On the Road Again

I still have countless stories and pictures I intend to post from our great west road trip.  Since we've returned home, we've switched the girls' rooms around, been potty-training Annie in anticipation of preschool starting (she's doing great, by the way!), and generally have been trying to get back on top of things and enjoy the summer.  I will do my best to get caught up on all those things one of these days.

But, before I get too far behind, I thought I'd move ahead to our most recent adventure: another road trip, this one to Door County, Wisconsin with some good friends for a long weekend.

Siri, Annie, Leif, and Kaj

This was our second annual trip to Door County, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.  The kids had a great time playing with each other, and we parents enjoyed the chance to reconnect and do a bit of relaxing together.  We had beautiful sunny weather for pretty much the whole weekend (a few breakfast times rain showers couldn't slow us down) that we took advantage of.  We took a hike, played at nearby playgrounds, went for adventure walks in the woods around the cabin, ate delicious food, sewed skirts and pillows, ate ice cream and cherries.  The three year olds and dads had adventure time in the afternoons (we decided them skipping naps and getting entirely worn out was the best way to ensure that they wouldn't be giggling in their room together till the wee hours of the morning!): they headed to the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula for swimming and sand castle building one day, and the next they went goofy (or mini) golfing and came back looking like pirates.  Today at lunch I asked Annie what her favorite part of the trip had been and she immediately said playing at the beach.  Siri seemed to enjoy everything as well, whenever she got the chance she liked to sit on an antique sled in the entry way and chant "go, go, go!"

Annie and Kaj ready for observing on our hike.

Siri and Mom on the hike--both Di and I had to resort to all sorts of different dramatic tactics to keep the wee ones awake through the hike (lest we lose our precious afternoon nap time hours), needless to say no wildlife was spotted, I am sure we scared everything far, far away!

Eric, Annie, and Kaj next to their sandcastle.  

Annie and Kaj practicing their pirate faces and sounds.

Annie's photo of the clouds, she was quite eager for us to get rained on.

Our other big news from the weekend?  Annie was playing with an imaginary friend for the first time that we are aware of.  And, despite all of Eric's efforts to make sure that Annie didn't get swept up in all the little girl "princess" play, her imaginary friend was "the prince."  He accompanied Annie all over the cabin, and rode home in the back-end of our car.