Crunchy Peas

Plan B

Well, I certainly did not intend to abandon this space for as long as I did.  I found myself with a few computer glitches (Thank you husband for sorting things out for me:).  And the weather...the weather has been beautiful.  It is so hard to be inside.  Then, on Saturday I took a bit of a getaway with Emma Girl.

We drove over to Seattle and caught a ferry that took us to Tillicum Village on Blake Island.  Emma's first grade class has been studying Native Americans and we went with a few of her classmates to see the sights.

Personally, the boat ride was my favorite part.  The seafront was simply stunning.  Even amongst all of the other travelers, there was something quite peaceful about being out on the water.

The girls were hanging out the windows, mesmerized by the waves and other vessels passing by.

When we stepped off the boat onto the island we were greeted with an appetizer.  Clams in nectar.  They were um, well, lets just say the best thing about the clams was stomping on the shells adding to the others on the pathway (we were encouraged to do this, and the girls thought it was so fun). I think clams taste like rubber bands, but I tried to be a good sport. 

We watched a man give a demonstration on how the totem poles were carved.  Then I made the girls pose for an obligatory souvenir-ish photo.

I had hoped that Emma and I would have more time to explore the island.  The beaches looked so inviting.  Alas, the time went by so quickly. It wasn't long before the horn sounded and we were called back to the boat.

The day turned out to be a bit of an adventure, not unfolding entirely as planned.  In the end, we had to give up Plan A and move on to Plan B.  It was a bit disappointing, and we spent a few minutes sulking.  Emma and I are "planners" and letting go of what we had intend was tricky.  It is always good to be stretched in those kinds of ways. We reminded each other of the enjoyment that the day had already brought us, and  pronounced the day a success in spite of the change of plans.  We also decided that we are truly not "city people".  All the noise, all the people, all the waiting in line was overstimulating. We giggled at the way we must've stood out as obvious out-of-towners.

Home sweet home. 

Off we go full speed into another week.  Recess duty, piano lessons, childbirth classes, 5 days on call, end of school year activities...buckle up!  Good thing that we are in the home stretch. I am just counting the days until summer vacation.  Only two and a half more weeks to go. Praise God!

Thanks for checking back in on me, I hope to be here more often this week.

our TIME away

Time escapes me.  I just cannot seem to find more of it anywhere.  I am desperate for just a few extra hours each day.  Can't we all just vote to make the day 27 hours long instead of 24?  Wouldn't that be great? I know that you all feel the same way.

One place where time seems to stand still (or maybe just slow down a bit at least) is my Grandma's.  We had a lovely visit- very relaxing.  The weather was remarkably nice, meaning it didn't rain.

We lounged around in G'ma and G'pa's back yard.

There was lots of good food,

mashed potatoes with real gravy (as in the kind not from a packet or jar, and the kind that my daughter had 8 helpings of!)

Grandma made heavenly rolls and we slathered them with butter.  I'll share the recipe soon, they are so yummy.

Of course, once we arrived my Dad was never too far away from his girls.  I still include myself in that description :)  The marina was buzzing that day with the Farmer's Market open and an Art Walk downtown.  I fell in love with this little yellow boat.

I told my Dad that I would like to row out with it's owner and have him tell me tales of the sea.  Or maybe he could just share some of his crab catch of the day with me.

There was also a hike down to the beach where we lingered over every little sand creature and shell.  They are now smelling up my garage.  I always forget how much I miss the lush green foliage that I grew up with.  I think that there will always be a bit of moss growing somewhere in me.

Oh time...it was well spent while we were away.  Time?  TIME!  It is 5:20pm and I should be making dinner.  Okay, going now.

we went...

to the Pacific Science Center,

the butterfly exhibit was our favorite (oh, except for Hannah who was paranoid that one would land on her when we walked through their habitat).

Laurel toured the center with her best friend, Grampie (who was much obliged).

The girls couldn't remember what this tower was called...they kept calling it "the pin" (instead of the needle). It was a huge thrill for them to ride all the way up to the top.

It was a rare sunny day in Seattle- the view was amazing.

Our little road trip is over, the time went by so quickly.  As much as we love our adventures...it is always so good to come home.  After what seemed like a horrendously long drive home, the girls collapsed in a delirious state of giggles when we climbed into our beds last night.

Spring Break is a cruel thing-- such a tease. Do we really have 77 days left before summer vacation? If our little week-long vacation is any indication of what we have to look forward to...I simply cannot wait!!