Oh, Seattle...

Traveling with a 2-month-old and a 2-year-old is kind of terrible.  

My nipples hurt from keeping him quiet and my conscience hurts from losing my temper with the girl I love most in the world.  But $hi+, she just smiles and screams when she's frustrated with her little brother's screaming.  And no matter how many times I explain (using long words and advanced reasoning) how to sublimate that frustration, she does it again!  I mean, what is she, two?!

Anyhow, we did it, and it was totally worth it.  

Here's my seat-mate from the first leg:

And there was a full hour on the plane home like this, which was amazing (and I think Sammy looks distinctly fuller of cheek than when we left):

OK, so apart from the actual travel, our 10 days in Seattle were wonderful.  

I didn't get around to taking too many pictures, unfortunately, but we hugged a lot of friends and kept the kids alive.  Win.  

We stayed at Casa Sullivan for most of the trip, where we could scream in the basement and not wake Baby Evie.

Sweet faces.  

(There's gonna be a sweet NEW face emerging from this Mama in a couple days...)

Sam's taking in Uncle Amos for the first time during a Volunteer Park playground date.

Megan and Katy at a Mayer pizza party.

KP is forever convincing me to be more adventurous than I tend to be.  Elliott was camping near Rainier with friends for a night and we hopped a ferry to Vashon Island for the annual Sheepdog Exposition.  First we waited in this road shoulder for an hour to get on a school bus.

Then we found the only small plot of shade in which to nurse a 2-month-old and met two other 2-month-olds (one who was only an hour and a half older than Sam).  I must admit I hardly noticed the sheep or dogs (or bagpipers or vendors or rules of sheepdogging) because I couldn't quite wrangle two kids.  Luckily I managed to dehydrate Fiona enough that she didn't pee in her pants.  TRULY luckily, Megan was misguided enough to come with us on this adventure.  

Some run-around windy ferry time for the girls (and an elephant). 

 It's really hard to get a baby brother.

He screams and cries, he steals your parents in unpredictable and major ways, he slows down every attempt to go to a playground then forces your mom to sit on a bench with her boob out instead of pushing you on the swing, and you can't even pick him up to move him when he's in the way.  

But the advantage of being 2 is that moods change quickly.  

Which reminds me that "feelings are such real things and they change, and change, and change..."

Sad and grumpy. 

Well, it's been a bit of a rough start for the Hawks but we're still feeling the love. 

Umm... can someone get an adult?

"I'm 24!"

Our wonderful gloaming partners.

Oh, gorgeous Lopez...

Fiona ate her way around the property: apples, carrots, green beans, blackberries... yum.

Completed rammed earth home in the background.  

I hope I am as thoughtful about anything in my life as Dennis and Meg are about their home (structural and growing).

Grandpop's helper.

There are some mighty fine projects in their shared future.  

Thanks to the Mayers we drove up to Lopez in their car with toddler seat, peed on their potty, slept in their baby tent, and hiked to Shark Reef in their kiddo backpack.  

(We even borrowed their dog, Aleu.)

Shark Reef.

Mary (or, as she is now often called, "My Sam".

Sambo Jambo got some good Grandpop time, too.

Recovering from a hand scrape on the ferry.

Good place and partner for recovery, eh?

Desmond is a kindred spirit.  

I've never seen her play like this with someone: so sustained, so interactive, so sweet.

Special green drink courtesy of Stephanie.  I think it has kale and flax seed and gingko and quinoa or something.  Of course, the 2yo's loved it.  

Green mustaches!

 Haven, Evie, and Fiona hanging out on Matt and Nancy's porch.  

Fiona acquiescing to our request for a dance party... but only briefly.

The girl knows what she wants. 

And now we're back home, with a couple weeks of maternity leave left, a 2-month check-up tomorrow, and a couple kids and a couple adults who are ready to re-establish a rhythm at home.  Sam's sleep and Fiona's toileting prowess took some significant hits after two weddings and a West Coast pilgrimage and Elliott and I are not very well rested.  

Adding to our challenges are my need to study for another standardized test and the last Air BNB renters in our house for the foreseeable future.  We spent the last 36 hours cleaning and evacuating our house and are grateful to be only next door at Grammy's house.  Why is there room, you ask?  Because my mom went to Turkey to celebrate her 70th!  Look at her!  Awesome. 

Happy Birthday, Grammy!

(Created with a toddler doodle app downloaded for the plane: a success)

Fiona doesn't think it's so awesome.  I think she understands that Uncle Nick isn't gonna be around as much either.  She has declared that she is going to college in California too.  

We sent Grammy a short message from the potty.

Phew, we caught up. 

I have lots to say about parenting an amazing 2-year-old and loving a second child while doing so but I'm way too tired to write it.  Ain't that appropriate?! Time for bed.  What are we doing on the couch? They're both asleep.  Go to bed!