Original Wisconsin Ducks

Babies require a lot of attention. Toddlers require a lot of supervision. With all the attending and supervising I’ve been doing lately, I don't have much time for anything else. Things like lawn mowing and dental maintenance and blogging have to be put on the back burner. I really need to get a chipped molar fixed, but I decided to jot a few line here instead. Decisions, decisions.

Just got back from a dream vacation in the Dells though. That’s Wisconsin Dells, WI. if you ain’t from around here. The Dells of the Wisconsin River are a scenic, glacially-formed, gorge that feature striking sandstone rock formations along its banks. It’s also the primo family vacation hot spot for the upper Midwest! 5 million people pour into this little city every summer to slide their asses down the thousands of indoor/outdoor rides in one of the city’s 21 waterparks. The “Waterpark Capitol of the World” it is! There are drop slides, water coasters, wave pools, racing slides, river rapids, bowl rides and geysers galore. 70 acres of water slide to be precise. Go-karts, mini-golf, bungee jump cranes and dangerously unstable carnival rides fill the space between parks. Plus, they sell liquor in the gas stations. It’s cheesy as hell, but we had a blast. I think it helped that we stayed at a resort on the edge of town, so we were able to avoid all the nonsense that happens in the evenings on “the strip”. We were tipped off to this family friendly lodge by friends who have made it an annual trip. So we took the plunge and plopped down some substantial coin. We carted in most of our food and, pretty much, blocked out the world during our stay. Our tots are serious tadpoles. We just finished up parent/child swim lessons and this was a great way to test out their skills. I think they do best at sinking like rocks. But they are not afraid! We were ever vigilant in our life-guarding. They kept us on out toes, to say the least. But every morning we were at the park the moment it opened. They couldn't’t get enough of it. I have to admit, I never expected to have as much fun as I did. Baby had a great time too. I think. Maybe it wasn't much different for her. Nap, eat, nap, eat, spit-up, coo, nap some more. At least she had a lot to look at. And I mean a lot. You wouldn’t think it, but bikinis in Wisconsin are popular. They really shouldn't be. We spent our last day visiting the Mrs' Alma matter in Madison. They dress appropriately there. However, I was a little weirded out by how young college students look to me now.

My Country Tis Of Thee

July 4, 1776: Our forefathers at the second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration Of Independence and broke free from the British empire by proclaiming themselves a sovereign nation. And so began life in these United States. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn't until August 2 that John Hancock put his, er...John Hancock on the actual hand written Declaration. Here are some more Fun Facts from the US Census Bureau:

2.5 million: The estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation In July 1776. 304 million: the nation’s population on this July Fourth.

More than 1 in 4: The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 17.6 million market hogs and pigs on March 1, 2008. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s total. North Carolina (9 million) and Minnesota (6.7 million) were the runners-up.

About 4 in 10: The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North Dakota, which produced 42 percent of the nation’s dry, edible beans in 2007. Another popular Fourth of July side dish is corn on the cob. Florida, California, Georgia and New York together accounted for 60 percent of the sweet corn produced nationally in 2007.

52%: Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at Fourth of July barbecues. More than half of the nation’s spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2007.

Nearly 3 in 4: The chances that the fresh tomatoes in your salad came from Florida or California, which combined accounted for 73 percent of U.S. tomato production last year. The ketchup on your burger or hot dog probably came from California, which accounted for 96 percent of processed tomato production in 2007

$207 million: The value of fireworks imported from China in 2007, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($217 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $14.9 million in 2007, with Japan purchasing more than any other country ($3.8 million).

$4.7 million: The 2007 dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The vast majority of this amount ($4.3 million) was for U.S. flags made in China.

$107.2 billion: Dollar value of trade last year between the United States and the United Kingdom, making the British, our adversary in 1776, our sixth-leading trading partner today.

11: Number of Americans who died in 2006 from fireworks.

9,200: Number treated in U.S. emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries.

$21 million: Cost of direct property damage from the 2,200 reported structure, or vehicle, fires caused by fireworks in 2004.