Tuesday Surprise - November

Week 1: Breakfast at Shari's
Week 2: Museum of Flight
Week 3: Wanna Cupcake
Week 4: Epic Donuts

The Museum of Flight is amazing!  So much to see!

We brought home these treats from Epic Donuts.

Tuesday Surprise - October

Week 1: Chambers Bay beach
Week 2: Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Week 3: Schilter Farm Pumpkin Patch, Nisqually
Week 4: Scholtz Pumpkin Palace, Orting

Throwing driftwood in the water at Chambers Bay.

 Sitting on Grandpa's bridge.  We really wanted to see a train drive under the bridge, and we were excited to see one come around the corner.  But then it slowed down and stopped!  We had to leave before it started moving again.  After this the boys came with me to Helen Hovis's funeral.

 Peek-a-boo with the walrus at Point Defiance!

Schilter Farm.

 Both boys LOVED the hay maze!

 Sand table

 Rubber duck races

 Tractor trikes

 Happy hay ride

 King of the hay castle

Scholtz Farm

Tuesday Surprise - September

Week 1: Ferry ride to Seattle Aquarium
Week 2: Tacoma Mall Panera
Week 3: Nature walk at Clark's Creek Park
Week 4: Titlow Beach

Due to Levi's school schedule, our new free day is Tuesday.  So what was once "Wacky Wednesday" and then "Mystery Monday" has now become "Tuesday Surprise."  To celebrate our final Mystery Monday, we decided to go all out and indulge with an expensive field trip.  My mother came with us this day.  We drove to Bremerton, rode the ferry to Seattle, walked along the waterfront, visited the Seattle Aquarium, ate a picnic lunch in Waterfront Park near the ferris wheel, rode the ferry back, and strolled through Bremerton's Blackberry Festival before heading home.  It was a great trip!  Of course, the boys' favorite part was riding the ferry!

I don't know how to rotate these images.  Sorry!!!

 

 

For our first Tuesday Surprise, we tried to go to a park in Tacoma; however, it started raining just as we arrived.  Instead we ended up going to the Tacoma Mall and playing on the kids' rides (without actually paying for the rides).  Then we shared a cookie at Panera.



Although we've been to Clark's Creek Park before, we hiked a different trail this time.

Throwing rocks at Titlow Beach!

August Mystery Mondays

Week 1: Mud Mountain Dam hike, playground, and picnic
Week 2: Main City Park, Orting
Week 3: Ballard Locks
Week 4: Paradise at Mount Rainier with Olivia
Week 5: Bounce E House

After a 1/3 mile descent, we viewed Mud Mountain Dam

 

Hiking back up

This blurry picture of Levi was the best I could get.
He was a speed demon hiking back to the top!

Playing with the other kids at the Orting park.

Levi and Micah loved watching the boats at the Locks!

 The fish ladder was a bit disappointing.  After seeing a hundred large salmon hanging out just below the locks--and watching a seal catch one!--there was a total of three fish in the underwater viewing area.

Since Levi really didn't want to go home, we stopped for ice cream on the way to the car.

Olivia was in town!  She joined us and Grannie for a trip to the mountain.  Our first stop was at Longmire where we hiked the Trail of Shadows (about 0.7 mile).

 A smelly spring

After a lunch stop at a picnic area, we joined the long line of parked cars at Paradise.  We were delighted to see three hilarious marmots!

At Bounce E House, Grannie and Levi spent their time sitting in the lobby.  (The owners were so kind to give us a refund because Levi never played!)

 Micah sure had fun, though!