Bainbridge Fun and Tradition

I crossed another item (or two) off the summer bucket list today.  The kids and I headed to Bainbridge Island today.  A quick phone call this morning added my mother to the excursion.  It was a long day, but fun.

The kids woke up before 6 am.  Fun times.  Dave now leaves the house at o'dark thirty so I get to rouse myself early these days.  The upside to the early rising was that everyone was fed, dressed, beds made, and teeth brushed by 7:30 am.  We were out the door by 7:45. Whew!

Eileen was mad we didn't go to KidiMu (the children's museum) last time we were on the island.  She has been begging to go since.  We managed to time things just right and after a short wait for the Kingston ferry, we made it to KidiMu only minutes after opening.  Now that Robin is walking, it is wonderful to see him fully embrace his environment.  He loved the museum, especially the store and giant light bright.

Even though he is quickly growing up, Linus can still find joy in things intended for a slightly younger set.  He prefers all the physics activities upstairs and the bouldering wall outside.

After playing hard at the museum, we headed out to the nearby playground.  We played until we were exhausted and we ready to do a little window shopping in downtown Winslow.  It was weird to see all the tourists on a weekday.  Even though I don't live on Bainbridge, I still kind of feel like I'm part of the "old" island.  We then met my aunt, the venerable Great Grand Eileen, for lunch.

 Growing up we went to the island every August to pick black berries.  It doesn't feel like August is complete unless I've dawned jeans and a long sleeved plaid shirt, and then picked berries while the sun beat down on me and I became slowly entangled in thorny bushes. 

Of course I feel it necessary to include my children in this tradition.  Who needs a fancy farm with lots of rides and entertainment when you can just hang out along the side of the road and pick berries for free?

The berries this year ripened early and are pretty small due to the excessive heat this summer.  It took a little bit to find the sweet spot with lots of berries prime for the picking.  My aunt provided us with the proper picking containers--old giant plastic tubs with handles that once housed cheap ice cream.

It was Robin's first time picking berries.  He was a natural.  He and my mother have really developed a special relationship over the past year. 

 

Linus did a great job picking berries.  Eileen only picked a few, but then decided she preferred my aunt's dog, Mowgli.  Mowgli is a pretty special dog in her defense. 

The kids eventually tired of picking blackberries.  Linus watched Robin for a little bit before being ready to throw in the towel on berry picking.  I'm pretty sure all of us would have gladly stayed on the island a little longer, but there was a ferry to catch.

It was a long trip back.  Thank goodness we stopped for froyo because it took forever to get off the island and we missed the ferry.  Robin was beside himself by the end of the trip.  We've got two full buckets of berries to show for our time on the island.  Tomorrow my mom is going to teach me how to make jam. 

After a day of fun, I'm tired.  I really hope the kids sleep past 6 am tomorrow.