little black journal

October!  Juliette and I came back from Savannah to a couple of open-armed boys.  Isaac was asleep by the time our plane landed, but his reunion with Sister the next morning was exuberant.

The rest of the month was fairly quiet – we stayed close to home, enjoyed our Fall rituals.  Juliette rocked the school Move-A-Thon and ran 22 laps around the school parking lot in just under 20 minutes!

Shane turned another year older on the 19th and while he didn’t get the Southern fine dining birthday experience that I enjoyed with Juliette, he did get a new pair of flannel pajama pants.  We’ll call it even?

We spent our Saturdays on the soccer field, cheering on Juliette in between our own sideline shenanigans.

And we spent our Sundays at our favorite parks, soaking in the autumnal colors.  Volunteer Park is an October must – Juliette’s hair matches the leaves!

My girl is such a champ, eager every time to climb the 100+ steps to the top of the water tower.

(Her hair goes well with brick tones, too…)

Goodness, how I love a good Fall romp with these kids.

Playground pay-off for letting Mom take 200 photos under the trees…

Isaac is so fun at the playground these days, independent and just the right amount of adventurous.  Spread those wings, Buddy…

Now someone buy these kids a hot chocolate or something!

(Done.)

Juliette and I brewed a couple of cocoas and picked up Isaac a little early on a Friday for a walk through Camp Long.

This little grove is a slice of Fall magic.

“Wait, Juliette!  WAIT!”  This boy does not like to bring up the rear.

Can we talk for a minute about how good he looks in the flannel that his Auntie bought him last year?

These walls push the limits of Isaac’s climbing skills (and my nerves), but Juliette is an excellent backstop.

My parents came to town at the end of month and settled right into our day-to-day.

And oh, the Halloween festivities!  The neighborhood was decked out with pumpkins and skeletons and giant spiders.  Isaac and I relished our evening “Spooky Walks”.

Isaac would hold the flashlight from the stroller, illuminating our way, and then yell “MOOKY!” (spooky) every time he saw a skeleton or ghost.

We ate croissants and carved pumpkins with the Chens on a gray Saturday morning.

Get it, girl.

And then…the costumes!  I bring you Mario (upside-down mustache and all) and his beloved Princess Peach.

I was thrilled to find that Isaac’s blue jumpsuit came with a built-in belly.

Who’s that creeping out of our house?

Juliette cringed a little…

But Isaac had nothing but pure adoration for his buddy Luigi.  Way to be the fun dad, Shane.

We spent the Friday before Halloween at Juliette’s school for the Monster Mash, which was festive and loud and chaotic, but also a wonderful chance for me to get some sunset Peach pics.

Halloween itself was WET.  We pushed through and trick-or-treated anyway, because that’s what Seattle kids do, but the rain was relentless.

Isaac really got the hang of trick-or-treating this year and wanted to hang as late as the big kids.  I couldn’t say no.

Eventually though, we called it and headed home to turn on the fireplace, put Harry Potter on the TV, and take inventory.  Soggy bags of M&Ms were discarded, but there were still plenty of plastic-wrapped sweets to go around.  HAPPY OCTOBER.

Our Friday drive to Savannah took longer than expected due to traffic, but Juliette and I leaned into the road trip vibes, cranked up the Chappell Roan, and dug into our snack stash.  Pink Pony Club became our southern anthem as we cruised under tunnels of oaks.

We got settled at our top-floor AirBnB late afternoon and took in the view from our corner window.  Score!

We set out in the evening in search of food and drink, but I was sidetracked around each bend by the abundance of Spanish moss.  It was all I hoped it would be.

Juliette is exceedingly patient with my constant snapping of photos – this was the point in our trip when she made a game out of really amping up her strut each time I pulled out my phone.

Oh-my-gosh-I-love-her-so-much.

We walked down sidewalks lined with brick and through squares shaded by towering, twirly oaks.

We landed a comfy couple of seats at Grove’s rooftop terrace and ordered up a Spritz for mama and a Rise and Shine for kiddo.  Juliette felt so fancy with her pineapple garnish – cheers, girlfriend.

We stayed here for awhile.  No need to rush!

Once we’d eaten and drank and finished our game of Rummy, we slowly moseyed on back to our room, passing through City Market and down Broughton.  The Friday night vibes were strong in this town.

Such a happy glimmer.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny and full of charm.

We grabbed coffee and bagels and then walked over to the Jepson Center for an art fix.

The museum was small but lovely.  We lingered for a bit at the interactive Impressionist exhibit and then headed back out into the sunshine.

Our entry to the Jepson was bundled with a tour of the nearby Owens-Thomas house and slave quarters, so we walked that way.  These tree-filled squares, though!  They were everywhere and they were my favorite.

Our hour-long tour through the Owens-Thomas house was packed with information, but I reminded Juliette that there would be no test on this history lesson.  Instead, I told her just to take in what she could.  The juxtaposition of master versus servant quarters was powerful.  And gosh, Juliette’s ears really perked up when she learned that the Marquis de Lafayette, her favorite character from Hamilton, had stayed at that very house.

After our house tour, we decided to book a couple of tickets on the town trolley so that we could do some seated sight-seeing.  It was a short walk to the trolley stop, but again, the moss.  Couldn’t help ourselves.

We hopped off the trolley near the river and grabbed lunch at The Pirate’s House, which was a quirky little place.  Quirky good?  Or quirky weird?  Who can say?

It was short walk to the next trolley stop, where we perched on a bench to wait for our pickup.  We watched the sweetest, happiest couple take their wedding pics.  Lotta love in the air that day.

The trolley took us down to Forsyth Park, which is basically one of those darling town squares times ten.  Stunning.

We strolled back toward our AirBnB, making a stop at Mirabel for iced tea and iced coffee.  Patio table dreams.

Back on our feet, with more delight around each bend.

THE SQUARES!

This one was the setting for the opening scene of Forrest Gump.  Southern as southern gets.

We chilled at our room for awhile and then went back out to do a little shopping.  We had seen lots of people toting bags of Byrd’s “tiny, crispy, cookies” and decided we needed to fill a small sampler box for ourselves.  Two thumbs up for their key lime coolers.

Juliette was craving sushi (which for her, means edamame and cucumber rolls), so we grabbed a table Coco and Moss.  Felt good to eat something green.

Goodnight, Savannah.  Time to get back to our room to do face masks and watch The Notebook!

We had a Sunday evening flight back home, which left us with the full morning to wander and charm-seek.  We found a sweet little patio table at Franklin’s and took our time eating our pastries and sipping our drinks.

I felt like my conversations with Juliette just got better and better as the week went on.  No shortage of things to talk about with this girl.

I wanted to walk along nearby Jones Street, which was rumored to be the loveliest street in Savannah, but I mean really, aren’t they all lovely?

Jones was awfully nice.

And when near Forsyth Park…you go back!

We found a bench and I painted Juliette’s nails and we read for awhile.

There was a musician playing kids’ tunes on his trumpet for an intrigued toddler and Juliette and I watched with a smile and a bit of longing as the little boy clapped and danced.  It was time to get home to our guys.

Final sidewalk snaps…

A signing of the guest book…

And one last square…

We loved Savannah so much.  We loved our time together SO MUCH.  Next time someone says, “picture your happy place”, I think that bench at Forsyth Park may come to mind.  Spanish moss glowing overhead.  Fountain tinkling in the distance.  Juliette at my side.  Sun on our shoulders.  I’m so thankful.

Juliette and I had such a ball galavanting around Paris last October that I wanted to make our mother-daughter getaway an annual thing.  We don’t need to jet off to Europe every year, per se, but I figured we could swing some sort of trip together to do some exploring and focus on each other without little brother interjecting himself into any and every conversation.  I’ve had the South on my to-visit list for some time now and Shane…has not, so I asked Juliette if she wanted to spend a few days romping around Charleston and Savannah and she said OF COURSE and I bought tickets and we kissed our guys goodbye and we were off!

We arrived at our little AirBnB carriage house on a Wednesday afternoon, ditched our sweaters, and set out to grab a snack before our late-evening dinner reso.

This place was going to do juuuuust fine.

We found acai bowls and tons of shopping on nearby King Street.  Plus plenty of charm and twinkle to boot.

We had a bit of time to rest and settle into our cozy quarters before dinner.  What this place lacked in square footage, it made up for with character!

I wanted to do something a little fancy, it being my birthday and all, and Husk did not disappoint.

Get a load of the porch on this place!

The roast chicken was tender, the cocktails were crisp, and the company was perfection.

Such a birthday treat.

Thursday was dedicated to roaming around Charleston.  We had a few sights on our to-see list, but found that we loved the in-between strolls as much as anything.

First stop:  Harken Cafe for coffee and scones.  Loved the cozy vibes here.

We took a spin through the Charleston City Market and Juliette picked out a pair of earrings for herself and for a friend.  We bought a toy car for Isaac, not because he needed it, but because we missed him so dang much and it felt nice to have a Hotwheels in our bag, like we were carrying around a little piece of him.

More walking, more charming street scenes…

And then we landed at the International African American Museum, where we spent a couple of hours processing the South’s black history.  There was obviously much more there than we could unpack in a single morning, but we scratched the surface of Gullah Geechee culture, sat with the region’s painful stories of oppression, and spent several minutes marveling over this hand-beaded Mardi Gras garb.

We lunched and got off our feet for awhile at Fleet Landing.  Best crab cakes I’ve had in a long, long time.

After lunch…more walking!  Through Waterfront Park, along the Battery, then through the French Quarter.  We racked up our steps, but we also took our time and chatted and laughed along the way.  UN-hurrying felt so good.

The trees in these parks!  The dappled-light tunnels they make are magical.

Back at our AirBnB, we took advantage of the well-stocked fridge and the breezy porch.

We drove over to Sullivan’s Island for dinner and sunset beach time.  The pizza and gnocchi at Obstinate Daughter hit the spot after a long day of walking.

Man, I’m funny sometimes.  I wish I could remember what had this kid laughing so hard.

We landed at the beach with about an hour till sunset and did a little walking before finding our perfect patch of sand.

We really did miss Isaac, but we also really leaned into the opportunity to kick back with our books.

Although who are we kidding?  This girl loves to run almost as much as her kid brother.

Getting closer…

We stayed till the sun fully dipped below the horizon and then I said something silly that had us both doubled over with laughter and it’s hard for me to put into words how thankful I am for how much freaking fun I have with my daughter.  Also, how thankful I am that Shane happily holds down the fort at home while we giggle on a beach clear across the country.  What a gift.

On Friday we hit the road to Savannah for Part II of our southern tour.  First, though, tea in the salon…  I could tell Juliette felt very fancy, perched on a velvet couch in a room covered in floral wallpaper.  When in Charleston…

We stopped at Church and Union before hitting the road and did our daily NY Times word puzzles over bacon and cinnamon rolls.

In the name of taking our time, we detoured to Folly Beach to read on the pier and put our feet in the surf.

Pineapple whip?  Don’t mind if we do…  Perfect road trip snack as we head to SAVANNAH.  Comin’ right up.

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

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

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

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

Top day.

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

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

And apple pie at home.

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

I spy…a couple of runners.

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

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

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

Score, Buddy!

Smile, Isaac!

Or…don’t, you little goofball.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Autumn, friends.

ELEVEN!  It happened. And it was good.

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

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

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

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

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

She’s nothing if not grateful.

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

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

Sandy spins…

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

Let’s go, blue!

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

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

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

The kids all rang the Wishing Bell…

And then summited mulch piles and raced through the orchards.

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

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

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

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

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

Cake time!

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

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

But they’re also the sweetest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And then enjoyed coffee and macarons at Coquette Bake Shop.

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

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

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

And Poulsbo donuts make things brighter.

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

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

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

And dandelions as far as the eye could see.

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

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

And spontaneous evening sprinkler runs.

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

And especially our front yard water fights.

Dump truck car washes…

And beach ball shenanigans.

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

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

“One more hug, Juliette!”

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

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

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

Such friendly little dudes!

Such slobbery little dudes…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get those wiggles out, Isaac!

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

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

We explored the tunnel and collected a few rocks…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Donut zoomies…

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

Isaac Henry, you’re too much sometimes.

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

Here we go, Bud!

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

Hello?

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

The beach is still a pants-optional zone.

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

Detour for sea anemones…

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

Morning cozies…

Afternoon backyard games…

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

Isaac started his climb up the dune with such vigor…

But then needed a little help.

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

Made it!

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

Down we went.

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

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

Again, the waves beckoned and the kids answered.

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

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

Wheelbarrow shenanigans.  We laughed a lot that night.

Good night, sun.

On Wednesday, Juliette joined us on our morning walk.

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

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

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

Blackberry pitstop.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love these coastal misty mornings.

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

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

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

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

Uncle Mitch shows NO MERCY.

And Morgan’s even more ruthless.

Isaac’s a good sport, though.

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

And then we toasted to her creativity.

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

BEAR!  RUUUUUUNNNN!

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

Happy Vacation, Buddy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He clearly knows he’s milking it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(I’m a very scary tickle monster.)

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

Couch snaps:

Sister snaps (with freshly-shorn hair…):

And bath snaps:

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

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

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

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

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

A puppy from sister…

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

Gosh, he was pumped about that little RC car.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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