Pam and Stan were here visiting the last couple of days. They drove all the way from Tucson to bring us Stan’s old truck!!!! Can we have a cheer! We can now fit our whole family in both of our vehicles. It’s going to be SOOOO nice to have a truck that I can drive the boys in- hello piles of compost, road-side furniture, and yard waste removal! Thank you SOOO much, Mom and Dad. They mostly helped us with projects around the house (cleaned our garage, de-mossed our roof, prepped the fort, helped us move beds around.) But we did enjoy one half day excursion to the Historic Harbor and Center for Wooden Boats. It’s a very picturesque part of Seattle. I loved the merging of Seattle’s maritime and technologically innovative economy. We didn’t get a chance to visit the Museum of History and Innovation, but peeking in, it’s definitely on my list. (Hopefully we’ll make it to the chocolate exhibit!) Here’s a few picts from our visit:
Stan- the super-Poppa, carrying one while holding the hand of the other. I love how involved Stan is with the kids. When he’d recognize that Scotland was getting in the way, or getting to worked up inside, he’d say. “Hey Scotter, will you show me how fast you can ride on your scooter.” Or “Why don’t we go up into your fort!”
Seattle Boy.
We went to this part of town because I’d heard great things about the Center for Wooden Boats. But it ended up we spent more time at the Historic Harbor nearby. We loved seeing the variety of boats and learning about their history.
One of the boats featured was this old Lightship. It’s in the process of being restored, but they still let people walk on. It’s in horrific shape, but I felt lucky to get to see it now, knowing that we’ll probably get to watch it’s renovation. Scotland was intrigued by it and wanted to see every room.
I can’t imagine taking on a project as large as this one. Every surface needs to be restored. But I’m glad they are tackling it. This ship has an incredible history and is really a fascinating vessel.
The center for wooden boats was very quaint. I’m looking forward to going back. (Maybe this week!) We didn’t get to see the building where they restore and built boats, nor did we get to spent much time in the boat house, or the museum.
One of my main aims as a mother is to raise children who find joy in the simple, free things in life. Children who can find interest wherever they are, and find beauty in the natural. So, as I watched him drop to his knees to examine the water, or peer inquisitively into the peeling shabby cabin, I felt pride. He looked in the cracks along the dock, he checked every porthole. He asked thoughtful questions, and interacted sociably with the sailors who talked to him. I know much of this is just him, it has nothing to do with me, but I like to hope I have fostered, or at least protected this natural curiosity.
Whenever we go on outings like this I am reminded of what a fascinating city I live in. Watching the 6-8 year olds go out kayaking, and then the 8-10 year olds come in to dock their sailboats made me all the more excited for the opportunities our children will have here in the future.
It was great to have Tom’s folks here. The boys soaked up their attention. Anders was extra smiley and Scotland was on his best behavior. I appreciated all the help. There are SO many projects that have gone un-done around here, since the baby was born. So checking a few of the big ones of our list felt amazing! Thank you Pam and Stan, for all the help, support and love!