Y'know what!?: August 2008

Gig

Immediately following my birthday I took the kids to Gig Harbor, just the three of us for a long week. We got into a great summer routine with nothing else to do but have fun which meant that I said "yes" alot more than usual. This felt great and the kids totally responded. Leo jumped about 6 months forward, starting pooping on the pody and speaking grown up sentences and using the correct conjugation of verbs. These milestones only make me smile for a moment and then I get all misty. Of course the weather wasn't great (again) but once the weekend came, and daddy showed up, we made it out on the boat for some serious summer. Sylvie and I even took the boat out just the two of us and decided to dock on a specially secluded beach where I had a really hard time getting pushed off by myself -don't get stuck on a boat with no cell phone. I acted cool and she didn't notice but my foot was totally cut up from the barnacled rocks for about a week.
My favorite part of the week was the creation of a new tradition. After bath, in p.j.s we would walk around the forest beach loop with Sylvie on her bike and Leo fading in the stroller. It was still light out and the tree canopy was bright green it was the perfect mellow end to a summer day. Though at times there was some yelling to keep to the side of the road.

Clams from the beach, corn, edamame and grilled bread + wine = summer

After this long week we went to the Great Wolf Lodge. No photos from there and I still haven't figured out how to describe it in words here is all I can say...vegas meets wildwaves meets lake quilnalt lodge with constant arcade beeps and whoops enveloped in more sugar per sqare inch than you can image followed by exhausted kids all sleeping together surrounded by all of the fattest people in Washington state topped off with HUGE smiles for two days straight. PHEW

Monte

While at gig we made it down to my Aunt and Uncles place in Montesano to see our Cousin Michaela home on leave from Iraq where she works for the army in a hospital in Bagdad. It was her little 4 year-old daughter Devon's birthday. Devon is staying with my Aunt and Uncle while Michaela is on her tour of duty. Devon had the perfect 4 year old princess party while we all enjoyed rides on the 4 wheeler up the hill and into the Wishkah river. I so admire my cousin and my Aunt and Uncle for all that they do.

I love surprises

Thanks to Kathleen, Lisa and Joey, I didn't have to plan my own birthday party though I did try really hard to intefere with their planning of it. I love birthday parties because they tend to bring people out of the woodwork. Julie, Jen, Paul, the Yees and Linda who totally surprised me by showing up all the way from Spokanistan! Thanks for driving all that way Lindy Looper! I had so much fun and didn't have to worry about the paper plates or how many cups we had, etc. I got the greatest phone call from Boyd too!
I remember when my mom turned 39 and she had a t-shirt that said 39 and holding which when I was 13 seemed really stupid and now I get it. That happens alot - things I think are stupid are following by I coulda had a v-8 slaps to the nog. Watch out 40 here I come.