14 Years Baby!

Today Dave and I celebrated 14 years of marriage. That feels like a lot compared to being a newlywed or anything under 10 years.  You sort of realize, "Dang! We've been married for awhile."

We aren't the most exciting people, but we're happy.

How do you celebrate 14 years of marriage?  Well, first one of you gets to go to work while the other stays home with the kids.  My gift to myself was skipping swim team this morning and letting the kids have screentime while I worked on unit planning.  After naps, we met up with an old friend at the Edmonds Spray Park and then went for fro-yo before swim lessons.

Eileen treated me to letting me play with her hair.  For the last year she has refused to pull her hair back at all.  However, the heat has been getting to her and forced her to relent.  Eileen will let me put her hair in a low ponytail, but no messy bun.  Today was a big deal.  She let me experiment with braids.  She only requested that I not show her face.

Robin was very cute today and full of snuggles this morning.

After swim, the boys had Easy Mac for dinner and Eileen had frozen pancakes.  The babysitter showed up so Dave and I could go on a date.  We headed down to Fremont to The Backdoor.  It bills itself as a speakeasy.  I'm not so sure about that, but we had sophisticated drinks and small plates of food.  I had planned to go to Add-a-ball for a little entertainment, but we turned right back around as soon as we walked inside. It was trying very hard to be a dive bar.  No matter, it definitely was not our scene.  Instead we walked along the water on the Burke Gilman before heading home.

You know it's true love when one of you mentions stopping for cash to pay the babysitter and both of you silently think about picking up dessert, but saving it for tomorrow because you are too full.  Sometimes love means never having to say you want dessert, but want to take a raincheck.

A Fortunately, Unfortunately Adventure

An old camp counselor trick to pass the time is to do group storytelling.  My favorite was always "fortunately, unfortunately."  You go around in the circle, continuing a story.  Your part of the story ends either with fortunately or unfortunately, always alternating.  Yesterday's adventure can only be framed through this storytelling device.

Yesterday I woke up.  Fortunately, it was Saturday and we had nothing planned on the calendar.

Dave and I considered our options and decided we would go on an adventure to Port Townsend --cute shops, a fort to explore, and a haunted castle.  What more could you want?  Unfortunately, we got a late start to the day.  There was a two hour ferry wait at the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry.

We made the decision to just drive around.  Fortunately, the traffic was pretty good since it was a weekend and Google maps said the trip would get us there 7 minutes later than by ferry.

We made good time.  Unfortunately, the kids were not excited about the longer than expected time in the car.  There was much whining.  So much whining.

Fortunately, Dave remembered we could just use Audible.  I selected "Island of the Blue Dolphins." The kids quietly listened.

Robin started complaining in Gorst (that gross part of the highway right before the naval shipyard).  As we neared Poulsbo Robin got more irritated.  Unfortunately, Robin's annoyance quickly changed into panic and then vomit--vomit on himself, the seatbelt, the floor, in his shoes.

This is not Dave's and my first experience with vomit in the car which explains our relative calmness.  Fortunately, we were close to McDonalds.  We could clean up the car and Robin, while feeding the kids.

Unfortunately, going to McDonalds meant Eileen had to cheat on avoiding her food intolerances.

Fortunately, Eileen was not bothered by this.  She was excited.

Unfortunately, we had limited cleaning supplies.

Fortunately, McDonalds was kind enough to help us out with extra garbage bags and sanitary wipes from the playland.  Since Robin was sitting a booster seat, we were able to just take off the padding easily and put in a garbage bag.

Unfortunately, I forgot to pack an extra shirt so Robin had to go shirtless into a restaurant that was blasting the AC.

Fortunately, we did wrap him in a blanket and no employee called us out for the violating the no shirt, no shoes policy.

Unfortunately, McDonalds messed up our food order.

Fortunately, the error was in our favor and we got two strawberry milkshakes instead of one.

Unfortunately, we had to give up our Port Townsend adventure.

Fortunately, we were right by the other side of the Edmonds-Kingston ferry and this time there was not much wait at all.

                                                The ferry ride home.

Unfortunately, it was a very smelly car ride back.

Fortunately, we made it home.  No one else puked.  And now we have this awesome tale to tell of the trip to Port Townsend that wasn't.

Cama Beach 2017

This week we went on our annual trip to Cama Beach.  We joined other former camp staff and their families.  It was a smaller group than years past, but no less fun.  Linus loves the immense amount of freedom he enjoys at Cama Beach.  The kids played on the beach, built driftwood forts, and rode bikes.  Linus fell in with a group of slightly older boys and discovered the joy of the Magic: The Gathering.  Each morning Cama Beach hosts different activities -- science investigations, crafts, visiting naturalists.  At night we roasted s'mores, watched the sunset, and sang songs.  Eileen's favorite thing was getting her face painted by some other girls in the group.  I enjoyed reading my book and relaxing.

Fueling up bikes at the gas station.  Sometimes the pumps doubled as a soda fountain shop.

 

I swear she grows more beautiful every day.

Water fight!

Linus was harassing some girls.  He wouldn't listen when told to stop.  Another dad helped Linus experience the natural consequence of being flipped as a result.

I can't believe we forgot to pack wine or beer! Luckily, Dave was able to rectify the situation.  I can't believe I didn't know about Bandit boxed wine! It is so genius.  Each year we get slightly more adept at packing for the trip.  We won't make this mistake again.


The Cama Beach cabins got a nice little make over since last year.  The revised sleeping arrangements worked a lot better.  It also meant Dave and Linus could stay up playing games.

I love the water.  It was a relaxing week. We probably won't make it to Cama Beach next year.  The photos and our warm memories will have to help us make due until we return.

Family, Friends, and the Fourth

    The 4th of July is an interesting holiday.  I don't consider myself overly patriotic.  The current state of affairs in our country makes me uneasy to say the least.  The US democracy has been downgraded from "full democracy" to "flawed democracy."   I've been on a summer reading binge and have finished six books so far.  Among them, I finally read George Orwell's 1984.

    Amid all the unsettling events and turmoil, I can still love my country.  It's a place where I can send my daughter to school, I can tell my children they can love whomever they choose, I access to clean water, indoor plumbing, and electricity.  I am entitled to have my own religious beliefs.  America is an imperfect nation that challenges me to a better version of myself and for that I am grateful.  I can attend a parade, wave a flag, and share the hopes for a better future with those around me.

   This 4th of July I did a lot less planning.  My sister, Beth, and her family flew in from Wisconsin. We had a lovely and all too short visit.  Linus and I went down to Edmonds on the 3rd to try a score spots along the parade route.  We came up short, but were gifted popcorn by the nice theater owner.  As luck would have it, we ran into some other school parents and they invited us to join them.  During the parade, all the moms walked over the a nearby restaurant and enjoyed bloody marys (I had never had one).  We eventually returned to our families and sent the dads off to enjoy a beer because that's the kind of supportive wives we are.  I don't think the kids noticed our absence due to the insane amount of candy and loot they procured.  It was perfect.  

   I used the presence of multiple adults to make interesting food.  While the kids ate hot dogs, I made pesto chicken garlic sliders for the adults.  Dessert was apple dump cakes (crockpot for the win!) with vanilla ice cream.

  It was hard to say goodbye to my sister and her family.  Robin and Gwen are such a cute pair together.  Linus adores Gwen.  Dylan loves his cousins and did not want to leave.  The kids were less than cooperative with getting their picture taken.

           After the Rousseaus left, the kids and I head down to my friend's family beach place.  Katie comes up every 4th to celebrate Italian style.  Pretty much all of her family had left by the time we got there.  Instead we enjoyed sun, high tide, and warm water with just Katie and her husband, her mom, and another friend.  It was a perfect afternoon.  The kids loved being out on the water.  Eileen collected shells.  I learned that Katie makes the.best.margaritas.

Katie taught Eileen how to prepare clams and Linus and Eileen tried them for the first time.  Robin and I abstained.

I think the kids would have stayed forever if I let them.  With the traffic home down from over 4 hours to just 1.5 hrs, we headed back up north.  Long car rides after the 4th of July help to offset the craziness of irregular holiday sleep for kids.

It's been a great week.