Seabrook sucked

Apologies for my bad word.

It did though.

Seabrook is this great little beach town created all at once .. like the way Venus sprung out of Zeus' head a fully formed adult. It was created for families -- bike paths, a small retail street, a central park with lots of space for games, fire pits, and a beautiful beach.

Unfortunately, we visited on a rainy, crappy Washington coast weekend. It was beautiful in Seattle though. We visited the indoor pool, braved the cold beach, played Life, Uno, Settlers of Cataan, and introduced the kids to The Simpsons. We made the best of it but we probably won't return.

Happy 4th!

My independent kids really enjoyed Independence Day. Every year, we visit the Bainbridge Island festival and parade. We play mini golf, eat ice cream, and watch the parade. I find parades really boring and have never been sure why they are popular.. but I digress. We met our family friends, the Armstrongs, and visited the mom's parents' home -- a beautiful mid-century place they purchased 30 years ago that sits right on the water.  We played more games, drank beer and enjoyed conversation while the kids ran around. Americana at its best. We headed home on the ferry as fireworks exploded across the city. Since it was so warm we could watch the spectacle from the ferry deck and the breeze was warm ( a first ).  We arrived home at 11pm and the kids were crazy with exhaustion.