Friday faves - surviving MOA, etc.

Another week of August gone? Another week closer to school starting?

Hooray! Crraaaap.

I know I know...there's still 3 good weeks left, but I also know they'll fly by faster than the swimmers who have to swim with Lochte now that they know that he pees in the Olympic Pool. 
In all honesty, though, it's about this exact time every year that I start looking ahead to September and October and planning schedules and events - and as much as I hate to admit it, getting just a little bit excited for all the fun (and hectic) things fall brings.
But it is still August and as always, I'm still sharing a few weekly favorites with you...like it or not.


1. MOA (specifically - Nickelodeon Universe) -
*Disclaimer - I am totally lying. MOA (specifically - Nickelodeon Universe) is most definitely not a favorite.*

Took the Things on their annual outing to the amusement park (aka Nickelodeon Universe) at MOA (that's The Mall of America for all of you non-locals) this week (and FYI - we only live 30 min. from it...I'm just that mean).
But here's the truth - spending the day with my girls is always a favorite -no matter where we are, and we can always find things that we can make fun of that crack us up. And believe me, being at MOA with 100,000 other people (see fun fact below) gives you plenty of opportunity to crack up, be it via all the stupid-but-highly-impressive-for-an-indoor-amusement-park rides or the sheer enjoyment and entertainment value of people watching.

Fun - and nauseating - facts about MOA -
An average of 100,000 people visit MOA every day, and if that doesn't make you want to plan a visit, how about this - MOA draws 40 million visitors each year; more than Disney World, Graceland and the Grand Canyon combined.
(and I googled this information, btw, just so you don't think I'm making stuff up to make you jealous of my day).

But I survived.  And to prove it, here's a few favorite moments from our day -

1.  Scary ropes course where I let some bored teenagers attach harnesses to my cherished offspring and send them to teeter precariously on ropes 100' from the floor.  The teeny figure walking the plank top center?  Thing 1.  I threw up after I took this picture.
2.  Random shot of Nickelodeon U for non-locals.  An iphone photo can't do it justice. It's enormous.
3.  Ready to ride our all time favorite ride - the Splat-O-sphere (basically a ride that drops you over and over again and one that I defy anyone to ride without screaming and laughing like a 5 year old).  Photo circa 2011 taken by Husband because it was just the 3 of us girls yesterday and I'm not an idiot who would give my phone to a stranger to take our pic.  Especially not a MOA stranger.
4.  Another all time favorite ride of mine since childhood - the simple swings.  Unfortunately, this trip I realized I may be getting too old because I came thisclose to raising my hand in the air for them to stop because I was afraid I was about to puke on the statue of Pablo.

1.  A new store. A pointless and ridiculous store.  We loved it.
2.  No matter how old the Things get, we love to walk through American Girl. Plus, they have the cleanest bathrooms.
3.  Does your mall have its own gift store??
4.  Glamour Shots for kids.  Because that seems classy and not at all like semi-child-pornography.
5.  'Grace Facing' on the roller coaster.  Look it up.
6.   Posing with the always adorable Backyardigans.  We were in line behind a 2 year old and when it was our turn the 'handler' leans down, claps her hands and says, "Hiiiiiiii! Would you like to give Pablo a hug?? C'mon!!!".  I am not lying.  She said that to me.  I almost punched her.
7.  Everywhere you go you are slapped in the face with Nickelodeon merchandising.  Think Sponge Bob and Dora.  Until you puke.

~*~*~*~*~

2. Cherry Berry -
When I was a senior in high school, I worked at Yummie's Yogurt in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Here's proof.

And yes...that is a picture of a bare cartoon fanny on my t-shirt that says
"Sun Your Buns in..." (but I can't see or remember where I had 'sunned my buns').
Seems like an appropriate shirt to wear to work, though...

Yogurt stores were all the rage in the late '80s (and look at the prices!  I bet gas was only a nickel).  I ate yogurt (or a cup of Oreos/Butterfingers/Chocolate Chips with a teeny blob of yogurt) about 4 nights a week.  Then for some unheard of (and frankly, un-American) reason, yogurt shops became extinct in the mid-90's...until recently (in MN we are a few years behind with many things....see 'Glamour Shots' photo above).
This week Thing 2 and I discovered our newest favorite (by far) - Cherry Berry (It's no Yummies, but with a name that fun to say, how can you not love it?).

14 flavors  and over 30 toppings? - FAVORITE!!

(Cookie Dough balls? Check. Vanilla Wafers? You got it.  

M&M's that are all chopped up? Hello Genius.  Entire Twix Bars? Kill me now.)

Adorable Red and Lime Green decor and a very Happy Thing 2? - FAVORITE!!

I was so excited by the discovery of Cherry Berry I was almost thinking of getting a part time job when the Things go back to school since I've got the experience and expertise and all.  I wonder if they'd mind if I wore my Sun Your Buns shirt?

~*~*~*~*~

3. Summer evenings on the deck -
We've been at the lake more often that we've been home the past 6 weeks, and when we're here I don't get a whole lot done because when I'm not driving the Things around and running errands and sitting at the computer,  I spend a lot of time doing this -

I really do have ankles.  Bad angle.

It's the perfect place for morning coffee....an afternoon nap....an evening glass of wine.  And I'm sucking all the enjoyment out of it that I can before all that lovely, lovely green is gone. 

But for now I'll sit...and enjoy...and be thankful that I don't have to go to Nickelodeon Universe for another whole year.

Have a good weekend!