Wakey Wakey 2011

 

Dane and Aubrey spent one of their first weeks of summer with the Lanes - at Wakeboarding Camp. Cole, Dane, Aubrey, and Regan (pictured above) got up every morning at 6 a.m., ate a bagel, bundled up in fleece hats and sweatshirts, and zipped off down the hill to Camp Sambica. There, they headed out on the the water with about 6 kids to a boat and wakeboarded for the next hour and a half. After that, they headed in for a quick breakfast and a quick goodbye. 

Most days it was overcast; one day it rained; one day it was sorta sunny. Aubrey actually only wakeboarded two days and sat in the boat freezing and cheering the hard cores on. She says she liked it a lot, but wouldn't mind trying something new next summer if she had to choose. Dane says he'd absolutely do it again! 

When the kids got home from camp, they pretty much played like crazy until bedtime. Here's Dane getting into mischief with the youngest Lane kid, Kai.

One day while the kids played hard, I met up with my mom in Puyallup. After we went to see my grandma in her new home, my mom and I did our naked spa day body scrub. It was so nice and relaxing, especially for mom, who's recovering from rotator cuff surgery. Oh, who am I kidding? It was especially nice for me, too, since the last time I went to the spa was probably 500 days ago.

Another night, I hung with my pal Karen for dinner on the Ballard waterfront where we watched stand-up paddle boarders, a sport neither of us could imagine doing.

Wednesday night Mick flew in to spend the last few days with us, and Friday night we all went to the Ms game at Safeco Field. We met up with Karen and Mike and Jan there, too (Happy Father's Day, Mike!), and cheered and snacked and had -- you guessed it -- a ball.

First Port of Call: Cape Canaveral (aka Orlando and Harry Potter!)

7 AM -- dolphins frolicking in the morning sun as we stood on our cabin deck and watched. Coming from the PNW, we just don't experience that. It was adorable, awesome, delightful.

8 AM -- sitting in the rental car with Mick, Dane, Aubs and Mick's cousin Andrew, headed toward Orlando.

9-something AM -- dropped off at Universal Studios, Islands of Something, headed with the kids toward Harry Potter's Wizarding World, as were thousands of other excited people. (Ca-rowded!) Mick and Andrew headed to Orlando Watersports Complex to wakeboard among tens of other excited people.

10 AM to 4 PM -- while Mick and Andrew braved the chilly waters -- and the ab workout -- at the complex, the kids and I did this:

Waited in line for the Pteranodon Flyers.

Oh, wait, let me elaborate: the ride has a new rule that one person above a certain height and one person below a certain height (and no singles) could go on this ride. So, the kids decided to ride together and got whisked in a line away from me -- where I couldn't even see them! -- for 75 minutes at Universal Studios. And there were multiple routes they could take out of it when they got off. It was nerve-racking and frustrating. I tried to stay chill on a rock, again, for 75 minutes!, and updated my cell phone addresses, but I had no idea where they were or when they'd show up again. Not fun.

When they finally came off, in different areas, they said it was a total bust (bust, not blast): 75 minutes of waiting for an 80-second kiddie ride. Aaargh!

But we decided to embrace the experience and use it as a way to approach future rides: gauge wait time and thrill before getting in line. Lesson learned. Went okay after that.

Besides, we had an 11:20 time slot for Harry Potter, which was right next to Jurassic Park.

Pteranodon Flyer - bust

Jurassic Park was worth this shot.

At Harry Potter World, we met up with the cousins. An awesome group to experience the magic and wonder of this place with. We did the Forbidden Journey, which the kids LOVED in its 4D splendor (I had to close my eyes the whole time to keep from puking), and Dane and some of the other cousins did another thrilling ride a couple times, but Aubs was too short. Bummer. :(

She helped me grab Butterbeer for the gang, though, this delicious butterscotchy, cream soda-ish concoction straight out of the books.

Waiting in line for Forbidden Journey.

BB waits too just outside the castle.

In line.

The sorting hat spoke to us!

Their weapons of choice. Petrify! Stupefy!

A quick hot dog lunch before The Hulk ride, which apparently was the best ride ever.
I'll sign off now because Blogger's acting up on me and I'm getting stuck with picture formats and layout and font in this size. Stupefy!

Oregon - Washington Road Trip

NORTHBOUND

Day 1

The kids and I left Monday the 23rd for Washington; Mick would fly up and meet us at Sea-Tac a week later. Our first stop was just outside of Grants Pass at this little museum, focusing on Oregon's historic Applegate Trail and the trials early settlers faced as they forged an alternative route to the Oregon Trail.

And of course we had to make our favorite stop at Wildlife Safari to see who was out. This is our first visit where both rhinos were up close and personal.

The hippo was fully out. Usually we just see his mouth sticking up out of the water.

I call this Still Life with Hippo Butt.

First ride ever on a camel.

Dane hooks Teddy up with one of his kind.

GREAT WOLF SURPRISE
Day 2

After an overnight in Albany and a stop at my writer pal Ellen's in Portland, I told the kids we were meeting my friend Michelle and two of her kids at Great Wolf Lodge. They'd barely even heard of the place, but I'd heard enough friends report that it was a super fun family outing that I jumped at the chance for a spiffy little staycation.

Here's Dane with Kyle, who reminds me SO much of his dad, Brian, who was one of my good pals through junior high, high school, and college.

Here's Aubrey with Jessica, who's a fun little combination of Michelle and Brian. I'm not sure where all the pictures went that Michelle and I took of ourselves in our bathing suits. We took scads of them, of course.

Days 5-12

A BUNCH OF STUFF THAT HAPPENED,
BUT I COULDN'T FIND MY CAMERA
(which was in the towel and goggle bag)

As soon as we left Great Wolf Lodge, we went to my parents house in Puyallup for two nights, where we played trap ball and watched sports and cartoons on TV.

After that, we went to Mick's parents' home in University Place. I dropped the kids off early and drove to Seattle to see my cousin Dani and my grad school pal Robyn, and spend movie night at my best pal Karen's. The next day, I met up with my college roomies ("The Garden Girls") for an impromptu night at Chara's in Seattle. We couldn't believe all six of us -- Maureen and Shelby from Bellingham, Chara in Seattle, and Michael and Jenny from Olympia) could clear our schedules on the spur of the moment to sit around and catch up for a twelve-hour overnight party.


On Sunday, Karen and I saw the interesting movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and then I met up with the kids in University Place.

Aubrey had a raging earache there that night, so I took her in to a clinic in the morning - to discover she had an inner and and outer ear infection. Solution? Antibiotics and ear drops for four days.

And no water.

Which I forgot.

But it's okay, because my girl got to WAKEBOARD when we went out with the Lanes - which never would have happened had I remembered!

Here's Dane with Cole, getting jazzed to try wakeboarding on a choppy but sunny Friday night.

Receiving exceptional coaching from Dad (aka Jeffy).

And encouragement from the Lane kids!

Aubs is ready to give it a go now.

And she's up, too!

Cheryl and Kai huddled up on the boat.
That's Dane behind them.

And Aubrey.
Blue but not blue on blue.

Oh! And somewhere in this week, Karen and I took the kids to an M's game. (And I can't believe I didn't get a shot with Karen in it!)


Am realizing as I post this that I don't have a full family picture and I don't have any pictures of Mick! The next post will have to remedy that - especially because we also spent time in Bellingham with the Camandona-Beans and the Friesens for a big 43rd birthday dinner for Mick, and had a blast.

Wait. Here's one. Mick and Dave after a motorcycle ride. (Mick borrowed our friend Andrew's.) Mick's big huge amazing purchase this decade is going to be his own dirt bike. Coming this Fall.

Yes, those are star pants. 'Nuff said.