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Wagon Rides and The Sandy Lagoon

According to my baby book, I frequently rode in the wagon with my older brother out to the mailbox to get the paper in the morning. I don’t have a memory of this but the proof lies in my mother’s documentation and perhaps a few photos.  Maggie  had her first wagon ride at Thomas’ house the other day, and while Thomas was cool as as the other side of a pillow, Maggie held on for dear life and was serious as a tornado.

In the end, a great time was had by all, but Thomas was the Master Wagon Rider by far.  Thankfully the wagon has little cup holders, so next time we’ll be able to fill up their cups with tasty beverages and they can enjoy a drink if they get parched. Phew!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caroline had a ride earlier in the day with Thomas, and opted just to watch from afar while the ‘big kids’ took their ride. I predict next time she’ll wedge her way in and wear her sunglasses the whole time.

Back home at HBHQ, we had the much awaited GRAND OPENING of the Sandy Lagoon!

The construction crew (me and my screw driver, Maggie and her water bottle, and Sydney with her beef neck) showed up and put the Sandy Lagoon together. Who knew it would require so many screws or that there were so many parts?

(Thanks Christina, Charlyn &  Trace for the gift! We love it, obviously!)

At this point the Sandy Lagoon is lacking sand, but Maggie added some huge boulders to make up for that. This morning Barry asked Mags if she has her season’s pass to the Lagoon ready, but if I understood her correctly, and I think I did, she is considering going to the Lagoon a few more times before becoming a full-on member. I think she wants to see what the fuss is all about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time the Sandy Lagoon closed for the day (or maybe the sun went away and somebody was ready for her nap) Maggie was wholly convinced that the Sandy Lagoon is a great way to spend some time outside. I have no doubt that we’ll be back at it again and again.

Based on their end-of-the-day conversation yesterday, I’m convinced that both Barry and Maggie will be Season Pass holders to the Sandy Lagoon at HBHQ. Maggie convinced Barry by telling him about the boulders that she moved there.   I, on the other hand, need to go tickle my toes for a few more minutes in the water just to make sure I’m convinced the lagoon is relaxing.

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Tour de Thomas

We got a chance to head to Thomas’ house today to celebrate his birthday and it got me thinking about this past year and what great buds they’ve become.  So I hit up the HB Archives and pulled some of my favorite pictures of the Dynamic Duo. Of all these shots, the one that makes me laugh out loud is the one where Maggie is pinching Thomas’ ear. He looks horrified. I’m starting not to feel as bad about Maggie pinching him all the time because today, as we were saying goodbye to the birthday boy, he bopped her on the head a few times for good measure.

Enjoy the pictures of these two…Happy Birthday, Thomas!!

 

 

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Old School Playgroup

One of the best things about growing up in a small town is that you make friends for life early on. Both Barry and I have friends that we’ve known nearly our whole lives, which I find quite unique and special. I have a solid group of A-Town girls that I consider best friends and Barry has his B-Town boys.

Aside from getting together and having a splendid time with our friends, it is an opportunity to recall funny memories of times in the past. This past weekend we got to meet up with two of Barry’s “oldest” friends, Tye and Jeff. All three of them go wayyyyyyy back to elementary school and now are all grown up with little girls of their own.

Jeff, who is never really lacking for something funny to say, has a memory of a steel trap and sometimes he shares hilarious stories about Barry. I love it. Some of the gems include the time Barry beat him up for not sharing Valentine’s Day candy or Barry’s P.E. spandex that made more of a regular appearance on the scene than just P.E.. I feel like I shouldn’t go into detail about Barry beating up Jeff or his spandex out of love for Barry, so I’ll just let sleeping dogs lie, but I die laughing every time. (It should be noted that during this visit neither of those stories were mentioned…hmmm, kind of sad)

Maggie and Gracie spent some time playing on Gracie’s toy and I think that Jeff nearly gave his wife, Jill, a heart attack after he had their daughter join in the fun and she nearly toppled over. Kerry, Tye’s wife, and I had a hard time remembering what it was like to have a little, teeny nugget, as Jenna quietly snoozed away wrapped up in her cozy Moby Wrap next to Jill. Gracie gave Maggie a run for her money when it came to sharing a little plastic Easter egg with a quarter in it. Why is it that they always love the things that aren’t really toys?

We went to Alki and walked along the shoreline, passing the strollers and babes back and forth between the Papas and Mamas. At one point Jill, Kerry and I realized that our pregnancy/birth/motherhood conversation was probably a little too much for the group of young girls in front of us because suddenly they stopped their conversation and started looking sideways at one another. Eventually they pulled off and let us pass and we continued on our conversation. I have no doubt that eventually the little girls will be chattering away together, creating memories and building friendships that will last a lifetime. All because their papas grew up together in the same small town.