A week on the Oregon coast camping...

First, a very long car ride...

...some serious fun at the beach...

...lots of late bedtimes...

...and just squeezing in time for a photo...

Childhood...

Really, what is better than summertime as a kid?!!

Confused or Flexible?

Some think Daniel is quite Australian in his speech, but of course the Aussies think he is very American. So proof to all that his speech has influences from both (and after all, he is both)... We were playing 'ordering', where Daniel goes in the playhouse and I order food from the window (he also calls it 'playing McDonald's', but that's a bit embarrassing to admit...): (but first, a little USA/Aussie translation help: chips=fries, and sauce=ketchup) Daniel: We have chips and hot dogs. Mum: Okay, I'll have chips and some sauce. D: Actually, we don't have sauce, but we do have ketchup. I do try my best to do the right thing for both countries, I promise, although his hot dog consumption is probably far above what would be accepted in Australia... ;) But he still says 'bickies' [australian for crackers] and 'straight away' [australian for 'right now'].

Planes and Trains

What a strange thing it is to travel alone! I flew up to Oregon again this weekend while Andrew kept the kids. To get on and off a plane on my own, walk straight out of the airport without any checked baggage or kids in tow, and get in a car and drive home, then go up to bed and actually unpack my own stuff and turn on the light (instead of being quiet for sleeping kids)... well, you get the picture, it was an atypical weekend for me!

After talking Andrew's ear off when I got home last night, I said, "wow, I've kind of not stopped talking, I've just had space to think about so much this weekend...!" He laughed and said, "yeah, and I haven't been able to think about anything this weekend!" Ah the joys...

So the kids and Andrew rode Thomas the train on Saturday. Check out the smile on Daniel's face! Laura seemed otherwise quite unimpressed...

after-travel-crazies

I think the 2-day road trip showed its affect this way... I said yes to paint. Yes to painting hands. Yes to painting Laura. We had such fun.