{parts one and two}
we arrived back to my parents' house from Canada on Sunday afternoon and discovered all of the kids out back playing on the giant slip'n'slide my dad set up for them! they had so much fun. we had to break up the party eventually so our girls could change into church clothes and attend the Sunday evening mass at the local parish. this church is full of young families and even though the liturgical and musical style is more contemporary than our preference, they are so welcoming and kind.
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| Kira's car was one of the first to arrive back at the house and she wasted no time in changing into her swimsuit to join the kids |
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| playing disc golf with her uncles (both of whom play competitively!) |
on Monday, we spent a relaxing morning and afternoon at home; various family members started to depart so we said our goodbyes. then finally, around 5 PM, we rallied our girls to go to Pine Lake. I spent many summer hours here as a kid and it's always a highlight of our visits back home when we're able to make it there! Elizabeth and Victoria practiced their "swimming" and played in the sand, while Nick and I relaxed in the water and Greta and Cece chased minnows.
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| golden hour in the Pacific Northwest just hits differently |
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| the swimming area is shallow all the way out to the buoys -- perfect for little ones! |
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| swimming lessons with Daddy |
Tuesday was our last full day of the trip and I finally made good on my promise to take Cece to the Space Needle. she has been asking to go for years and it has just never materialized between other commitments or inclement weather. Tuesday promised to be beautifully sunny (and hot!) and so I pulled the trigger on tickets to go up to the top of the Needle. Mom miraculously had the energy to come with us even after the crazy weekend watching seven kids, and it was really fun to play tourist for the day!
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| looking down at the LEGO Space Needle in the gift shop |
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| absolutely incredible! |
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| first view from the top! the plexiglass was crystal clear -- it would be a very different experience on a rainy day. |
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| I feel like this next series of photos should be in a children's counting book. 2 + ... |
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| ... 2 + ... |
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| ... +1 = 5! |
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| looking down at the Experience Music Project (with the silver roof) and the playground |
Greta took it upon herself to play photographer and there were certainly plenty of photo ops!
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| Cece was NOT pleased with us for this one |
then we went up to the next level where you can stand in the rotating portion of the Needle. Elizabeth and Victoria were a bit freaked out by this and I can't blame them! it was very cool though and again, one hundred percent worth it to wait to do this on a sunny day.
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| helping Victoria find her sea legs |
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| the mountain is out! |
at the base of the Needle, there is a large playground designed mostly for older kids with a huge climbing structure. the girls played for a while but it was so hot and the little ones were starting to melt down as it was already 1 PM.
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| Greta is up in the netting! |
we headed inside for lunch at the Seattle Center food court. at the food court level, you can look down into a portion of the children's museum on the floor below, and my girls were begging to visit. we debated if we should go to the Chihuly glass museum instead since none of us had ever been there except for Mom, but the kids were much more interested in the children's museum and I was also curious to revisit it as an adult. I absolutely loved it as a child and have always felt like our children's museum in Pittsburgh doesn't compare to the Seattle version, so we decided to give it a whirl!
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| they made a beeline for this mountain habitat that they could see into from the food court |
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| you're never too old for trains! |
my favourite part about the museum is the imaginative play areas. they have so many separate spaces with different themes and costumes. they've upgraded some things over the past thirty years, as expected, but my absolute favourite section is exactly the same: a little town set up with various businesses, a theater, a doctor's office, and a post office. all four kids played for hours and the setup really encourages collaborative play among all the kids who are there, even if they don't know each other. I just love it.
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| the post office has dozens of letters and packages labeled to be delivered to the different businesses in the town so kids run around delivering and picking up the mail. |
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| Victoria in the floor length white coat!! |
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| the theater has working sound effects, lights, and interchangeable backdrops |
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| Greta working the soundboard |
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| we finally had to drag them out and they proceeded to both have meltdowns and wanted milk to drink. Nick set off to find a coffee stand (an easy task in this city!) and by the time he came back, they both had passed out hard |
the next morning, we left the house bright and early to fly back to Pittsburgh with so many wonderful memories of another Geigerpalooza in the books!
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