Sleepy in Seattle

We (me, the kids AND Dan) just had our "summer" vacation in Seattle. Let's drive there, I said! It's just 2 days! Obviously, I learnt nothing from our screaming-filled trip to Castlegar.

Yes, so. There was screaming. A lot. Stella screamed until she was a red sweaty mess. Francis screamed to drown out Stella's screaming. Stella screamed louder because Francis' screaming scared her. Ah, yes, the fun-filled screaming death spiral. Family vacations, just like I remember. ("Moooooooom! She's TOUCHING meeeeee! Moooom! She's on my side! Mooooom! When are we going to stop? I have to peeeee!"). And silence from Francis is almost worse than the screaming because then you know that he is going to barf.

Dan found this amazing house rental for the week. It was a cute (read: small) craftsman. It was so comfy and nicely decorated. Ahhhh. Soothing -- because THERE WAS NO CRAP. None of the flotsam and jetsam of our normal life -- the papers and magazines (we're addicts) and toys and dust and shoes an and and.....

We got to visit with our friends, the beautiful and talented Natalie (aka "Martha") Brewster, Gabrielle Sukovaty, Danielle Giroux. I got to have a MNO with Danielle, Denise, Heather, Brenda, and Jasmine, and catch up over beers and just be me. (The Untouched Version). Ahhh. Thank you, my friends!

I splurged and got to go and see a dance performance at Meany Hall -- Momix. It was amazing. And I was so grateful for the opportunity to see something that would have NEVER comes to bland and uncosmopolitian Calgary. I mean, it was Avant Garde, and the theatre was full, and the audience appreciated the performance!

Isn't Seattle beautiful? We do miss it -- the climate, the greenery, the food, the vibe. (Oh, and the shopping! The sheer breath of consumer items available for sale is mindnumbing). I miss walking down the street and having complete strangers say hello, how are you, and stop TO LISTEN TO YOUR REPLY. Amazing. A huge city, and drivers still LET YOU IN their lane when you signal.

Remarkably, the weather was really nice while we were there -- absolutely no rain. And then we drove back (more screaming) and hit a blizzard that got worse the farther we got from Rogers Pass. We got back to this:

Francis went skiing in the backyard with his new poles! (yet more brainwashing -- "isn't skiing FUN? Don't you just LOVE SKIING?!") Ah, home, flotsam and jetsam and all.