We're Back!

The kids and I have been home from our 22-day Washington state trip for a scant two and a half days. As I told a friend, the transition feels as though I'm trying to step onto one of those moving walkways in the airports, one that's moving at a pretty good clip. More on that later. As for the trip...

I wrote to some friends in the third week, before we came home.

Yep, we're having fun. Maybe a little less now that we're nearing the end and we're all a bit tired. But the kids have seen a huge major shipping port (Port of Seattle) change from day to day from a nearby bridge, explored some of the oldest streets of Seattle as well as several fun neighborhoods, been driven onto and ridden on a big ferry boat, played on rocky beaches and discovered salt-water kelp, seen Canada from an island through the summer haze, enjoyed evening beach fires, gone out on a small boat to fish and set/pull crab pots, wandered a lavender farm and an alpaca farm, flown kites, seen Mt. Rainier (south) and Mt. Baker (north) from many locations, gotten almost used to 100' and taller evergreen trees everywhere, seen hot air balloons being inflated, been driven over the mountains six times, milked pygmy goats, ridden horses, fed chickens and horses, scrambled on rocks and in the water of a rocky mountain river, stayed overnight in a back-country cabin, caught fish in a quiet little lake, swum and floated in the great Columbia River and played on one of its sandy beaches, seen a LOT of urban highway mileage, walked along a slough (quiet river entering a lake) urban walkway from Grandma's to a local playground to enjoy live music one evening, seen a couple of movies in theaters and a couple on DVD, enjoyed lots of different playgrounds, had lots of yummy treats, and spent a lot of time with their three cousins, three uncles-and-aunts, one grandma, a good friend of mine and her husband and two kids, and lots of family dogs. A very good trip. Perhaps the best trip for the kids that we've ever taken!

For me, it was soooo worthwhile to spend TIME with my brothers and their families, my mom, and my friend and her family. We all got to know each other a bit better, including all of the kids (ranging in age from 2 to 10). We had time to hang out and talk. We did things together. We shared meals. We were all diplomatic as various parents dealt with various cranky kids. We cracked jokes together.

Very happily for the boys and me, dear husband was able to join us for the middle week of all of this, most of which was spent as a big extended family at a waterfront cabin 'resort' on San Juan Island for four days and three nights. All of it was very good. One result of this trip is that I want to get together soon with the various other folks in our extended family -- don't ask me what my timeline is, though!

Now my days are all about beginning-of-year tasks.

Wednesday was spent figuring out which school which kid would go to, as the kindergarten enrollment in our town this year is much more than the schools expected and Son2's transfer request was denied (to join Son1 at our former neighborhood school). Son2 is now enrolled in our current "neighborhood" school -- much bigger and nearly as far away -- and we attended both back-to-school night functions last night.

Today is reconnecting with friends and getting completely unpacked, and the boys have a friend staying overnight.

Tomorrow I have a meeting and a lot of prep for the Godly Play Sunday school year and the Daughters of the King chapter plans. In the evening we'll go to a fun end-of-summer event at church.

On Sunday I go out of town for an overnight meeting.

Monday evening the kids need to be ready for school, and on Tuesday morning it's school time! After the kids are settled in their schools I'll join friends at a local coffeehouse to drown our mixed feelings in fancy coffee drinks, lol.

I'm also helping a local Web design firm on a part-time basis, beginning... now. And I need to buy the kids' school supplies, probably tonight or early tomorrow morning. Hmm.

Oh yes, coffee. Dear husband and I so enjoyed the very good coffee all over the place in Washington state that we decided to return to our Starbucks- (or similar) drinking ways. We love good coffee, and I'll just buy some decaf to pair with the caffeinated stuff for my half-caf morning cuppas. Yum yum.