Summer Fun

This summer has been great. Not only has the Seattle weather cooperated but it's been a ton of fun having Foster at an age where he can get around on his own and really enjoy exploring. We started things off right by visiting the splash park a few times. Foster loved all of the water and had no fear about getting drenched in the face when it came shooting out of somewhere unexpected. He'd splash and watch all of the big kids to try and mimic how to point the spray guns and avoid the buckets of falling water.

I wish that we got to the park more often than we did, we'll have to make an bigger attempt next year for sure! I suppose part of the reason our trips were so limited was because of how busy we were with everything else. One of Foster's favorite outings this summer was to Fox Hollow Farms with Sable, Omee, and Lara.

There are animals there! That you can pet! And tiny houses to play in! Foster loved being able to go up and pet goats and bunnies and soft horse noses. My favorite shot was the one where a little piglet went right up to Foster and gave him a smooch on the cheek. Aside from the animals and tiny houses there is also a barn loft full of corn that the kids can play in. By that point Foster was ready for a nap and made sure to let Sable know right in her ear.

 

When Foster wasn't busy exploring new places he was having fun playing in his own front yard this summer. Uncle Mark and Aunt Kris had given him a sandbox for his birthday and he got plenty of use out of it over the warmer months. His favorite activity is to scoop sand up into something and then fling it into the grass, or chase mom or dad around the yard with it and fling it at them. I'm surprised we had any sand left by the end of the summer.

Foster got a chanced to do a few rounds of camping this summer too. He went last summer when he was just a few months old but this summer he was able to explore the campgrounds and have fun playing with the other kids.

We went once with the Kuders near Thunder Creek and then again with the Griffiths and some of their friends out near Katchess. Foster and Ryan got to use our hiking pack as we chased the Kuder kids up the trail whereas the trip with the Griffiths allowed for some fun with campfires and really enjoying the stars at night. Both times Foster had a little bit of a rough time settling down in the tent after having so much fun around the campfire. I think it was a little overwhelming for him to be outside and then transition into sleeping in a new place with new sounds.

Along with his new hiking pack, another toy that Foster picked up this summer was the trailer for Ryan's bike. Now we can take bike rides together as a family! The first run wasn't quite as successful as I was hoping. I envisioned Foster lounging in the trailer, maybe taking a nap and snacking on some puffs while Ryan and I ride along picturesque trails. Instead, Foster was flung backwards every time Ryan had to push to get up a hill, his little legs flying up over his head. Instead of enjoying the scenery, Foster was mostly crying along the trails except for the 30 minutes or so when he passed out in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position. Our next ride was much more enjoyable and Foster did in fact have some milk and snacks as we rode to and from dinner together. It wasn't a long ride by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a success!

Some of the final days of summer were spent enjoying the beaches. Once with daddy down at Carkeek Park throwing sand in the air, and then again on an annual get together put on by Gaston Nation in Gearhart, OR. I love that Ryan and Foster get to have fun during dude days on Wednesdays. The summer definitely opens up a lot of opportunities but I imagine that even in the winter they will have fun at the aquarium or bundling up and exploring the outdoors.

Gearhart is a little town on the Oregon coast near Seaside where Kelly and Dave have access to a rental on the beach that their friends own. Typically it's a place that the Merrils, Petermans, Minus-Millers, Gastons, Scheers, and sometimes a few more can get together and catch up. This year was Foster along with 3 three year old girls and two gals under one. Essentially surrounded by baby estrogen, Foster got pushed around and told what to do even more than usual. He handled it well though and tried to hang with the princess crowd. He loved when we would head down to the beach and play in the sand and had his first experience really wading out into the ocean.

We also took him to Seaside for an afternoon so he could experience American tourism at its finest and checkout the carnival rides.

All and all this summer was a huge success and a ton of fun. I'm looking forward to next summer already with more camping, water fun, and splash parks.