little black journal

July!  Berry-picking and pool parties and pickleball, oh my!  The photo recap:

Juliette and I let Isaac tag along on our annual pilgrimage to Remlinger Farms for raspberry picking early last month, when the berries were PEAK.

Juliette showed Isaac the ropes and he quickly learned how to find the juicy ones, but very few of his berries actually made it into the bucket.

But to be fair, Sister did a fair amount of sampling the merchandise herself.

Get in there, Bud!

Nailed it.

Some friends of ours hosted a pool party on a Sunday afternoon and Isaac went wild over the water – he’s tolerated swimming before, but on this particular day he went full-on water baby.

Mid-July was fraught with a Nasty case of hand-foot-mouth (capital N!), but the moment Isaac’s rash cleared up, we jail-broke and walked up to California Ave to watch the West Seattle Parade.

We got there early, before the action started, and there was a moment when Isaac WAS the parade.  He’s got that friendly wave down pat.

And then, finally!  Fire trucks and dance troups and convertibles driven by local business owners.  It was all very small-town and kitsch and the kids loved it.

Little loves…

When the swag started rolling in, Buddy ate it up.  Not pictured is the beer cozy he wore as a wrist cuff on the walk home.

We had a wide-open Saturday that I had envisioned spending at home, catching up on laundry and yardwork, but by mid-day it was clear that Isaac had other plans.  He wanted OUT.  He’s way, way into buses these days, so I hopped on the C line with the kids and we rolled toward the waterfront to check out the scene there.

We carosel-ed and got ice cream and people-watched (the rickshaw driver dressed as Spidermas was particularly interesting).

Dig in, kiddos!

Getting out with this boy is rarely easy, but it’s worth the effort.

We water-taxied back to West Seattle, where Shane met us for dinner at Marination.  Isaac passed Mass Transit 101 with flying colors.

Mitch and his family came up to Seattle for a brief visit so that Shane and Mitch could play in the Seattle Metro pickle ball tournament.  It was hotter than heck that day and the guys’ matches didn’t quite pan out as hoped, but we appreciated the chance to catch up.

And the following weekend, Shane took Juliette to the PPA tournament in Seattle, where they had front-row seats to watch and Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns take gold in mixed doubles.  I stayed home with Isaac but spotted these two on ESPN!

Juliette couldn’t believe how cool it was, seeing Anna Leigh up close.  THEN Ben Johns came by and handed Juliette a signed paddle and she about lost her mind.

THEN she ran into Anna Leigh at the snack tent and gosh, you’d think she’d just met Taylor Swift, the way she buzzed afterward.

And Hannah Johns to boot!

So happy for these two.  Top day for them.

Isaac missed out on the tournament, but again, he’s a sucker for free swag!

Other highlights include Alki mornings with coffee and scones…

Sunday afternoon bike rides to Good Society for beers and hummus plates…

Fishsticks games with buddies…

And more pickle ball.  Always more pickle ball.  Shane is training up the next generation.

Finally, yard time.  This yard has been our happy place on many a summer evening and weekend, when it’s too hot indoors or Isaac is infected with a rash that should not leave the bounds of our property or we just need to get a few last wiggles out.

(I think they’re having fun?!)

Summer lovin’.  It’s something else.

On Wednesday Shane, Juliette and I left Isaac with his grandparents and drove over to Boulder Beach for our annual water park pilgrimage. First, though, some early morning laps on the slide with Buddy.

Juliette rolled out of bed a little late and reunited with Isaac like she hadn’t seen him in weeks.

Some storm ditch body rolls to round out the morning cardio…

And then off we went, sans toddler!

We’ve got our strategy down pat now and hit the most popular slides right when the park opens, before the lines get too long. The four-person tube rides are my favorite, when I can sit across from Shane and witness the look of WHOA on his face as we reach the major drop-off at Ricochet Rapids, then look over and watch Juliette yell DADDYYYYYY as we plummet into the abyss, as if he can save her from the momentary terror. In those moments, it’s like we’re all kids together.

Once we’d done the slide circuit a couple of times, we hopped in the lazy river. Shane and I tubed, but Juliette always opts to swim alongside us, so she can dive under the waterfalls and tickle our toes.

We walked over to Rollercoaster Alley after lunch and watched Shane take a quick spin on the Stunt Devil, which Juliette and I have no interest in subjecting ourselves to, though we love seeing the giddy, slightly glazed look in Shane’s eyes when he gets off the ride.

We were much happier to pack ourselves into a car on the Scrambler, where there are no upside-down shenanigans. Shane took a squishing once the ride picked up full speed and Juliette and I couldn’t help ourselves from sliding in his direction. He would groan dramatically every time we really leaned in and then all of us would laugh like crazy.

A quick stop for a frozen lemonade, and then back to the Beach!

Juliette and I opted also to pass on Velocity Peak, but Shane couldn’t resist the lure of a 50 mph slide. We watched.

A handful of runs on Riptide Racer…

One last loop (or six) on the lazy river…

And then we booked it back to my parents and Isaac, who’d had a slightly less thrilling but still very fun day together, perusing the wildlife at the town Cabela’s. Viva Boulder Beach!

Thursday started with a walk along the Centennial Trail to Falls Park, before it got too hot.

Shane had to work that day, so I took the kids to McEuen Park in the afternoon for some splash-padding and picnicking.

One last good soaking after lunch…

And then we walked up the street in search of an ice cream shop and dry clothes (found the dry clothes at the bottom of my tote bag).

I didn’t think Isaac could/should handle his own full ice cream cone, but sister continues to be an excellent sharer.

I mean, how do you say no to this?!

My parents offered to hang with the kids that evening so that Shane and I could grab a wine flight at Arbor Crest Vineyards near Spokane. What a treat. We talked without being interrupted and then ordered another round and talked some more and I reveled in turning off my inner mom mode for just a couple of hours.

Viva date night!

On Friday we had reservations to visit Seven Star Alpaca Farm outside CÅ“ur d’Alene. This farm was started by a couple with a passion for animals and for nature it was such a pleasure to peek inside the life they’ve built with their alpacas and horses and goats and chickens.

BABY GOATS! What’s better than baby goats?!

Alpacas are a close second. These guys were awfully sweet. We got to stand on the sidelines as they were ushered from pen to pasture and then Juliette was tapped to herd a particularly stubborn alpaca from his cozy corner out into the open fields.

If it wasn’t so dang hot that day, we might have lingered longer, but still, we got our animal fix.

We cooled off with iced tea and lunch at Cracker Barrel and whiled away some time in their comfy porch rockers.

And then popsicles and backyard hanging, because that’s where the real magic happens.

I had one last item on my Idaho to-do list and Juliette gladly joined me for a Friday evening walk around Tubbs Hill. We blared the Hamilton soundtrack as we cruised toward CÅ“ur d’Alene.

This place gets me every time! Never disappoints.

It was still warm at 7pm, so we took a short detour down to the water and stripped off our socks and shoes for a mini-dip in the lake. We kicked ourselves for not having our swimsuits!

We finished the rest of the loop in record time. Juliette taught me a Go Noodle song about a funky llama in between our catch-ups on more serious matters, like school and friends and our latest favorite Isaac mannerisms.

Saturday was go-day and though we wanted to get an early start, we also felt that letting Isaac run a dozen laps around the park and then tuck into a big bowl of yogurt would make for a happier trip.

And as far as 5-hour car rides with a toddler go, it was a pretty happy trip.

I should disclaim, the kiddos were happy…gosh, I got the blues bad on our drive home. What a slow, sweet week with my people. I wanted more. More time to see my parents love on my kids, more time to watch Isaac and Juliette giggle as they rolled around on the grass, more time to snuggle with Isaac at bedtime and to linger at the park until he was good and done on the slide. I knew most of summer stretched out in front of us, but I could already feel it slipping through my fingers and while I knew there was a lesson in here about being present and thankful in the current moment, I couldn’t help but want to slow this season way, way down. It’s just so damn good.

 

An Idaho Independence Day!  It’s become a family tradition.  And this year, with school running so late into June, our trip east was the perfect way to kick off summer break.

It’s a bit of a trek to Post Falls, but the kids did great in the car, thanks in part to the six-dollar rubber pig I picked up for Isaac at the Ritzville gas station.  Thanks also in part to Miss Rachel, the toddler whisperer/YouTube phenomenon, who we streamed on my phone from Ellensburg to Ritzville.  It takes a village.

It was so good to land at my mom and dad’s front door – we set the kids free in the backyard and I was promptly handed a glass of chilled Rose.  We made it!

Even after five hours in the backset together, these two still adored each other.  No small thing.

Once we had Happy-Houred and eaten our burgers, we set out to the playground to let Isaac get the last of his wiggles out.

It seemed that nearly every park had a splash pad, so we took to packing a beach towel with us every where we went.

Isaac conked out in his makeshift closet bedroom with little fuss that evening and just as I was ready to put on my own pajamas, Juliette asked if she could play outside a little longer.  I went out front with her and she did sprints across the park and back, asking me to time her on my watch.  This girl’s energy knows no bounds.

There and back in less than a minute!

But she had to know…could she do it in 50 seconds?!  (She could.)

We walked around the block and Juliette practiced her cartwheels at the edge of a field and I felt so damn grateful to have all the time in the time in the world to watch the sun go down with my best girl.

Monday!  Isaac was up bright and early, but so was my mom, so we enjoyed a 6am coffee and then got to work in the yard.

Juliette and I did some thrifting with my mom in town that morning and we returned to the house with a treasure trove of toys and clothes for Isaac.  I had booked us tickets for an afternoon cruise around Lake Coeur d’Alene, so we hit the water after lunch.

It was extra warm that day, but was a breeze on the water and the boat was plenty big enough for us to do some laps and find the shady side.  We had a comfy table inside that Isaac spent approximately zero minutes actually sitting at.

Plus, ice cold cocktails!  85 degrees felt juuuuuuust right.

Land ho!

We disembarked and promptly headed to Vantage Point for burgers and brews.

And once we’d boated and eaten, there was nothing left to do but backyard gymnastics.  These slow, silly moments were the highlight of my week.

Watermelon cheers before pajamas and bedtime.

W made it as far as pajamas, but…bedtime?!  This boy had somersaults to do.

Finally, though, finally, Isaac crashed and then Shane, Juliette and I popped across the street for a neighborhood viewing of Star Wars.  Someone passed around a tray of cookies decorated like flags and fireworks and if this isn’t quintessential summer, I don’t know what is!

(Fireworks start on the Third of July in Idaho…)

Tuesday the Fourth!  Isaac was up early early, so we took a mid-morning porch nap before heading to the playground for splash time and a fried chicken picnic lunch.

Isaac brings the party wherever he goes…

Buddy was a little timid around the fountains, but eventually he just couldn’t resist the lure.

Sister showed him the ropes.

And then backyard sprinkler shenanigans with Grandma!  My kids bring out such unabated joy in their grandparents.

We spent the evening at yet another playground (so many to choose from!), though this one scored extra points for a splash pad plus pickle balls courts.  Juliette feels like the special-est kid on the planet when Shane’s able to take the time to coach her on her dink game. 

 

Someday I hope I’ll get some tips from him as well, but right now, I’m content to be Isaac’s Golden Retriever and chase down the barrage of balls he tosses over the net while those two have their moment.  It’s a short season in the scheme of things, this toddler phase.

Back at the house, the neighborhood fireworks really started popping an hour before sundown.  Isaac heard a few, but was much too enamored with his popsicle to pay them much mind.

Once Isaac was de-stickied and jammied, we did a couple of small fireworks in the street before putting him to bed.  He was mildly impressed.

My dad, Juliette and I took a walk through the neighborhood as dusk fell – kids ran through the streets with sparklers and dads started hauling their arsenal of explosives out into their driveways.

Here we go!

It was boom after boom after boom, with fireworks blooming in every direction.

Sweet Juliette, though, was just as excited by her sparklers.

Whew!  What a show.  Next up: next-level splash-padding!

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…

Sports schedules have slowed a bit in the last couple of weeks and we have opted for long evenings and weekends in our backyard, eating watermelon and playing in the sprinklers.

Isaac had his first ice cream bar last month and I fear we’ve created something of a monster.

But a cute monster…

Watering my plants takes twice as long when Isaac is around, but is four times as fun.

Sometimes it’s just too damn hard to choose which pic is my favorite, so…here they all are.

(Juliette is also a sucker for a sprinkler…)

We’ve dusted off the Rad Wagon and are back to Sunday bike rides to Hiawatha and Good Society.

Shane and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary last month with a trip out to Vashon Island to linger over the places we breezed past after Juliette’s softball game the weekend prior.

Isaac was pretty enamored with the whole ferry thing.  This pic sums it up – Isaac so focused on the boat’s wake that Shane and Juliette could actually have a deep conversation, probably about the NBA finals.

We rolled off the ferry with a hankering for coffee and pastries, so we popped into the town bakery before finding a shady bench on the lawn near the Saturday Farmer’s Market.

We sat on the grass and listened to a couple of old guys play country songs about the women they loved and I reveled in the feeling of not having anywhere else we needed to be.

Shane shared a formative piece of his childhood with Juliette at the nearby arcade/ice cream shop…

And we played a very long game of pinball at this glitchy machine that kept giving us ball after ball after ball.

Once we had dilly-dallied to our heart’s content in town, we made the short drive out to Dragon’s Head Cider to spread out our picnic blanket, kick the soccer ball around, and raise our glasses to another year of bliss.

Happy Anniversary, Shane!

Mama’s still got it!

My boys…THIS IS BLISS.

We eventually had to rouse Isaac from his nap and peel ourselves off our Adirondack chairs to catch our ferry home.  Juliette read while Isaac ran laps – the beauty of massive transit!

Wrapping up May with some cozy vibes because even when it’s sunny outside, snuggles rule supreme.

Get her, Buddy!

Seriously, though, this boy is aggressively affectionate.  Juliette is so good at rolling with it.

Ahhhh, I love being on cusp of summer – good times ahead!  Living room forts do for now, but I see a backyard campout in our future.

May Days!  Our weekends continue to be primarily dominated by Juliette’s sporting events, but I remarked to a friend the other day that while the soccer-softball mash-up feels hectic at times, I know this season is short, literally (it’s just eight weeks long!), but also more broadly as we look at how quickly she’s growing and how soon she and her peers will be channeled into next-level competition.  So I’m here for it, while it’s still low-key fun and games.  SWING, batter, batter!

Her pitching progress is kind of unreal – in March she could hardly get the ball over the plate.  A couple of weeks ago, she struck a girl out, fielded a grounder for an out at first, and caught a line drive, all back-to-back.  There’s an old Minnesota Twins announcer that Shane tells me would have called that a “Snapper Mow ‘Em Down Inning”!

Isaac generally isn’t the most attentive spectator, but he knows to head to the fence when his sister steps up to the plate.

We traded kid-cheers with the Rusts one Saturday when Juliette had a softball game next door to G’s track meet.

Once sister’s done batting, it’s off to the next-door playground.

We ventured outside the West Seattle circuit for a handful of games and made the trip to Vashon Island to take on their local team.  Waiting in line for the ferry takes a little more energy these days…

(Juliette took a ball to the eye a couple of days prior while warming up with a teammate and ended up with a little shiner…the price she pays for the sheer love of the game!)

It was awfully hot and dusty that day, but Juliette’s focus was unflappable!

Ice-cold milk to get us through the final inning…

We hightailed it home after the game, all feeling a little spent after two and a half hours in the heat.  We’ll be back, Vashon!

(We’ll be back real soon.)

Saturdays are for softball, and Sundays are for soccer.  Strut that belly, Boy!

Sweet Isaac…constantly chasing after his sister and her teammates, not at all understanding why he’s not invited to the party.  Someday, Buddy, you will rule the field!

Her rosy cheeks say it all…this girl runs hard.

Our little athlete unwinds after her games by…watching sports!  Basketball, specifically – Juliette loves the NBA playoffs and is already teaching her brother everything she knows.

The Warriors lost all too soon, but Juliette’s Steph Curry jersey should still fit her next year…

We logged a lot of hours in the backyard last month, eating and playing and gardening.

Isaac likes to help me weed, but has proven he still can’t be trusted with a handful of dirt.

Nothing a little water can’t wash off!

Backyard breakfast…

And springtime strolls.

Mother’s Day 2023 was mellow and full of my favorite things.  Kid-brewed coffee…

Snuggles with my littles…

And a quiet French toast brunch a la Shane while Isaac napped.

Some backyard chillin’…

And an afternoon soccer game, where Juliette scored a goal, “just for me”.

I was gifted a next-level coffee grinder…

And then we wrapped up the day with beachfront boba.

I love May.

We’re three months out from officially entering the terrible two’s, but it seems our boy is ahead of the curve.  We’re IN IT.  Isaac is fiercely independent and helplessly needy all at once these days, desperate to do things on his own but lacking the skills to put on his own shoes.  Toddler-hood is hard.

But progress comes fast!  He’s finding more words, finding ways beyond crying or stomping his feet to tell us what he wants.   He’ll ask “wa-wa?” when he wants his water bottle, and I respond, “oh, do you want water?”, and he says, “YEAH!”, and it’s wonderful when communication works.

Other words include “cow!”, shouted at any animal with four legs, “peeeeease”, said as as a sweet plea while we’re getting his bedtime bottle prepared, “poopoo?”, muttered after a series of grunts, and a round of “nigh-nigh’s” for dad and sister before we head to his room for the evening.

He yuks it up a lot at mealtime and is the jolliest of dinner companions.  Except when he asks, “Mo? Mo? Mo?” and then swipes his extra helping to the floor the minute I put it on his tray.  I guess he’s got to remind us who’s boss.

Sleep.  SLEEP.  We’ve had a couple of bouts of sleep regression where Isaac was up four to five times a night several nights in a row, but I chalked those up to teething spells and they eventually passed.  Now if only we could get him to sleep in a little…he’s up between 5:00 and 5:30, jabbering, then whining, then jumping in his crib, which is my cue to start warming the morning bottle before all hell breaks loose.  Rise and shine, Mama!  We snuggle up on the couch or in our gray chair while he drinks his milk and the sweetness of that time almost makes up for the fact that I’m getting up with the sun.  And then I pull out books and toys and do my best to encourage “independent play” so that I can doze a bit more.  It usually works for about seven minutes.

I know, I know – we’re supposed to be done with the bottle thing by now.  But can you see why we’re not?!

There have been a handful of mornings when Isaac has woken up at 5am and I can see he’s totally tuckered a couple of hours later.  If I don’t have to commute into work, I occasionally use my extra time to take Buddy for a drive so he can grab a power nap in the car before I drop him at daycare.  I sip my coffee and catch up on my podcasts and enjoy the water view along Harbor Drive.  He catches some Z’s and is not an exhausted disaster when I eventually hand him off to his teachers.  Win-win!

Weekend naps are kind of a free-for-all; we try to just let him sleep when and where he’s tired.  Sometimes he falls asleep on the way to one of Juliette’s soccer games and then I sit with him in the car for an extra 30 minutes.  Sometimes we grab a 10 am chair doze.  I prefer the latter.

Isaac still tinkers with his toy cars, but his collection of balls are his greatest treasures.  He loves to play catch, but also loves to just tote them around like a favorite stuffy or a security blanket.

We find bouncy balls in the bathtub, in the car, in our shoes…I feel like they’re multiplying, like Gremlins in the night.

This stacking toy from Christmas is finally getting some play…

And our tried-and-true favorite books get pulled out every day.

I can’t say enough about how patient and kind and joyful Juliette is as a big sis.  Isaac has no clue how lucky he is.

Although if that’s not a thank you, I don’t know what is!

A mom at one of Juliette’s softball games a couple of week ago remarked over what a happy kid Isaac is, and I thought, “Is he?!”, and then I looked at him again and I thought, “HE IS”.

It’s easy (and normal) to be worn down by the hard stuff, by the whining and the early wake-ups and the constant strewing of toys on the floor.  But let’s not forget the utter delight.

You’re somethin’ special, Isaac Henry.

Keep on smiling, sweet boy!

Spring has sprung!  Feels like summer is springing this past week, actually – it’s 80 degrees and the cherry blossoms have long since fallen from the trees.  I have swept up the last of our magnolia petals and I bought a watermelon on Sunday!

But a backtrack to April, when Juliette was still wearing her fleece.

And Isaac sported his navy blue sweatsuit at Roxhill.

We discovered a new playground in the neighborhood recently and Juliette has been refining her hopscotch skills.

Isaac has some work to do.

I spent a Saturday morning out in Redmond with the kids while Shane played at a nearby pickleball tournament.  We roamed around Farrel-McWhirter Park and Isaac befriended a pig, a goat, and a cow.

Juliette loves to play hide and seek with her brother; the moment she darts out of sight, he throws his arms open and asks over and over, “Where go?!  Where go?!”

Found her.

Donuts, then another playground, because I love these kids that much.  And because Isaac is driving me peak crazy when cooped up indoors.

Our mornings start early, but Juliette has learned how to brew my coffee, bless her heart.

And sometimes we’ll pile back in bed at 8am on a Saturday morning for snuggles and shenanigans.

We’ve been mostly healthy these past few weeks, knock on wood, but there were a handful of days in April when Isaac stayed home with a fever.  We worked around it, literally, but oh, it was rough.

We were in Santa Monica on Easter Sunday, so we did our egg hunt and our reading of Luke the weekend after.  Juliette still loves a good game of “you’re getting warmer”…

I filled Isaac’s eggs with his own toy cars and bouncy balls, but he was still pretty enchanted by it all.

We spent much of the afternoon putting the eggs back together so that he could crack them back open and leave the remnants on the floor.

Is that all there is?  WHERE GO?!

After several days of travel and of not feeling our best, that particular Sunday at home felt extra sweet.

DJ Raphi dance party to burn off those jelly beans!

And then a brief moment of mellow.

Backyard weather has been such a boon.  Tee ball and bubbles and basketball, oh my!

Lots of neighborhood strolls to admire the corner tulip patch and our favorite cherry blossom lane…

And perhaps most notably, spring sports have begun!  Our weekends (and the the occasional weeknight) are consumed with Juliette’s soccer and softball games.  I’m not mad about it – I love watching this girl hone her talent and her team spirit.

Isaac is VP of her fan club.

Shane is assistant coach on both teams, which means I’m on Isaac watch, but occasionally Buddy hangs with Dad and I get a moment to focus on the field.

We have our short list of favorite softball venues – Lincoln Park is top notch because of the nearby woods to wander in.

This is the first year that Juliette has played kid-pitch softball and she’s spent hours doing target practice in the backyard.  A parent remarked at a game last week on Juliette’s intense focus when she pitches.  It’s like she’s willing the ball over the plate with equal parts arms and mind.

Get it, girl!

Juliette has the sweetest buddies that love to hang with Isaac between innings.

Ball boy is really falling down on the job…

Game over, but one last loop around the bases for Buddy, of course.

Seriously, though, SO MANY softball games.  I don’t know that we quite anticipated what we were signing up for.

Isaac goes to the evening games in his PJs and we usually split after the third inning.  It’s a lot, schlepping a toddler to the ball field a couple of times a week, but he’s a good sport about it.

And soccer!  I like watching Juliette play softball, but I love watching her play soccer.  Her team has come such a long way in the couple of years they’ve been together and she is fierce out on that field.

Go green!

(Plus Isaac.)

Now, let’s tuck that beanie away for awhile, huh?

We were en route home from our Maui vacation when I started scheming another beach getaway for Spring Break – the kids were so happy in Hawaii (who wouldn’t be?!) and Juliette had a week off in April that we hadn’t booked anything for.  Flights to LA were cheap and it seemed an easy way to get a couple of days worth of sun and sand.  To Cali!

The minute I said “easy”, I think I jinxed our plans – no such thing with a toddler in tow.  The low-grade fever that Isaac had been muddling through all week spiked the evening before our flight and so in the wee hours of the morning I pushed Isaac’s and my departure back a day in hopes he would make a turnaround within the next 24 hours.  Shane and Juliette left town without us and lived their best baby-free lives on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.  Though the circumstances weren’t ideal, I’m glad they got this time together.  Hollywood or bust.

Isaac’s fever broke on Friday morning, about four hours after I pushed our flight, so we had a chill day at home together and were travel-ready by Saturday morning.  We missed our other halves!

We eased into LA life on Saturday afternoon with a trip to In-N-Out and a couple of hours at our AirBnB’s pool.

SUN!  My kids look so good in the sun.

Isaac was not so much a fan of the relatively cool-watered pool (spoiled Maui boy…), but he was content to spend a couple of minutes in the oversized hot tub.

I was completely tuckered on Saturday evening, exhausted and maybe a bit under the weather myself, so I gulped down a green smoothie from the corner cafe and turned in early.  VACATION.  Hardly the fancy-free fun it used to be, but still, I was glad to be under one roof with my people, away from what was feeling like a never-ending winter in Seattle.

Sunday was a new day, with a morning made bright by coffee and pastries at Gjusta.  We chowed down on croissants and scones in their sweet little courtyard and put together the day’s itinerary.

Isaac really liked his blackberry scone.

Next stop was Tongva Park, which was a favorite of Juliette’s on her first trip to Santa Monica several years ago.  It’s funny – this playground looked so much bigger when she was so much smaller!  And now she looks so grown-up, wearing her dad’s puffy vest and helping her brother down the slide.  Time marches on.

We strolled over to the pier from the playground and took a peek at the beach before booking it back to our AirBnB so that we could get Isaac down for a solid nap rather than just letting him doze on the go.

We…didn’t make it.  Rascal fell asleep on the way back and then woke up the moment we stepped inside, fresh as a daisy and rearing to go again.  I, however, was ready for a rest, so I popped on Bluey and we all lazed around for a bit before our condo started feeling much too small to contain Isaac’s energy.

To the beach!  Shane hit the pickleball courts while I walked with the kids to nearby Venice Beach.  Though Isaac seemed eager to play, his feet became rooted to the sand the minute I set him down.  Run free, Buddy!  RUN!

Or…let your sister do the running for you.

Shane picked us up and we headed to True Food Kitchen for lunch and colorful drinks.

Though it was gray and a bit chilly that day, Juliette begged to head back to the pool, so we spent some time there after lunch watching our little fish swim free.

We drove over to Abbot Kinney, my favorite Venice drag, for dinner and found ourselves at the courtyard of De Buena Planta sipping margaritas and eating chips with guac.  This girl’s got next-level style, huh?  Such a cool kid.

Her brother, meanwhile, lacks a little class.  Can’t take this boy anywhere.

Chips for dinner, ice cream for dessert.  When in LA…

We were back at Abbot Kinney on Monday morning in search of brunch.  The Butcher’s Daughter was light-filled and lovely and our server was very friendly when Isaac dumped water all over our table.

We took a stroll through the Venice canals after brunch – I’d never explored this area before and though the waters were a bit mucky, the neighborhood held its own sort of charm.

Isaac befriended some ducks and we had a heck of a time getting him to say goodbye to them.

But then we stumbled upon a sweet little playground that served as a perfect distraction from his feathered friends.

Vacation with a toddler is exhausting, but the naps are next-level.

We spent Monday afternoon at El Matador State Beach in Malibu, picnicking and playing.  This is one of my most favorite SoCal spots.

Someone got over their aversion to sand…

Again, a bit gray, a bit chillier than hoped, but still so beautiful.  Juliette and I took a little stroll while eating the matcha shortbread I had picked up from Whole Foods and I felt so happy to be oceanside with my girl.

We got back from our walk and Juliette started on a sand castle that Isaac kept threatening to demolish, so I walked him down the beach and we sat together at the water’s edge.  We spent awhile tossing stones and I was thrilled to learn that Buddy inherited his dad’s and sister’s love of rock-skipping.

We rolled up to our condo around 5:00, planning to rest a bit before getting dinner.  Shane parked the car and I got the kids out and suddenly Shane was very nervously patting his pockets and then rooting around under the front seat and then sharing the unfortunate news that our door key was missing – it must have fallen out of his pocket at the beach.  He got a hold of our host, who was 2 hours away, so we quickly adapted our plans and Shane dropped me off in Santa Monica with the kids while he drove to meet our host at a halfway point.  To the pier!

Juliette, it seems, is getting a bit old for the merry-go-round, but she hopped on a horse for her brother’s sake.

Next stop was the ferris wheel, which Juliette and I loved, but Isaac was undecided about.

He couldn’t believe we were asking him to sit still for a 10 whole minutes.

We walked up to the 3rd Street Promenade to kill a little more time and grab some food.  I took Juliette into her first Urban Outfitters and we bought a bottle of electric blue nail polish (as if she wasn’t already hip enough!).  Shane picked us up, key in hand, just as Juliette and I were finishing our evening tea and hot chocolate and we made it back to the condo in time for Isaac to get to bed at a reasonable hour.  Look at us, going with the flow!

Tuesday we packed up our things and said goodbye to our little home at Marina del Rey.

Pastries and coffee at Tartine…

And then Juliette and I spent an hour romping around Manhattan Beach while Isaac dozed in the car.  It was chilly that morning as well, so we steered clear of the water, but we hunted for shells and played tic-tac-toe and drew pictures in the sand.

Juliette won our long-jump contest.

Isaac’s awake!  Kind of.

We dusted the sand off our feet, grabbed a quick bite, and were soon airport-bound.  This trip didn’t go entirely as planned, what with the fever and the gray skies and the lost key, but then again, not much does go as planned these days!  We proved ourselves adaptable, if nothing else.  Sweatshirts can be beach-wear, too.