little black journal

Friday dawned bright, sunny, and full of promise – the city was our oyster and we had places to go and sights to see.

First, though, fuel in the form of green smoothies and bagels.

We spent awhile at the 9/11 Memorial, moved by the power of the very real void left where the twin towers once stood.

And from there, we strolled to City Hall Park, where we found a sunny bench on which to share a Coke and watch the fountain’s shadows move across the pavement.

And then, the mandatory trek across the Brooklyn Bridge, for city views.

And close-up views of the bridge itself.  What a beauty (the bridge, but also, this kid!).

We made it to Brooklyn just as our feet started to ache, so we called an Uber to pop us over to Williamsburg for shopping and lunch.  I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect of Williamsburg, but…charming coffee shops?  Check.

Boutiques packed with beautiful handmade wares?  Got it.

And the prettiest little sweet shop, stocked with every variety of Swedish gummies?  Score.

I mean…

Unfortunately, the pizza place that I had picked for lunch had a line around the block, so we decided to hop on the subway, hightail it to the Financial District, and pick up some goodies at the market for a picnic lunch on the Ellis Island ferry.  That’s the beauty of New York – you’re never more than a few Subway stops away from a stellar backup plan.

We cruised first to the Statue of Liberty and then to Ellis Island, but with all the miles we’d already walked that day, we decided to stay on the boat rather than disembark with most of the other passengers.  The views from our boat deck bench seat did juuuuuust fine.

Back on land, we hoofed it back to our hotel, stopping here and there to check out a cool building or choose our favorite outfit from a fancy window display.

When our energy waned, we popped in our earbuds and let HAIM carry us the rest of the way back.

I took my cherished afternoon siesta and then rallied in the evening for dinner at Boucherie in West Village.  My Aperol Spritz and goat cheese salad hit the spot.

We wandered back to our hotel, full and happy, stopping to peek at Washington Park, which was bumpin’ at 9pm, but then a rat scampered across the lawn just in front of us and Juliette promptly decided it was time to go.  We picked up a nutella crepe from a small stand on MacDougal and ate while we walked the rest of the way back; any rodent drama was quickly forgotten.

We tucked ourselves in by 10pm and then fired up You’ve Got Mail so we could get an extra dose of NYC from the comfort of our bed.  Falling alseep next to Juliette with a rom-com running in the background is one of my favorite things.

Saturday dawned grayer and rainier than Friday, so we lingered extra-long over our hot chocolate and latte from Fellini.  I loved this coffee shop’s classy, classic vibes.

We took the Subway to the Upper West Side with plans to walk Central Park but found it was even wetter in that neck of the woods, so we ducked into Frame for another round of hot beverages.  This is why we carried our books where ever we went.

An hour later, it was still pretty drizzly, so we traded Central Park for the MOMA.  Again, not too shabby a backup.  I had forgotten just how many master works of art live in this museum.  In the space of a couple of hours, we saw Van Gogh and Picasso and Rothko and Pollock and Giacometti, OH MY.

Plus, Yves Klein, whose signature shade of cobalt blue became my favorite color when I lived in Paris and visited the Pompidou on the regular.

Post-museum, we guzzled cold Cokes and tucked into a very good pepperoni pizza.

By the time we’d eaten lunch and rested a bit back at the room, the rain had died down and we decided to give our Central Park visit one last go.  We took the scenic route from the Subway stop to the park, dilly-dallying on the gorgeous streets of the Upper West Side.

And the park!  It would take several full days to explore this place in its entirety, but we settled for a stroll to the lake.

As we were standing on the Bow Bridge, wondering what exactly made the lake water so green, a man just a few feet away from us got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend.  She said yes and then they were immediately swarmed by a cast of 30 friends and family members that had been hiding nearby.  There was laughter and crying and kissing and Juliette ate it up.  She’s a sucker for romance, this girl.

We exited the park on the east side and set out in search of dinner.  I was meant to be looking for the seafood restaurant I’d pinned, but we stumbled upon a Lauderee and decided macarons would make a good appetizer.

Eventually, though, we landed at Seamore for cocktails/mocktails and fish and chips.

And then…showtime!  We’d found a deal on last-minute tickets for &Juliet and had heard wonderful things about the show from a friend.  To Broadway!

My goodness, what a dose of pop-infused joy that musical is.  We laughed and sang and I found myself whooping like a schoolgirl when Romeo came down from the rafters on a star-studded platform, belting out a Bon Jovi song.  And long live Backstreet Boys!  It was a ridiculaously fun night.

Sunday was depature day, but we had a few hours in the morning to soak up our last bits of city life.  I hadn’t made breakfast plans, but figured we’d settle for a nearby coffee shop.  This is what ‘settling’ looks like in SoHo:

We had decided to check out the immersive Arte Museum, so we walked along the waterfront to the museum’s pier and then made our way through a series of exhibits that put you in the midst of rushing waterfalls and deep, dark oceans and fairy-like butterfly gardens.

It was gray and chilly when we emerged from the museum, so after popping real-quick into Chelsea Market to buy the necklace I’d been thinking about since Thursday, we grabbed a couple of stools at a ramen joint for a piping hot lunch.

And that was it, our final taste of New York City…we hustled out of there to grab our bags and get to JFK.  WHAT A TRIP.  I’m coming up short for words to express just how thankful I am for those few days with Juliette – we’ve got such a good thing going right now.  I texted one of our bench-sitting selfies to a group of friends when they wished me a happy birthday and one of the ladies responded with, “JUST LIKE LORELAI AND RORY” and I’ll wrap with that.

The Mama-Jules October getaway lives on…these few days away, just us two, has become an annual tradition now and we’re keeping a running list of dream destinations.  Top of mind for Juliette these past couple of years has been New York City, chic kid that she is, and her wish was very happily my command.  We said adios to our guys, boarded our plane, sat on said plane for an hour before getting off to board a different plane due to mechanical issues, and finally, lifted off, giddy with excitement.

We landed early evening at Newark Airport in New Jersey and made an adventure out of navigating multiple transit systems to get us to SoHo.  Juliette trusted me, mostly, but closely tracked our stops against the on-train Subway map.

After lots of Google mapping and a little bit of reliance on the kindness of strangers, we landed two block from our hotel.  Life skills.

We dropped our bags in our tiny room and then quickly set out in search of food, eager for something hearty after a day of airplane snacks.  Little Italy was a 15-minute walk away and Juliette was in the mood for pasta, so we headed that direction and snagged a sidewalk table at a cute eatery.  Our pesto gnocchi hit the spot.

When in Little Italy, you grab a canolli for the walk home.

Goodnight, New York…

I promised Juliette a sleep-in on Thursday, but by 9am I was jonesing for a latte and some sightseeing.  Rise and shine, Girly!

We grabbed coffee and croissants at Felix Roasting Co and Juliette read her book in the cafe’s small winter garden while I gawked over the velvet banquettes and the embossed napkins.

From Felix, we wandered through West Village, stopping every couple of minutes to admire a brownstone with a particularly charming stoop.

We stopped a lot.

Eventually, we landed at Little Island, a park in the Hudson River constructed on a series of tulip-shaped pillars.  I had seen the architectural splash this place made on social media when it opened a few years ago and was eager to see it in person.  Would it be as cool as Instagram had led me to believe?

It absolutely was.  Lush and verdant, but with these peek-a-boos that reminded you how utlimately this piece of natural respite in the city was entirely man-made.

Juliette and I rested our feet at the park’s amphitheater and cracked open the couple of fortune cookies that had been part of our welcome package at the hotel.  My fortune opened with, “Have the courage to get a little lost…”  Challenge accepted.

I loved this park so much!  Humans can be so wonderfully ambitious and creative.

From Little Island, we walked over to Chelsea Market to do a little shopping and grab a bite to eat.

Juliette’s been on the hunt for a pair of ear muffs and I tried to talk her into these, but they were a bit bolder than she wanted to go.

As were the leapard Uggs.  So fun to browse, though!

And then…the Highline.  I’ve been wanting to walk the Highline for a decade now and GAH!  What a master class in urban intervention and thoughtful detailing.  So many beautiful moments to sit in the sun or peek at the city.

We ended our stroll at Hudson Yards, briefly checked out the Vessel, and then decided to hightail it back to our room to rest for a bit in preparation for our big evening to-do’s.

City kid.

Refreshed after a power nap (for me) and an episode of Gilmore Girls (for Juliette), we set back out late afternoon to make it to our early dinner reservations at Le Rock.  We had a 7pm show to get to, which meant dining at 5:00.  Just my style.

First, though, a quick pop into FAO Schwartz to pick up a little something for Isaac.  Juliette was smitten with this giant husky, but we settled on a much more packable Hotwheels Batman car instead.

We perched for a minute near the ice rink at Rockefeller Center and talked about our favorite scenes in Serendipity and Elf.

And then a birthday toast to me from my best girl.  44 was off to a smashing start – it had been a very very good day.

To the theater!

But before I get to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, let’s dwell on how fun it was just to roam these city sidewalks with Juliette, chatting and laughing like a couple of old pals.

AND the play!  This play was number one on Juliette’s list of NYC to-do’s and it was…perfect.  Funny at just the right moments, dark and scary at others.

There’s a scene at the end of the play where grown-up Harry travels back in time to witness Voldemort killing his parents and Juliette and I gripped each other’s hands through the horror of it all, tears streaming down our faces.  The power of good writing and good acting, but also the power of place and the presence of people.  It was a moment.

And with that, the curtain went down on our first full day in the city.  No notes for improvement.

We’re deep into autumn and barrelling toward winter, it seems.  The day after Halloween Isaac asked, “Is it Christmas yet, Mama?”.  The aisles of Target would make us think so!

But I’m hanging onto fall vibes for at least a couple weeks longer, as this past season has been particulalry good and we seem to have found a particular groove.  The kids have settled into their schools with grace and positivity.  Isaac started at a new preschool in September and is digging his big-kid classroom with weekly visits to gym and chapel on the larger church campus.  Plus, a Spiderman water bottle?  Psshhhh…

Juliette is a Middle Schooler and made quick work of learning how to navigate her new world, complete with class changes and locker combos and homework.

Isaac brings home a letter worksheet and some coloring pages a couple of times a week and feels so self-important when he declares that he has to do his homework.  Sister lends a hand when he’s stumped.

He’s got ‘X’ down pat.  And Buddy writes his name now!

Fall is also for soccer and we’ve been watching lots of it.  Juliette plays on both her club team and the school team, so she’s on the field for four practices and two games per week.  She’s a more confident, skilled player with each passing month and I’m her biggest fan.

I mean, we wouldn’t spend a Saturday afternoon sitting in the rain for just anyone…

We’ve also become big fans of the Seattle Reign and took Isaac to his first big-time sporting event last month.  He liked the action on the soccer field, but loved the Red Vines and Sprite.  When at Century Link…

Shane’s and my birthdays come right on the heels of our kids’ and while I celebrated my big day in NYC with my best girl, Shane was happy with a lower-key hurrah.  Drinks and pizza at Mioposto, some wiffle ball at Hiawatha, apple pie at home.  It was just his style.

Isaac has baseball fever and asks every hour on the hour if Shane will throw the ball around with him.  On a sunny fall day, it’s an easy yes.

Time to head home for dessert…

Happy birthday, Shane!  You’re so damn good at loving us.  We love you back.

We’ve play-grounded hard this season.  We spent a Saturday afternoon romping on no less than three separate playgrounds near my mom and dad’s house.

And Isaac and I made the most of the October golden hours by getting outside while Juliette was at piano or soccer.  This stretch of Beacon Avenue near Jefferson Park on sunny fall evening is magic.

And Camp Long with a chai and a vanilla steamer at 4pm on a Friday, when you have the full weekend ahead of you?  SO GOOD.

I love that a game of uber-obvious hide-and-seek still brings him so much joy.

To be able to walk and talk with my boy now!  I mean, it’s a lot of chatter about Paw Patrol and Spiderman, but he’s got stuff to SAY and I’m here for it.

Isaac and I paid a visit to our most favorite tree at Lincoln Park on one of the last pre-time-change evenings.

Buddy loves the zip line these days.  Faster, Mama, FASTER!

And then, of course, there were all things pumpkin.  We spent a sunny afternoon down at Carpinito Farms picking our perfect pumpkins.

I told Isaac he could get whatever pumpkin he wanted, as long as he could carry it to the wheelbarrow himself.  Challenge accepted.

I’m trying to pull out my big camera more often these days, but it gets sideswiped by my budding photographer.

We carved our pumpkins the weekend before Halloween and Isaac got a huge kick out of scooping out the gooey guts.

It’s so satisfying when your spoon comes out of there with a big ol’ heap of mush.

Isaac asked me to carve the face of his favorite Paw Patrol character and I admit, it came out a bit more…abstract…than I anticipated.

Juliette kept it simple and sweet.

Isaac has had his Halloween costume locked down since September (Costco starts stocking them early!) and was thrilled when his classroom Halloween party rolled around.  It was a Wednesday and he and I had a playground date that evening, so he got extra mileage out of his racecar uniform by wearing it to zip through Mount Baker Park.

We hunted for chestnuts and then spent 20 minutes sending said chestnuts down the playground slide, to see whose was faster.  My nut had a flat spot and lost every single time, but Isaac encouraged me to just keep trying.  Mr. Positivity, this kid.

And Juliette Grace!  We bought this dress at a garage sale a couple of years ago on a whim because it was beautiful and only five dollars.  On Halloween we finally made good use of it.

Halloween evening was rainy as all get-out, but we still took the kids around the block for some trick-or-treating.  Isaac was tentative at the first couple of houses, quietly mumbling, “trick or treeeeeeating…” when neighbors opened their doors.

But Sister showed him the ropes and his confidence grew with each house; at one point he happily helped himself to two full-size candy bars when a kind lady held out a tray full of Snickers bars and M&M’s.  Juliette was mortified.

THIS RAIN.  Time to head home and sort the bounty.

Finally, October was for cozying in.  Yes, we got out a lot, but we also spent a lot of time racing Hotwheels across the coffee table and reading books under a pile of blankets.

Saturday mornings are my favorite time of the week.  Coffee, fire, a day of soccer and and playtime ahead of us.

Isaac and I are always the first ones up and we like our Mama-Buddy time, but it’s a treat when Juliette rolls out of bed.

He is almost legit at Jenga now and needs very few hints on which pieces are non-structural.

Also, when he does knock it over, he laughs rather than cries.  Which means we all win.

Play hard, rest well.  Words to live by.

Halloween pics coming in hot, but first, our final summer snaps.  For posterity.  For the Grandmas!

And speaking of grandmas (and this blog’s most faithful readers), Shane’s mom came to visit in June for Juliette’s fifth grade graduation. For bonus fun, we squeezed in plenty of park visits and a quick trip to Vashon Island.

To the isand!

I love how my kids so eagerly lean into their ferry faves – Juliette bee-lines for the puzzle table and Isaac heads right for the deck.

Vashon was charming as ever.  We discovered a perfectly packed used bookshop connected to the Coffee Roasterie.

And then said hello to the Vashon Troll.  This guy’s name is Oscar the Bird King and he’s lovely.

Isaac spent half an hour in his driftwood fort burying his beloved Sonic action figure and then frantically digging it up.  There was a moment when we thought we’d lost him, but crisis averted.

We capped off our visit at Dragon’s Head Cidery for the requisite picnic lunch, hammocking, and cold beverages.

Fourth of July found us back on the ferry, this time headed toward Marrowstone Island for a holiday with our buddies.

We settled into Jack and La Verne’s place, pulled out the whiffle ball and bat, and let the festivities begin.

A quick romp through the woods / beach…

And then an evening on the lawn at Marrowstone Winery, for food and drink and music and laughs.

Happy Fourth!

These wide-open roads were made for morning scootering…

Juliette has become obsessed with the card game Piles and builds her fan base wherever she goes.

In other random highlights, our family spent a morning at an alpaca farm in Duvall, petting bunnies and feeding (then being chased) by a variety of barnyard animals.

This is her Can We Get A Rabbit? face…

These creatures…  Goofy-looking as all get-out.

But those eyes!  I love them.

Juliette did not love the slobber factor.  Put out a handful of feed and these alpacas get EXCITED.

Thanks to Shane for humoring me.  This trip was not on his summer bucket list, but I had a blast.

Plus, Lake Sammamish was conveniently located on the way home.  Beach day!

With some Rusts, to boot!

Felt so good…

But time to pack it up.

Juliette spent a few nights away from home at summer camp on Vashon Island.  I took her to the drop-off point via the water taxi and the goodbye to Brother and Dad was tough.

I connected her with her buddies and we hugged goodbye and we both cried a lot, but I was excited for her upcoming adventure.

And then Juliette was gone and our house felt not-quite-right without her.  Our reunion on Vashon Island several days later was awfully sweet.

SO SWEET.

Finally, there was plenty of joy found right at home.  The Jarrells came to visit for a weekend and the kids reveled in cousin and grandparent time.

On the weekends we weren’t camping or island-hopping, we were cycling through our West Seattle favorites.  Good Society, Coleman Pool, Alki Beach, rinse and repeat.

(A special shout-out for sunset walks down to the water with my girl – this is when we have our best chats…)

Our summer home base continues to be our backyard, for reading and water balloons and sprinklers.

Shane thinks he looks like Johnny from the Karate Kid.  I think he looks like utter delight.

I was gardening one evening and noticed a rustle in the ground where I’d just pulled out a scraggly rosemary bush.  I gently nudged aside a clump of dried grass and discovered a nest of several baby bunnies!  Juliette got her wish!

Shane set up a bunny cam as I’d seen no sign of mama and feared I’d scared her away with my poking around.  But early the next morning we got a motion notification and there she was!  Giving them breakfast and then tucking them back in.

I got a little obsessed with these dang rabbits, trying to get a peek every few hours but not wanting to scare them away.  I’d lay awake at night worrying about raccoons, googling home-rigged predator protection strategies.  A few days later, as I was showing Nance our sweet little nest, a bunny darted out of the hole and across the street.  He was tired of my meddling, I guess.  An hour later, the other two were gone.  Ah well, it was fun while it lasted!  And to be honest, I needed my life back.

Summer’s final blackberries…

Perfect to the very last drop.

 

Tuesday in Minnesota dawned sunny and warm.  Isaac hit the ground running, as per usual, begging for a game of dodgeball while we sipped our morning coffee and chai.  We made a game of standing on the porch and trying to peg him with a foam ball while he darted back and forth across the (quiet) street.

Juliette loved this game almost as much as Isaac – a rare chance to throw something full-force at her little bro!

More porch play…

And then the grownups rallied and we all hopped in the car to check out Itasca State Park.  We went for a short trail walk and then waded in the water.  THE headwaters of the Mississippi River, to be clear.  The kids were unimpressed by the geographical significance of this, but Shane was pretty pumped.

We decided to see how far the shallows went.

(The shallows went on for awhile!)

Admittedly, it got a little deeper than we expected in some places, but Isaac’s shorts were quick-dry!

The waters eventually got deeper and the mosquitos got thicker, so we bailed in search of lunch.  It was a fun little adventure, though.

We grabbed a bite at the WoodShed in La Porte and then the kids asked if they could play a quick game of tag out front before getting back in the car.  When on vacation…

These goofballs probably criss-crossed this lawn 25 times, then they made a game of rolling down the edge of the ditch as quickly as possible, laughing all the way.  I tell you, THIS IS THE STUFF.

For the record, these two very often drive each other crazy, but I haven’t got the photos to prove it.  Just believe me.  But also believe they love each other a whole whole lot:

Afternoon pool time…

And then a golf cart ride to the clubhouse for ice cream, which turned out to be a bust as the clubhouse was closed, but Isaac took it in stride.  He still got a golf cart ride out of it.

Shane kicked off Wednesday on the golf course.  Again, Isaac and I waited for him at the last hole with bated breath.

They’re back!

Juliette got in a few good swings as well.  Three cheers for cheap, casual golf.

We packed a lunch late morning and headed over to Walker City Park to spread out some blankets and maybe play in the water.  I say maybe, but Isaac’s mind was made up the moment he saw the dock.  This spot was made for jumping!

Again…

And again.  And again.

I finally wrestled Buddy out of his floaty so that we could chill and eat our sandwiches in the shade, but the quiet time was short-lived.  To the playground!

This girl, though.  She is quickly learning the art of beach towel lazing.

If you want Isaac to sit still, you have to pin him down.  Literally.

I told Isaac he could play in the shallow water and he found a spot to sit and gently splash around with his new Sonic toy.

Then sitting and splashing turned to running and splashing, and I said, when on vacation...

I’ve never seen six inches of water look this fun.  Way to bring the party, kiddo.

We went back to the camper in the afternoon and I took a solo walk.  While the day had been chock-full of highlights already, watching my boy run up the street toward me as I rounded the bend home was probably top three.  I was only gone 30 minutes, but he turned our little reunion into an all-out hug-fest.  I ate it up.

Evening golf!  Shane was in the groove!

And then evening cards on the deck.

Whatever Shane’s bluff was, Juliette wasn’t buying it.

Isaac and I took one last walk down to the lake, this time with his high-tech “moon-finder”.

Those pink cheeks!  The sign of a top-notch lake day.

I know I go on and on about reveling in the chance to go slow and follow my kids’ leads, so I’ll give it a rest and just say I’m so thankful for these few days by the water.  Thankful for dandelions…

For paper telescopes…

For pastel skies…

For screened-in porches and family members that make us feel so at home so far from home.

Until next summer, Minnesota…

 

A Minnesota Summer!  We made it happen!  Let’s go back in time a couple of months…

Shane, Isaac, I boarded our plane with even more anticipation than usual, as Juliette had traveled to Minnesota a few days earlier to spend some extra time with Shane’s mom and we were eager to see our girl.  Let’s GO!

Together again and it felt so good.

Plus, this sweet boy!  Little Brexton, Hayden’s baby, was so much bigger than when we’d seen him in March.  Juliette had spent the full day prior snuggling him to pieces and he was attached to her hip.

THE SWEETEST!

Isaac was mildly curious about the baby…

But was fully enamored with the golf cart.  That’s my boy!

Shane spent our first morning of vacation out on the golf course with Jason.  It’s been years since he swung a club, but he quickly got his groove back.

It helped that he had the very best caddy.

Isaac was obviously a bit young for golf, but we made the most of waiting at the final hole for Dad, Sister, and Uncle to appear.

The anticipation!

The rest of the day was spent bouncing from Pat’s porch to Tiff’s porch, right across the street.  It’s rare that all the Minnesota and Seattle cousins are in one place, so we made the most of just catching up.

I remember when this guy was just a little babe, even smaller than Brexton.  And now he’s taller than Shane!  Time…

One of the chillest, happiest little guys I’ve ever met.  He was so content to be passed from one lap to the next.

That said, at some point Isaac was like, “Enough with the baby already!”  Let’s go play!

We laughed a lot that day…

And we realized upon unpacking that we’d left Isaac’s goggles at home, so we made an emergency run into town for backups, knowing the pool would eventually beckon.  Isaac picked out a pair from the sporting goods store and insisted on wearing them the whole way home.

These are some of the best moments of vacation, just running errands without any rush.  Time to be goofy, to wander off-route.  To pop over to Dairy Queen for pre-dinner Blizzards.

We ate dinner on the porch, courtesy of Chef Tiff, the Hostess with the Mostess, and then Isaac and I took a walk down to the docks to get his final wiggles out before bedtime.

Hunting for hot dog plants became an evening ritual.  Like I said, it’s the simple, silly things.

Let the games begin (again)…

Monday dawned a little gray and misty, but Isaac warmed his tush by the fire and all was well.

One last photo with the littles before Hayden and fam hit the road…

The sun broke through in the late afternoon, so we threw snacks and towels in bags and boarded Tiff and Jason’s pontoon for a family cruise.  The lake was calling!

This little sand bar is one of my favorite places in all of Minnesota.  I have memories here of Shane catching frogs, Juliette and her cousins jousting on a floating raft, Denny and Pat watching it all with total delight.  This is Leech Lake…

The boat ride back was sweet, the kids sun-kissed and damp-haired, content to sit back and listen to the country tunes piping through the radio.

We showered and ate and took our sunset stroll.  You know, golden hour and all…

We played a game of tag in the grass near the docks, because, well, ISAAC.

This kid is a tornado…

But then there’s the calm after the storm.  Rest well, Bud.  There’s more playing to be done tomorrow…

Juliette’s birthday came quick on the heels of her brother’s.  Again, it was a multi-day string of celebrations before and after her official 12th, as she had an out-of-town soccer game on September 14th.  We planned her friend party for the weekend after her birthday, but declared her Birthday Eve family fun day.  Her pick on activity and food.

She suggested Family Fun Center and we were off to the races.  Literally.  Go Kart time!

We played a round of mini golf and Shane taught Isaac the fine art of putting.

Buddy got a hole in one!  I kid you not.

At least he was humble about it.

Bumper boats were declared the family favorite.  Partly because the splash of cold water felt good on a warm day, but also because my husband and children found it hilarious when my boat got stuck on spin-mode in the middle of the pool after the ride was over and every one else had parked their boats and exited the gate.  Silly old Mama…

We hit the arcade for awhile for extra kicks and Isaac lived out his dream of being a race car driver.

Lunch was also Juliette’s choice and she of course chose Din Tai Fung for soup dumplings and rice cakes.  I felt so lucky to be along for the ride, partly because the food was delicious, but also because she’s the very best company.

We spent her birthday morning up in Bellingham for a soccer game and while the score didn’t end in our team’s favor, at least Juliette was spending her day doing what she loved most.

That evening was a quiet dinner at home, rounded out with a birthday fruit tart and one extra-special gift.

Birthday girl and her mama are going to NEW YORK CITY!  (We just got back, actually, but that’s another blog post…)

Juliette’s other gift from us was a ticket to the Haim concert on the following Thursday night.  It was a gift to us all, actually, as Shane and I are also huge fans.

The show was incredible – they played all of our faves and we sang ourselves hoarse and danced ourselves silly.

God, these sisters can rock.

This definitely felt like a leveled-up kind of night, hanging with our grown-up girl at a rock concert until 11pm.  We had a blast.

Juliette’s friend party was the following weekend, but in ultimate contrast to her brother’s bounce house, she requested a fancy dinner party.

We had great fun planning the menu and setting the table.

It was a lift, pulling this all together, but Juliette helped a bunch and thanked me effusively for each little detail.  Gratitude is one of her super powers.

As the kids arrived and got settled in their seats, Isaac brought bottles of fizzy lemonade to the table.

Table games to break the ice (not that it really needed breaking…):

And then hors d’oeuvres were served.  By a handsome man in a suit, no less.

Jack asked as he was dropping off Nico if he could do anything to help and then he spent the next hour plating crostinis and making sure the spaghetti was perfectly al dente.  We were so grateful for the extra hands…

Hand-shaved parmesan, Mademoiselle?

This might have been his sixth glass of strawberry basil bubbles.  My boy knows how to party.

Oldest, dearest buds.

Juliette was lavished with lip glosses and squishmallows galore.

This  Survivor t-shirt from aforementioned oldest, dearest bud took the cake.

Or…the macarons, I mean?

It was a beautiful night for a beautiful kid.  Juliette Grace, you are in fact grace personified.  You are thoughtful and bright and kindhearted and I’m so thankful be your mom and your pal.  Happy Twelfth, Boo.  It’s going to be a grand year.

 

Fall is in the air, but you KNOW I’ve got a boatload of backlogged summer pics.  Stick with me.

We spent a weekend in mid-July camping at Kachess Lake, happy to have the family all together for this trip with a bonus four, as the Rusts had agreed to join us.  We landed at camp late afternoon and checked off our setup tasks one by one.  Lounge chairs,

Tent,

Beverages.

I took the kids down to the lake to scope out the shoreline while Shane stayed back to string the hammock and dig into his weekend reading.

The water was little mucky, but not too cold.  And the backdrop couldn’t be beat.

Really should have changed into those swim trunks…

We dined on beef tacos, our tried and true camp stove favorite, while the rest of our gang got settled.

The Rust pups were a welcome addition to camp life.

One of my favorite things about camping is the ability to walk in the woods at any given moment.  Did we just walk to the lake before dinner?  Yes, we did.  Did the kids want to go back right after dinner?  Yes, they did.

And did we opt for another walk to the lake before bedtime, the whole bunch of us?  Yes, we did.

Saturday morning!  Ube pancakes!  Sausage!  Pups!

Post-breakfast lake stroll: the colors out here at this time of day were on point.

The kids and I played a game of hide and seek and Isaac was convinced that he was fully invisible if he laid down in the foot-high grass.  I SEE YOU, BUDDY.

This boy left so many footprints in these long dusty roads over the course of the weekend.

Juliette set off on a separate path and challenged her brother to a race back to camp.  With that, he was OFF.

I huffed behind him, barely able to keep up.

We made it back to the site (before Juliette, no less), loaded up our car with chairs and water toys and a cooler full of lunch fixings, then drove down to the lakefront to set up shop for the afternoon.

Tuckered.  He slept over an hour on this rocky beach, a thin picnic blanket for a bed and a life jacket for a pillow.  When at camp…

While Isaac dozed, sister and I paddled.

This girl will forever be my favorite first mate.

We drifted back to shore to find Isaac up and ready to romp.

Pink cheeks, big grins, sunny vibes.

We spent the rest of the afternoon bopping around the campsite, snacking and gaming and reading.  The Rust boys continue to play the role of surrogate big brothers to my kids – they are as kind-hearted and patient as teens come.

We all took a walk after dinner and I led the crew on a very circuitous route to the same stretch of lakefront we’d been hanging at all weekend.

Long live family camp…

We decided on Sunday morning to pack it up early and grab a hot breakfast at a nearby diner.  Isaac said good morning to the dogs and then I took him for a walk while Shane and Juliette got on with the business of breaking down the tent.

Just a boy, sitting on a log with his warm milk and his mama, reveling in how good summer can be.  It’s one of my greatest hopes that my kids do not take this place we live in or these people we live life with for granted.

One last look, Bud.  Let’s pack it up.

And with that…back to civilization a la The Pancake House.  I do love camp life, but clean tables and flush toilets are nice, too.

I had big dreams for Schnell Family Camp Season 2025 and spent a lot of hours on campground websites last winter, looking at campsites and mapping drive times and making reservations, keeping my fingers crossed that weather and schedules would allow us to follow through come summer.  And WE DID IT.  Mostly, I mean – there was a forest fire that nixed one weekend’s reso, and Juliette had a couple of soccer tournaments that required Isaac and I to trek on without her and Shane, but no regrets.  We’ve been living our best PNW lives these past couple of months.

We got right down to business the day after school let out and headed to Lake Chelan for our inaugural trip.  Shane upped the ante and reserved a boat for a couple of hours; we drove straight to the dock, strapped on our life jackets, and let ‘er rip.

Faster, Daddy, faster!

Juliette Grace, you look good on a boat.

Our boat came with an inner tube and I was the first to take it for a spin – Juliette wanted to see how it was done.  Shane took it easy on me, keeping the boat slow and steady.

And then Juliette took a turn, timid for just a moment but soon giving Shane the thumbs-up signal that we had agreed would mean GO FASTER.  Isaac and I watched from the back of the boat and he laughed as Juliette whipped around behind us.  Isaac turned to Shane and said, “Juliette is so happy, Daddy!”  That grin…

Swim break…

One last full-speed blitz before heading back to the dock…

Brilliant idea, Shane.  What a beautiful way to let the festivities begin.

We rolled into the campground late in the afternoon, pleased to find our site was tucked back from a lot of the hub-bub, perched over a small river whose bubbling sounds would be the soundtrack of our weekend.

We got settled, ate our hot dogs, and then capped off the day with our most favorite camping delicacy.

Isaac played drums on our skillet with the hot dog skewers while I finished doing dishes.  Toys schmoys – this is fun stuff.

Friday started with coffee, cinnamon rolls, and a morning fire.

Isaac’s yellow scooter was so clutch that weekend – we were able to make back and forth to the bathroom in record time.

Shane took the kids to the playground while I dragged my camp chair down to the river to read and drink a second cup of coffee.

Dang it, though – I soon wanted in on the playground action.  I mean…

Back at camp, hammock gold fish…

And riverside smoothies.

Isaac climbed up and down this hill a dozen times a day.  I do not take for granted the sure-footedness that comes with him getting older.

That said, he took a spill on his scooter after lunch and kind of lost his mind over his skinned elbow.  I laid down with him in the tent and his whiny whimpers soon mellowed to a quiet snore.  Bud was beat.

While Isaac slept, we enjoyed more grownup camp vibes.

I had hopes of paddleboarding that afternoon, but it was windy and the water was choppy, so we settled for a lakeside snack.

Back at camp, Juliette cozied up in the hammock while Isaac and I reveled in golden hour by the river.

And then Isaac joined me on a scouting mission to check out the lakefront sites.  Scooter for the win again.

This lake’s colors!  The temps were a bit too cold to want to take a dip, but we did plenty of water-gazing.

Juliette ate ramen while I made tacos and we dined all out of sync that night, but we were together and no one complained and I called it a win.

Good morning, bud!  Thank you for the sleep-in!

Again, who needs toys?!

Saturday morning was cloudy, but the lake was quiet and we took advantage of the glassy conditions to get out for a paddle.

In lakes as large as Chelan’s, where paddling across the lake is impossible, we pick our own mini-mini destinations.  As in, “Hey!  Let’s paddle over to that floating pinecone and pick it up!”  Almost the same sense of accomplishment.

Taco leftovers for lunch…

And then tent shenanigans during a passing drizzle.

We were all a little antsy by late afternoon, so we drove into town for burgers and a stop at the local toy store/candy shop.  Juliette picked out a tub of orange cream cotton candy and after much agonizing, Isaac selected a furry bouncy ball with the face of his favorite Bluey character on it.  The heart wants what it wants…

These two did plenty of getting on each other’s nerves that weekend, but also, they made each other laugh a lot.  It’s a package deal, parenting these two, and most days the scales tip toward joy.

Isaac was up early-early on Sunday, but after a quick trip to the bathroom, we snuggled back under our blankets.

And snoozed.

And snoozed.  Felt so good.

Those couple extra hours of sleep did my boy good!

One last tent romp before we packed it up…

I took the kids down to the lake while Shane broke down camp.  The sun came out in full force that day and we dosed up on Vitamin D before hitting the road.

I feel ya, Buddy.  The disappointment of a now-empty campsite…

We did a final sweep to collect our odds and ends and then shared a round of hugs, as Shane and Juliette were headed off on their own father-daughter five-day adventure in Winthrop.

SUMMER!  It arrived with a bang.

Another photo blitz, to catch up on the last bits of Spring, and then it’s going to be a camp trip bonanza on here.  In May and June, there were playgrounds…

And scooters…

And spray parks, oh my.

Dates at our favorite neighborhood  pub…

And a visit to our new favorite ice cream shop…

And so much time at Alki.

Lowman Beach is still our favorite place to spread out a blanket and a picnic feast.

I’d like to give a special moment to Isaac’s little button-down…

And Juliette’s Coffee Coffee Coffee shirt, gifted to her by a friend’s mom when she learned how much Juliette adores Lorelei Gilmore.

In April I chaperoned Juliette’s Fifth Grade Camp and had the best time with my girl.  While all the other kids with parent chaperones asked their moms and dads to sit at the front of the bus, Juliette saved me a seat, insisting we buddy up.  I couldn’t say no.

And I got ALL the 11 year old scoops.

These were my cabin mates, sweet as could be.  While the fifth grade boys were stealing latex gloves from the first aid kids and turning them into makeshift water balloons to be launched at cabin windows, these girls were stringing twinkle lights on their bunks and arranging their bookshelves just-so.  Don’t get me wrong – girls can stir up their own types of drama, but these particular kiddos were such a pleasure throughout the weekend.

We had an activity-packed couple of days.  Campfires…

Beach walks…

And a squid dissection!

A squid ink signature to prove she completed the assignment.

The kids played some form of tag in which they were all different animals in the forest food chain and Juliette dominated, gazelle that she is.

Our last morning brought shelter-building, fire-making, and a surprise salamander-sighting.

And to cap it off, the climbing wall.

It was pretty special, to watch Juliette scramble up that wall with her classmates spotting her and cheering her on.

I’m so glad I got the chance to tag along.  And I’m so glad I won’t be asked to do it again for another eight years (I’ve got you, Isaac!).

Mother’s Day was spent enjoying our usual backyard French toast brunch.

Tastes goooooood…

We went down to Whale Tail Park to test out Isaac’s new rocket launcher and he picked me the tiniest, sweetest daisy bouquet.

With a hike up through Schmitz Park to cap it all off.

I spent a weekend in Bellingham with a few lady friends, drinking foofy drinks and eating good food and laughing till we cried.

We went for a walk through the neighborhood and were accosted by a herd of goats.

This group spreads out a taco bar like nobody’s business.

Shane and I celebrated the evening of our 19th anniversary at Cactus Grill with the kiddos.  Maybe a tiny bit light on romance…

But big on love.

The romance came a few days later, when we snuck away for a night on Whidbey Island while my mom and dad watched the kids.  We drank our canned wine and ate our fancy cheese and streamed the Daily Show while waiting for the ferry at Mukilteo.  There was no passing of snacks to the backseat, no pleas for Paw Patrol, no interrupted conversations.  Just us.  It felt good.

We perused the plants and housewares at Bayview Garden before checking into our little cabin for an afternoon of reading and dozing.

We spruced up for dinner in Coupeville at The Oyster Catcher, where we treated ourselves to oysters and pork belly and creme brûlée.

I just asked Shane if he could remember what his favorite thing was at dinner that night and without missing a beat, he said, “looking into your eyes…”.  19 years and we still got it.

Morning reading time in our backyard…

And then a hike at Ebey’s Landing.

Woooo!  This place!  I could have watched these grasses wave in the wind for hours.  But alas, we missed our mayhem back home – time to roll out.

Mid June brought all the end-of-the-school-year happenings, like Juliette’s piano recital, which she rocked.

She played a duet with Nico and the two of them stole the show, tearing through their piece without missing a beat.

Shane and I were invited to an assembly the week before school let out where Juliette was presented with a Seymour Kaplan award for her exceptional attitude of kindness, consideration, and generosity.  To hear that auditorium erupt with cheers when her name was called, to listen to her principal talk about her one-in-a-million spirit, to watch her bound to the stage with pride and still, humility.  How’d we get so lucky?

There was a fifth grade picnic at Lincoln Park…

And then the big event!  Graduation Day!  Juliette donned her finest, hugged her grandmas, and said, “enjoy the show!”.

There was a dance performance and poetry readings and the essential presentation of diplomas.  SHE DID IT!

Her teacher is a gem of a human and challenged Juliette in all the best ways.

Juliette Grace, I’m so freaking proud of the person you are.

The next day, I walked her to elementary school for the very last time.  She looked back with a smile and waved goodbye, trotting back to me for one final hug.  I was a little sad, of course, but mostly thankful.  What a gift this school has been for my girl.  She’s so ready for what lies ahead.

Bring on middle school!

BUT FIRST:  we summer.