The Rest of the Story. . .

After I posted our 2011 anniversary, Erin sent me a few pictures from their excursion to the Pacific Science Center. I figure they're worth sharing here so I don't inadvertently lose them in the depths of my e-mail account.

What a broad of 5 small children looks like. Cora and Thane must be twins.

Proof that Ally held the cockroach. Is she cracking a smile?

They also played with butterflies. Brave Ally looks a little stunned.

The day after our Seattle date, I stuck Chris on an airplane and sent him off to a conference for the week. The girls and I stayed with Mark and Erin so they could continue playing with their cousins. This is what I remember doing:

The girls played a lot of dress-up. All the kids also enjoyed singing, dancing, and running around (except Thane who was just learning to walk). Cora and Thane spent hours stealing each others' cars, climbing on the train table, taking apart Legos, and crawling up and down the stairs.

We took a trip to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. We watched one of their nature shows starring a lost dog and a GPS unit that took the owner all over the world. We also got an up close view of polar bears, sharks, and a fancy peacock (not in the exact same locations).

I also remember going to a home-schooling convention with Erin. (At least I think it was on this trip. Hard to verify it since I didn't take pictures.) And, no, I'm not thinking of officially home schooling my children. Erin wanted to go check out materials, and I was curious about what would be there. We loaded up the children and drove out to the Puyallup Fairgrounds. Since it was a clear day, we were able to capture an amazing view of Mount Rainier out the van windows. Once inside the convention, we were treated to two model train setups, a gymnastics area, a trampoline, old army vehicles and farm equipment on which to climb, and a plethora of booths with information and activities. The nerd in me took over, as I really enjoyed looking at the home science experiment stuff. Which reminds me-- somewhere around here I should have a package of magically-growing water beads from China. . .

After Chris came back from his conference we had a family date to the ballpark. When the Phillies are in town, you have to go! We'd planned to leave in plenty of time to avoid traffic, leisurely catch the mass transit train, and then explore SafeCo Field before the first pitch. We didn't factor in the apparent complexity of Seattle's transit options when you're a newbie. Did you know there are 2 different Tukwila stations for the Sound Transit-- one for the Sounder train and one for the Central Link light rail? We didn't know until we pulled up to the wrong one, bought tickets for the wrong one, and then realized no more trains were coming that night. So, back in the car we went, and drove through traffic to the other station to hop on the light rail.

We walked inside the park just as the game was starting. Chris and Cora quickly found their seats while I spent the top of the first inning in the walkways, waiting for Ally to improve her little attitude.

Although our team did not win in the end, we all had a good time. Even the ride home was enjoyable and glitch-free since we're now experienced Sound Transit customers. Instead of being squished like sardines, we boarded a new train that had plenty of room-- and we sat next to a couple who live in downtown Philadelphia. It's always a small world when you're a Philly sports fan.