We were one of the districts that walked out in protest of our state’s…attempt to remain in contempt for not funding education.  I struggled with this, as I felt I needed to actively support the teachers in their strike.  However, I do actively support the teachers 4 or 5 days each week.  So after a 5 minute mental wrestling match, I decided to take the kids to Pacific Science Center instead of a rally.  The Boeing IMAX theater just reopened with this:

Forgive the shouting font, but it was

AWESOME!!!!

 

And I have to give a shout-out to my darling daughters who brought Dwayne and I breakfast in bed to start off the day.  Thanks, Sweeties!

Can you believe this cat?  No self-respect at all.  Piper has a way with animals that she has yet to try on people.  She can hold Timmy upside down by the tail, and I’m not sure he’d complain.  He is either very patient or very stupid. 

A sunny spring day brings out the best in our yard—the best being my husband and kids!  And the gorgeous colors taken from a viewpoint too far to see the weeds and bare spots. 

 

I love the dogwood.

Truly, it is a slice of paradise!

I am Wesley’s second favorite jumper.  Dwayne is the landslide winner!

Piper loves me as much as she loves animals, which is a high compliment to me.  To show me her devotion, she made me a special present.  I now have a fabulous purse with a new set of keys, a wallet filled with Band-Aids (more appropriate than cash with my kids), a cell phone, and some pretty groovy sunglasses.  So fun!

 

 

Can you seem him way up there?  Kyla helped him figure out how to get to the first branch, and the next thing I know, I’m getting a “Hi, Mama!” from a height that I though only Kyla’s went to.    He now does this without any assistance.

*     *     *      *     *

[Did I ever tell you about the time, and I can give a date of March 1, 2014, because it was our school’s really, really big Auction, that I climbed this tree?  I came back from approximately 7 hours on my feet running around behind the scenes at the auction.  My in-laws were here, and as I drove into the driveway, Darlene was standing outside with a flashlight.  Rosie hadn’t come in and darling Darlene was worried about her, especially as she heard meowing outside.  We simply couldn’t figure out where she was, but eventually we narrowed down which tree she was stuck in.  Being the only one of sound body and unsound head, I got to climb that tree in my beloved boots and LBD—I swear, I can do anything in that perfect little black dress.  Since it was pitch black except for the flashlights my beloved and his parents were shining up the tree (and my skirt), I can’t swear how high I had to go, but I’m pretty confident it was past the roofline.  Then, little Rosie did not want to be properly carried down.  She climbed on my head and used my shoulders for extra balance…for her.  Anytime she got nervous, she dug her claws further into my scalp.  Finally, I grabbed her in one hand and climbed down with more difficulty but less blood loss.  Seriously, why do we even have cats??]

After the Tulips, we headed for the cabin.

It’s no longer a big deal to have to wait 90 minutes to get on the ferry.  We had our shades and I rewarded the kids with an ice cream cone from Ivars.

 

And as usual, if I can’t find Kyla, I simply look up.

 

 

It needs no explanation, as we’ve all probably been there, but I got to go with one of my best friends and kids!  Piper loves having her picture taken, so she shows up most often.  And yes, I coveted and lusted after all these beautiful flowers.  Two commandments broken at once!

        

                    Zoo

I’ve heard tell of real animals at the zoo

Wild creatures that roar and squeak and gnaw bamboo.

 

But instead of zebras, I get zip lines.

Instead of tamarins, only Tarzan vines.

 

No lumbering bears, just an oversized burrow.

Pudgy hippos?  Filthy warthogs?  Yeah, zero. 

 

The only lemurs and meerkats I see

Are on the zoo  marquee.                                                                    

 

No mountain goats or bounding gazelle–

The only hooves I spot are on the carousel.

 

Wild animals at the zoo?  Phew, let’s see…

I seem to have given birth to three!

 

During Winter Quarter, when I was taking my last class for my literacy endorsement, the professor gave us an option of trading one of our weekly posts for an original poem or story, and a February trip to the zoo inspired my little ditty (which I am enormously proud of, by the way). 

We had the opportunity to meet up with Island friends today at the zoo—6.5 hours and very few animals and lots and lots of play, the usual ratio for my kids. 

After exchanging the cousins for a little extra sanity by meeting Julie at the ferry dock at 11am, the kids and I went on a very spontaneous adventure.  Originally, we thought about driving up to Coupeville and hanging out in town, when I remembered that the Port Townsend ferry is up that way.  We drove there with no preparation but coats, and nearly-dead phone, a granola bar each, and a credit card. 

It was meant to be, because we parked and crossed the street with exactly 3 minutes to purchase my ticket ($3.25 one way, kids under 18 free) before we boarded.  It’s still winter hours, and the ferry leaves only every 90 minutes. 

It’s a longer trip, a full 30 minutes, and it was a rough sailing, which is perfectly pleasant with a cup of hot cocoa and several half-finished puzzles at window tables. 

Port Townsend is a perfect destination because the ferry lands within yards of the main street.  There’s cute shops, restaurants (that do not accommodate gluten-free, as we discovered), a small, delightful museum, and probably lots of other things to do with slightly dryer weather. 

We’ll go back again this summer and explore the second street, the intriguing stair steps up the steep hillside, and look for a few more Port Townsend adventures!