Monday, September 30, 2013

Back in session

With the end of September, we are fully back in session with the routine of the school year and all the activities that come along with that.

That means scenes like these are now a regular occurrence.  Even though our weeks are busy, the regular rhythms of a week feel good.  Both girls are in ballet this year - with Bea taking her Petit Pas De Deux class (with me!) at the same time Josie takes piano lessons.






Bonus: Before Josie's ballet class, we stopped into The Coffee Emporium for a scone and sat at approximately the exact same spot where a 1 year old baby Josie smashed her first birthday cake. Josie wanted me to re-tell every detail of that day to her - who was there, what she did, etc. She was fascinated by all of it and really surprised to hear just how many of you were all there. Thanks to all of you for being a part of our lives from the earliest days through now!




Friday, September 27, 2013

Washington (9 & 10): Last Day(s)



Our last day(s) in Washington is kind of a big beautiful blur. It was part morning on the island, part whirlwind couple of hours in Seattle to introduce Lou & the girls to the heart of the city, part good-byes to good friends and part red-eye flight home (like board after 11PM and wake up in Cincinnati when it's actually early the next day).

Here are the highlights from the crazy, hazy last 24 hours in the PNW.

We finally saw the a seal - a baby seal in a roped off area being watched 24 hours by some brand of coastline volunteer squad that protects wildlife. It was sleeping sweetly. So camouflaged. So cute.


There were some big sea rocks to explore and in our 'last day of vacation' bliss, we let the girls do a little rock climbing that, looking back probably wasn't the best parenting judgment we've ever exercised.



A thumbs-up from a precariously-dangling Josie

"I did it!"


From sea stuff..

To Seattle...



See this - it's my fake smile. Because I was terrified. See Bea's face? That's sort of a more accurate reflection of what was really going on.

Josie loved it. (Of course Josie loved it.)
Space Needle Sighting.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Washington (8): Tides, Clams & Sand


Our last full day on Fidalgo & Whidbey Islands was spent much like the others - exploring.  It's a part of the country so different from home, and so fulfilling for all four of us to experience new things at every turn.

We spent a good chunk of this particular day getting to know the tides. The little boat made the perfect marker to explain the tides to the girls. They were so tickled to hang out and pretend like they were sailing across the sea as it sat  there in the mud, when it was bobbing up and down in the water out of reach the evening before. We added more and more treasures to our baskets and dug up clams. We drove to the highest point on the island and looked out over a big blue world in all directions.  We pulled driftwood from the water and made an obstacle course. We frolicked. We basked. We discovered. We soaked it all in.

Here are the highlights.


















"Skipping rocks" by the handful 

Perfect form. 




Someone was apparently 'over it' by this point






Seagull Photo Bomb











Josie's sea turtle sculpture


Home base / Porch fort