My wonderful spring break!

So, another spring break has come and gone, and I forgot to take a trip to Hawaii. Damn it, that makes 47 years in a row now. While many of my neighbors and friends jetted off to sunny vacations with their kids in tow, I, as usual, had no plans for spring break and no idea how I was going to spend it. I decided to just let it all unfold. And it not only unfolded, it unfurled into a week full of quality time with my kids, great time spent with my closest friends, and a lot of sunshine!

My spring break actually started the Thursday of last week. That was my last day of work and I had to scoot out to a (boring) meeting so I barely had time to say "See ya, suckers!" "Good bye!" to my co-workers. That night, I attended the high school talent show where my son performed with the Jazz Choir (and they were AMAZING).

Harrison and the BHS Jazz Choir

Friday, I did errands and cleaned and blah, blah. That was my most boring day. I carefully avoided cleaning as much as possible the rest of the week.

Saturday, we decided in the late afternoon to make the trek up to see the Tulips in Skagit Valley. Did I say "we"? I meant me. Jeff would have been perfectly happy puttering around in the garage all day, but I whined a little and so we went. It was a glorious day, albeit a bit cold and windy, and we enjoyed all the color of Roozengaarde, the show garden, and the colorful fields around it. We took a dinner break in La Connor, which Jeff had never seen before, and walked around the town. We returned to the tulip fields in time for the sunset. I took hundreds of photos. I was happy.

I love tulips! 

Sunday, we puttered, cleaned, erranded (that's a word now), and in the evening we enjoyed an awesome show - Harrison's band, Bushwhack, in concert at Sound Check Bar and Grill. They ROCKED IT and were asked to come back again.

My rock star son! 

Monday, I spent the whole day with my best friends, Janet and Tonya. We started out having coffee at Tully's, and we sat there for four hours when we decided we were hungry again and moved to Zeke's pizza for lunch where we sat another two hours. It was wonderful to just hang out, talk for hours, and EAT! The rain poured down and the conversation flowed. I love these two ladies - they have been a constant in my life for 21 years and time spent with them is always so much fun! 

BFFs!

Oh, I should also mention that on Monday, I let my son go camping with NO ADULTS for the first time ever. He was an hour and a half away with no cell phone. It's amazing how parenting changes with each child. I would NEVER have let my older girls go camping with no adult supervision at age 16, I was quite conflicted making the decision, but after consulting his dad, stepdad, and older sister, who all said "Why not?" I decided "Why not, indeed?" and let him go. I'm pretty sure the worst thing that happened was they nailed a 6-inch dildo to a tree, but I'll never know for sure. And I'm ok with that. 

Tuesday, I met Hannah and her nanny kids, along with my friend Sarah and her two sweet girls at an indoor play place. The kids ran around in endless circles while we attempted to make conversation in-between the mommy and the nanny juggling supervision, snacks and squabbles. I definitely had some nostalgia about the glory days of young motherhood, but it was also nice to be able to get into my own car to drive to lunch when Hannah's nanny child threw a fit and screamed "She cannot come to lunch with us!" at me. Lunch happened anyway, because she's not the boss of me, and it was quite sweet. Later that night, Hannah and I had dinner out, just the two of us, and we accidentally dressed exactly alike. It was a fun "Hannah" day and I got to see her in action as a (very calm) nanny. Bless her. I didn't get a picture of Hannah that day, but here's a cute on of her and Harrison at their "soon to be" stepsister's wedding over spring break.

All dressed up!

Wednesday, was Hayley day. We started out at Starbucks, then shopping at Target and Ross, where I bought her a summer wardrobe that consisted almost entirely of elephant-themed shirts. We had lunch at Panera and bought tiny plants at Molbak's. I didn't get any pictures of that day - shocking, huh? But here's a picture of Hayley anyway. And her girlfriend, Megan, because I seriously cannot find a picture of Hayley without her. :) 

Megan and Hayley

On Wednesday night, I went to one of those wine and painting places with Tonya. Except we don't drink wine! So, hard cider and beer it was, and we painted a picture of peacock feathers. Except mine looked more like sperm. And I kind of went overboard with my wavy lines. But it was hilarious and we topped it off with Mexican food and margaritas (ok, beer for Tonya!). Here we are pretending to be artists. 

Thursday was Arlie day. After much deliberation, we decided to go to the zoo. We got there kind of late - 2 ish - and the zoo closed at 4 but we decided to stay anyway. Bonus - someone gave us their parking pass so parking was free! We zipped around the zoo pretty fast and saw almost everything we wanted to see (except the elephants - they were whisked away the night before to their new home in Oklahoma City). We spent an inordinate amount of time visiting the jaguar and Arlie insisted she was communicating with him through her eyes. To say she is a little obsessed with cats is an understatement. We took dozens of photos and some video, too. She named him "Kristoff". I think the picture below sums up our day at the zoo. 

Here, kitty, kitty!

We topped off our day be eating at the Burgermaster in the U District then shopping at Value Village. Poppin' tags! 

Friday, Hannah went to Portland on the Bolt Bus and I had to drop her off at the bus station in Seattle. We decided to make it Harrison day, and after we dropped Hannah off, we explored the International District in Seattle for a bit, then headed to Fremont where we toured Theo's Chocolates, had lunch at the Red Door and walked around Gas Works Park. We walked so much that day, I actually got my 10,000 steps in! Plus we brought home delicious chocolate and enjoyed the warm sun and views of Seattle from the park. Hard to pick just one picture of the day, but I'll go with this one because he looks like a super model. 

Vogue.

Saturday was another glorious day so Arlie and I took Georgette to the beach. I realized I'd spent quality one-on-one time with each of my kids this week so why not my dog? Georgie used to love the beach but this time she just seemed overwhelmed and exhausted. She waded in the water, no swimming like usual, and she tried to keep up with the young pups, but she's just too old. Still, she seemed happy to be out and fell asleep in the car as soon as we left! Good old George! 

Georgette, age 13

Today, we started the day with coffee at a hipster coffee joint, then a little shopping in our local downtown.

Too cool for Starbucks

Afterwards, we did chores, puttered, and created some Sharpie art! It was another incredible Seattle spring day. 

Who needs crayons? 

We may not have enjoyed white-sand beaches, tropical cocktails, or a high-priced hotel room, but I'm going to have to say this was a pretty awesome spring break! Back to work/school tomorrow (sad face) but only eight weeks of school left until SUMMER (happy face)!!!!

I'm calling it a success! I love my life. 

Harrison......

Today's Instagram picture post is about Harrison. Because he keeps reminding me I haven't done one all about him yet. So, here goes! Harrison is my baby. He's my funny guy - making me laugh every day since he could talk. He's smart, resourceful, kind, loving, a helper. He's super smart, has the voice of an angel, and is a great actor. He cares deeply, plays the guitar, bass and piano with passion, is a thinker and a learner. He's a lucky guy and I'm lucky he's my only son! 

Here's Harrison with comedian Amy Anderson (also known as Aubrey's mom who plays Lily on Modern Family). We saw her perform at Central Washington University in the fall of 2012. Harrison loved the show and loved getting to meet her. 

Here's my sweet, soft, squishy, moppy-haired, angelic little baby boy! I used to pretend to bite his ear and made a funny sound. He always laughed!

A boy and his dog - is there any better bond? 

My rock star! Who knew he could sing like this? Who knew he could play the bass the first time he tried? Who knew he'd be in a band? This was taken at Bushwhack's latest show. 

Again, with the dog. Love those mugs! 

I'm kind of in love with this picture of us! 

Harrison couldn't wait to see Book of Mormon at the Paramount. He had memorized nearly all the songs before we went. After the show, who should walk out the side door than the guy who played Elder Cunningham? He was nice enough to pose for some pics and sign our programs. Pretty awesome for a theater fan! 

My boy at Cannon Beach - see Haystack Rock in the distance? 

On the first day of school this year. A sophomore in high school already. Always the goofball!

In between shows during "Legally Blonde" which he was in this past summer. He was exhausted. 

"Smoking" the stage cigarette after the show. Notice his sister's disapproving stare. 

One day, we went on a coffee date. This was Harrison, looking serious. Serious about coffee! 

I like to call this picture "Obnoxious Teenage Boy." Although it was taken a couple of summers ago, it still embodies Harrison's spontaneous spirit - and his penchant for making sudden, loud noises. 

That's my boy!

Shoulda........

Today I woke up early. Much too early. I went to bed at 1 a.m. and awoke at 5 a.m. For some reason, I am still awake, although I probably should have come home and gone to bed at 5 p.m. tonight to make up for the lost z's. I had set my alarm early to get up and help my 13-year-old get ready for school because she broke her thumb yesterday playing football. She's a cheerleader. Somehow I found this amusing. But not the fact that she broke her thumb or has to be in a splint for four weeks. So, I arose early to help with things like brushing hair. But then I realized my high schooler was not making the usual early morning noises (somewhere between a guttural groan and a grievous growl...haha, just kidding...) and I peeked into her room to see her still slumbering away ten minutes before the bus. Now, it was my turn to growl. Because her missing the bus just does not compute into my day. Her missing the bus means I have to drive her to her school twenty minutes away and then decide if I really have time to return home to get ready, or if I have to hurry and get ready far too early and then kill an hour before I head to work (who am I kidding - what a great excuse to hit Starbucks!).

Anyway, since I was hanging around for the junior high bus to see off my son and Gimpy Hand, I decided I could just give them a ride up to the bus stop. And then I decided I could just drive them to school. And then I decided (and I guess maybe I said it out loud) "Wouldn't it be nice if we all just played hooky today?" and there was a resounding "YES" from the passengers (as resounding as 7 a.m. on a school day can be). But, being the ever-responsible one (ugh, I hate that role!) I said "no" and gave them the booby prize of stopping for coffee at a stand on the way to school. And we parked in the parking lot at the junior high and finished our  coffees and wished for a day off.

And then we went to school and work. And it was just not nearly as fun as playing hooky. Not even close! We shoulda........

What I did today..........

I started my day out by going to yoga. I was wearing one of those tank top shirts with the built in bra (underwire and all, I'm no fool, no "shelf bra" for me unless it's made of reinforced steel!). Over that I was wearing a v-neck t-shirt (cleverly emblazoned with "peace" - SO very yoga-esque). Well, this whole ensemble, to my dismay, did not provide a lot of good coverage. I mean, if I am flashing MYSELF as I do downward dog, imagine what my poor yoga teacher, Tracie, must have been seeing directly across from me! There wasn't much I could do about it, either, so after class I apologized for flashing her for the last hour. She laughed it off but later put this post on my Facebook "Mary-Leah, next time.........TURTLENECK!" Ha. Ha. Funny.

So, after yoga I came home and the minute I walked in the door, the kids were dropped off by their dad from their overnight w/ him. I had a coffee date with Carla, to which I invited the kids, but Hannah declined (in favor, I guess, of watching the Harry Potter movies ALL day long.......). Hayley and Harrison came along and we browsed the University Bookstore while waiting for Carla to meet us at Starbucks. My cheap eye was immediately drawn to the 50 percent off table where I found, among other treasures, Obama paper dolls and a book called "Bigfoot: Exposed."

We had a lovely coffee date with Carla (the kids had Jamba Juice with free coupons I received at a PTSA volunteer appreciation lunch) and then went browsing at this cute little gift shop (danger, danger!). Of course, I had to buy, for my home, a handpainted sign that said "Not Under Construction: Kids Just Live Here" which I hung on the front door. Hayley begged me to buy her a sign that said "I don't do mornings" and Harrison, for some unknown reason, insisted on buying two puppets. Puppets? I put my foot down on the $120 handpainted puppet theater, but he did make off with a frog dressed as a king and a bear with legs (that was the selling point "he has legs!"). He says he's going to put on puppet shows for everyone. Okay. In the store he gave us a brief example and it involved the two animals arguing about which Chardonnay they wanted. Is it any surprise his friend recently referred to him as "the king of comedy"?

I came home and spent three hours at Carla's house helping her post photos on Facebook. Time flies when you're having fun! Then, I decided I really must go home and pretend to cook dinner. Well, I actually had to cook it, but you know, I had to pretend like I do this every night. I boiled up some fresh corn on the cob (ok, not really fresh, but you know, it had the shuck on it and all, who cares if it had been sitting, sweltering in a plastic bag since.......um........Sunday?). Add to that a couple bags of Trader Joe's frozen orange chicken and voila! Dinner. Then, Hannah said "I want a cake" so Hayley made one. And brought me the beaters and frosting bowl to lick. Which is why I've decided to put her back in my will.

Later, while I wasted time on Facebook and such, and reminded myself that I really needed to pack for camping tomorrow and realized - oh, the horror! - that I also had to bring FOOD for seven people and I didn't exactly go grocery shopping (you shoulda seen me throw crap into bags, I hope it's enough to feed us all for a couple of days.......), I finally decided to go pack and of course that led to doing laundry and folding stuff and hanging stuff and...ugh...that is just a never ending job. But I managed to pack my bag and fold and hang three or four loads of laundry as well. However, that is not the most exciting part, OH NO!

While I was packing Hannah yelled "Mom, Charlie is having a seizure!" so of course I had to go all 911 and take care of the situation because I am our resident medical expert and the ONLY one who will actually put the syringe up Charlie's butt to deliver the exact dosage of valium to stop his seizure, AND push a full syringe of water after that to deliver the dosage effectively. Oh yes, I put a tube up my dog's butt. And, no I can't even believe it myself. But, that being done, Charlie spazzed out a few more minutes, then hopped up and went on his merry way as though nothing had happened.

But that's not the best part, there's more! So, shortly after that, Georgette started growling at the back door and she NEVER does that so I got all excited because I knew that meant murderous intruder or wild animal, both of which would put some spark into an otherwise dull evening so I immediately opened the back door and watched the dogs go all Cujo. They ran back and forth all crazy and jumped on the fence. So, being the glutton for excitement that I am, I let them out in the park! Woo-hoo, showtime! They went nuts, running crazy and peeing on everything and I thought, oh this is good. This is like coyote or raccoon good.......and guess what? After passing under this one tree five or six times, I finally looked up and there was a raccoon staring back at me! He was so cute, with his little striped tail and bandit mask, almost cuddly. But I'm no fool. I knew that cute little creature would go ballistic on me in a second and rip my eyes out so I kept my distance (but of course screamed for the girls to come and see, because how many times does your dog tree a raccoon in suburban Bothell?). It was so "Where the Red Fern Grows" (except I didn't cut down the tree). And Georgette and Charlie ran in circles all proud just like Dan and Little Ann. Finally I decided we'd tortured the poor raccoon long enough and I put the dogs away, but then I thought, PHOTO MOMENT! And I ran inside to grab my camera.

But, NO! As I was rushing back outside, Nikon at the ready, a crane fly the size of Texas flew in the back door, sending the girls SCREAMING like Ninjas, running in circles and ending up with a crash as they locked themselves in the office. I grabbed our oversized fly swatter and proceeded to have a game of cat and mouse with the stupid insect (ok, it was more like a small bird, but still). I finally got him cornered and SMACK! He was done for. The girls tentatively crept out and screamed some more at his corpse. When I finally went out to get my photo, the raccoon, as I suspected, had hightailed it out of there and my photo op was gone forever. Damn.

But THEN, Harrison and Jeff came home from salmon fishing. Because, you know, when you're going camping the next day, you have all the time in the world to go salmon fishing off the Edmonds pier. They caught a giant sea star which broke the line. No salmon. So, as they are cleaning up, Harrison discoveres ONE leftover firework. A fountain. "Emits showers of sparks" says the label. He begs to light it, and even though it's after 9 p.m. I figure, it's just showers of sparks, harmless right? NO! It starts out all innocent and sparky as promised and then erupts into LOUD, obnoxious pops and cracks and booms which go on seemingly forever! We stood there, willing it to stop, as our neighbor across the street looked angrily out the window, holding the (presumably rudely awakened) baby on her hip. Embarrassing! I slipped inside hoping to avoid a scene. Or perhaps the law.

And so that was pretty much it. A little more laundry, a little more packing, tucking Harrison in, sipping the fruity adult beverage my husband so lovingly brought me in the laundry room "to stay hydrated", a shower (because, it's a hot mother ****er today!) and here I am, telling you all about a day in the life. Hope you enjoyed it. Because now it's after midnight and it's really a whole other day now. And I'm sure more adventure awaits...........but until then.............