To Sequim and the Strait

We had two major animal adventures on our Washington trip--one was to the Game Farm in Sequim and the other was whale watching on the Strait. The Olympic Game Farm is basically like a zoo that you drive through, but you get to feed the animals right out of your window. Some of the animals are in cages (big cats) and some are just fenced in (bears) but some walk right up to your car and say hello (buffalo, llamas, goats, deer, zebras). The animals at this farm are retired movie actors (and their prosperity) so they give you a good show as you mosey along. That bear totally had my number and knew that every time he waved at me he'd get an endless supply of whole wheat bread (gone are the days of my childhood when we used to feed them Hostess cupcakes!) This was something I remembered doing and loving as a little kid and I am thrilled to report that it was just as good if not better as an adult. The belly laughs coming from our car...I just don't know if those can ever be replicated!

  

I can't believe we got to go whale watching. It was such a dream come true for both James and me and I'm so happy the kids got to experience it along with us. Talmage has already written a whole book at school about our whale watching adventure so I think we can definitely call this day a win! I was so nervous that we wouldn't see a darn thing but guess what? WE SAW WHALES! Dozens of orcas swimming and hanging out all around our boat. It was incredible and brought tears to my eyes. What a day!

Whale watchers!!! And good ones at that. James spotted the first whale!

The ONLY way to contain Quinny on that boat was to wear her! 

Such a sweet moment I was lucky enough to capture where T put his arm around Evie to help him use the binoculars to see the Coast Guard helicopter in the distance. I love those lucky brothers.

We all know that Quinn has a thing for all things purple so you can only imagine how hard it was to keep her from picking every single one of these pretty little numbers!

Washington made us all feel like this ^^^!

Washington--To Grandmother's House We Go

We busted the boys out of school for nearly a week in mid-September and headed up north to visit Noni and Grampa at their heavenly home on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The last time James and I were in Washington we went with a four-month-old Talmage in tow, so a) our return was far overdue and b) we've sure been busy adding babies since then! The trip was a rousing success. In fact, James and I both agree that this may have been one of our greatest family vacations EVER. We went on lots of adventures, we enjoyed the company of family, we ate delicious food and we experienced new memories as a team. I just love this little team of mine.

There are things about my Noni and Grampa's house in Port Angeles that I hope I will never forget. The art on every wall and filling every bookcase--proof of a long life spent building talents and enjoying hobbies. Baseball and football and the stock exchange on the tube daily, except for Sunday when we watched a baptist preacher for our Sabbath worship. Noni serving my babies breakfast in her kitchen and seeing on them the same "kitten ears" that she wears. Grampa in a comfy sweatshirt on his lift chair watching a show with Ever and Coco and calling out with every passing barge and cruise ship. Furniture that tells a story--a thrift store chair that funded a family in need, an antique roll-a-way desk bought with gambling money, a trundle bed that I remember sleeping in as a young girl. I hope I will never forget the rainbows, the freshly-picked pears, the lights from Victoria and the manicured paths through the forest. Above all I want to remember that two people with a shared dream built this--their perfect dream home. What started as a piece of land 800 miles from any home they'd ever known was loved and worked so beautifully and diligently into existence. Every pathway, every flower, every patch of lawn or carefully placed bench shows a legacy of these two and the wonderful life they've lived. I'm so grateful for them, for this house and for the lessons they teach me that I hope I will never forget.

But because I do forget (#always #everything #mombrain) here are some pictures of our first day in Washington. I broke our trip up into three posts because I took about 5 trillion pictures and ain't nobody got time for that in one sitting so here we go...the first of three. (Now if I get the other two posted before Christmas it'll be a dang miracle!)

Coco was a total champ on her first flight. I sat in a row with T, Ever and Coco while James sat with Quinn and despite having more Wigs to watch I definitely got the better end of that deal. Quinny is CRAZY! Poor James was absolutely exhausted when we finally landed in Seattle.

Our first stop was Pike Place Market and even with all the delicious food in the world to choose from the boys ended up with an ear of corn and a hot dog. Weirdos! Also, notice the parkas on those little boys? Us Californians thought we might freeze to death a few times on this trip!!!

That baby sleeping and that Daddy carrying her and that bouquet of flowers--what a beautiful and perfect sight.

Noni made all my crab dreams come true on our very first night. I LOVE crab so much I can't even begin to describe, but it doesn't taste nearly as delicious from our local markets as it does straight from the water in Washington. I was like a kid in a candy store with that big bowl of crab. Yum!

Their view straight from the living room window. Right? Amazing! And can you spot James picking berries for a pie?

I learned something new about Cora this trip--she LOVES TV! She and Grampa had many a bonding moment in front of that tube.

My wild little wonder with the apple (uh, pear?) of her eye. She loves her Daddy more than life itself. I'm so happy to sit back and watch these two together. Darling. Simply darling.

Such a precious photo of these two!

Yes, this is real life! The boys were dancing in a light drizzle when all of a sudden a full rainbow appears, and then a double. What a marvelous way to start a vacation!

Snuggles With My Baby Boy

I'm always in the market for some Evie loves, especially since he's started kindergarten and is gone all day everyday. On a good day (when he's not attituding like the Hulk) he is the sweetest little friend and I love to scoop him in my lap and hear all about his adventures. He had me belly laughing recently when he showed me his "Silent Cheer" which he's supposed to do at recess so as not to bug the big kids who are still in class while he's on the yard. Imagine dancing the macarena while hoola hooping and cheering at a sports game all at once--and that's exactly what this clown looks like! It's hilarious. He's loving school more than I ever thought possible and it's not only the social aspect that he adores, this kid has started to read. READ! My baby boy Ever Knight is READING words like at and red and the and and and I am SO SO SO proud. He lost two teeth this week (more on that to come) and once again requested that his hair be cut into a mohawk and he says he's almost ready to stop sucking his thumb at night--baby steps! Tonight James and I were talking about how much we love our kids and this picture of sweet Evie Knight kept popping into my head. Stay small my little one. I love you so.

Shoes with BA

The original plan was for BA to get shoes that were tall enough so that her walk wasn't wonky with her left-foot boot. She got a nice pair of black ones that she wore for about 30 minutes outside of the store before realizing that returning those ugly puppies was the only sensible solution. (I did not, in fact, think they were ugly but I did, in fact, urge the return after hearing that they were almost $200. Crazy! $200 for something you adore, maybe. But for something you can't really stand, not even!!!)

The trip was far from a waste of time, however, because Quinny picked out a pair of pink and purple sneaks after the shoe store attendant measured her foot and we learned that the size 7's I was squeezing her into were 2 1/2 sizes too small. She's a 9 1/2 or 10, can you believe it? She's grown 2 1/2 sizes in 3 1/2 months and now I know that her "Owie Mommy! Shoe hurts!" comments were not those of a dramatic two-year-old but rather of a girl whose toes were curling under. This girl and her feet are keeping me on my toes, hopefully I can keep up.

And since these are now her absolute only shoes that fit she wore them to church. Fashion statement or proof that her Mama needs a helper?...you decide. Hoping to hit up Carters this week, but for now she's looking pretty dang great in those sneaks.

From Bath-time to Ballcaps

Last week had me questioning why I ever thought being a mom to a million children was a good idea. We're in that Coco screams a lot and Quinny screams a lot and Ever whines a lot and T doesn't listen a lot phase and look, I'm so tired. Just so ridiculously tired. Not to mention that for the first time EVER I was kept after school by a teacher to talk over a little naughty behavior. I just broke down in hopeless, desperate, devastated tears and she ended up consoling me, the poor lady! It wasn't even that big of a deal but that moment on top of so many other yucky moments from the week just pushed me right over the edge. Poor teacher. Poor me. Poor boys who got an earful. Poor girls who got an earful. Poor people in China who got an earful (because they could probably hear me all the way across the Pacific!)

When I look back at last week there were a whole lotta bad moments that I'd rather forget, but then there was this one good moment that I wouldn't mind remembering forever. It was quiet and simple and just so good.  We had just finished an early dinner and we didn't have any sports practices or other meetings so we went to the bathroom to clean up for bed. Both boys got in the shower and both girls got in the bathtub and I sat in the middle, washing heads of hair and reminding little humans to scrub between their toes and not to drink the bath water. No sooner were they in than they were out, each with their hooded towels on their head and begging for me to snuggle and keep them warm. I looked at these four beautiful human beings that somehow I created in my body and realized that they're growing up, and sure they cry, whine and talk back but in no time they're going to be married and have kids of their own--gulp. I took out my phone with wild urgency and begged them to come smile for a picture together. Ever didn't want to show his face and T's smile looks ever-so forced, but oh what a snapshot of my life at this time, with four babies small enough to wear hoody towels.

The boys bounced back to their room to get in pajamas and before long they returned in matching clothes...and backwards hats! "We're matching, Mom! We're completely and totally matching!" T said excitedly. "Yah," said Ever Knight, "We even aw weawing da same undoweah!" and before I could even give a reaction both boys had pulled down their flannels to show me their grey and black striped boxer briefs! Quinn was not about to let her brothers match without her. She knew the underwear was a non-starter, but she could still match in other ways. "Hat!" she screamed. "Pinny, hat!" So we headed back to her room to pick out a perfectly pink hat--and one for Coco of course. We reconvened on the couch where the boys snuggled their sisters and requested another picture, this time of them winking and doing thumbs up. They thought they were the coolest friends that ever existed and were thrilled with the "hat party." They finished the night with hugs and kisses in a round robbin until everyone was sufficiently lovey-ed and then it was off to bed.

I don't know, it kinda sounds like just another boring night as I write it all down here. But I guess sometimes the most normal times are the greatest times--it was in this case for sure. There were a thousand times last week when I thought otherwise, but on this day when I was taking these pictures, I couldn't have been more glad that I have a million kids to call my own!