Bikes, Beach, and Bye-Bye Summer

We had an epic summer with big trips, wading pool fun, popsicles, and plenty of parks and play. Tonight we observed the changing of the seasons with a celebratory trip to Alki, complete with some summer staples: balance bikes, beach toys, and mint Oreos :) Tomorrow we'll welcome fall with soup, chili, and friends. There's something about having children that makes these distinct passages of time more momentous, sentimental, and fun -- I love celebrating with them!

Some of my favorite Beach pics from the summer:

Some of my favorite Biking pics from the summer:

What a place to grow up!

Buzz the beach,
- SJW

First Camping Trip | Summer 2023

Camping with children -- we can cross it off the bucket list. We took a five year hiatus and came back in full force! Three nights, two days as Schafer State Park. Kids all did well and slept through the night just fine. Our saving grace was borrowing our neighbor's 8-person tent with a zipper screen down the middle creating a "room" for the twins in pack n plays and a "room" for Mr. Fleece, NLW, and me. 

It was a lot of work to get there, but felt like everyone was old enough for the trip to feel doable and be successful -- proud of how well Mr. Fleece and I worked together and for making it happen! 

Friday: Felt a little foolish leaving Seattle at 6:30pm to race the sunset to our campsite but it ended up working well -- we assembled out tent wearing headlamps and then put everyone straight to bed. 

Saturday: Explored the campgrounds and met up with our friends. We had a low point of trying for naps in the tents (a failed attempt!) but enjoyed a sunny warm afternoon playing in the river. 

Sunday: Opted for car naps and a beach excursion to Ocean Shores. We went to two playgrounds and "buzzed the beach" -- super exhilerating, especially because the tide was coming in and we had parked on the beach :) 

Monday: Left our campsite by 8:30 to beat Labor Day traffic and stopped at Portage Bay for breakfast once we made it back to Seattle. The perfect way to celebrate this milestone as a family!

Highlights:
- So much biking!!
- Hanging with P&B&H
- Mint Oreos
- Hot chcolate :)
- Hammocking
- Twins first time to see the Pacific Ocean!
- Opting for "casual" attitudes instead of stress -- such a great reframing

*This trip made possible by the three families from whom we borrowed gear -- Thank you!*

Out last hurrah of summer,

- SJW

Connecticut Vacation | Summer 2023

We did it! We flew across the country to Connecticut, marking our third summer trip in three years. Perhaps because we had just flown to Missouri or because our children are a little bit older, the travel and time away felt a lot smoother this year. We love getting time with grandparents and cousins and I even squeezed in a solo train ride to Boston to visit my college roommate. Overall, we packed in an absurd amount of summer fun during our stay!

Highlights:
- Spray Park
- Playgrounds
- Beach days
- Pool days
- Boating
- Cozy coupe driveway fun
- Lobster dinner
- Celebrating Callie dog's 105th birthday :) 
- Connecticut Beardsley Zoom
- Stepping Stones Museum for Children
- Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk (children went while I was in Boston)

Connecticut 2022
Connecticut 2021

Maxing out summer,
- SJW