The Great Candy Blitz!

I don't think I've ever taken occasion to mention it on the blog, but in the Spring of this year, our family and the Anderson family decided to do what has become termed "the great Candy blitz!" (Unless you are Emma- who still thinks it is called the "candy glitch").  I'm not sure the meaning of those words matches the meaning of the challenge our families took on, but it became known as such nonetheless.  And what was this great candy challenge?  Well, to do away with candy, of course.  We decided that from Easter to Halloween we would all go candy-free.  It was a shock to all of our systems, especially mine as the candy monster of the crew, but it proved to be a great blessing for all of us.  As part of the incentive for the challenge, other than a sugar de-tox of course, we promised the kids a trip to the Mall of America complete with shopping, rides, and a stay in the waterpark hotel situated right next to the giant all-American mall.  There were moments during the blitz that I didn't think we were going to make it, but the kids sucked it up and the trip to Minneapolis was a total blast!  We even dragged the Anderson's with us up to the North Shore for a few days.  It was kind of between seasons up there, but we rented a little condo in Lutsen and made the most of it anyhow.  We watched movies, played, read, napped, and even drove up to Grand Marias for a little Sven and Ole's world-famous wild rice pizza.  We'll have to bring the Andersons back during the summer when the North Shore is most exciting, but even in the off season, it was well worth the drive to simple relax in the mountains for a few days.  Plus, it was our first official trip with the Andersons, and I think we all survived it well enough that such trips may become common place in the future.  It's tricky to find good traveling companions, but after they parked outside Pottery Barn for a half an hour waiting for us to pick up the monthly installment of goods, we knew they were true friends, to say the least.  Then, when Pete surprised us all by finishing up the Frost masterpiece Fire and Ice that I began reciting one night by firelight, I knew everything would work out all right in the end.  It's wonderful to have such good friends, and wonderful to get away for the weekend, whatever the excuse for going!