little black journal

December…I always find that this is the hardest calendar page to turn, as on New Years Eve I’m left wanting more.  More twinkle, more time with friends, more sweet traditions, more cozy.  But also, I’m so thankful.  Last month was rich with celebrations and beauty, indoors and out.

We spent the day after Thanksgiving (November was rich, too!) walking through the misty woods at Old Robe Canyon in Snohomish.  It was hard for me to forfeit our annual trek to the North Bend tree farm when we bought our fake Christmas tree a couple of years ago, but we’ve instituted a winter hike in its place and this trail was perfect.  Not too steep, not too long, a scenic place to rest mid-way for a snack…it checked all the family-friendly boxes.

Braver souls might have forded this section of trail that was standing in a couple of inches of water, but we decided it was just the right place to turn around.

In case I haven’t said it in awhile…northwest is best.

Snack break!

We spent a couple of hours post-hike in the town of Snohomish, checking out the diner and bookshop scenes.  Pancakes: huge.  Bookstore: charming.

The main street has flags at each intersection that people can carry across for pedestrian safety.  Isaac temporarily declared himself the town crossing guard and took his job very seriously.

Also, Christmas decor at the shops on First Avenue is on point.

And for a real holiday decor bonanza, we met up with my mom and dad at Watsons Nursery in Puyallup to sip hot cocoa and peruse their Christmas wares.  I walked out with only a pair of bow-shaped earrings and a small houseplant, but it took restraint.

Everything just feels cozier in December…Isaac and I grabbed an extra-special soda and plate of fries at a neighborhood brewpub while Juliette was at her piano lesson one evening.

And the holiday performances!  Juliette is in the middle school choir this year and I loved every minute of their winter concert.  Walking in the Air from The Snowman?  So dreamy.

Isaac had his first go at the stage for his preschool concert and while he offered scant details beforehand on what he would be singing or wearing (on the way to the event, he told me, “Hmmm…I think I’ll be a red fox…”), he proved to be a pro in his angel outfit.  His class’s rendition of Go Tell it on the Mountain was more enthusiastic than any I’ve scene before.

My mom and dad came up for Juliette’s winter piano recital and I grabbed a couple of festive pics before we all headed out.

Nailed it!

We had a party-per-weekend in December and Juliette’s soccer team potluck won the award for most kids packed into a single living room.  These girls and their families have become such a lovely part of our community.  Kudos to the coaches for building something real, real special here.

Isaac was invited to a birthday party in which the main event was a cuddle-sesh with bunnies and guinea pigs and chinchillas and oh, my boy…while all the other boys squealed with delight, he wasn’t sure what to make of this furball being plopped on his lap.

Eventually, though, he warmed up.

And then the snakes and lizards came out and he got real into it.

No thank you.

Our small group Christmas potluck is the only event that garners 100% attendance each year – it’s kind of mandatory, as in it’s too good to be missed, and it’s always packed with good food and lots of laughs and a raucous white elephant gift exchange.

Isaac scored this penguin stuffy that evening – it was almost swiped by one of the older boys, but then Isaac’s lip quivered and his eyes watered and mercy was eventually shown.  He has named it Kevin, after Kevin McCallister, and he won’t go anywhere without it.

And perhaps the warmest and coziest of all gatherings is our annual brunch with the Rusts and Chens, where we eat and give gifts and remember that sometimes family can be chosen.

Juliette’s Gilmore Girls-themed sweatshirt was proof that Nance knows my daugther through and through.

Spicy chips and Mod Pizza gift cards for the big kids, because as much as I love these boys, hell if I know what to buy a teenage guy these days!

And finally, cue the Christmas sights, like Santa at our neighborhood gift shop.  This guy is wonderful – warm and easy-going and there’s never a line to see him.  Isaac hopped right into his lap and declared that he would like a Paw Patrol Zuma car for Christmas.  Santa took notes (I listened in).

But then…Isaac decided he really really wanted a pair of red Nike tennis shoes for Christmas, so he asked if we could go back a couple of weeks later so that he could let Santa know.  We were in the neighborhood for a pastry run, anyway, so I said sure.  Santa took notes and I listened in, again, for backup of course.

It’s possible that Isaac loves seeing Santa for the free candy canes?

The Christmas Ship with its cast of carolers docked near Alki Beach one evening and Juliette and I headed down to sip our hot chocolate and listen to the songs.

The twinkle-meter was high that night.

And the beloved Menashe house…kitcshy and joyful as ever.

We cozied in a lot last month, particularly due to the unending rainfall, but we found our indoor fun the form of gingerbread houses and Christmas movies and board games.

Isaac watched part of Home Alone from behind the bookshelf, unable to face all of the booby traps head on.

Juliette and I made a dried orange garland and it became my favorite fireplace accessory.

Speaking of which, the power went out one evening and our fireplace came in clutch.  Max cozy.

And then the annual Mama-Jules slumber party by the Christmas tree to celebrate the first day of winter break.  Two full weeks of no work and no school on the horizon!  Peak merry and bright.  Christmas is (was!) right around the corner.

Today marks the last official day of fall, so it feels like a good night to get November booked and blogged!

It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago we were raking leaves and putting our patio furniture away for the year.  Currently our backyard is soggier than ever, with not a single leaf to be found on any of our deciduous trees or shrubs.  I forgot for a minute – we used to have a lot of fun out here!

Our family spent an afternoon at Volunteer Park in early November and I took some of my favorite photos of the season.  Sunshine and golden leaves and the kids running wild.  I love this place in autumn.

Isaac made a game of throwing a chestnut as far as he could and then immediately going on a hunt for it, kicking leaves left and right to find where it landed.  Fetch for one.  I got to sit back and just watch.

And then the age-old game of “stick as fishing pole” – he poked me in the back a lot with this small branch, pretending he was hooking me.  I would have been irritated if not for this goofy grin.

He’s got a keeper on the line!

Sticks, rocks, and nuts make the best playthings, but slides and swings are cool, too.

We cozied in a lot last month, with leisurely weekend mornings spent coloring and eating TJ’s chocolate croissants (our go-to breakfast treat).

This kid loves a good homework assignment…

We started decking the halls in late November; I made my own Christmas wreath for the first time ever and might never go store-bought again.

When setting up the Christmas tree, egg nog is essential.

Opening up our Christmas bins is some kind of wonderful – the number of times Isaac literally jumped for joy over a beloved-but-temporarily-forgotten book or ornament…

Halls decked!

These damn, fragile strings of C9 bulbs that tangle and shatter each time we pull them out of the box…it’s a shame they’re the ones that give off my favorite hues of light!  Worth the effort once they’re strung.  And Juliette is such a great little elf.

Shane’s mom came to visit the week of Thanksgiving and we loved having her here, as always.  She and Juliette baked and watched Wicked and caught up like old friends.

Isaac loved having an extra reason to go out for treats.  Grandma won’t say no to Molly Moon’s ice cream!

Thanksgiving day was comfy and chill.  We spent the morning enjoying the tree and the Macy’s parade – I’m a believer in a slow, slow start to the holiday.  Our menu is always planned around a desire not to spend the full day stressing in the kitchen.

That said, if Juliette wants to make the cranberry sauce while still in her pajamas, by all means!

Isaac was overjoyed by the number of familiar faces he spotted on the parade floats.

I mean…Paw Patrol?  Super-sized?  Mind blown.

The final touches…

And dinner is served.

And this pic says it all.  Make a spread of your favorite foods, set it in front of your kid, and he’ll frown and ask for a hamburger.  Isaac is still learning the art of gratitude.

That sparkling cider, though – he had no notes on beverages…

Three pies for seven people?  Too much?  Nah…

Juliette joined me and Isaac in his bed for books that night and Lordy, THANKSgiving hardly begins to capture it.  I couldn’t be more grateful for these kiddos.

And yes, that’s a black eye – Isaac slipped and fell on the playground at school earlier in the week and earned himself one heck of a shiner.

Tank filled.  On with the business of December!

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.

 

It’s time for an ode to Isaac, as my favorite little guy turned FOUR a few weeks ago.  Isaac, Isaac, Isaac…Smily and silly and charming as all get-out.

The kid’s got charisma.  I mean, pulling in the garbage bins on a Monday evening shirtless and shoeless, still looking this good?

And he makes us laugh an awful, awful lot.

Isaac has become and increasingly picky eater as of late, but of course, he’s always up for a treat.  Very occasionally we’ll make a run to Top Pot before school to grab a window seat and watch the cars go by while ploughing through a pair of lemon-filled powdered donuts.  Between mouthfuls, he narrates the traffic situation:  Struction worker! (any kind of work truck.)  Zoomie car!  (Tesla.)  And sometimes his very favorite vehicle, to all our chagrin, CYBER TRUCK!

Donuts are for mornings.  Scoops from Molly Moon’s are for evenings.

I recently pushed our post-dinner walk to the ice cream shop a little too close to bedtime and Buddy fell asleep in the stroller on the way home.  I moved him carefully to his bed and he slept the whole night through – it reminded me that he’s still got so much growing up to do.  Play hard, crash hard, little one.

Still so little, right?

We celebrated Isaac’s big fourth in phases, as Shane was traveling for work on August 24th.  On his Birthday Eve Eve, we did a small family celebration, with backyard decorations and presents and cake.

I work hard to make my kids feel special.  I mean, ideally year-round, but extra-much on their birthdays.

He took his usual birthday throne for gift-opening, with Juliette at his side to help with any tricky bows or taped-up boxes.

This age!  Such joy over each and every surprise.

We’re firmly in the era of Spiderman and Sonic the Hedgehog.  The four year old heart wants what it wants…

And then preparations began for the next day’s festivities with Isaac’s buddies.  This is the first year we’ve thrown him a kid-party and so we went a little big.  Bring on the bounce house!

Isaac’s Birthday Eve dawned sunny and full of excitement.  He discovered the cache of party favors as I was chopping strawberries and quickly claimed his own mask and cape.

This gave him ample time to get into character before his friends arrived.

And now, let the mayhem begin!

It was a great party.  Bouncing and donuts and so much utter delight.

Juliette and Isaac made good use of every last minute of the bounce house rental.

Pooped.

Even after bathtime that evening, our Energizer Bunny insisted on donning his costume for an evening scoot.  He had a theory that the cape would make him go extra-fast.

He was right!

Finally, finally, his energy waned.  We did our books in the gray glider and then I swung Isaac’s legs over the arm of the chair and tucked his head in the crook of my arm.  I rocked him and we talked about what a special day it had been and his eyelids grew heavy and I let him drift off in my lap.  It’s silly, I know – he’s such a big boy.  But if the lap fits…

Sunday was Isaac’s actual birthday, but we kept things relatively chill.  My parents came over and there was backyard basketball, some sprinkler running, leftover cake.  It was nice to sit back and watch our boy bring his next-level joy to even the simple things.

Happy Fourth to my favorite superhero.