A WEEK IN REVIEW

Last week I had a great host family interview with an Indian Family. They offered me a glass of water in a tin cup. That moment was filled with nostalgia as visions of St Joe's Abids and many dinners of chapatti and rice flooded back to me. I wish I could go again and take my family. I would visit the market place and take my kids to Yankee Doodle Ice Cream. I'd love to stand again at the top of Golconda Fort where the wind sails around the 400 year old ruins.

It's hard for me to imagine I've been to such places when the memories fade over the years. It's not likely I'll ever visit the same villages, the same schools, or see the same people again.

Nevertheless, India was my first love. For reasons even I can't explain. I'm quite fortunate to have been there for two summers.

The last week was busy for our family. I went shopping without my children and found fairy wings and a skirt for Reagan.
It came in handy that I had these with me when I met up with Sean and Riley at the local Splash Park. Turns out, Reagan didn't like the splash park. Riley, on the other hand, adored it. He's asked every day if we can go back. The highlight was climbing to the top of a huge killer whale and sliding down its nose.
Reagan was happy to frolic in the grass in her new skirt and wings.
Saturday was trailsfest at Rattlesnake Lake.

Sean and Riley took a row around the lake in a kayak. This was Riley's first time in a small boat.

Reagan will tell you that being a little sister sucks. She entertained herself with sticks and rocks while the hot sun beat down on her and her brother was rowing around the sweet lake.

When she got bored with the rocks she dug through her bag and helped herself to Riley's sippee. He wasn't in sight, he won't know! You should also take note of the very cute bow I found for her superfine hair! Thankfully, she loves it as much as I do. That outfit was a compromise since Reagan was determined to wear her new killer whale shirt.

When Riley finally returned, he was so happy that he gladly posed for me in front of the mountain behind the lake.

After definitely not going to sleep in any uncertain amount of time, we got the kids up and took them out for another busy day.

We started out at Golden Gardens Beach on the Puget Sound. Then our family biked around Shilshole Bay, under the draw bridge, past Google and over to Gasworks Park.

This is the one section of the Burke Gilman we've never biked or run on. It was an accomplishment to see the last 6 miles of the trail.

We hiked to the top of a huge mound at Gasworks where we could see the boats coming and going through Lake Union. Riley, being the friendly guy that he is, makes friends with everyone. He didn't waste any time selling himself off to a nice lady with a kite.

She was kind enough to let Riley try to fly it!

Reagan stood by again in complete boredom, but perhaps with better scenery.

We rode back in time to see the sun setting at Golden Gardens, grabbed take out Chinese on the way home, and put our kids to bed so late that they will most certainly sleep in tomorrow morning. I guess not, but here's hoping.