the house and put together a picnic lunch. We then drove out into the country to Brigham Park, which has a beautiful view of the Wisconsin River valley. Here’s a poorly-constructed panoramic shot of the view:
(This pops to a much larger size.)
Kevin made a delicious chicken salad, and we also had some apples and chips and salsa (and a couple New Glarus beers, of course). Ava had a ball kicking through the thick carpet of dry leaves all around our table.
When we got home, Aunt Rachel managed to get Ava down for a nap, but only after promising her that Uncle Kevin and I would take her to the fish store after she got up. In the meantime, Rachel and Leah went off to get their hair done. While Ava slept, Kevin and I started cooking lasagna and baking bread for the evening meal. We were able to get our sauce pretty much made before Ava woke up, so we let it sit and cool while we went to the fish store. That trip was a great idea. Ava loves to watch fish (Kevin has a number of them in a tank at his house), and she ran from tank to tank at the store, pointing up at the various fish and exclaiming, “Look at that one!”
After dinner and getting Ava down for bed, the big kids watched a couple episodes of Arrested Development.
Sunday was another beautiful day. After everyone was up and ready, we loaded into the car and made for the Riley Tavern in Verona, WI, which has a good pancake feed. Ava had chocolate chip pancakes and a couple sausage links, then she wanted to get down and go play with the large German Shepherd that was running around outside; his name was King.
I packed up the car as soon as we got back to Rachel and Kevin’s. Ava played in the big pile of leaves that Kevin and raked up for her. Leah and Ava slept in the car most of the way home on Sunday, and we were pleased to see that the weather was just as nice here as it had been in Madison. Doesn’t sound like it’s going to stay that way, though. They’re actually talking snow for Madison later this week, and the high here is only supposed to be 41! I don’t know that I’m ready for winter quite yet.