Good day

Shea and I had the nicest day together on our big city Friday-go-to-see Bubble. We weren't tempted to pummel each other once! And, lately that is a big improvement.

He was sweet tempered all day. Saying please and thank you and being particularly compliant and easy to be around. And, I dragged him all over heck to boot. Well, the paint store and Costco. But believe me that is enough with all the road work happening in SODO. Sheesh.

Got to Madrona in plenty of time to walk in the trail park; a little neighborhood pocket park with some sweet trails planted with NW natives and sporting breathtaking views of Lake Washington.

Bubble is blown away at Shea's reading. Aren't we all.

It was hot but all the ferries behaved. Beautiful, blue skied summer day in the NW.

Lucky, lucky life.

Home sweet home!

It feels mighty good to be home. Even though leaving paradise is a bitter, bitter, BITTER sweet pill to swallow, we were almost giddy to be home late last night.

Re-entry was easier this year; I think we are getting better at it. We managed to shave an hour off our return time by doing carry on only and parking near the airport. That hour sure helped everyone's attitude. We rolled into the driveway at 11:00 PM but it only felt like 9:00 due to the time change.

So, what is it about 2 kids being good as gold on the airplane but as soon as they get in the back seat of the car together they loose it? Poking, bugging, annoying, distracting, driving the parents nuts? I am not sure why it has taken us this long to solve it by putting Molly up front and I move to the back. Eureka! Peace at last.

So, not only were we happy and relieved to be in good old SEA town but we were all laughing and telling jokes in the ferry line. Nice to end the trip not wanting to throttle the kids.

Again, a huge Mahalo to Ruth & John for inviting us to stay. We had a lovely time. You guys are the BEST!!!

Interesting commute yesterday

My sincere thanks go out to pals Jan & Rich who shared pictures from the big city yesterday.

Rich commutes to Seattle everyday...on his bike! I know, I know, he is just this side of amazing.

It's fun to see snowy downtown and Pioneer Square from the comfort of my slippers.

You better not be going in today, Rich! Just found out; yes, he went into day. Wow. Nubby tires on his bike, indeed!

I invite North westerners to send me some shots to document this snowy weather.

And...they're off!

Well, the season has official begun for our family.

Thanksgiving was a lush, fragrant, delicious, slightly tight waist-bandy sort of day. Many thanks to my excellent GGF for once again inviting my whole brood to her house for the day.

The day after Thanksgiving is the traditional Gingerbread making event at my mom's. Her place sports this iconic view of beautiful Seattle and is the quintessential "party house". Some considerable time was spent trying to remember just how many years we have been doing this. Definitely more than 15 was the conclusion; we couldn't pin it down closer than that.

My mom invites a literal horde of folks with their kids to her house for the day. Dazzled by the piles of every kind of candy imaginable and buckets of different colored frostings, most people just need a little time to just take it all in but eventually serious work begins. My mom made 15 separate Gingerbread house this year; simple cottages and sprawling Victorian Mansions. For the slightly overwhelmed there are all sorts of sugar cookies to decorate; elaborate or plain, they are eaten all the same.

Some people really get into it and a design competition could break out each year; usually with Grampa John or stepbrother David winning hands down. But all the results are truly incredible and each person is encouraged to take their house home. I myself don't tackle a whole house but usually spend my creative energy on frosting and decorating piles and piles of cookies.

My addition to the tradition is to get a big pot of soup cooking on the stove. It is fun to cook as a group, take turns stirring through out the day and then it warms us all at dinner time. Of course, the kids didn't eat much being sugar buzzed from frosting overload. But, all in all it is a lovely day; spent with friends new and old, beloved family members watching the kids creating fun memories.

My kids usually stay the night with plans of putting up the tree with my mom the next day. All went as planned without too much mishap this year. I am always impressed with my mom's energy and good graces to host a big event like that with absolutely no eye ball rolling or griping about the mess. She really is a saint. John too.

Thanks mom, for starting these fun traditions and keeping them up. I guess that is what its all about and because of you we are banking so many wonderful memories to savor through out the year and beyond.