little black journal

We’re in the thick of Autumn – it’s raining outside as I type and the kids are watching Coco in the background, snuggled under a pile of blankets.  Summer is a distant memory…  But I’m leaning into the change of seasons, finding some comfort in the way we’ve settled into our Fall schedule and thankful for the sun breaks that graced much of September and October.

We spent a September Saturday up in Duvall, running through fields of sunflowers.  We paid our entry fee to Lora Lee’s and went through the gate, expecting to see acres of gold.  Instead, we found a patch of dahlias, which were beautiful, but not quite what we’d imagined.  We followed the signs to the sunflower maze, hopes held high.

And then there they were, just past the corn.  ENTER!

I’d imagined the sunflowers would be several feet tall, but I’m so glad these were minis, given that Isaac took off like a lightning bolt and I counted on being able to keep an eye on his blond bobbing head from a distance.

Top day.

Shane’s mom was with us for nearly two weeks in September and joined us for donut runs and soccer games and morning walks to school.  And lots of evening games of Hearts, once Isaac went to bed.

She celebrated her birthday with us, with drinks at Salty’s…

And apple pie at home.

We still spend as many golden hours as possible outside, at Alki or Lincoln Park.

I spy…a couple of runners.

Isaac is enamored with the barrage of skeletons and inflatable ghosts that have popped up around the neighborhood this month.  He calls them “mookies”, which is his pronunciation of “spookies” and we love an evening spooky hunt.

We found ourselves with a wide-open Sunday a couple of weeks ago and felt very much in need of a family reconnect after a hectic month, so we shoved aside our to-do list and boarded a ferry for Vashon Island.

We found the smallest, sweetest pumpkin patch at the south end of the island and loaded up our wheelbarrow with a pumpkin for each of us.

Score, Buddy!

Smile, Isaac!

Or…don’t, you little goofball.

I know, this just keeps going, but the pumpkin patch photo ops!

Post-pumpkins, we grabbed some treats at Vashon Coffee Roasters and headed to KVI Beach to get some sun and look for shells.

The weather was so good that day.  Some of us shed our sweaters.  One of us took off our pants.

Juliette and I read our books while Isaac brewed shell soup.

Our final stop was Dragon’s Head Cider – this place is heaven on earth on a sunny afternoon.  Hammocks and orchards and Adirondack chairs and crisp, cold drinks…we made ourselves right at home.

Isaac is far from “easy” these days, but we are finding ourselves with some several-minute stretches where we can sit back and watch the kids play without having to worry that Isaac’s going to hurt himself or run away or eat something unsavory.  It feels good.

I favored the Kinsgston Black, but Isaac thought my Columbia Crabapple was particularly nice on the nose.

A dream, I tell you.  Huge shout-out to Shane for being the mini-adventure mastermind – we drove back to the ferry sun-kissed and happy and reminded of just how much we all like each other.  Island time does a family good.

Happy Autumn, friends.

ELEVEN!  It happened. And it was good.

Juliette had a soccer game in Port Angeles on her birthday and the Chens graciously offered to let us stay at their house on Marrowstone Island for an evening, to save us from a two and a half hour there-and-back drive in a single day.  Shane’s mom was with us and we enjoyed cozying in on Juliette’s birthday eve, eating takeout and watching a movie and stepping outside only briefly to enjoy the fresh air and wooded lane.

I made a run to the local market on Saturday morning for pastries and coffee.  A chocolate croissant for the birthday girl…

Isaac wanted to be in on all the birthday action – he clapped the biggest when Juliette blew out her candle and hopped right into her lap when it was time for her to open her gifts.

I see you, Buddy, trying to open that next present!  Rascal.

Juliette made out good this year, with a new pair of rain boots and an iPad to replace the one her brother dropped and cracked several months ago.

She’s nothing if not grateful.

We had a bit of time to lounge and then it was time to gear up and head to the soccer field.

Ok, one quick beach stop first…  Isaac found a little crab and when I asked him to hold it out and say cheese, he yelled, “CHEESE CRAB!” and now we say “cheese crab” whenever posing for pictures.

Sandy spins…

And then we hit the road.  We play a song called Send It before each of Juliette’s games, the beat pumping all of us up as we dance in the car, and Isaac has really leaned into the tradition.

Let’s go, blue!

It was wet during warmups, so Isaac hung in the car with Pat and me for some selfie shenanigans.  Whatever passes the time…

The girls unfortunately did not emerge from the game victorious, but my mega-tray of cupcakes lessened the pain.  A’s for effort and attitude.

We had a few hours of daylight left after the game, so we drove over to Finn River Cidery for drinks and pizza and corn hole.  One of Juliette’s buddies joined us and we had the best time chatting and drinking and running throughout the sprawling grounds.

The kids all rang the Wishing Bell…

And then summited mulch piles and raced through the orchards.

Isaac, Juliette and I tucked ourselves into the backseat and shared a cup of warm mini donuts as we jetted to the Southworth Ferry.  We were all a little sleepy and Juliette put her head on my shoulder as she listened to her audio book.  Isaac gazed out the window with that pre-nap look in his eyes and I just felt so thankful for these kids and our mini-adventures.

It was a gorgeous, golden-gray ferry ride back to Fauntleroy.  Top day.

Sunday was party day.  Juliette decided on a backyard game night, with pizza and cake and music.  She invited a handful of school friends and we opened with Pictionary.  The girls did great, but their guesses grew progressively louder as the game went on – I’m certain that neighbors a block away were wondering about the commotion.

We moved into charades, which was equally raucous, but also a major crowd-pleaser.  Juliette’s buddies each seem to relish the spotlight in their own way, and I loved watching them shine.

Charades devolved into a game of tag and Isaac was let loose and allowed to join the party.  He was in heaven, trotting behind the girls at each turn, convinced he was one of the big kids.

Cake time!

And presents.  I thought this was the point in the party when things would start to mellow, but instead the energy only amped higher as the girls yelled, “Open mine first!  Open mine last!  You’re going to LOVE this one, Juliette!”.

Juliette was spoiled with earrings and bath bombs and gel pens and slime.  Each present came with enthusiastic remarks about where it was bought or how it should be used.  Isaac generally loved being in the mix, but by the sixth or seventh gift he look over at me, his eyes wide and his mouth in a grimace as if to say, “Dude, these girls are intense!”

But they’re also the sweetest.

Happy Birthday, baby girl.  I’m so proud of your compassionate heart and your growing grit, the way you engage so thoughtfully with people and books and new places.  I was at dinner the other night with some friends and as I mentioned something about Juliette, the ladies all started gushing about what a mature kid she is, how she’s so strikingly helpful and kind.  I was inclined in the moment to take her off the pedestal, to remind them that she’s not in fact flawless, but I stopped myself and instead just gushed along with them.  I see her living more and more into exactly who she’s meant to be and it’s perfect.  Bring on eleven.

It’s Fall!  Like full-swing Fall.  But I’ve got a cache of August snaps I just finished going through, so here’s one last glimpse of summer…

I took a few extra days off after we returned from Neskowin to tackle some house projects and spend some extra time with Juliette.  It was bliss – I crossed a handful of longstanding items off my to-do list and relished my afternoons with my best girl.  We drank boba and watercolored and strolled Alki together.  Turns out Seattle is an ideal place to take a summer vacation.

We took a Saturday spin on the West Seattle water taxi to grab a waterfront lunch with my dad.  Public transportation at its best.

Shane and I took the kids to the Sammamish Animal Sanctuary in Renton to visit their goats and llamas and bunnies.  This place was wonderful – they give a home to neglected or unwanted barnyard animals and we had the best time doling out lettuce leaves and carrot sticks.

We spent a weekend on Bainbridge Island for one of Juliette’s soccer tournaments, but the weather was decidedly un-summery.  It rained and rained and rained and we shivered through her Friday afternoon game.

Thankfully, our AirBnB was warm and comfy and the perfect place to enjoy a post-game nap.

And the Harbour Public House!  There is no cozier place to enjoy a cup of beer and a bowl of chowder on a drizzly evening.

It stopped raining just as we were leaving the restaurant and we all felt a little giddy at the break in the weather.

My word, though – Saturday morning was even wetter.  The girls pushed through.  Isaac and I hunkered down in the tent.

And then enjoyed coffee and macarons at Coquette Bake Shop.

The sun came out just as the girls finished warming up for their third and final game.  They ended the tournament 0 for 3, but they kept their heads up and learned a bunch.

It felt nice to take it slow on Sunday morning.  Couch snuggles and cars.

Isaac was smitten with this little recycling truck he’d found in the house’s toy bin and had a very hard time saying goodbye.  Finally, though, he gave it one last kiss, murmured “I love you, truck”, and walked away.  Parting is such sweet sorrow.

And Poulsbo donuts make things brighter.

We took a short walk along the Poulsbo waterfront and I made a mental note to do some more exploring around here, when we have more time and less rain.

We capped off our weekend with brunch in Gig Harbor.  And SUN!

Labor Day weekend was quiet – we decided to spend the last weekend of summer break close to home and ventured no farther than Jefferson Park when we felt a bit antsy.  It scratched the itch – new grass to run around on!  Bigger slides on the playground!

And dandelions as far as the eye could see.

Shane’s mom came to town the day after Labor Day and folded right into our family hub-bub.  We loved having her around – cheers to Grandma time!

Ah, summer.  It’s so hard to see you go.  So long, spray parks…

And spontaneous evening sprinkler runs.

We loved our sunny drives in the big blue car (though Isaac may insist we keep these up through Fall)…

And especially our front yard water fights.

Dump truck car washes…

And beach ball shenanigans.

What a beautiful season, in so many ways.  But on with the business of September.  And school!  Juliette started fifth grade and I realized as I was snapping these pics that we were memorializing her last first day of elementary grade.  Our walks down the street to our neighborhood school suddenly feel numbered.

Although I suppose in a couple of years Isaac will be a sporting a backpack and we’ll do this all over again!  That makes me feel equal parts comforted and exhausted.

“One more hug, Juliette!”

And then, with a final wave goodbye, summer break officially came to a close.  Bring on the pumpkins.

By Thursday the kids and I were feeling ready to mix up our beach routine, so we hopped in the car and headed north for a mini-adventure, just the three of us.  As we drove down country roads en route to Blue Heron Dairy, Life is A Highway (Isaac’s pick) and I Will Always Love You (Juliette’s pick) piped through the speakers.  We sang, like really SANG, Isaac always a couple of words behind Juliette me.  The road trip vibes were strong that morning.

We rolled up to Blue Heron just as they opened and spent an hour sitting in tractor seats and feeding goats and patting the resident donkeys.

Such friendly little dudes!

Such slobbery little dudes…

Once we’d fed all the animals and given our hands a thorough washing, we walked/ran to the candy store for a treat.

Isaac was thrilled with his Super Mario Pez dispenser.  Juliette went for the Mambas.

It was a short drive to Tillamook Creamery from Blue Heron.  When in dairy country…

Our stint at Tillamook was short, as the free cheese samples couldn’t compete with the well-stocked candy store at Blue Heron, so we did just a quick tour and then popped across the street for green smoothies and a cinnamon roll.

Next stop: the Garibaldi Train Depot for a ride on the old-timey rails.  The 30-minute ride from Garibaldi to Rockaway Beach was scenic and sweet and the perfect way to do some seated sight-seeing.

Isaac bounced from Juliette’s lap to mine and back again.  Turns our seated sight-seeing isn’t so much his style.

My word, kiddos.  Laying it on THICK, these two.

We had a short layover at Rockaway before we needed to catch the train back to our car, so we briefly hit the playground and the beach.

Get those wiggles out, Isaac!

I’m certain there were moments on this day when Isaac whined or wouldn’t listen, but I can’t remember them.  I just remember how much damn fun the three of us had together.

We thought about calling it a day after the train ride and heading back to the house for Isaac’s afternoon nap, but he fell asleep in the car just two minutes into our drive, so we let him doze and slowly moseyed over to Oceanside Beach for one last stop, figuring he’d be ready to go again by the time we got there and parked.  He was still pretty groggy when I lifted him from his carseat, but Sister offered to give him a carry, because she’s the best.

We explored the tunnel and collected a few rocks…

And then once Isaac had wiped the last sleepies from his eyes, it was time to twirl.  Juliette made a game of spinning at top speed, arms stretched wide, until she was so dizzy she collapsed in the sand.  Isaac followed suit and they fell again and again, the sound of their laughter mingling with the waves.

Juliette and I made our own sand-shard jigsaw puzzle and then Isaac stomped on it and now I remember there was definitely crying and whining from both my kids that afternoon, but it passed quickly.

Holding a grudge just isn’t in this girl’s DNA.

We eventually brushed the sand from our feet and headed back, eager to see the rest of our crew.  Morgan welcomed Isaac with open arms and let him help with dinner prep.

We drove down the beach that evening for a fire and s’mores.  It felt good to have everyone together.

We savored our treats and then the kids went for a run, because they’re unstoppable.

Isaac ran up and down the sides of this sandpit, at one point collapsing just over the edge so that all we could see were his little legs sticking straight up in the air, kicking as he struggled to roll onto his back.  We laughed a lot.

The Isaac Henry Show, coming soon to a beach near you…

Friday was our last day there, and Shane took the day off.  It was nice to have him with us for our morning walk.

Oh, Buddy.  These beach-run smiles are the stuff of my dreams.

Once again, Isaac couldn’t resist the frigid water, and once again, his shorts were soaked.  We rolled with it.

When Shane asked how I wanted to spend our last day there, I couldn’t think of a better place than our favorite stretch of beach, so he dashed back to the house for our beach chairs and snacks while I continued to roam with the kids.

Flipping through these pictures, I see image after image of Juliette leaning over so she can show or tell Isaac something.  ISAAC HENRY, YOU ARE SO LUCKY.  Often it feels like he has no idea how big he struck the sister jackpot, but someday it’ll sink it.  I know it.

The rest of our crew trickled down to join and us and we spend the afternoon reading and splashing and eating and lounging.  All my favorite things.

This driftwood fort was a good find.  No bears in here, either, though!

Juliette wrote our initials on the doorway with a piece of charred wood.  Love Wuz Here.

I had been promising the kids ice cream all week and finally made good on my offer.

One last game of tag for the road…  We love you, Morgan.

We went back to the house to gather our things and say our good-byes.  Juliette sniffled a little as we pulled away – what a good week, filled with laughter and play and rest and beauty and family.  Neskowin has our hearts.

Tuesday!  Isaac and I happily settled into a morning routine of walk -> coffee -> beach while Shane got his work day started and Juliette slept in.

Donut zoomies…

That morning was sunny and gorgeous, so we stretched out our beach time and headed to the south rock faces to do some exploring.

Isaac Henry, you’re too much sometimes.

As we drew near to end of the beach and saw the smattering of little caves in the rocks, our little stroll morphed into a full-fledged bear hunt.

Here we go, Bud!

Isaac gasped when we reached the first cave, then put on his scariest face, growled his most threatening growl, and yelled, “No thank you, Bear!”  Small but mighty, this boy.

Hello?

We didn’t find any bears, but the search was awfully exciting.  Time to head back.

The beach is still a pants-optional zone.

We splashed in the waves for a bit, Isaac’s little legs skittering over the surf.  He played chase with the water and squealed with glee each time it caught it up to him.

Detour for sea anemones…

And then we hoofed it back up the hill, Isaac giggling while I struggled to catch my breath.  Buddy is heavy and that climb is steep!

Morning cozies…

Afternoon backyard games…

And an evening in Pacific City, because the sand hill was calling.

Isaac started his climb up the dune with such vigor…

But then needed a little help.

And then a little more help.  Sister is a STUD.

Made it!

We all collapsed in the sand at the top, wanting to just chill for awhile and take in the view, but guess who popped up after 30 seconds and wanted to run around?

Down we went.

We tried again to sit and view-soak, but Issac Must. Keep. Moving.

Eventually I buried a little stick in the sand and Isaac made a game of trying to find it.  We did this over and over.  Whatever works!

Again, the waves beckoned and the kids answered.

WE DID IT!  I think we finally tuckered him out.

We spent the rest of the evening back at the house, eating and drinking and playing games.

Wheelbarrow shenanigans.  We laughed a lot that night.

Good night, sun.

On Wednesday, Juliette joined us on our morning walk.

Errrr…jog, I mean.  Keep it moving, Isaac said.

Just as I was about to suggest we head back, Isaac fell in the water and completely soaked all of his clothes.  Whoops.

Thank goodness for the dry sweatshirt I found in the stroller!

Blackberry pitstop.

And then our quietest day of the week – I helped Kathryn with a house project while the kids played in the backyard.  Isaac and I took an epic nap.  There was some evening pickleball and a pizza run.  It was slow and wonderful and gave me all the energy I needed for a Thursday adventure with the kids.  Up next!

It’s the first day of Fall, which means I’ve got a slew of Summer photos to post before we’re all in the thick of sipping our pumpkin spice lattes.  Here we go:

We decided to forego our annual Summer trips to Idaho and to Minnesota and to Hood River this year, because of busy schedules and Shane’s limited vacation days, but I’d be damned if we didn’t mark my favorite season with some sort of family getaway, so we asked my brother if we could crash at their beach house for a few days in August.  We hadn’t been to Neskowin since the summer I was pregnant with Isaac, so it felt like it was time to introduce our boy to that magical stretch of the Oregon Coast.  First though, a night in Portland to break up the trip and to enjoy the city we’ve seen too little of these past few years.  Iced coffee!  Books!  It was vay-cay time.

Of course he found the one Super Mario book on the paperback carousel.  Powell’s has something for everyone!

We ate dinner at Mitch’s and then settled into our downtown hotel – I had a free Hilton night that was set to expire, so we figured we’d make use of it and lean into urban life (with a heated pool to boot).  Sunday dawned bright and sunny.  Brunch time!

Screen Door was bustling and cute; Juliette’s lemon curd pancakes were perfection.

While Shane went back to the hotel to grab the car, the kids and I did a walk-about of the Pearl.  I do love me those Brewery Blocks…

We made it to Neskowin mid-afternoon and Juliette settled right into her little reading nook.

But I quickly got the beach itch and rallied the crew to head down to the sand.  No time to waste!

You’d think the whole “they’re growing up so fast” thing would wane over time, but El is 16 and still growing up so fast.

We spent the whole afternoon playing our hearts out, and it felt so good.  Sand pails and baseball bats and frisbees, oh my.

Sporting goods are fun and all, but the waves always win.

Settle in, Bud.  Welcome to home for the next few days!

The house’s earliest risers convened on the couch Monday morning while I sipped my first cup of coffee.

And then we booked it down to the market for my second cup of coffee.  Isaac drank his weight in hot chocolate.

I love these coastal misty mornings.

We spent the rest of Monday morning getting settled, running to the store for milk and yogurt and a few other essentials…

And then once that afternoon sun popped out, we staked out a spot at what came to be our favorite little stretch of sand, on the shallow waterway near Proposal Rock.

We paddled and splashed for hours, slowly watching the tide rise.

Isaac is the kind of kid that generally manages to live his best life wherever he goes, but truly, the I think the beach is his very best life.

Uncle Mitch shows NO MERCY.

And Morgan’s even more ruthless.

Isaac’s a good sport, though.

Juliette found a use for the hole in the bottom of our sandcastle cup…

And then we toasted to her creativity.

This was the first of many “bear hunts” that occurred over the course of the week.  This beach has so many fun nooks and crannies to explore.

BEAR!  RUUUUUUNNNN!

We shook out our towels, wiped the sand from between out toes, and then golden hour was enjoyed from the deck.  Cold wine with a side of Hotwheels.

Happy Vacation, Buddy.

THREE!  We made it!  Buddy Boy had a birthday a couple of weeks ago and is fully leaning into big-kid status.  The latest developments:

No more diapers!  We’ve had a plastic potty sitting in our hall bathroom for several months, ready and waiting for Isaac when he felt inclined to use it, but then we let him take the lead.  He decided in late May that he was done with his Huggies and after a few short days of jelly bean rewards for each pee on the potty, he fully had it down.  He has ditched diapers even at bedtime, which is wonderful, minus the occasional 2am shouts of, “MOMMY!  I HAVE TO GO PEEEEEEEEE!”

He’s still all about his cars, all day, every day, but we’re testing out a few new hobbies.  Biking, maybe?

Dress-up is a hit – he helps himself to whatever miscellaneous accessories he finds laying around the house.

Also, he’s forever finding ways to repurpose his own clothes, putting his face through the hole of his shirts or underwear so they’re a makeshift lion’s mane.

Books!  Books are a hit, particularly as a stalling mechanism when it’s time to get on pajamas and get ready for bed.

He clearly knows he’s milking it.

He might have a future in track?  He loves running laps at the neighborhood middle school while Juliette does soccer drills with her dad.

Oh goodness, and the tattoo obsession.  He got a sheet of Toy Story temp tattoos at a birthday party and was forlorn when they eventually washed off.  I bought another package and use them as incentives in lieu of lollipops.  Life is a chorus of pleas for “More Buzz!  More Woody!”

When he wears long sleeves, he insists on his sleeves being pushed up, so that Buzz and Woody “can see”.

Public transit and morning bus rides continue to be a source of excitement.  Juliette joined us a couple of times in the summer, getting off at Isaac’s stop and then walking home.  My kids’ up-for-anything attitudes can’t be beat.

There was much hand-wringing over Isaac’s first haircut, as I wondered if he was capable of sitting still for a stranger, but now he’s a pro and handles the clippers like a champ.

The sleep 411:  Naptime continues to be the best.  Love, love, love the mid-day snuggles.

And I especially love when sister is given the all-clear to burst into the room for a post-nap tickle session.

(I’m a very scary tickle monster.)

Bedtime, though!  I’m spending less evenings sitting in the chair until Isaac falls asleep, but there’s a whole big rigamarole in getting him settled, part of which is a flashlight sweep behind his crib to check for wolves.  We both declare, “No wolves!” and then I tuck him in, and then he tells me he needs to go the bathroom, and then he gets out of bed and back into bed and I turn on the hall light per his request and finally make my exit with calls of, “Isaac, can you hear me?  I’m just in the other room!  You’re safe, Buddy!”  And he responds with a sullen, “Ok…” and all is quiet.  For about five minutes, until he yells, “MOMMY?  NO WOLVES!”  and I tell him he’s right and then he says, “CLOSE MY EYES?!” and I say, “Yes, child, for the love of God, close your eyes!  I love you VERY MUCH.”  And then we’re done.  Phew.

Couch snaps:

Sister snaps (with freshly-shorn hair…):

And bath snaps:

The light this child brings to our lives…the way he exclaims, “I missed-ed you, Mommy!” each time I walk in the door, even if I was just taking out the garbage.  The way he’ll put a hand on each of my cheeks and whisper, “You’re my best fwiend.”  To be clear, he’s very generous in his use of “best friend”, bequeathing the title even upon his favorite Hotwheels, but it still gets me every time.  The other day I picked him up from daycare and he looked right up at me and said, “I yike your hair, Mommy!”  Million bucks, he’ll make you feel like.

I spent an extra-long time doing books and bedtime on the eve of Isaac’s third birthday.  We were at an AirBnB on Bainbridge Island for a soccer tournament and he had a tough time settling down, but I leaned into it and savored the snuggles and silly chatter.  I sang to him and he giggled and then finally, he slept.  My big little boy.

We spent Isaac’s actual birthday watching his sister play soccer, but when we got home on Sunday afternoon I pulled out the streamers and Juliette and I dashed to the store for a cake and that magical evening was all about him.

We invited my parents over for burgers and watermelon and then let Isaac loose on his stack of gifts.

A tractor flashlight, to look for wolves, of course…

A puppy from sister…

And a remote control Mario Kart, as he’s lately smitten with “Red Mario and Green Mario”.

Gosh, he was pumped about that little RC car.

Cake time!  I asked Isaac what kind of cake he wanted and he shouted “Pink!” and I made it so.

It was such a sweet evening, our little gang.  Isaac was on cloud nine.  But get ready to have your mind completely blown, Bud…  You dad picked up a surprise for you…

TA-DA!!!  Facebook Marketplace score of the year…

Isaac hopped right in and put the pedal to the metal.  We all ran for our lives.  This thing has oomph!

We let him cruise down to the sidewalk and it quickly became clear that he needed a crash course in Driver’s Ed.

Cue Sister, who happily folded her long legs into the front seat to show him the ropes.

My gosh, these kids.  I could not love them more.

Happy Birthday, Isaac.  Thank you for filling our home with joy and noise and matchbox cars and unbounded love.  It’s been awhile since I’ve tucked you into the Ergo and sang You Are My Sunshine as we sauntered through the neighborhood, your head heavy on my chest.  Suddenly I’m watching you speed down the street and I can hardly keep up.  But you’re still my sunshine, for ever and ever, Amen.

Summer is slipping through our fingers, as it does every year, and I’m snap-shotting as many moments as possible, wanting to freeze-frame joys big and little.

We’ve felt a little short on buddy-time these past couple of months due to by-passing travel schedules, but have squeezed in a couple of hangouts, like this evening with the crew at Lowman Beach.  It’s so apparent from these photos how much Juliette loves being the presence of these people.

We skipped our annual Idaho trip this summer and leaned into a West Seattle Fourth of July, complete with a curbside viewing of the neighborhood parade, which is really just a single fire truck followed by hundreds of families taking a walk together in their red, white, and blue.

We picnicked with friends in the afternoon on the Fourth, with popsicle appetizers and a burger bar and eight varieties of chips…

And then spent the evening at home, doing sparklers and fireworks with our neighbors.  This is the first Fourth that Isaac has been old enough to hold his own sparkler!  Such pride.

The fireworks were a bit confusing for him, initially.  Why were we making so much noise?  And such a mess?

But soon he got into it.

REALLY into it.

We only made it to Coleman Pool once this summer, on an 80-degree day that proved to still be too cool to enjoy a long swim.  But the bikeride was beautiful, our quick dip was fun, and the beachfront burritos were superb.

When temps climbed toward 90 later that week, we hopped in the neighbor’s pool for some more drawn-out swim time.  What a treat.

On the rare occasion that we found ourselves with a free Saturday, we headed toward open water with our paddleboard and squirters in tow.  I forgot how good Chism Beach is!

(Don’t jump, Isaac!)

(JUMP, JULES!)

It took Juliette ten minutes to get up the gumption to make the jump and swim to Shane on the floating dock, but once she leapt, her dad was all cheers.

Back at shore, Isaac eased into the water a bit more gradually.  Cold, Bud?

But he quickly acclimated.

Juliette showed him how to load the water squirter and once he got the hang of it, he was dangerous.

Popsicle break…

And then lunch at Dough Zone, where this cool kid drank half of my mango iced green tea.

We ordered a second paddleboard last month so that we could get out on the water as a family, but our first paddleboard popped (on land, thankfully) as we were loading up for a sunset SUP at Lowman.  The best-laid plans…  Isaac and still got out on the new board for a quick test drive.  It floats!

Miscellaneous playground snaps, of wading pools and spray parks and climbing walls…

We took in (part of) a Mariners game at my office’s summer picnic.  Snacks, lemonade, and matching pink hats for the kids.  I don’t even recall if the M’s won, but we certainly felt like we came out ahead!

Juliette has been extra fitness-focused since getting her Apple watch and is always game to accompany me on my evening walks.  I LOVE these walks, this dedicated catch-up time with my girl.  Often the highlight of my day.

If I’m working from home and can step away from my desk a little early, we jog to Isaac’s preschool to pick him up, then catch the bus home.  Something for everyone!

Front yard hangs continue to be another simple summer pleasure.  So many giggles during my evening watering.  Pants optional.

Finally, Isaac and I capped off July with a berry-picking spree at Bybee Nims while Juliette was at a soccer tournament.  It was cloudy that day, but Mount Si was no less beautiful and the blueberries were no less sweet.

Isaac ate about 10 berries for each one he dropped into our bucket.

And for the record, I told him not to eat the green ones!  This will teach him to listen to his mama.

Back to the blues…

These slow, sweet summer days with my boy…we’re eating it all up.  Every last bit.

 

 

Back at camp, again.  We embarked on our third camp trip of the season last month, this time at Kachess Lake.  We settled into our sweet little site on a Friday afternoon and then bee-lined for the lake, ’cause it was HOT.  

The lake was perfect for paddling, with knee-deep waters for quite a ways out.  Plus, those mountain views…

I strapped the kids into their life jackets and we ventured beyond the shallow waters, so Juliette could go for a real dip.

These may be some of my favorite snaps of the summer – the adoration these two feel for each other is real.  Most of the time.

We kept putting off heading back to camp for dinner – it was still so hot and the water was still so good.

Finally, though, we toweled off.  Dinner time.

Juliette loves helping with meal prep when we camp and I’m more than happy to delegate.  Slice those peppers and cook that rice, girl…

Campfire hangs…

I tell you, even a walk to the bathroom or the water spigot can be sweet when we camp.  Nothing is easy, but most of it is beautiful.

G’night.

And good morning!  Happy Saturday, Bud.

It was nice to have a camping trip with no rain, but ugh…the dust.  This boy was dirtier than dirt after a morning of playing with his cars on the ground.

I mean…

At some point I recommended he play on the picnic table rather than the ground, but too late, Mama.  The damage was done.

These two, meanwhile, stayed cool and clean in their shady little nook.

Alright, Bud.  Time for a dip!

We spent the rest of the morning on the water, bouncing between paddle board and inner tubes.  Isaac really liked draping his body over our mermaid floatie and kicking his legs for all it was worth.  I liked the feeling of washed feet!  

Watermelon, water, kiddos.  Love, love, love.

We ventured out of the shallows for a little bit to do some exploring.  Gosh, that turquoise water.

We came back to shore and Shane rigged up a new sort of watercraft.

More floating…

And then it was naptime – we all needed a sun-break.  Our tent was a sauna, so we hopped in the car and sought refuge from peak heat at the air conditioned Dru Bru a few miles away; Isaac fell asleep just as we were parking and I gently scooped him out his car seat, found a comfy booth inside, and he dozed with his head on my chest while I drank my Saison and ate French fries.  He’s a big boy, but in that moment, he was very much my baby.

It was back to the lake as soon as we returned to camp, droplets of sweat gathering on our backs as grabbed our towels and floaties.  We found the lake to be particularly mucky where we settled and I wondered if I was really down for a dip, but then our beloved mermaid inner tube started drifting away and I was all-in, swimming after it like a golden retriever fetching a stick.  I did not catch said floatie in the water, but it landed in a little cove where I eventually was able to recover it after a shoreline scramble.  The windfall was that I discovered a new stretch of beach backed by the most golden grasslands.  I hustled back to the family, grabbed our things, and we resettled at this gorgeous spot.  

The sun was setting and temps were finally cooling – Juliette stretched out on the blanket with her book, Isaac attacked imaginary monsters with a big stick, and Shane and I sipped our Moscow Mules.  Respite, in so many ways.  Our moment of zen was short-lived, as Isaac needed to make a run for the bathroom, but on our hustle to the outhouse we came across two spotted baby deer, which felt worth stepping away from my canned cocktail.  

 

I love this state we live in.  These people I get to explore it with.  It takes a lot of work to get out here, a lot of planning and packing and schlepping and asking Isaac to please stop whining, but gosh, it’s worth it.

We broke down camp early on Sunday, eager to get home to our bathtub and our portable AC unit.  I took a walk with the kids to scope out next year’s prime sites while Shane did the final loading of the car (thanks again, Shane!).

Requisite goofball pics…

Adios, Kachess.  In looking at our calendar, I’m thinking this was our last camp trip of the year, which brings on a bit of melancholy, but also, what a note to end on.

Another one of those campground reservations I made so many months ago rolled around at the end of June and again, we carpe’d the diem, loaded up the car, and made it happen.  Coho, here we come!

Juliette is now legitimately super-helpful when it comes to setting up camp.

Isaac…not so much.  But he sure tries.

I eventually asked Isaac to “help” by lining up all his cars on the picnic table.  THAT, he could most definitely do.

Tent up, sleeping bags unrolled, hammock strung, juice boxes unearthed from the bottom of the cooler…cheers!

We spent the evening getting the lay of the land, traipsing through the campground in search of the closest water spigot and the best lake access.

Found the lake!  Too cold for swimming, but perfect for rock-throwing.

S’mores…

And the after-party.  I need to seriously rethink pumping the kids full of marshmallows before bedtime.

But there was an awful lot of pre-sleep laughter, so I rolled with it.

We slept in a bit on Saturday and emerged from our tent to find sunshine and salmonberries.  Worth getting up for.

That morning was the stuff of camp dreams.  We lingered over our coffee and hot chocolate.  We snacked on bacon and croissants and got a little fire going and I scooted my camp chair extra-close to Shane’s while Juliette read in the hammock and Isaac scrambled over tree stumps.  And that morning light streaming through the evergreens…

 

We took our time getting to the breakfast dishes, but eventually cleaned up and then headed out for a short stroll down a nearby trail.

This “hike” clocked in at just under a mile, which was the right distance for Isaac.  We were only a couple of minutes from camp when he tired to the point of wanting to hitch a ride on sister’s back.

Lunchtime lounging…

And then what I thought would be a short stint in the tent for naptime.  It started sprinkling just as Isaac fell asleep, which I figured was the perfect window for the sunshine to take a quick detour, but then it kept raining, and kept raining,  And so we hunkered.  Cozied up.  Waited it out.  Isaac did a lot of tent gymnastics and then resorted to tormenting his sister.  I brought chips and canned wine and juice boxes into the tent and we happy-houred in there, then ate our hot dogs in the trunk of the car, the tail gate serving as a makeshift canopy.  

Finally I decided rain be damned, we needed to stretch our legs, so we pulled up our hoods and walked over to the lake, searching for blue skies along the way.

We didn’t find any.

There was an easing-up of raindrops around 7pm and Juliette and I bee-lined to the boat launch to inflate our paddleboard and get out on the water.  The rain stopped completely as we climbed on the board and the lake was glass.  So still, so pristine.  Juliette did most the paddling while I sat back and soaked it all in.  This was worth waiting out the weather.

Sunday!  I do love rolling over in the morning to the sight of these two.

These next couple of photos make my laugh – Isaac so clearly wakes up with MUCH more energy than the rest of us.

Everything was still pretty damp that morning and I couldn’t get a real fire going, so we decided to go ahead and pack it in once we’d polished off our muffins.  We’d scratched our camping itch.

When I say “we” packed it in, Shane actually did the packing while I took the kids for a paddle.  He’s the best.

Shane met us down at the water with a loaded-up car.  We deflated our board, tossed it in the rooftop carrier, and hit the road.  Rain be damned, we rocked Coho.