Learning to Dance in the Rain

Archive for June, 2011

As we got ready for the day on Saturday, we decided we needed more of an adventure than just staying home getting “stuff done” to which there seems to be an endless list.  So we packed up the snacks and the kids and headed for the ferry terminal north of us in Everett.  A ferry was just leaving, so while we waiting for the next one, we hopped out the car and went exploring.  We saw a train going by, said hi to a policeman and his bomb sniffer doggie (very cool) and even got to the pier just in time to see a man reel in a fish (woah, why are we going on the ferry – I’ve had about enough excitement for one day!).  Then it was time to drive onto the ferry, at which point we could get out and walk about.  It was so relaxing, and the only sad part was that I wondered why I had lived in Puget Sound for 5 years, and only now was taking a ferry!

We really had no idea what to do on Whidbey Island so we found a park which had an enormous playset and some slugs about twice the size of an adult thumb.  Eeeeewww.  There were lots of doggies, and slugs, and sweet children holding hands in the forest, and slugs.  And hey, it was a fun day.

When we got back to Mukilteo on the mainland we stopped for fish and chips by the lighthouse, and headed back home.  I think we should be spontaneous more often. 

Since I can’t get my other camera’s memory card to fit into my computer’s little slot, which contain pictures for more exciting posts, I shall bore you with our little trip to the zoo.  Luke’s preschool class has an annual day at the zoo, the whole family can come and the kids can even take the school bus all the way there and back – Luke declined when he knew I would be driving too…Well, there must have been about 10 buses at least, and I was dreading it almost more so than if it had been raining since I do not like crowds, but, when we got in there it was really not bad at all.  I LOVE Woodland Park Zoo because even though it’s in the middle of Seattle, the animals have such nice enclosures, and more room that I’ve ever seen in a zoo – except for the meerkats who have an oversized fish tank…  Well, when the school buses finally left and we were left to explore the zoo at our own stroller’s pace, it was a good day.  It’s always cute to see how happy the kids get when they see the giraffe and the penguins.  As for the other animals, well, let’s just say the fake meerkat mound and the plastic cow were way more engaging.  I saw more kids lining up to see the tractor, the concrete dinosaur head, and other inanimate objects than any of the animals we actually PAID to see (well, the school district paid, so no matter).  We were so glad it didn’t rain.

My favorite pictures are of the kids milking the cow and Luke informing those older boys that this dinosaur is in fact “not real because dinosaurs are all dead.”  Poor preschool teacher had prepped the kids that they were not going to see dinosaurs because as we all know, zoos are for real animals – thanks a lot!