little black journal

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.

We’ve done very little camping these past four years, because of COVID, then pregnancy, then having a baby, but I decided earlier this year that come summer 2024, we’d be ready.  I spent a January evening making a handful of reservations, knowing not all of them would pan out but wanting to give ourselves some options before everything filled up.  Our first option rolled around in mid-June and while I almost cancelled due to the fact that Juliette had a soccer tournament that same weekend, I decided instead that Isaac and I would give it a go on our own.  Bring on the mother-son time!

I loaded up the car with our two-person tent and a pile of snacks, picked up Isaac early from daycare on a Friday afternoon, and we hit the long, traffic-filled road to Deception Pass.  We listened to Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts 14 times over (“More Lightning McQueen song, Mommy!”), burned through the iPad’s battery, stopped at McD’s for a potty break and chocolate milk, and made it to our site with no tears and plenty of remaining daylight.  Victory #1.

We set up camp in no time and Isaac was very excited by the tent, zipping and unzipping the door, poking his head out each time to flash a big grin and say, “I see you!”.

Camp chairs were also a big hit.

Once we were settled, we headed out to do some exploring.  I let Isaac set the pace – if he wanted to stop to climb up and jump off off a rock or pick a handful of daisies or wave to his shadow, I let him.  No rush.

We found the beach at the end of the road and my goodness.  The driftwood to climb on and the endless supply of rocks to throw and the early-evening sunshine.  Best playground ever.

Who was I kidding with those rolled-up pants?  Just ditch ’em altogether, Buddy.  Be free.

The luxury of having nowhere else to be…  I suggested that we look for a special rock to take home to Juliette and we both sifted through the smooth stones, Isaac exclaiming all the while, “I’m looking, too!  That’s special, Mommy!  Ohhhh…so special!”  SO SPECIAL.

Eventually, Isaac’s legs did get cold and we both got a little hungry, so we walked back to our site for a campfire and an easy dinner.

Isaac’s first s’more!  He dug it.  Obviously.

We felt the first rain drops fall as we were finishing our dessert and hustled to put our things away and get ready for bed.  We zipped ourselves into our sleeping bags just as it really started to come down outside.  Cue cozy-time!

Cozy-time does not necessarily equate to sleepy-time, however.  Isaac was buzzed, with new-adventure excitement and a side of marshmallow wiggles.  I let him play with the flashlight and do his somersaults and sing his silly songs until he eventually conked out at 10 pm.

Buddy slept great, snoozing through the downpour that kept me up much of the night, and woke up with a fresh boost of energy on Saturday morning.

I felt less than bright-eyed and very much needed a few minutes to savor my morning coffee by our smoky fire while Isaac sipped his warm milk from the paper to-go cup I snagged from the car (add sippy cups to the packing list).

This kid most definitely gets moody, but he’s often so delightfully goofy.

A few camp chair snuggles while the fire petered out…

And then we set out for some more exploring.  We made the short drive up to the Deception Pass Bridge, but it was too windy to enjoy the view for long from up there.

Instead, we hiked.

Our ‘hike’ was more of a slow stroll / faux bear hunt, but Isaac had fun.  Give a boy a long stick…

We didn’t make it far, but we played several rounds of raucous hide and seek and found many interesting things.  “A rainbow, Mommy!”

It was a short(ish) walk down to the north beach from the parking lot, so we detoured before heading back to camp.

I was feeling pretty kaput by this point, between the sleepless, stormy night and the cold I seemed to be coming down with, so I was thankful that Isaac just let me chill on the warm rocks while he hunted for treasure (that boy loves popping those kelp bubbles).

The trip down to the beach felt short, but the trek back to the car felt long.  Thank goodness for the emergency Dum-Dum I keep in my fanny pack.

We ate lunch in our tent, too tired even to unfold the camp chairs I had stowed in the car in case of more rain.  Naptime came easily and we both dozed to the sound of the wind whooshing through the pines.  One of my best-ever naps – so sweet, so cozy, so needed.

Rested and refreshed, we drove into Oak Harbor in the afternoon to grab a chai and a vanilla steamer and to play at a nearby playground.

This two-person swing was fun, but I think we’d both still take driftwood and rocks any day.

We moseyed on back toward camp in the late afternoon, but got sidetracked by a farmstand advertising cherries and ice cream.  Dinner, Schminner…

Given our ice cream appetizer, we were in no rush to prep dinner once we got back to camp, so…to the beach!

We found a sunny place to perch over the water and threw rocks for a bit.

A park ranger stopped us as we were walking back to our site and asked Isaac if he’d like to earn his Junior Ranger Garbage Collector Badge by picking up 15 pieces of garbage and turning them in at the ranger station.  Challenge accepted.

I got us a little turned around as we were walking back to our site and we ended up needing to do quite a bit of back-tracking.  Isaac was a good sport.

But man, it felt good to put our feet up at the end of the day!

I feel ya, Bud.

We had hot dogs for dinner and another round of s’mores.  Sleep came easier that night.

And on Sunday morning, we broke down camp in 20 minutes flat and high-tailed back to Seattle to spend the day with Shane and Juliette.  We’d missed them.  But also, we had rocked Isaac’s first camp experience.  So proud of us.  So thankful.  So tired.

Our annual MLK weekend snow-cation has become a staple in our annual family calendar – I’ve come to count on those couple of days as a guaranteed fix of January cozy.  We will forever love Winthrop for its mountain views and expansive cross-country trails, but lately we love Suncadia Lodge for its proximity to home and expansive hallways, perfect for early-morning wanders.

We arrived at the Lodge on Friday evening, thrilled with the fresh dumping of snow.  Less thrilled with the zero-degree temps.  It was COLD.  But we bundled up and booked it down the twinkly path to the Inn for dinner, our extremities numb by the time we arrived.

Thankfully, the Lodge has a handful of indoor amenities that don’t require 17 layers of outerwear.  Isaac had his goggles on at 6am on Saturday, eager to check out the pool.

Breakfast first, Buddy.  Pancake time!

We did make it to the pool right when the doors opened at 10:00 and the kids mostly loved it, though we wouldn’t have minded if the water was a few degrees warmer.  Juliette pretended like it felt great, but the chattering of her teeth was a dead giveaway.

Post-pool chai tea latte…

And naps.  You KNOW I love a vacation nap.

I was feeling antsy by mid-afternoon, so I asked Juliette if she wanted to brave the cold with me and try out our new sled.  She was game, frosty eyelashes and all.

Gosh, I really do have the best time with her.  Between the below-freezing temps and the surprise remodel that had put the Lodge’s lobby and bar out of commission, I was feeling a little funky about our magical weekend.  But how could I have forgotten about Juliette’s ability to always bring the party?

We headed into Roslyn around dinnertime to hunker down for awhile at Basecamp Books and Coffee and then get some food at the Roslyn cafe.

Isaac’s mind was blown when he discovered that they also had a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Turns out his copy isn’t the only one in circulation…

Once Isaac stopped resisting the bundling-up and allowed me to outfit him in boots and hat and gloves and puffy coat, he actually seemed ok with the weather.  In very small doses.

Roslyn Cafe was closed due to the extreme weather, so we grabbed a booth at the nearby Mexican joint instead.  Look at us, rolling with the punches!

We were tucked back into our room by sundown and again, we made our own fun.

Sunday morning!  More in-room shenanigans…

And then a stroll over to the sledding hill.  The temps had warmed into the (low) double-digits and we were ready to seize the snow!

(Isaac was back to refusing his gloves.  He learned real quick the folly in his ways.)

Ahhh…to have feeling in his fingers again!

Juliette showed up with the inner tube and brother hitched a ride.

And then these two flew, down the hill and over the little jump, giggling all the while.

We walked out onto the frozen pond and left our footprints all over the untouched, pristine snow.  Juliette’s prints were neat and sweet and lined up just-so.

Then Isaac wreaked his usual havoc.

Juliette kept falling back into the snow, remarking at how perfectly it formed to the curve of her back, how comfy it was and wishing aloud that she could just lay there all day and take a nap.

Isaac, you’re a trooper.

Eventually, though, we called it.  Chai time!

We did some lounging in our room and I wish I could remember what it was Shane was saying that held Juliette so rapt, but I know it was good.

Roslyn Cafe, take 2!  Perfect Sunday lunch.

And then back for naptime and snuggles.

We went back out in the late afternoon and found that the Lodge’s sledding hill was packed, so we drove over to the playground to do our rollicking.

We had a pizza dinner in our room and blitzed through a couple more episodes of the latest Percy Jackson series.  Juliette is hooked.  Isaac almost certainly had no idea what was going on, but if sister is into it, he’s into it.

Bedtime was a bit of a bear that weekend, requiring infinite levels of patience from Shane and I as we struggled to coax Isaac to sleep, but on Sunday evening Shane said, “I got this” and sent Juliette and me out to enjoy campfire s’mores and a twinkle walk.

Thanks, Shane!

Monday was go-day and while we didn’t need to rush home, I think we felt ready to break free from our close quarters and return to saner climates.  First, though, a few final sled runs.

And raisins.  Some things are worth taking off the gloves for.

The kids and I took our time walking back to the Lodge while Shane loaded up the car.  They were so cute romping and falling in the snow together that I almost forgot how cold I was.  Almost.

And with that, we jumped in the car, cranked up our seat warmers, and were homebound.  Thankful for a family that rolls with conditions we didn’t quite plan for.  We didn’t do the skiing or the snowman-building I’d imagined, but oh, those endless games of airplane that Isaac and Juliette played on the bed while our fireplace flickered in the background.  That’s the good stuff.

One more summer trip to log on the blog, before we get to a humdinger of an October (humdinger in THE VERY BEST WAY)…

We had such a fun family reunion with our buddies at Hood River last summer that we declared it an annual event.  We reconvened on the Oregon/Washington border this past August for another long weekend of eating, drinking, and playing; this time we stayed on the Washington side and booked a bundle of rooms at Skamania Lodge.  Isaac was like an un-penned animal after four hours in the car and immediately set out to explore every inch of the wide open grounds.

Meanwhile, Shane and I explored the bar menu.

This place was going to do juuuuuust fine.

Our friends trickled in throughout the course of the evening and the gaggle of children grew and grew.

Isaac wanted so badly to be counted among the big kids.

His sister did a pretty good job of including him.  Along with that blonde red-shirted boy, who had no affiliation with our group but made himself right at home!

Speaking of big kids…it still blows my mind we’ve got teenagers in the group.  I mean, this guy’s not drinking age, but he’s old enough to pour for the grownups!

Wine and pizza and crispy Brussels sprouts were passed around…

And before I knew it we were talking under the stars.  We never run out of things to say to one another.

I’ll give you one guess as to who the earliest riser of the bunch was on Friday morning!

I forgive you though, Isaac, for getting me up with sun.  This golden light at 6:30am was pretty magical.

We strolled down the hill and toward town in search of breakfast, stopping every so often to take in the view.

We found yogurt and fresh mango slices at the supermarket and then took our fare down to the riverfront to eat.

This kid’s playground radar started beeping and suddenly we stumbled upon these couple of random slides.

And then we found Sister!  (She and her Uber-Dad offered us a ride back to the hotel.)

We took over the hotel lobby late morning…

Played a little disc golf…

And then hit the pool, to Juliette’s utter delight.

Isaac’s delight, too!  He’s loving the water more and more.

Strike a pose, ladies!

While the big kids perfected their cannon balls, I was happy to walk laps in the shallow end with Isaac in my arms.

Lucky kids.

I felt like I’d lived a full day by noon, but we were only getting started…  We walked back into town after swimming to find lunch, then convened at a park to bat the volleyball around and play various lawn games.

At some point the fathers disappeared.  I found them at the whiskey-tasting room next to the park and asked Shane if there was room in their circle for one more guy.

Isaac fit right in.

At some point we strolled up the street for ice cream, again completely overtaking the place – traveling in a pack of 24 is no joke!

There were plenty of times during the weekend when Shane and I had to divide and conquer, one of us hanging back on Isaac-duty while the rest of the group partied, but there were also plenty of times when Isaac folded right into the mix, thrilled by the presence of so many adoring playmates.

Tech break.

And then to the local fair!  It was a quick little trip, but enough time to get our fill of tractors and farm animals.

We spread out at the picnic tables at Walking Man Brewing for dinner.  The grownups drank beer and the kids played corn hole and all was right with the world.

How ’bout them Friday Night Lights?

Saturday!  Morning!  Sunrise!

Isaac and I spent more mother-son bonding time down by the river, this time finding a little dock to lounge on.

I filled my empty coffee cup with rocks from the shore and he tossed each stone in, one at a time, until the cup was empty and he asked, More?  More?  More?

We were here for awhile.  I didn’t mind.

Finally, though, I coaxed him off the dock and into the stroller in search of breakfast.

We found a train on the way, which was very exciting.

We found smoothies and cinnamon rolls and espresso at The Cabin Drive Thru.

And we found this late riser!  Glad you could join us, Jules.

The gang headed out on a hike late morning (sans Isaac and Shane) to Wahclella Falls.

Here comes the party bus!

The hike to the falls was a mild climb, but the kids hardly complained and the payoff was real.

Paparazzi children…so weird to be on the other side of all those lenses!

The more adventurous of the fellas couldn’t resist taking a dip.  I wish I had audio of their high-pitched shrieks as they collectively dunked.

These two got along so swimmingly all weekend, despite the fact that they only spend 2-3 days together each year.  Some friendships just work.

That’s how I feel about all these folks, actually.  We just work.

(Back at camp, Shane and Isaac were partaking in their own form of bonding.)

Juliette, luckily, had plenty of fun uncles on the trail to fill in for Shane.

We cooled our dusty heels that afternoon at a little swimming basin in Hood River.  VIVA LAKE LIFE!

This game made for some laughs and some very good action shots.

Give yourself a couple of years, Isaac…

We floated and jumped and lazed around for a couple of hours, collectively keeping an eye on each other’s kids.

Isaac wasn’t feeling great that afternoon, but the paddleboard did pique his interest.

We migrated a quarter-mile down the road to convene on yet another lawn for a picnic dinner.

Juliette and S were very into their cartwheel practice and suddenly the grownups were challenging each other to headstand competitions (Nance for the win).

And then there was much cajoling and cheering as the adults showed off their own cartwheel skills.  Some people stuck the landing.  Some really didn’t.  In either case, we laughed a lot.

16 years of friendship and counting…

We high-tailed it back to Seattle on Sunday morning, as Isaac’s fever had spiked in the night and we were eager to return to the comforts of home.  But man OH MAN, we left with boatloads of good memories.  Cheers to Year 17.

July is slipping through our fingers like sand (warm sand!), so best get the June photos logged before I’m in over my head with pics of my kiddos in swimsuits and sunglasses…

Shane, Juliette and I found ourselves with a toddler-free day on Juneteenth, as the three of us had no school or work, so we dropped baby bro at daycare and headed northeast toward Wallace Falls for a family hike.

It was overcast that day, but the cool felt good as we climbed toward the falls.

This hike pushed our limits at six miles round-trip, but it was dotted with intermediate lookouts that broke up the journey.  Plus, we felt extra light on our feet without Isaac in tow.

When Juliette’s feet started to drag, we made a game out of seeing how many Harry Potter characters we could name, from A to Z.  Answer is:  88!  We’re into HP World deep.

The money shot / turn-around point…

A few more minutes to contemplatively take in the view / catch our breath…

We made record time on the return trip, each of us motivated by the promise of Blizzards from the Dairy Queen we’d passed 10 minutes from the trailhead.  Whatever it takes!

Three feels nice sometimes.

We spent the following weekend out on the Olympic Peninsula with the Rusts for a pickle ball bonanza in Sequim.  Let tournament season begin!  Shane and Jason talked strategy on the ferry deck while a pod of Orcas played in the distance.

Our AirBnB was farmhouse-y and cozy and the scene of much backyard game-playing.

The Rusts brought their net for some pre-game warmups.  The inclusion of Isaac added a whole new level of complexity to the game.

Game day!  Good luck, Daddy!

I didn’t watch many of the matches, mostly because I was chasing Isaac around the nearby playground, but also because I found I don’t have the nerves for it.  It’s just a game, but oh, I wanted those wins!

Leveraging the beloved bottle to get brother to sit still and watch for a moment…

And a high five for a won match!

Isaac and I were both tiring of the same slide run on the playground by mid-afternoon, so I put the kids in the car and we drove out to a nearby dairy to visit some cows, pet a cat, and eat some ice cream.

Isaac isn’t quite ready for a solo cone, but not to worry – Juliette is an excellent sharer.

One last pat-pat goodbye…

Back at the courts, we found that our crew unfortunately ended the day medal-less, but not without a handful of wins.  Super proud of you, Shane, Nance, and Jason!

Back at the house, Shane clocked in for Isaac duty while Juliette and I did our own dinking in the driveway court.

Dinnertime tickles…

And then more backyard gaming once Isaac was in bed.  We played Spike Ball and lounged in the Adirondack chairs and Juliette brought out her jump rope to school Gryffin and Isaiah on how to do a double-under.

G and Z are teenagers and wanting more and more independence, but there are times when they’re still Juliette’s goofy big bros.  What a joy to all grow old(er) together.  We laughed a lot that night.

Early-morning front yard bird-watching with Buddy on Sunday…

Bacon and cinnamon rollss..

And then a short family hike out at the Dungeness Spit, as Shane didn’t have to leave for the courts till noon.

We only made it as far as the start of the actual Spit, as we’d left our stroller in the car and Isaac walks slooooow, but it felt good to get out together.

Driveway b-ball while the adults loaded the cars…

And then Shane and Jason took to the courts for mens doubles while I took to the beach with the kids.  The Spit was calling us back and this time we made it down to the sand.  The full stretch is five miles long, but we were happy just to cover a bit of it.

Juliette discovered that beached kelp bubbles make a very satisfying pop when stepped on, so the kids spent the better part of an hour racing up the beach, looking for kelp.

Keep up, Isaac!

Seriously though, this game was a thing.

Isaac was quite proud of himself with each and every one.

QUITE.

We hung out for awhile at a pile of driftwood, the kids picked out a couple of perfectly-sized walking sticks for the trek back, and then we zoomed toward the car to watch Shane’s and Jason’s final matches.

Top day.

And pro tip – use the stroller to get as far as the beach!

Back at the courts, Isaac got some skating lessons…

And we found that Shane and Jason were dominating the 4.0 mens doubles scene!

Last year they played this same tournament at only 3.0, so this was a significant jump for them.  They held their own, though, and after a couple of nail-biters walked away with bronze metals!

The last week of June was packed with end-of-the-year festivities at Juliette’s school.  There was her jump rope club performance, where she showed off her months of hard work with a series of double-under/skip-hop/fancy-pants moves.  I didn’t even know such things were possible!

And there was the annual Move-A-Thon, where kids run as many laps as they can around the school parking lot in the space of 20 minutes.  I volunteered as a lap counter and was very proud of Juliette’s get-up-and-go, despite the heat.

Girlfriend was flushed!

There was an outdoor movie night for third graders at the school playground, but when kids realized it was still too light out to see the movie screen, most of them opted for the playground.  Juliette and this sweet, freckled red-head often call themselves sisters.

And the last day of third grade!  I paused at the gate when I dropped Juliette off that morning and reveled in the sight of her stopping to chat with her favorite teachers aide while her friends ran to greet her with a hug.  These school with these kids has been good to our girl.

DID IT!

Isaac toasted to his sister with a backyard popsicle and then we got down to the serious business of summering.

We’re comin’ for you, Idaho!

There’s quite the random smattering in here – June was good, full of small simple pleasures and slightly grander getaways.

We wrapped up May and kicked off June with a visit from my parents – Isaac served up heaping helpings of his homemade broccoli stew to Grandma while Juliette played the part of the card shark with Grandpa.  So fun to have some new playmates in the house!

Sunday morning snaps…

And more playtime!  Plus a free haircut.

My parents are diligent about doing their morning exercises and Isaac was eager to join their routine.  Work those muscles, Bud.

We spent most of Memorial Day weekend in the backyard – almost felt like summer!  Juliette found an old football and learned how to run a handful of plays under the tutelage of Shane and my dad.  Her joie de sports is unending.

We celebrated the high-70’s weather with Isaac’s first Fudgesicle.

He was a fan.

Kudos to Juliette for devouring hers without a trace of chocolate left on her face.  My girl is growing up…

We romped around Lincoln Park for a bit on a sunny evening…

And gave my parents a West Seattle culinary experience when we picked up Pecos bbq to pair with our beer from Ounces.

A water balloon toss with Grandpa…

Followed by another round of Fudgesicles (I bought the big box!).

We had one last dinner al fresco before my parents packed it up early the next morning to hit the road.  It was such a lovely, light few days with them.  We stayed close to home, but loved folding them into our day-to-day.  It was nice to have extra hands on-deck to coax Isaac out of his evening crankies with a silly game of catch or a couple of books.  There were evenings we all just sat around the living room and chuckled over his myriad of facial expressions and admired the way that Juliette sisters him with such grace.  Seattle is beautiful in the Spring, but those kiddos were definitely the main attraction.

I wish I could remember the context of these few photos of Juliette, but no matter…they’re such a good semblance of her striking beauty and delight in life.

We saw softball season come to a close in mid-June, which was bittersweet – I loved watching Juliette on the field, loved sitting on the sidelines with Isaac (when he’d actually sit), but napping on the go has its challenges…

Such focus!  I think he actually spotted a dog in the distance, but we’ll pretend he’s watching his sister warm up in the bullpen.

That’s a wrap!  Proud of you, West Seattle Storm!

In other miscellaneous goings-on, we finished Book 7 of Harry Potter last month, hitting a major milestone in Juliette’s Hogwarts journey.  I initially felt a little sad as we heard the narrator of the audio book utter those final sentences, but this wasn’t the end – the magic lives on as we talk about the books and their characters all the time (like…all the time).  It’s fun to see your kid so immersed in something so magical.

Isaac still helps me water…

And has mastered the art of drying off.

I had a solo Saturday afternoon with the kids while Shane took a pickle ball lesson and we found ourselves at Lincoln Park.  The weather had cooled that weekend, but it was still more than adequate for rock-throwing and crab-hunting.

And snacking.  Boy loves him some freeze-dried mangos.

Soccer season ended a week after softball season and I was left with the same mix of disappointment and relief.

Definitely sad to see this season end – Juliette’s confidence on the field and the communication among her teammates skyrocketed these past couple of months.  We just signed up for Fall league!

Isaac is convinced he’s part of the team.

Shane also found his footing as assistant coach this season, though you can see some kids are more keen than others to study the lineup!

The final game ended up being a zero-zero tie, but we called it a win.  Defense like I’ve never seen from these girls before!

(Coach Dan is THE BEST.)

More backyard meals…

Look at those matching grins!

In farther-from-home goings-on, we spent Father’s Day weekend on Marrowstone Island with the Chens.  When Jack asked how early we could arrive on Saturday, we said we could easily make the 6:45 am ferry.  Very occasionally pays to have an early riser in the family…

We pulled up to the house by 8:30, breakfasted, and then headed out for a walk along the beach.  It was chilly that weekend, but these PNW kids know how to beach in any weather.

Shane found himself on a little island and though he could jump to the rocky bank without getting his feet wet.  Want to take a guess at how that went?

Made for some good laughs, at least.

As in soccer, Isaac had no clue he was on the sidelines while the big kids did their thing.

His oblivion is charming.

Though Juliette is awfully good about bringing him into the fold.

We lunched at Finnriver Cidery, slurping ramen noodles and wolfing down hot slices of pizza while Isaac napped in the stroller.  Such a treat!

 

Cornhole:  Dads vs. Kids.

(Buddy’s awake!)

The grounds at this place are perfect for roaming.

Make a wish, Juliette!

I don’t know who came up with this game, but it’s funny every time.

We spent the afternoon cozied up inside, playing video games and chasing Isaac around the house.

When baby boy really started bouncing off the walls, we ventured out for a pre-dinner walk.

Isaac loves the sound of birds and becomes very surprised/excited when he actually spots one in a tree.  It’s the little things with this kid.

Isaac was up with the sun on Sunday, so I put him in the car, picked up a coffee, and we cruised around the island.  You know we got an early start when Buddy is grabbing his first nap before 8am…

Once he was awake, we pulled up to a nearby beach for an early romp while the crew back at the house rubbed the sleep from their eyes.

He had that puddle-jumping look in his eyes, so I stripped off his socks and shoes before they could get too soggy.

Cold, schmold!

Back at the house, I made chilaquiles for breakfast while the guys opened their Father’s Day cards from the kiddos.  Juliette’s card said “Happy Baller’s Day”.  She’s got Shane pegged, for sure.

One more woodsy walk…

And a porch pic of the Dads of the Day.

It started to rain as we were about to head to lunch, so we instead called it a trip and high-tailed it to the ferry (where the sun came back out, of course!).

Father’s Day afternoon was cozy and quiet, with couch naps and golf-watching and takeout burgers for dinner.  These are few of Shane’s favorite things…

June Part II (HELLO SUMMER!) coming up next…

The annual Schnell family snow-cation!  It’s a favorite.  I initially made resos at a hotel in dreamy Winthrop, but as the date drew closer and Isaac’s patience for being strapped into his carseat drew shorter, we changed course and opted to stick a little closer to home with a long weekend in Suncadia.  Shane and Juliette took the ski-bus on Friday morning to Snoqualmie to get their downhill fix while Isaac and I followed with the car later in the afternoon to scoop them up on our way to the resort.

We checked into our room with our piles and piles of stuff (snow-tripping with two kids is no joke!) and then took a short walk to dinner.  Since Shane and I had lugged all of our bags into the lodge, Juliette offered to lug the baby to the restaurant.

Cozy vibes…

And the glowing-est ice skating rink!  This place is a madhouse during opening hours, but when it’s closed, it’s the perfect place to perch by the fire for a quick warm-up.

We all slept well Friday night, but sweet Jesus, baby boy was up early on Saturday.  I took him down to the lobby at 6:00 am to burn off some steam while Shane and Juliette grabbed some extra Z’s.  Thank goodness for hallways to roam in and fireplaces to sit by.  A staff person walked by as I was chasing down Isaac and said, “You know there’s fresh coffee by the front desk, right?”  I about hugged her.  To the front desk, Isaac!

We headed back up the room around 7:30, having covered what felt like every square inch of the ground floor, and the kids caught up on some business while I prepped breakfast in our small kitchenette.

Cinnamon rolls were devoured and Isaac was climbing the walls again by 8:00, so we jetted back out to hit the sledding hill.  It was misty and quiet out there, because who eats breakfast and gets dressed and leaves their room by 8:00 on a winter vacation?  We do, friends.  WE DO.

He makes me awfully tired, but dang, he’s awfully cute in his puffy gray snowsuit.

Isaac didn’t love the fast runs down the hill, but a nice gentle tow by big sister was definitely his jam.

Faster, Daddy, faster!

Biggest trooper award goes to the guy who forgot his snow boots but still dragged his kids up an icy hill several times over.

Funny how watching your dad haul you around poops you out, huh, Jules?

We walked back to the lodge after awhile to grab some hot chocolate and a late morning nap.  All in a morning’s work…

We snoozed, ate some lunch, and then piled into the car to check out the Nordic trails at Salmon le Sac.

It was pretty icy out there, but a good time was had by all.

I sure do love skiing with this girl.

High five, Buddy!  You nailed it.

We lazed around in the afternoon and grabbed a second nap (myself included), then drove into Roslyn for dinner.  More cozy vibes!

And a very long wait for our food, but the kids were good sports about it.

…and to all a good night.

Sunday!  Rise and shine!  At least this time I knew right where to head for the free coffee.

Juliette woke up as Isaac and I were putting on our shoes and begged to come along on our obnoxiously early hallway shenanigans.  Knock yourself out, Girlie.

…and more early sledding!  We discovered that this hill is packed by 10am, so I guess there are some advantages to not sleeping in.  Some.

“You’re not going to send me down the hill by myself, are you?!”

You’re safe with me, Kiddo.

The skiing and sledding were fun, but the kiddos seemed to especially love the leisurely strolls around the grounds of the lodge, stopping to make a quick snowball or see how deep they could burrow their footprints.

Pure joy, I tell you.

Juliette requested a little break from Brother and we let her fire up the iPad and put on the headphones, but Isaac kept wandering over and putting one hand gently on her leg while waving with his other arm and exclaiming, “HI!”.  She couldn’t resist.

Napped and happy.

To lunch!  We drove back into Roslyn to check out the Mexican food scene there.  Again, the food took awhile, so Isaac and I wandered while Shane and Juliette ate their weight in tortilla chips.

The salted caramel chocolate from the corner candy store got an enthusiastic thumbs-up from Juliette; I gave my latte from Basecamp Coffee a solid 4 stars out of 5.

We gave up on the idea of more skiing due to the crusty snow and instead opted to romp around a nearby playground.

Juliette stock-piled ammo for a family snowball fight…

But Shane had her laughing so hard with his antics that she had a hard time nailing him.

Afternoon lazing…

And an evening walk through the twinkly woods.

Monday was check-out day, but we were in no great hurry to hit the road, so we spent the morning at the lodge, sipping coffee and reading in cozy chairs by big windows.  Isaac seemed sleepy, so I tucked him into the Ergo while I walked the halls.  It’s not too often anymore that this boy naps on the move, but sometimes it works.  And it’s so sweet when it does.

He’s up!  I let him borrow my Kindle so he could be just like Big Sis.

We piled our stuff back into the car and said goodbye our cozy-though-confined room.  One last stop before booking it to Seattle, though…

Three cheers for Juliette!

And a lot of laughing at Shane, who took that last little sled jump none-too-gracefully…

We maxed out our mileage on our trusty red sled and then headed to the playground for swing-time and sculpture-carving.

He has the best hat hair.

Whew!  That was…exhausting.  But packed with good memories.

For years now, every time we pass Centralia on our way to Portland, Juliette sees the hotel just east of I-5 with waterslide tubes swooping out the side of it and asks…”What IS that?!”  Welp, it’s the Great Wolf Lodge, Baby, and we’re going.

Shane booked us a couple of nights there on a bit of a whim, when an online deal popped up just as he was feeling particularly grateful for how Juliette has rolled with the ways life has changed since Isaac entered the scene.  We wouldn’t call the baby a party pooper, per se, but he definitely keeps us closer to home.  Time for Sister to have an adventure!

If you haven’t been to Great Wolf, imagine Vegas for kids.  An arcade and a candy shop and an indoor water park and a lobby that’s meant to pass as a winter wonderland.  All the things.  Juliette was in her swimsuit within minutes of us checking into our room and we all followed her lead and geared up, minus the sunscreen, to make our way down to the water park.  Slides and a wave pool and a ropes course and a high-up bucket the size of a small hot tub that would fill with water that came splashing down every 15 minutes.  All the things.

Shane and Juliette hit the slides while Isaac tried to make sense of the wave pool.

Shane booked this trip so that Juliette could do the big-kid things, but really, she was just as thrilled to splash around in 12 inches of water with her brother.  That’s how she rolls.

We traded in our swimsuits for cozy clothes late afternoon and settled in to watch some soccer and lounge in our king-sized bed.  These were actually some of my most favorite weekend moments.

We ate pizza in our room and wandered around the hotel in the evening, a little dazed by the flurry of activity around each corner.  It felt good to turn in early that night.

Isaac broke the curse of horrible hotel sleep on this trip (sensory overload will do that to you!) and both kids snoozed like champs.  Still though, we were up early enough to beat the 8am Starbucks rush.

Morning soccer…

And mid-morning story hour in the lobby.

Story time was a little goofy, but when soap bubble snow started to fall from the ceiling as Christmas tunes blared over the speakers, I gave in.  Give me all the kitsch!

Back to the room…

But then, back to the pool!

Isaac had a little more fun in the water the second time around, though he was also content to just sit in my lap and watch all the commotion.  Looks like kind of a surfer dude, doesn’t he?

Play hard, rest hard.

And wake up happy.

Juliette couldn’t resist the lure of the wand shop and bought her own wand so that she could take part in MagiQuest, a magic-themed scavenger hunt that had kids running all over the hotel, opening treasure chests and activating crystals so that they could become Master Magi.  It sounds very confusing, I know, but Juliette got very into it and we all got our steps in, zipping from floor to floor as we followed her on her quests.

We ended the day with lobby lawn games and cake pops.  I don’t know that I’ve ever been so tired after a day with zero time outdoors.

Monday was checkout day, and we took our time getting going.  We agreed not to try to squeeze in any more waterslide runs, so we sipped coffee and read books instead.  Seemed like a decent trade!

Remember what I said earlier about kitsch?  Juliette’s bed was in a “tree house”!

Juliette gained her Master Magi status just as Shane finished packing the car.  Well done, kiddo.

Whew, the things you do for your kids!  Honestly, though, it was a sweet little getaway and filled our adventure-bucket as we headed home for a very low-key Thanksgiving.  Play hard, rest hard.

Hood River has been on my PNW bucket list for a few years now, but I somehow always fizzle when planning the trip.  Too far, too many other things to do, too many excuses…  This year, though, I tossed out the idea to the Rusts, as they’re Hood River regulars, and then our friend Jordan wanted to join to celebrate his birthday and soon this getaway had taken on a life of its own.  The text thread grew and calendars aligned and soon a whole gaggle of us had booked a few nights down there in mid-August.  Best Western or Bust!  We settled into our hotel room on a Wednesday afternoon and Juliette spent several minutes pretending that the phone was ringing, then picking it up and saying, “Hello there!  Juliette Schnell speaking!”  Corded phones…the novelty.

But when I offered to take her to the pool, the phone was quickly tossed aside.  And look who we found there!

We laid low in the evening, eating at the hotel and then taking a soft serve sunset stroll.

More of our buddies trickled in late Wednesday night – we’ve missed these girls like crazy since they moved to Colorado a couple of years ago and it was so good to be reunited over Thursday breakfast!

Want to guess how Isaac slept that first night?!  Naptime couldn’t come soon enough.

We settled into vacation mode with pool time and park time.

And then afternoon nap / hotel bed shenanigans.

Everyone convened at the river before dinner for a paddle and a swim.

Our crew took over this little cove and goodness, it made me happy to see us all together again.

Isaac, Mama needs a canned wine sometimes!  You stop with that judgey look.

We picnicked at the nearby park for dinner, doing more catch-up while the kids frolicked on the playground.

The first baby of the group (who just turned FOURTEEN!) and the last baby of the group make for some very cute bookends.

I walked Isaac back to the hotel for bedtime and while I would have loved to hang out for ice cream with the gang, I did cherish this riverfront stroll with my boy.

Friday!  Group breakfast…

More pool time…

And an afternoon hike to Tamanawas Falls with the little mountain goats.

These kids were such good sports – I didn’t have to bust out the gummy worms until we were over two miles in!

I hear water…

Made it!  And so worth the trek.

We made record time heading back – these girls were pooped, but still smiling.

We all met at Ferment that night for hard-earned beers and burgers.

THE BOYS!  The best of the best dads and sons.

It was back to the playground after dinner, as it proved to be a great place for the adults to chat while the kids roamed freely.  Though let’s be honest, some kids (one kid) needed a bit more supervision than the others…

Isaac won’t ever have a biological big bro, but I gotta say, Gryff and Isaiah are the sweetest surrogates.

 

I took the morning shift on Saturday and Isaac and I got out for a sunrise stroll.  We walked along the river for a bit and then decided to head into town in search of coffee.

Found it!

Post-breakfast pool time…

And then a jaunt out to the Gorge White House for berry picking, cider, and a stroll among the dahlias.

This kid definitely isn’t a great nighttime sleeper when we’re not home, but bless his heart for still being able to nap on the go.

Jack and La Verne invited me to tag along for their 2pm wine tasting, and while I initially declined, saying I should really hang back with Isaac, Juliette nearly pushed me into their car, saying “Go, Mama!  You need a break!”  I mean, if she says so…

We spent another evening at the river, doing all the water things.

How many kids can you fit on a single paddle board?  A lot.

These kids have literally been hanging out since birth and are all of the age now that they want to/get to choose their own friends, but they still get along so splendidly.

Uncle Jordan won “Most Fun Adult” that evening, for sure.

We drove over the bridge to While Salmon for another picnic dinner.  The kids rabble-roused…

Gryff played airplane with Isaac while Nance did backup…

And we just…hung, in that easy-going, fun-loving way we have of being together.  We met these people in 2007, when we were all relatively new to Seattle and looking for community.  None of us had family in the Seattle area and we quickly became each other’s support system, holding each other close through highs and lows and lots of kids.  I still remember the night that Jason showed up at our small group wearing a sweater vest, looking extra mature as he shared the news with all us childless 20-somethings that Nance was pregnant.  We were having a baby!  And now that baby is a teenager and it feels like some of our other littles are well on their way…  And yet, the adults haven’t aged a bit.  😉

I took another morning shift on Sunday, wanting to soak in one more walk along the river.  I tucked Isaac into the Ergo and he fell asleep steps from the hotel.  We walked for miles, his face nuzzled into my chest; I watched the sun come up and highlight his wispy blonde hair and sheesh, traveling with a baby is hard but sometimes so, so good.

Buddy slept all through breakfast.  Making up for lost time, I guess…

He’s up!

We squeezed in one last pool session before hitting the road.

We kept saying, “We should go.  We should really go.”  But dang it, good byes are hard!  Such a special group of people in such a special place.  There’s comfort in knowing we can always pick up right where we left off, though.  Also comfort in knowing how fun we still are!  Some things never change.

August and early September were chock-full of trips and bustle as we squeezed every last drop of playtime out of summer 2022 (though let’s be honest – traveling anywhere with a baby is equal parts work and play, if you’re lucky).  Our bonanza started small, with a weekend on Bainbridge Island to watch Shane and the Rusts compete in another pickle ball tournament.  I mean, since Shane was playing both mixed doubles and mens doubles and since pickle ball was founded on Bainbridge, and since I found the sweetest little AirBnB on an idyllic farm, I felt like the kids and I should tag along and make a getaway out of it.

Isaac and Juliette liked watching the ferry pull away from the dock, but the real excitement came when Juliette realized Nancy was on the same boat as us.

It was a quick float to Southworth and an hour drive to Bainbridge and then we drove along the prettiest little lane to land at what would be our front yard for the weekend.

We explored the grounds and met the animals and had a picnic dinner on the grass.

This place felt too good to be true when Shane discovered a pickle ball net in the garage to go with the striping that was on the parking pad out front.  He and Nance were able to get a little practice in, though having to maneuver around Casey, the resident dog, complicated the game a bit.

Saturday was game day for mixed doubles; the kids and I joined the gaggle of West Seattle ballers to cheer on Shane and Nance.  There were a couple of handy wins, a couple of defeats, and a couple of hard-fought victories.  They unfortunately landed just a couple of points shy of the medal round, but I was impressed by how much improvement I saw in their game since I last watched them play in June.

Isaac was mosly just impressed by the adjacent playground.

Until he wasn’t impressed at all.

I spent the afternoon back at the AirBnB  with the kids while Shane and Nancy cheered on some of their buddies at the tournament.  Isaac and I both took a much-needed nap (true to form, he took vacation as a cue to party / fuss all night), and then after waking we played a rousing game of How long can we keep Issac in bed?

Not long…

We bopped around the farm before grabbing pizza and ice cream in Winslow.

The owners of the AirBnb were super-friendly and gave Juliette a bunch of carrots to feed the horses.  She loved how popular she immediately became!

But she didn’t love the horse drool.

I had Isaac bathed and jammied by 6 pm, but he was still pretty bright-eyed, so we took another stroll around the farm.  He loved watching the chickens strut around their coop and once he got past the initial surprise of the rooster’s high-pitched crow, he smiled wide at each cock-a-doodle-doo.

Juliette came out to join us and snuggled up with Dusty, the resident cat.  We played a few lawn games and turned in early, while Shane played pickle ball out front with the owners.  He’s insatiable.

Shane got an early start on Sunday to meet up with Jason at the courts for mixed doubles while I took my time getting going with the kids.  Isaac had another hum-dinger of a night, but didn’t seem too sorry about it.

Sleepless nights aside, I was reluctant to leave this place.  The dahlias!  The farm-fresh eggs in our fridge!  The animals…we loved those animals.  Juliette spent a good 20 minutes saying goodbye to the horses, stroking Rose and Willow on their noses while murmuring, “You’re such a sweet girl…”.  No, Juliette – YOU’RE such a sweet girl.

She tried very hard to make sure each horse got equal amounts of love.

Meanwhile, Isaac really liked those chickens…

We arrived at the courts mid-morning to find Shane and J on a roll.  They won a handful of games, were immediately humbled when a couple of 60-something guys clobbered them, but ultimately made it to the medal round.

Silver!  Congrats, guys.

Once the medal pics were snapped, we were ready to jet home.  That much pickle ball is exhausting, partly for Shane, who was on the courts for all those hours, but also for me, who ran point on crowd control / baby patrol – Isaac has yet to learn the true art of spectating.  Still, though, so worth the trip, to see Shane play a game he loves with people we love.  And…horses!  Juliette and I are still thinking about those horses.