Oh warm and sunny Northwest…

It was kind of cruel how beautiful the weather was during our trip to Portland and Oceanside, Oregon. Cloudless, highs in the low 80′s. After a summer of Texas rain (aka: torrential downpours that leave the sweltering air smelling like fetid rotting vegetation and swarming with man-eating insects) the Northwest seemed like heaven. I miss the trees and mountains so much my bones hurt.

Portland and Vancouver have changed incredibly since I was in high school; but not so much in that urban-sprawl-where-is-all-the-grass kind of way. More like the turn-the-dangerous-bum-ridden-empty-lots-into-parks kind of way. And the mass transit! And the bike trails! And the recycling!

But I love Austin? I mean… I love Austin. Um yeah.

The kids were really really good during the plane ride and basically throughout the whole week. I decided that, since Violet is toying with losing her nap, I’d forgo being a slave to it. Of course Graham has no discernible schedule, so we took advantage of this flexibility. He thinks napping in the car or the Bjorn is preferable anyway. I have to say that five adults to one toddler and one infant is an excellent ratio.

Activities:

• zoo & aquarium (Violet was most impressed with the playgrounds, but the rest of us enjoyed the animals)

• hiking (the kids took great naps while we lugged them across sand dunes and down mountainsides)

• frolicking on the beach (no swimming, too cold)

• swing building (always gotta have a project)

• eating (the Barker-Wainwrights sure know how to throw together some good grub)

• drinking (the Barker-Wainwrights sure know how to stock a wine cellar)

Now, back to reality.