Field Trip - Clyde Beach

Isn't there something amazingly summery about swimming in a lake?  Maybe it's the Rocky Mountain Canada girl in me.  If you were going to swim in a lake where I grew up it better be smokin' hot on shore, or you would be in danger of hypothermia!  

Luckily the lakes around here are refreshingly cool and Lake Washington itself has some great family beaches.  This is a favourite in Bellevue, Clyde Beach. Great grassy hill, fun "pirate" playground, a dock, roped off swimming area for the little ones and even a lifeguard!!!

Clyde Beach Park

Address: 2-92nd Avenue NE

Contact: Picnic Reservations: 425-452-6914

Hours: Dawn to dusk
Beach Lifeguard Schedule

Amenities: Swimming, lifeguard on duty late June through Labor Day. Rediscover Clyde Beach Park- this expanded beach park features an enchanting boathouse that will evoke memories from the past. Restrooms, picnic and a play area. 2.23 acres.

Directions: From I-405, take the NE 8th Street exit going west. Turn left onto 92nd Avenue NE. Park is at the end of the street.(The only downside is parking spots are limited)

Squeezing Out More Summer

Somehow out of the blue today was warm, hot even.  The boys played a mean soccer game on a muddy field in scorching sun and it called for sprinklers afterward.  I'll take summer anytime I can.

Summer is like an ice pop...

As a child a favourite summer treat was those frozen ice pops in the plastic sleeves, the bright unnatural colours. I would wait to open them until they were a bit mushy and slushy, slurp them right up and always wish there was more. I would roll, twist, squeeze that plastic wrapper to get every drop of juice. I feel the same way about summer every year. Once again, unfortunately, summer is almost over. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I take my sun seriously and whenever I can get it. Over the past couple weeks, even with trying to pack and move, we've tried to eek out every drop of summer left.

This last week we've tried to:
Drink lots of lemonade
Have lots of picnics outside
Run barefoot in the grass
Jump on the trampoline in the sprinklers
Stay up late to look at the stars and play with flashlights
Sleep in the next morning
Sleep with the windows open
Eat tomatoes right out of Grandpa's garden
Enjoy every moment we can with family and friends
Turn my face up to the sun, close my eyes, take a deep breath and store up Vitamin D for the winter.

I'm not sure if I'm ready for it, but at least we are saying good-bye with flair...

The summer that finally came....

So today we had summer! Yippee! We've been teased by mother nature a little the last few months, with only a few days here and there with real sunshine, rather discouraging knowing the next 8-10 months is definitely forecasting rain for winter. So today we danced in the warm sunshine and sprinklers, soaking every bit in while we can.