Lady Bird.

Family Fun x 30.

My fabulous cousin Beth turns 30 today.

To celebrate, the other DeBolts threw her one hell of a party this weekend.

Greg came up from Cali to bartend and kept us all in fantastic spirits for the evening.

It was one lovely evening. 

Happy Birthday, B.  You are simply fantastic. Indeed.

The Big Sprinkler.

Tap, Tap, Tap.

Stella's foray into the arts includes a love of Lady GaGa and a new dance class.

Which means we had to get some new shoes...

So, you know, look out Gene Kelly.

7 Slim.

School clothes shopping. 

It's one of my favorite things to do.  Always has been.  But now it also makes my stomach hurt a bit (it's been such a good summer, how can it be over already, man?). 

As it turns out, it might not be Henry's favorite thing to do. "You have to TRY ON the pants?  Why can't we just take em' home" (which sounds alot like DRS no one I know). Or, when deciding on shoes - the kind that he likes (orange, stripey running shoes with a big, black sole) or the kind that I like (cute brown skater-kid shoes), he proposes a seemingly simple question, "Is it my choice or your choice, mom - these shoes?"

Huh? No hint of sarcasm.  He just wants to know.  And that is a tough one. I pay for em.  But he has to wear them everyday and be happy. What-kind-of-mother-do-I-want-to-be? What-kind-of-mother-do-I-want-to-be? Damn.  Probably his choice.  Wrap up the orange ones.

Anyway.  We got this fella all hooked up. Shoes, pants, shirts, socks.

My 7 slim.

Although we're not quite ready to be done with summer clothes just yet.

Or Stella's idea of summer clothes, anyway.

Bullet Dodging and Island Living

We took a quick trip up to the San Juan Islands over the last few days.

And here's two things I know for sure.

1. Friday Harbor is NOT a town on Orcas Island. It's actual location is on San Juan Island in the San Juan Islands.  Confused yet?  Me too.
2. Sometimes ferry workers can be really mean, then really nice at the last minute and let you on a ferry that goes to the actual island you want to go to (instead of having to wait another two hours with two small children until the next ferry to the actual island you want to go to takes off). 

Whew.  Super fun 5 minutes prior to boarding that ferry is all I'm trying to say.

Wait. I know something else.  Camping in a tent that's already set up, has a wood floor and a queen size bed with a feather top mattress is the way to go.  I think that's what 40 has taught me.  Always have a canvas tent that's already set up, has a wood floor and a queen size bed with a feather top mattress when you go camping.  Oh, and some nice scenery, boating and good food don't hurt either.

 I mean, cue the fabulous scenery.  Who knew?  Not me. I  didn't know it was here, or what ferry line to be in to get here.

And there were several key elements of success on this journey:

• Pingpong by the lake
• Kids running as fast as they can as far as they can - at all hours of the day
• The English camp
• Smores
• Sorry - the game.  Not as in, I'm sorry that we almost missed the ferry. 

We'll trek back very soon. 

As long as the queen-sized bed with the feather top mattress is ready in our tent.

I just need the basics, that's all.

Less is More.

Or something.

Go West, Young Man. And Girl.

The kids and I are on a summer schedule.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are ours.

We may do with them what we will.  Now that surgeries and the like are complete.

So, this week, we decided we’d go big. We’d go boating. We’d go West.

Okay, maybe we didn't go that big.

We took the ferry over to Bainbridge Island (what Stella calls "Treasure Island") for the day. We went to the Children's Museum, had lunch at the Streamliner Diner, walked to the park...and were islanders for the day. 

But the best part, by far, was the trip over.

There was the waiting in the ferry terminal.

And pulling away from the city.

And there was hanging out, eating snacks on the boat.

Making faces off the back of the boat...

And playing captain.

Wait, this looks like I was about to make his swab the deck.

I didn't make him do that until much later in the day.

Anyway - we got our sea legs and we're planning on another trip soon.

This time to find some buried treasure.