Staycation + RR Retreat

What with family coming to town and...well, our crazy 2 year old, traveling wasn't really in the cards this summer. But the stars aligned last week with Dana's work retreat so we tacked 2 days of Seattle fun on and had a little staycation. 

(Just a side note: I love my babies hair. Like - LOVE IT. She's so cute. Dana didn't love the pig tails. He thought they looked like puppy dog ears so later in the day I put them into little balls. So. Freakin. Cute!) 

We drove up to Cle Elum Thursday morning, waaaaaaayyyy into the mountains. Sarah Ritchie's grandfather has a huge lodge up there that they rented so all 100 Ritchie Reiersen employees could eat, laugh and shoot guns together (it's 'merica people, get over it!) Clark was in heaven. He started out picking wild flowers.

 Then quickly moved onto shooting people in the face during laser tag.

Before finally schooling his father in a whatever this weird sand bowling game was in the upstairs part of the Lodge.

For her part, Charlotte tried unsuccessfully to ride a bike. Then she found this nifty little kid toy that occupied her for .10 of a second (such a nice rest for Mom). 

Finally, when she got really cranky, I drove up and down the mountain trails until she passed out. Then I parked in front of the Lodge, rolled down the windows, and had a luxurious outdoor nap myself. Bliss.

The highlight of the day might have been this cool carousel on the property, which Sarah's grandfather carved completely himself. The detail was insane! Clark tried to hide behind one of the Ritchie's but I eventually got him. Charlotte seemed very content to sit on the horse. 

We drove off with full bellies and some parting gifts (which no one was allowed to open until we got home) and headed for Seattle.

So, we've never used Airbnb and when they asked for my passport photo at booking, I was obviously suspicious but it worked great. The place was bigger than we thought...and a bit louder than we thought (think upstairs neighbors with children) but it was great to have a room to lock Char in and the best part: THAT VIEW!

Clark watched boats all evening and then challenged Dana to a game of corn hole. He is weirdly gifted at it, considering he's never played. College scholarship, perchance?

That night, we all slept a little funny. Dana's bed was like a rock. Clark didn't settle in until almost 10PM. Charlotte woke up at 5AM which meant Mom also woke up at 5AM and got to watch Room on the Broom on her phone 4 times before the boys were awake. So we were all a bit cranky but...onward!

Friday we visited the Woodland Park Zoo. Aside from being a bit brisk, it was perfect. Well, for us. Charlotte spent most of the time trying to escape and screaming when she was strapped in. But the rest of us loved it.

This cool turtle was my favorite. We saw him trying to make a very slow escape attempt while two huge birds had a turf war in the next pen. The turtle didn't seem fazed.

Charlotte and Clark both bonded over the penguins, who were total show offs with all the waving and flapping. Maybe they spoke to our kiddos. 

Clark was sad to go and decided to express it with some creative art. Umm...okaaay.

We took a nap. Yes, I say 'we' because at least 50% of us took a nap and no, it wasn't Clark:) Then we tried out the Kubota Gardens, which were stunning. Charlotte loved being able to run, or at least she did until she found the ponds and tried to fall in a few times and then had to hold someone's hand.

We finished the day with some acrobatic stunts at IKEA and only left the store with a new set of cups, so good for us! Dinner at an Indian restaurant that needs to update it's website something fierce and then bed.

Saturday, after a much better night sleep (and only 1 Room on the Broom), we made the best decision of the trip and traveled all the way up to Everett for a Children's Museum (recommended by the Ritchie's). IT. WAS. AWESOME! I honestly cannot describe this place. We didn't even see everything in the 2+ hours we were there. Char was in heaven and finally able to touch anything she wanted.

 The obvious favorite was the water play area. They both got drenched and spent the whole time giggling. 

Finally, we carted our sleepy, exhausted, happy little crew to get some burritos, watched one more Room on the Broom to make it through and finally settled in for naps on the long ride home.

That night, Clark was finally FINALLY allowed to open the cars he got at the Lodge. He played with them the rest of the night and lined them all up on his bed before falling asleep. 

A great time but maybe we'll wait until next summer before another Gailan family adventure:) 

Sleep...Sleep...Sleep

Summer time has messed with our kids sleeping. Clark slept until 8:00 this morning. And Char did 8:30 the morning before. Huh?

We found Clark like this on Sunday after his rest time. Because, sure, his queen sized bed just isn't big enough.

And Miss Char just got moved to her big girl bed because the baby twinner McCrackens needed their crib back. So far so good and she adores having her own bed to roll and jump on. We had to remove her closet doors and pretty much strip the room bare like a prison cell but she's done 2 naps and 1 overnight without a fuss. Fingers crossed.

(Just as a funny story: the other day I changed her diaper in her room and opened a new pack of wipes. She saw me put it back in the cupboard and during her nap pulled each and every wipe out, one by one. Par for the course. But - she took it to a whole next level that night. When Dana and I went to check on her, littered on the floor were about 20 wipes containers, each with the top popped but the seal upbroken. She opened each and every one trying to find one that was unsealed. This girl!)

Chillin' like Villains' (Summer 2019)

We have no trips planned this summer. We are super bored. Let the summer begin!!

Okay, okay, so we have one smidge of a trip to Seattle coming up but otherwise we are just trying to fill up the days, people. One highlight ever week is 9:30 Tuesday Gymnastics. Charlotte whines on my lap and eats everything in sight and hides from the other parents but Clark is in heaven (at least when he isn't telling me very firmly "don't look at me". Oh child) We missed a year so he's in the younger group but he doesn't mind one bit and it really makes him look super althetic because everything is soooo easy. No, he still won't do warm ups. And yes he glares at me during stretches but eh, it's eating up time. 

Charlotte got her first taste of a trampoline at a birthday part. Despite being hesitant, it was love at first bounce. I think we're going to collectively wear Dana down about the trampoline:)

We tried camping. Yes, yes, I know I swore this off forever with children but Dana is very enthusiastic and the campground was only in Selah so Char and I could come home to sleep in actual beds so I caved. We roasted hot dogs. Char tried to fall off a cliff. Then tried to fall in the water. Then climbed every. single. rock. Twice. For his part, Clark was pretty much perfect. The right amount of enthusiasm and exploration.

Climbing up everything. 

Hunting for more pinecones to throw in the water. 

The only bummer was Clark's usually unflappable bladder failed him about 11PM and he woke up soaked, cold and sad. So they bounced early and showed up very dirty and tired at home around midnight. But I think I see some camping in our future.

 We are now six weeks into summer. Trying to survive. Mostly making it. Naps help.

Wishing the Washburns Well

This could be another sob post but I am determined NOT to cry like a baby. Here goes. My sister moved last week...to Denver...17 hours away....wahhhhhhhhh

Okay, enough of that. The Washburns packed up last week and left after our big 4th of July blow out. It was bittersweet but we are seriously excited for them to be in a more Washburnesque town and a much better job for Fred. We have been spoiled with them so close the last four years. Before they left we hit up one of our favorite hiking/rock throwing trails in Eburg. Doesn't char look so chill just sitting on Grandma Tina. This is 2 seconds before she threw Nat's sandal in the water. Ahhh, cousins.

 We also hit up a new favorite - Get Air Trampoline park. Honestly, the kids could have stayed here for hours. Even Char and Nat who mostly just walked around the big trampolines. A few things to note: Char's super awesome 3 sizes too big soccer socks. And Clark absolutely refusing to stand still for any picture.

We will miss ya Washburns. Just remember: 5 year plan (wink)

4th a BOOM

Remember how I always say the Moxee fireworks can't get any better. I am a super liar because this year was OFF. THE. HOOK. Let me back up.

We started off the festivities on the 3rd, meeting up with the Jim Kitchen, Dave Kitchen, Washburn and Kitchen Grandparent families at a swimming pool. Clark may have gotten thrown in 3 or 4 times by his loving mother. Char just sat on the steps with Nat and splashed happily and cutely.

We did Grove of the Patriarchs and Ohanapecosh the morning of the 4th. Saw a lot of cool trees. Chatted up the neices and nephews. Ate some pizza. Hiked mostly downhill. My kind of hiking:)
Clark ended up with a monster blister on his toe (seriously, even Dana the nurse was like WHOA DUDE) but he didn't even complain. Other than one tired baby, success all around. We returned for Fiesta Foods tacos at the church, which would have been perfection if we'd gotten our pico de gallo and if Dana hadn't spilled chicken all down his beautiful blue shorts. Still, yummy tacos. The other Gailans, Sonny, and Brooks and Shannon joined us for dinner and fireworks.

Then it was time for the show. Every time we bring new people to fireworks I get a little nervous that I've oversold them. Yeah, that was a dumb worry. They were flippin' awesome! Justin Rumsey and Jorge Barrientos lighted off this insane 10PM finale that had us all jumping and screaming. We walked the perimeter of the neighborhood a few times to get up close to the ridiculousness. A few nephews got burns and one almost got hit by a stray rocket but they seriously thought it was the coolest and now have awesome war stories.
(As a side: Char slept like a rock from 7PM all through the night. Bless you amazing baby. And Matt loaned Clark a pair of noise cancelling headphones that changed his whole life!)

Clark, Anderson, Stella and "the red kid" AKA Spencer were fast buddies and loved the pop its.

Oh yes, this gem. Fred's boss (for some reason) gave him a full American flag onesie. So he wore it. I really miss them:(

Didn't get it in this picture but Dave was so wiped from the hike/life that he laid on that blue blanket and slept through about half of the fireworks. So Grandpa Pat's sleep genes have safely been passed on to the next generation.

Thank you, America for having a birthday. And for deciding fireworks are the way to celebrate. I'm not sure next year can top it but I'd love to be proven wrong!