This morning was nice because the kids got to sleep in. Finally at 10 I figured I'd better wake them up since breakfast was all out and ready for us. It was like the windjammer cafe all over again, so much yummy food, and so much variety. I told you Aunt Pattie and Uncle Emmett are excellent hosts. After breakfast us indecisive Sattlers sat around trying to figure out what to do, and decided we would head down to the Fish Market, sans Cort and Garrett so they could stay behind for nap time, and Aunt Pattie because she had quite the undertaking with the meal she had planned.
My cousin Bridgette and Uncle Emmett took the cars out to get gas, and pulled up outside to pick us up to take us out. I really still felt like I was on the cruise tour. We did also play a fun game of duck duck goose while waiting for the caravan to arrive. Then we headed out to the fish market. It was super crowded, but the kids did get to see them throwing the fish. Hayden was very confused, his exact words 'Mom, why are they playing catch with those fish?' We also went to a magic store that Bridgette recommended because Tim liked it so much as a kid. The kids all got something, I put a stop to the fart candy, but oked the fart whistle. Which I will probably regret later.
We walked around a little bit past the first starbucks, and down to a pier to eat lunch. It was back to peanut butter and jelly for lunch, which gave me flashbacks to making PB and J in the back of the motor coach, but it was fine because I hadn't had it since then (unlike the land tour when I ate it once a day). Then the real fun began, the kids were chasing pigeons and thought it was the best thing in the world. My mom spends a boat load of money to go on this trip, and if you asked Hayden right now his favorite thing of the whole trip, he'd probably say the pigeons. At one point they were feeding them bread scraps to see how close the birds would get and it took all the self control Hayden could muster just to stand there and not chase after them. Bridgette held onto his shoulders to keep him in check, until we gave him the green light. Then he ran screaming down the pier after the pigeons.
After that we went to see the troll under the bridge. It was pretty random, and the kids were all pretty confused by it at first. But, it's a structure to climb on, that's dirty. How would that not be a favorite kid activity? We were able to see Mount Rainier, as it was a gorgeous day (70 feels hot to me, I am in trouble). When we we talking about it, Calib said 'Is that Mount Reindeer?' We didn't correct him the first time, we just laughed a lot. Good parenting, for the win.When we got back to the house, it was nearly dinner time.We were all downstairs, and then everyone left to help upstairs, I stayed with Cort and the kids. Until at one point Cort says "I don't think I like the adult to kid ratio' and then left. Thanks a lot Cort. (He also read my blog today and pointed out the spots I made fun of him. Someone is a sensitive Sally). I went outside with all the kids and saw all the people who had left to 'help' sitting up on the deck drinking alcohol laughing at me while the kids started in on the whining. Holly told me to take Garrett and get out of there, I quickly headed her advice. Tim and Emily also came over to visit and have dinner. It was nice to be able to see them too. I feel like for a trip to Alaska, I am seeing a bunch of family and friends (between here and Phoenix.. hard to believe that was this trip too)
The kids all outside together started out pretty harmless. They were finding pine cones, and when they came in with them some adult (I'm betting it wasn't Holly, and it wasn't me) gave them zip lock bags to fill with them. Once the filled all of those Uncle Emmett told them they could have even bigger bags, and gave them all garbage bags to fill, encouraging them to take all the pine cones they could fit in it home. I told Hayden he could collect them, and then just pick his favorite to bring home. I suspect it was Uncle Emmett's sneaky way of getting rid of the pine cones in his lawn. But eventually it got really out of control, and bugs were also going into the garbage bags. I believe Uncle Emmett was the one who started that little game. Hayden became so enamored with them, that he sent Uncle Emmett up to represent him, and petition to keep the 'pets' they had collected. They kept coming up to me with random bugs, Peyton even has two slugs in a jar. Although, Tim quickly scoffed at the size of the slugs Peyton and Uncle Emmett caught, and I told him to shush because I didn't want anymore. Is it wrong to hope a slug doesn't make it very long? I don't want some sort of begging to take it with us or something. There has to be rules about not taking slugs on planes, right? That's got to be a valid reason.Dinner was nice, there were several courses. Aunt Patty really outdid herself. There were clams, crab, fish, steak, vegetables, fruit and salad. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but it was quite the spread. And of course there was desert. Asa still thinks he's in some kind of eating competition, but did concede to Tim before going for a 4th piece of cheesecake. Then we sat around telling stories of our travels. We also let Cort in on the Anchorage stroller debacle, in which Holly could laugh about now, so good news there's no resentment there. I must have not blogged about it when it happened, since Cort had no idea and he had just read it all. At one point we were getting back on the bus, Cort goes over to the stroller, takes his camera off of it, and goes to talk to Matt (the land tour director) while everyone was boarding. This left Holly with getting the backpack, Garrett, and closing up the stroller to get everything and Garrett on the bus, I helped her when she was fumbling around with trying to close the stroller, with the backpack falling off one shoulder, and Garrett looking a bit insecure in her other arm. I told her I'd kill Asa if he ever did that. Apparently Cort was completely oblivious. It's pretty funny telling the stories now. I said to Holly 'see, we can laugh about it (meaning the whole trip) now'. She said she still needs awhile.
Mom is leaving early in the morning, but she doesn't have to be sad about saying goodbye to any of my family. We'll see her on Tuesday night and Asa will see her on August 5th when she arrives with Calib. I'm spending my summer vacation with my mom. Tomorrow I'll also get to see Brandy, who texted this morning to see what donuts we wanted. I'm very excited! (about both Brandy and the donuts).
Cort and Holly leave mid-day, but I think Calib is ready to have a break from Gwen, he's finding her increasingly bossy. (Although I really thought her bossy-ness has been a lot more under control this trip). We did make him sleep with her again tonight, because she wanted him to, and we told him he wouldn't see her again for awhile. He still wasn't pleased. I guess they need a while to look back on this trip through those rose colored glasses too.
Next Up: A greatly reduced number in the traveling pack, Brandy and Voo Doo Donuts!
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