Huzbend casually reminded me via email that I, "had not had a new blog post in two months - frowny face".
Frowny face indeed.
So, let's pick up where we left off at the end of June.....now that it's September.
Mikey was thoroughly enjoying having Katie away at Camp Oasis.
He got to go to Panera for lunch and have the Mikey-proclaimed worlds best mac n' cheese
(Walt Disney World's mac comes in a close 2nd - again according to him).
He also got to hang with his bestie during which they "accidentally" fell into a hot tub.
That first weekend of July we drove back to Camp Oasis to pick Katie up.
She had a fantastic time.
She was happy to be headed home, but would miss all her friends.
She ate (yes! ate food! that is an accomplishment for Katie), played ultimate capture the flag, did archery every day, swam every day, did a whole bunch of other super fun stuff and
smiled A LOT.
She had one day to recover at home and then it was the Fourth of July.
It was time for the lame charming small-town (even though we're kinda a big town now) Fourth of July parade.
Huzbend bagged out due to working on a special project for his job.
Ralph stayed home with him.
There were a lot of firetrucks, businesses advertising themselves, baseball teams, softball teams, a high school football team, gymnastics places, boy scouts, girl scouts, the Seafair Pirates on the Moby Duck, these Mexican dancing horses.....
....and the ubiquitous (at least in parades) bag pipe regiment.
Soon the parade was over and we took to the streets to find our way back home.
Find our way home we did, after a stop at a lemonade stand and our friends house for a popsicle.
That afternoon there was a neighborhood cookout.
Katie was excited to have her own cool plastic wine glass.
She put Dr. Pepper in it.
She schooled Huzbend in how to properly hold a wine glass.
Where she learned, I do not know.
Must've seen it somewhere in her extensive travels.
This is what Mikey spent most of the cookout doing, when there wasn't food or fireworks to watch.
Sparklers!
Stupefy!
Not just kids get excited about sparklers.....
I made a gluten free version of "Aunt Patty's Jello/Whipped Cream/Pretzel Stuff".
Katie loved it.
Using gluten free pretzels was weird though, they didn't stay crunchy.
So, she mostly ate the jello and whipped cream/cream cheese stuff.
Oh well.
I'll have to tweak it next year.
Ralph liked (or should I say licked) it too.
After dessert it was dark enough to begin the show.
Watching cheesy fireworks made me miss Disney World.
Huzbend said he preferred neighborhood fireworks.
He is insane.
That next weekend, we were off to Lake Wenatchee State Park for our first camping trip of the summer.
Ralph stayed home because there was rain in the forecast and I did not want to deal with wet dog.
The kids helped set up the tent.
After the tent setting up, there was a scooter disaster.
Mikey flew down a hill and stopped using his whole body.
He was lucky he was wearing his knee and elbow pads.
He did end up getting a boo-boo on his belly and on his knuckles.
A post-crash tent chill out helped him to recover.
The rest of our camp mates arrived and it was time for dinner.....
This was the first time we had been camping with our "first friends".
These kids have known each other since age 1 and in Mikey's case, since he was born.
Here's the older kids....
The kids treated us to ghost stories before bed.
Mikey was enthralled.
Huzbend was scared.
HOBBIT!!!
Oh, wait.
S' just my son.
Ha.
It was really windy at the lake.
And the water was not that warm.
Which made it really, REALLY cold.
These kids are crazy.
Love the boogie board. On a lake!
"I'm Queen of the Woooorrrrrllld!"
After the kids had their fill of frigid lake water we went exploring.
Mikey co-opted my sweatshirt.
We accompanied Katie and friend mining.
There was a lot of quartz there.
It was really quite pretty.
We ended up back at the beach.
Here's the whole crew.
This boy can turn just about anything into a gun.
It's an innate talent.
We returned to civilization and picked up Ralph from the Ranch (where he stays when we go where pups cannot).
He was super duper sheddy this summer.
His hair was everywhere!
Check out the pile.
Next on the agenda for July, Huzbend's 43rd birthday.
This is funny only if you or one of your loved ones has played the video game "Dark Souls".
You die.
A lot.
This year, Huzbend made a conscious effort to wear a shirt for his birthday cake picture.
I will leave it up to you to go back to past Julys and check me.
He had cherry pie instead of cake.
And this mini-pecan pie from Walmart.
The next week was spent prepping for our big neighborhood camping trip to Oregon.
I volunteered to help with breakfast.
Katie was in heaven.
She is a bacon fiend.
Huzbend had to miss this camping trip due to the aforementioned project at work.
He spent the half week programming and being stressed.
Meanwhile down in Oregon.....
I set up the tent.
All by myself!
It was an accomplishment as our tent is crappy to set up and there was about a 20 mph wind blowing.
After tent set up, we headed to the beach.
The beaches at Nehalem Bay State Park are beautiful.
They're dog friendly too!
The next day, it was still windy but there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
We spent most of the day at the beach.
Ralph ate a lot of sand, dead crab shells, horse poop and pretty much anything else he found on the beach.
A girl and her dog.
Katie and a friend spent pretty much the entire day helping beached jellyfish by using sticks to carry them back to the surf.
I'm pretty sure they maimed about 1000 jellyfish that day.
Soon, they got tired and found a nice warm tidal pool to lay in and giggle to their hearts content.
After dinner, it was time for marshmallows.
Mikey ended up wearing his.
Yes. Marshmallow.
In. His. Armpit.
Outdoor movie time!
It was pretty spectacular and actually relevant.
We watched The Goonies.
Mikey meet Mikey.
He was so proud.
He even has an inhaler for asthma. Kindred souls.
Next day, it was piñata time!
But, because we are adults and we suck the fun out of everything, we made them pose for a photo first.
We are so mean.
Little kids got to go first.
This is an awesome photo.
Big kids got to go last.
Katie got a pretty good hit on it.
REWARD!
Next, we dragged all the kids to the camp playground/field and had them play hot potato with water balloons.
Next we shot water balloons at them with a giant sling shot.
No really.
We did.
INCOMING!
Can you find the balloon?
Water balloon toss.
Aw, man!
Splash!
Katie and her partner won one round.
Then it was a free for all.
We let the kids grab what was left of the balloons and have a battle.
Mikey tried to pop one over his own head.
He squished this balloon so hard, but to no avail.
It did not pop.
Until he dropped it on the ground.
That afternoon we headed over to Cannon Beach to visit Haystack Rock at low tide.
Why low tide?
'Cause you can see stuff living on the rocks!
Sea anemones and such.
Don't let the smile fool you.
She ran into the waves and got soaking wet. Her shoes were soaked and her wet pants rubbed her legs raw.
That is a look of uncomfortableness.
Afterwards, we found a place to eat dinner (they had gluten free stuff...and root beer!) and then headed back to camp.
We stopped to take some scenic viewpoint photos like any good tourist would.
When we got back to camp, we celebrated Mikey's birthday (it was the next day) by singing and sharing chocolate chip cookies.
The next morning, Ralph and I got up super early and headed for the beach for one more doggie hurrah.
The kids finally woke up, we packed up all our gear and headed back home to celebrate Mikey's 7th birthday.
He asked to have tortellini, garlic bread sticks and baked ziti for dinner.
After gorging on Italian food, it was time for presents.
Guess he got some good stuff.
Boba Fett? Boba Fett? Where?
Just in case we forgot what birthday it was.
Mikey picked bumbleberry pie to have for his birthday.
Warning: Fingers get close to noses in the following video....
