Last Week, highlights.

Clara and Sydney are looking at the same thing.  What could it be?

At Bullwinkles, courtesy of Intel.

After this, we got tired of lugging the camera around.    Zip-line thing, climbing wall, mini-golf, indoor play structure, high rope course, staring at other people playing video games,  dinner buffet, sunscreen application.  Some stuff you just need two hands for (especially the dinner buffet).  What a life.

Bullwinkles was great.  But it was the next adventure where I found myself wondering:  "Why haven't we been doing this all summer?  Every week?"

Enter:  A few hours at Jones Creek.  Courtesy of Bruno.

Technically, this is a tributary to Jones Creek.  Possibly.  One might say.

And this is a tribute to Jones Creek: this face kills me.

The actual Jones Creek.

Helping out a brother.

That girl in black is supposed to be jumping in at the same time.  Traitor!

There is a cool (lit'rilly!) wading pool encircled by rocks in the far background.  Miles liked that attention to detail (you can see him in it if you cross your eyes).

And there was an enormous tortoise in the middle of the river who let you stand on his back.

This playground is only 45 minutes from our house.   Next summer -- no day camps.  Only day trips.  That will be my motto when I run for office.

Burnt Lake with Dad**

 Day 1:  Burnt Lake Trailhead.   3.5 miles.  Start: 2:30 p.m.  Arrive:  6 p.m.  This year, they carried their packs the whole way.   Admittedly, they were lighter without their toothbrushes or toothpaste.

 Base camp.

 Burnt Lake.   Pure joy.

 Day 2:  Day hikes to Mt. "Loop Loop" and Cast Lake.

 

 Ascending Mt. L-L.

 Casting some rocks at appropriately named lake.

 "Don't let the crawdad's bite your toes!"   They prefer pepperoni stick, anyway.

 Huckleberries were in season.

 Talmage dubbed this creation Wolf Rock.

After a long day hiking, the intrepid hikers relax with popchips and some crazy rounds of Crazy 8's.

 Mountain House never tasted so good.  Briton surprised them with the Space Ice Cream - which was a hit.

 The watering hole.

 Day 3:  Back to the car.

Super fun backpacking trip, they said.

 Up close ...

... and far away ....  See you next time.

(**This post may be expounded upon, at a future date, by a primary witness to photographed events).

"One, Two!"

Celebrating his first birthday

Miles got sung "Happy Birthday" to in the morning, at nursery, again at home.  Each time he'd light right up.  He thought it was some sort of happy game.  Being two, he had no expectations for a party; but we wanted to give a nod to this auspicious day all the same.  Nothing big.

I wasn't sure what to do about a birthday cake, for instance.  I'd pulled a 12-hour night shift and hadn't planned ahead and it was Sunday.   Enter: Sophia and Leo, who brought a Costco pizza (a perk to having a Buddhist for a friend when your kid's birthday falls on the Sabbath Day Holy).   Some birthday cakes are round and pizza is round, so that solved the cake problem.

One year later.

Sydney also contributed with an actual cake, which she whipped up last minute, like it was no big deal:

Mmm.  I get an overtone of "Lego" ...

 And the grandparents provided gifts! Among them, this cute shirt that you can see the kids got a kick out of.  

Easiest birthday party on the planet (Easiest. Birthday. Party. Ever., in modern day parlance)
I wish kids turned two every year.

 Happy Birthday, Miles.  We love you!

If you could talk to the animals.

At some of the animal observation windows at the zoo, the animal sound is broadcast over a loudspeaker.  Clara and Miles and I were at the zoo and heard the growling polar bears, roaring lions, and snorting/grunting hippos.   Miles was intently observing the two hippos in the water, while their recorded snufflesnorts filled the air.  He turned and looked very seriously at me, eye to eye, and said,  emphatically,  in his baby voice, "Hippo say, 'Let it go.  Slam the door.'"

Come, All Ye Disconsolate

 As a result of coordinating swaps, playdates and helpings outs, suddenly there were a lot of friends over this particular day.  I think we're even missing a few kids in this shot (they must have been playing out in the street).  All parents were fully disclosed about my parenting philosophy of Benign Neglect.   You can see this philosophy in action by looking at Miles' attire, or lack thereof.  Miles, as you can see, took the "disclosure" literally.  One of the side benefits of my nursery calling is I get to take home the Ikea cups to wash.  A handy surplus.

 

Now THIS is the way to camp!

i.e. no camping.

We drove up to Gales Creek and roasted hot dogs, etc on one warm summer night.

 Elsa wearing her band-aid.

And then clambered around the river.

"Let it go":

 For Autumn: