(And a lot of sanitizer afterwards!)

The mop dropped on top and the Cars soundtrack blared in the air. Holmes loves a car wash! He is growing his vocabulary, and - if you haven’t yet heard - he has a lot to say!

Tis the season, we made pumpkin muffins! Holmes was so eager to help put the chocolate chips on top, and was so determined to add two…for “eyes.”

The Ballard Locks are so cool! Every time we’re here, I marvel at how genius this all is. And it’s so close to our house. We watched several rounds of boats coming through:)

Swim salmon, swim! They made it past the Orcas, and sea lions, and seals…next up, putting on a show for us humans.

Meryl started asking questions about where the salmon go after swimming through the fish ladder, so I mentioned how they swim upstream to rivers and lakes where they then lay their eggs. Wheels turning, wheels turning…”so we can eat sushi!” Yep, she really does like her dabby dots of jelly (ikura).

Frank’s birthday this year was a bit scattered (ahem, extended over multiple days). His actual birthdate shared a kindergarten family play date and motion sickness mania (this time it was Holmes) with its requisite clean-up…and then when we finally got around to really celebrating, a mysterious toy fell behind the couch necessitating a clean-up we haven’t done in years (the toy was later found in the living room). Happy Birthday, Frank!

Another round of birthday family shoes! Since we weren’t going to throw a party we yet again decided to be the party:)

We’ve got an official preschooler! He went from being the elder statesman to the youngest youngster in his class…and is still capturing the hearts of each of his teachers and negotiating his way through the firmest of boundaries:) Everyone seems to have a story about Holmes.

We have a kindergartner!

We got to spend a moment inside Meryl’s classroom (the only building we’ve been able to enter) and meet her teachers. School rules. The pandemic has changed a lot, but I’ve gotta say a benefit is that we’re all learning how to be more helpfully communicative - and more understanding. It’s a feeling, and I like it. We also like that everyone at Meryl’s school gets COVID tested weekly and that feels good too. Goal: Swab those boogers!

A lot. I have a lot of memories, and a lot of wishes, and a lot of frustrations, and a lot obnoxious and heart-swellingly happy and funny reminders of Dad being Dad. It’s all a lot, and thank goodness it is because that means it was all worth it. Still is. It’s just so hard to take in. For now, I miss him, a lot. Thank goodness we got to mean a lot to each other, obnoxiously so. And thank goodness we have photos (thanks, Mom).

I’ve missed the blog so much, in all of its meaningful randomness. Watch out, there’s a lot of randomness to come as I catch-up. How lucky we are to have meaningful moments (like this?) to remind us that being present is the present, the gift that keeps us all moving forward. Talk about a toehold on life:)

Mask: Lola. Clothes: Xanna. Shoes: Birthday. Style: ALL MERYL.

Girls night on Bainbridge! Meryl and I walked onto the ferry for an all-girls-all-the-time adventure and sleepover:)