Woot! I finally figured out how to add more than 4 or 5 pictures per blog posting. Hopefully, it's not to big to post now! (Heaven help me if I have to start over, since I'm writing this little Woot! AFTER I finished typing this entry.)
So the other day, I mentioned that we were headed into Seattle. We ended up having so much fun! I ended up in a much better mood, no longer wishing I could hide in a hole for the day. Since I don't get there as often as I'd like, I sometimes forget how much fun it is just to wander around Seattle with really no place to go. Seattle is full of culture, diversity, and ART! (We love art of all kind in our family.) Our family favorite was this totem made from recycled motorcycle parts. I love the fact that so many people are eco friendly enough to let this sculpture stand in such a public place.
Remember me mentioning Matt wanting to get a Utilikilt? Yup, he did. And he proudly wore it while we walked around town, much to his daughter's abject humiliation. She just couldn't get over the fact that Daddy was wearing a skirt. Me, I'm fine with the kilt thing, as long as he's fine with me calling it a man-skirt, something I do only because I know it irritates him. And in case he's asked not to wear it for work I took a few pictures, and am posting them here, so he can show the guys at work... YES he bought one, YES he wore it IN PUBLIC and YES, he will wear it to work. So if you don't work with him on Sunday, and he is asked not to wear it again, here ya go guys! Enjoy! :)
For some reason, I've always wanted to live in a big metro city, down town on one the top few floors of a unique building. Although I'm not really a big fan of cities, what better way to learn about one's history than to live smack dab in the middle of that city? And I LOVE history. But a big metro city like Seattle? I'm not really a city girl. I HATE heights, I'm terrified of stop and go traffic, and I'm sorta shy, although I talk to everyone. (It's how I cover up being shy. I'll talk to you about absolutely nothing even if I don't know you, just so you can't tell I'm shy. My mom did it, and I bet that's why. So that people didn't know she was really shy.) But just once in my life, I want the opportunity to experience what it's like to live in a HUGE metro downtown area like Seattle.
Matt is well aware of this desire I have, and sometimes, when we see a building that he thinks will fit the *unique* part of my fantasy, he'll point it out. During our Seattle Adventure, we passed a lot of buildings full of condos. And most of the newer ones were floor to ceiling glass. Matt and I both came to the conclusion that there was no way we would be able to live in a condo or apartment where the entire outer wall was glass, no matter how thick that glass was. We even agreed that I would walk around the home with my back flat against the inside walls.
Well, on Thursday, we started our Seattle Adventure in Pioneer Square where the Utilikilt store is located on 1st St. Got lucky and found a parking spot in this garage less than a block away from the store. (Yes it was lucky. The kids had to get used to the walking around town idea. What better way than to park so close to our starting point?) While Matt was putting the pay stub in the truck, the kids and I waited, and Elizabeth pointed out the building across the street. She thought the curved front was cool. Later, after we had gotten Mommy's coffee, purchased Matt's man-skirt, visited Ye' Old Curiosity Shoppe & Pirates Plunder, ran into one of Matt's former co-workers, saw the sculptures, and walked until Mommy's feet felt like they were falling off, we headed back to the truck. Just as we were about to enter the parking garage, Matt pointed the same building out and mentioned how it would be cool to live on the top floor there. Don't know what the building is used for now, but I have to agree. It would be really cool. So I had to take a picture and share.
We spent Friday at home, doing absolutely nothing. Ok, so maybe it wasn't nothing... Elizabeth went upstairs and played with her friend, and Eli got to a new level on his XBox game, TMNT, and Matt did a few quests on WoW. Oh, and I think I read a couple books I forgot I hadn't read yet.
Saturday, we woke up earlier than usual. Matt looked at me and asked what I wanted to do that day. I thought about the laundry I need to conquer, the vacuuming I should do, the kitchen I should clean, the scrapbook projects I should complete, and the fighting and whining the kids were more than likely going to do. None of that sounded appealing. But lucky for me, Matt had an idea.
"It's supposed to rain Sunday-Tuesday, and today isn't supposed to be all that hot. Let's go to the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe!" Yay! I don't think my kids have gotten ready for the day so fast since before school let out. Here's some of what we did other than the typical trips to the different barns to see the goats, sheep, pigs and horses:
There's a new Western Heritage Museum that has exhibits about the change in Snohomish County living, and they had tractors from different decades all around outside. The kids thought it was cool seeing how they've changed from what was parked outside the museum compared to what we sometimes get stuck behind on the highway our apartment exits onto.
The kids saw a bunch of those photo stand thing where you stand behind a big plywood thing with funny pictures painted on them and head, face, and/or hand holes. They were so gung ho to try them out, until they realized to fit their heads or hands, they had to climb onto the hay bales someone had conveniently stacked for kids behind them. Their reaction? Three words for ya: Ain't Gonna Happen!! So they conned Matt into it... and I was quick with the camera! Woot!
Since Matt was in the Army, we make it a habit to stop at the Army recruiter's setup and say 'Thank You' to the soldiers there. This year, they were targeting kids with their camo paint. Eli couldn't wait to look like Daddy used to! (Eli's words after he saw the soldiers painting another kid's face and asked Daddy "Did you used to look like that, Daddy?")
And of course, Sissy pulled the "Well if Eli's gonna do it, Me too!" and proceeded to hop in the chair next. Did I mention that the solider applying the face paint was a woman? And that lead to the almost impossible: Sissy was impressed!
So what do you get when you ad up this equation: A day at the Fair + lots of walking + a typical fair lunch of something BBQ'd or smoked + a nice big serving of cotton candy while Mommy ate a funnel cake and Daddy had his annual Fischer Scones + one little boy?
Yup.... he barely made it out of Monroe. Usually he wakes up when we get home and the first person out of the truck closes their door. I took this picture after Matt, Sissy, and I were all out of the truck and Matt had unbuckled Eli...
Sunday we did house work. Not very exciting I know, but we usually spend one vacation day every year doing our spring, fall, and winter cleaning all at once. Works for me, it's the one day I'm guaranteed to have helpers. :) Tomorrow, however, we're gonna do the outside stuff. Clean the spiders off the porch, reorganize the garage so we can get to the bikes, that sort of stuff. Fun Fun! (Really it is. The kids broke our bed frame, so it's blocking the bikes in the garage and Matt is going stir crazy without his almost daily bike rides.)
Friday, we're heading down to visit Grandma Connie and Papa Mike. Forget Seattle or anything else we can come up with to do around home, this is the highlight of the kid's summer vacation. Don't believe me? It's the wee hours of Monday morning, we aren't leaving until around 1 PM on Friday, and Sissy already has her clothes picked out and everything she plans on taking in the truck ready to go... Well, she had to put her favorite snuggle blankie, pillow, and Stacey (her teddy bear) back on the bed for sleeping, but everything else is ready to go. Eli knows what he's gonna wear, but he hasn't set it out or packed his time occupier stuff yet. He knows there's still a few days to go, but it is all he can talk about aside from the 95% of the time he's pretending to play WoW.
Anyhow! See ya all next time!
SMOOCHIES!!!!!
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