Seattle trip, the final three days in photos

Wednesday.

Sebastian was far more interested in the waterfall than the barely visible jaguar pacing the far side of the enclosure.
A very sleepy boo vegging out in front of the tube after a long day at the zoo (note sun-kissed cheeks, despite wide-brimmed hat and (admittedly only one) application of sun screen).

Thursday.

A post-lunch photo op with an old friend of mine (who I haven't seen in, oh, 20 years, but who has known me "since before [I] was born") - ps. I covet her office/studio space.

Andrew and Sebastian invented "poke the bottle cap" as we waited for our dinner.

Teaching my son not to talk with his mouth full (do as I say, dear, not as I do)


Friday.

"You call this food???""Seriously, Mom, even this plastic penguin won't touch it."

I can categorically say that Johnny Rockets was *not* a "blast".

Be a hero.{still taken from a video, 30 seconds of him giving me this look, I think it means "Why the fuck are we sitting in this car and when can I play in my sandbox? Oh, and would someone please turn off that fucking sun??" In my defence we do have tinting up in that window and he was wearing a hat - but I agree, driving sucks.}:


Stopped at a gas station, I asked Sebastian what was in Canada, apparently kids and his sandbox - and though he doesn't miss it he wants to go home.



Kate: Hey Sebastian, where are we going?
Sebastian: Canada, oh dad, you coming? (he had just gotten out to pump gas)
K: What's in Canada?
S: Kids Canada.
K: Yeah, there's kids (can you tell we have covered this point an awful lot? I realise I sounded a little bored), what else is in Canada?
S: a sandbox in Canada.
K: Do you miss Canada?
S: No.
K: Do you want to go home?
S: Yup.
K: You want to go back to Canada?
S: Yup.
K: Me too.

This is what happens to my normally cheerful kid when we wake him up from his nap to put him in a car for (at this point) an hour of driving. After stopping for dinner he was slightly more cheerful, though his mood didn't really lift until we pulled up in front of our house and he knew we really, really were HOME.

Seattle trip, day two

After sending Andrew off with a warm bagel and coffee from the hotel coffee shop, Sebastian and I came back upstairs to find something fun to do. Lacking any solid plans I decided it would be a great day to check out University Village, we packed up the car and drove, very briefly, to the shops. There we wandered around, gazing into the shop windows and at the integrated water features. We stopped at Village Maternity, where after a long browse we settled on a Bella Band for me and a dragon shirt and sunglasses strap for Sebastian. Things I wanted, but couldn't afford: diaper bags, glamourmom tanks, bella materna underwear, lovely-smelling body butters and facial cleansers, and just about everything else there. It was really nice and a lovely store, but it reminded me why I just don't shop at places like that anymore. I have gotten very good at denying myself fancy things I can't afford, but there are times I really miss it.

After that stop we went to the very cool fenced-in playground and played among other kids. I can tell Sebastian misses the company of other kids his size, I made a promise to both of us to really try and find a set of neighbourhood kids he can play with regularly. My plan is to start by going to a playground at least two mornings a week and to the local drop-in playgroups (there are two free ones) once a week each. With luck I will meet some cool parents and can start building my community.

Post-play we grabbed groceries and headed back to the hotel where we met Andrew for lunch. With all the excitement, I wasn't convinced Sebastian would nap and so made plans to go to a swimming pool. Unfortunately, upon investigating, I learned that the nearest pool's public swim would end before we could get there. While looking for an alternative Sebastian went rock star on the hotel room. It was insane. That was his not-too-subtle way of telling me he was sleepy and needed a nap. I helped him get off to sleep and then started poking around online in the dark. Everything was fun and good until the hotel's internet cut out. Rather than sit sadly in the dark, I sat between the window and the curtains and did a little reading.

Andrew came home with a take-out menu for the veggie place across the street, we ordered a huge amount of food (in the hallway, because Sebastian slept until Andrew left to find a courtesy phone to order food from) and later we ate like royalty on the floor of our hotel room.

It was another late night for Sebastian and early night for us - we were all happily asleep by 10:00pm.