little black journal

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!

Wednesday’s water park adventures left us a little tired, so we took it easy on Thursday.  First things first – morning coffee at Doma!  My mom and I don’t have tons of overlapping interests, but COFFEE.  We get each other when it comes to coffee.

And then some playground time at the park across the street from my mom and dad’s house.  Juliette caught her baby at the bottom of the slide and I spent several minutes swinging with my baby on my lap and I loved how slow it all felt.  Nothin’ to do, nowhere to be – this time to linger with my kids felt extra-special.

By afternoon, though, I of course felt a little antsy, so we packed up our gear and drove over to Honeysuckle Beach in Hayden for some floating and paddling and lakeside lounging.

Isaac loved feeling the lake water lap at his feet.

I feel you, Bud – HOORAY for lake days!

Then he put a fistful of sand in his mouth.  I swear, sometimes it feels like Isaac senses us starting to chill out, let our guard down, and then he decides, “HA!  I’ll teach them not to watch me with eagle eyes!”

While Shane was on the shore swatting rocks out of Isaac’s hands before he could eat them, Juliette and I got out on the SUP.

Juliette is so good at multi-purposing our board – it’s part SUP, part kayak, part floaty.

I can’t wait to get Isaac out for a paddle, but for now, he’s plenty happy to cheer on his sister from the dock.

Lake smiles!

And an evening country walk to top it all off.

Friday was similarly pretty mellow.  Crawling and coffee, swings and snuggles, a very fancy lunch…

We spent a couple of hours at Tullamore Park – the swings were a hit, but there was some splash pad skepticism.

Is he having fun?  Who’s to say?

Juliette and I seized upon our last night in Idaho as a chance to get out for a hike at Tubbs Hill.  We listened to the Sing 2 soundtrack on the drive to Coeur d’Alene and I looked in the rear view mirror at her belting out the words to Could Have Been Me in the backseat, eyes closed and face scrunched up in so much sweet drama and goodness, eight is great.

We found the path and then lost the path and just as I wondered how we ended up so deep in the woods, we saw a mama deer with her three baby fawns not so far away.  We tip-toed toward them and they galloped away on their sweet skinny legs and then we found our way back to the trail.  We chatted and laughed and oohed and ahhed at glistening Lake Coeur d’Alene and felt the goodness of it being just us two for an evening.

Juliette found a trail of seashells that someone had left along the path and reveled in collecting these little treasures and then hiding them in new places for the next hiker to find.  

We played Kidz Bop on the drive home and hunted for the handful of license plate states we hadn’t yet crossed off our road trip list and damn, did I say eight is great?

We were gone for all of three hours, but still, she was over the moon to be back with her dad.  They spent the rest of the evening updating their license plate checklist and coloring in a map of the states we hadn’t yet spotted.  Again, slow life luxuries…

Isaac gave Bernie a few final pat-pats on Saturday morning, we took a few porch pics, and then we were homeward bound.

It was back to business on Monday, with work and daycare and summer camp, and while there’s always a piece of me that finds comfort in settling back into a routine, by noon I was missing my kids somethin’ fierce.  It was a good week.

Last year’s Fourth of July Idaho spectacle was such a hit that we decided to do a 2022 version, this time with our favorite fourth wheel.   Grandma and Grandpa, here we come!

We hit the road with one baby in a carseat and one baby in Juliette’s arms – she is very attached to her doll as of late and I love it.  There’s my little girl…

We had all kinds of wiggles to get out by the time we got to Post Falls, so there was play-grounding…

And pickle-balling…

And staying up late to watch the fireworks on Independence Day Eve.  This was just the pre-party!

The booms lasted well into the night, but eventually the neighborhood fell quiet and we got some rest.  About 20 minutes worth, at least, and then Isaac woke up ready to party.  Gosh, he slept horribly that first night – I think he was up about every hour, trying to make sense of his new digs.  But the Fourth dawned sunny and breezy and Isaac looked awfully sweet in his red, white, and blue, so after I had my morning cup of coffee, brewed lovingly by my sympathetic mom, all was forgiven.

We ventured over to Falls Park after morning nap to check out the swing situation.  Four thumbs up.

Isaac’s eyelids grew heavy during our evening walk and had very little fight in him when bedtime rolled around.

Which was perfect, because the rest of us had some fireworks to watch!

Everywhere we turned, the sky bloomed with sparkles.

We went inside around 10:30, but I peeked out the window every few minutes when the booms sounded particularly dramatic.  What a show.

We spent Tuesday morning in Coeur d’Alene, playing and picnicking at McEuen Park.

This was Isaac’s first splash pad and he was a little perplexed by it all, but had a good time waving his trusty plastic spoon through the streams of water.

Not so much a fan of being sprayed in the face, though…

My favorite part of the spray park is the post-drying-off diaper time.  Sun’s out, belly’s out!

Isaac, you’re such a wonderful little goober.

And Juliette, you’re so beautiful.

We swung by the lakefront to say hello to Mudgy the Moose and to snap a few pictures, popped over to the the bakery for an iced coffee, and then were back in Post Falls for afternoon nap.  I felt our gears clicking into vacation mode, and it felt good.

We shared the biggest pizza ever for dinner that night, which was great, because we were carbo-loading for the next day’s adventure!

On Wednesday morning we kissed Isaac good-bye and took Juliette to Silverwood for a day of water slides and roller coasters.  We came here last summer and she declared it one of the best days ever, so I was excited to bring her back without a baby in my belly – bring on the whirls and twirls.

We arrived at the park before the gates opened and found ourselves with enough time to grab a hot chocolate at the kitschy Victorian cafe and plan out the day’s route.  So much thought went into which slides to hit first as we evaluated hourly temperatures, likely wait times, and fun factor.  I love a kid with a plan.

We moved through the lines quickly that morning as it seemed most people had opted to begin the day at the amusement park; Avalanche Mountain was a family favorite, though Ricochet Rapids also had us squealing with glee.

There were many, many laps around the lazy river…

And then a couple of rounds down the Riptide Racer.

We headed over to Roller Coaster Alley after lunch which was decidedly not a hit as Juliette sobbed through most of our time on the Timber Terror, so we recalibrated (and possibly over-corrected) with a very mellow spin on the flying elephants.

By early afternoon we were back to the lazy river, wondering why we’d ever left.

Whew!  So much fun, the three of us living large and following our every whim.

So tiring, though.  Sun, water, fun, done.

Back at home, Isaac had the best day with Grandma and Grandpa – seems he hardly noticed we were gone!  We missed you, Buddy.  Kind of.

Up next:  more water, more swings, more happy kids.

It seems I always find myself in mid-September with a pile of summer photos to go through, and this year is no different…therefore, ringing in Fall with Fourth of July fireworks!  We spent a few days in Idaho in early July, summering our hearts out.

We rolled up to my mom and dad’s house on the afternoon of the Fourth, as they advised us that their neighborhood goes big for the holiday and the festivities were not to be missed.

Indeed, these folks don’t hold back!

While sky-high fireworks exploded around us in every direction, we opted to stick to fountains and sparklers, which are still pure magic for a seven year-old.

Our own grand finale:

While the show on the other side of the park was just getting started!

We were all up past our bedtimes on the Fourth and got a slower start the next morning – Juliette and Grandpa played games while I had a second cup of coffee.

And then Shane, Jules and I piled back into the car and headed to Sand Point for a day of lake play.  These freckles!  I love them so much.

Pend Oreille is a lake-lover’s dream, with sandy shores, crystal waters and plenty of space to float to your heart’s content.

This girl is such a water-bug and could have spent all day in the lake.  Actually, she did spend all day in the lake.  Shane and I each needed frequent shade-breaks, but Juliette always opted for another layer of sunscreen and another cool dip.

Ah, that belly…I love having Isaac in my arms, but he was much easier to tote around a couple of months ago.

We took a brief lake-break to grab burgers and non-alcoholic beers from MickDuff’s.

And then, after dinner, back at it…

Juliette asked me to jump off the dock with her, but there was no way I was hoisting myself up onto that thing at seven months pregnant, so she summoned the courage to make the leap by herself.

And then found a few friends to jump with her.  Several times.

Several, several times.

The very best kinds of days are rounded out with ice cream and a lakefront stroll.  Mission accomplished.

We stayed in Sand Point that night and then were up early to take a 7:00 am dip in the hotel pool (she’s insatiable!) before heading to Silverwood for a day at Coeur d’Alene’s famous water park (seriously insatiable).  Juliette had a hard time containing her excitement as we waited for the gates to open.

We dropped our towels on a couple of beach chairs and were floating down the Lazy River within seconds of the park’s opening.  This is THE LIFE, huh, Jules?

I wasn’t able to go on any of the big waterslides, but was just as content to hang out at the bottom so that I could see Juliette’s giddy face as she and Shane landed with a splash.

The Riptide Racer tested the limits of Juliette’s bravery, but she rocked it.

The Lazy River was very much my jam – I must have done 20 laps around it over the course of the day.

We ventured over to the next-door amusement park in the afternoon to take a train ride in search of the Bigfoot that’s rumored to live in the park.

(Found him!)

But the trains and roller coasters were no match for the water park.  Back to business…

Shane ended the day on the park’s fastest slide, where riders clock in at over 50 miles per hour – Juliette thought this was a terrible idea, but he lived to give it two thumbs up.

We left the park in the evening totally exhausted but grinning from ear-to-ear.  Juliette declared it one of the most-fun days ever.

The next couple of days in Post Falls were on the quieter side, but still so good for our souls.

This little stretch of the Spokane River at Corbin Park is a must-visit every time we’re in town.  Perfect for lounging and rock-skipping.

Plus, you can squeeze in a few holes of disc golf when you’re done at the river.

Black Bay park is another go-to for waterside chilling.  The bay is perfect for floating on an inner tube, or a paddle board, or, in Juliette’s case, just a life jacket.

We spent our final hours in Post Falls squeezing in a few more Bernie snuggles and piecing together one last puzzle.

And next time we visit Idaho, we’ll have Isaac in tow!  Let’s hope that kid inherits his sister’s love of water – we’ve got some things to show him.

Summer is breathing its last smokey gasps here in Seattle, but I’ve still got a couple of sunny hurrahs on the photo reel.  We spent a long weekend in Idaho back in July – I was eager for a change of scenery and wanted to leave Juliette there for a few extra days at “Grandma and Grandpa Camp” (we needed a break from being all at home, all together, all the time).  We spent our most of our weekend in Idaho lakeside, walking or wading or floating.

Juliette hasn’t been on a set of monkey bars for six months, so she was pretty pumped to see that the playground across the street from my mom and dad’s house was open for business.

With an ice cream truck to boot!

Juliette and my mom were always the first up in the morning – I rolled out of bed each day to find that they had already made their mug muffins and brewed their tea.  These two also apparently shared some good heart-to-hearts – my mom says Juliette is wise beyond her years…

But when the chit-chat ended, it was right down to business…

Juliette has been asking for awhile to go fishing, so we took advantage of Grandpa’s gear and the quiet little pond at Falls Park and spent Sunday morning with a line in the water.

No bites, but she was a good sport about it.

I was bound and determined to watch Juliette reel in a fish, so that evening we tried our luck on the Spokane River at Corbin Park.

Still no bites, but she got some excellent casting practice and the water cooled our heels after a 90-degree afternoon.

I had an overwhelming sense of deja vu, watching Juliette poke at the worms and take casting lessons from my dad – the childhood memories came flooding back.  It was like I got to vicariously be six again.

Juliette came up zeroes on fishing, but she and my mom blitzed that puzzle.  Success!

My mom and I took an evening walk around the neighborhood on Sunday and I got all googly-eyed over the wheel lines and chaff and barns.  Country stuff looks so good at sunset.

Shane and I worked from my mom and dad’s house on Monday while Juliette bopped around with Grandma and Grandpa, then all of us got out in the evening for a paddle at Black Bay Park.

Make a wish, kiddo!

Shane and I headed home on Tuesday while Juliette stayed back with my mom and dad.  It was nice to be able to focus on work for a few days without a bored six year-old as my office mate, but gosh, we missed her!  And I know it was a little tough for her to be away from us after so many months of being all together, ALL THE TIME, but she knocked out several more puzzles with my mom, caught two fish with my dad, and apparently devoured a pancake twice the size of her head at my parents’ favorite local breakfast spot.  She was in good hands.  In fact, maybe I need to make my reservation at Grandma and Grandpa camp?

By the third week of November, I’m typically easing into the holiday season with an evening listen of Charlie Brown Christmas and a pint of egg nog in the fridge…the longer we can stretch out this most wonderful time of year, the better.

This year, though, I just didn’t feel ready.  Too much other stuff going on, too many other things in my head.  In the third week of November, we’d just gotten around to tossing out our pumpkins!  But when we crossed these snowy mountains the Tuesday before Thanksgiving on our way to Idaho, I started to feel my shoulders relax.  I started to think about Christmas gifts and holiday decor and go over the words to “O Come Let Us Adore Him” with Juliette in preparation for our church’s children’s program.

And then we rolled up to my mom and dad’s house and books were brought out and I raided my mom’s stash of tea and it was official – I was ready for a late-November slow-down.

Eager to get our veg on, we spent Wednesday morning at the Spokane movie theater catching the matinee of Frozen 2.

Survey says…SOOOO GOOD, MAMA!

Santa sighting!  And I do love a good mall tree…

Back at the house, we cranked up the Christmas tunes and decked the halls. Juliette arranged the nativity scene on the mantle and baked cookies with my mom while I strung lights on the tree.

Christmas is coming, kiddo!

Thanksgiving day was wonderfully quiet – I got out for a crisp morning walk, we put the ham in the oven to warm while I made mashed sweet potatoes and my mom made biscuits, and we just…chilled.

We ate, we drank, we lounged, and then we brought out the pumpkin and apple pies.  When we sat down in the living room to take turns talking about what we’re thankful for, we found no shortage of things to put on our lists.

Shane and I took Juliette on a holiday cruise around Lake Coeur d’Alene in the evening – word on the street was that this boat had the secret scoop on Santa’s whereabouts!

And sure enough, just as we were finishing our hot cocoa and buttered rum, we came upon this decked-out dock.

It was quite the production – Santa read his “nice-list” over a megaphone for all to hear (Juliette was thrilled to hear her name was on it!), there was a Jingle Bells sing-along, and then the fireworks let loose.

P.S.  IT WAS COLD.

My mom and I got out on Friday morning to hit the coffee shop and peruse the shelves at Pier 1 and then again, we just…chilled.  Juliette watched Little Women with me in front of the fireplace in the afternoon and wrapped her arms around me when I started crying about Beth and all felt right in my world.  I love sharing my favorite things with my favorite kid.

There were a few last snuggles for sweet, blind Bernie on Friday night, a round of hugs on Saturday morning, and then we were west-bound.  Those mellow few days with my nearest and dearest had been exactly what I needed.

We made a pit stop at our usual tree fam on the way home and did our usual spin through the Douglas and Noble firs before circling back to our tried-and-true patch of Grands.

It was chilly out there, but sunny and crystal clear.  This place never disappoints.

Shane and Juliette are usually quick to hone in on a tree, but I always insist on just one more loop.  Why rush through this place?!

We’ve got a winner!

Cider+candy cane vibes…

Back at home, the beloved Christmas bin was brought out and opening it up felt just like…Christmas.  Juliette was thrilled by each ornament and knick-knack she pulled out of the box.  I forgot about this!  Oooohhhh, I love this one!  My favorite!  My other favorite!

See?!  It seems she’s inherited my sentimentality…

Juliette insisted that we lay out each and every ornament before hanging any on the tree, and I loved seeing them all spread out on the table – we’ve amassed quite an eclectic collection over the years.

Perrrrrfect.

Ham it up, Juliette.  ‘Tis the season for being adorable and dressing up your stuffed animals and cranking up that fireplace till it’s 80 degrees inside.

Egg nog cheers!  It’s official – the holidays are here, and I’m all in.