An Adventure-full Weekend (And a Whole Lot of Pictures)

This weekend was full. We had a three day weekend, and we packed a lot in. I am exhausted.

Finn came home sick from school on Friday, and he was still recuperating Saturday morning. So, I took Phoebe out for a little excursion to the Audubon Society to see some rescue birds (and some wild birds too). We also took a short hike to their pond, which is my favorite place to see salamanders. It was a great mama-Phoebe bonding time and it was interesting to see how she was on a hike without Finn there. Finn is always ready to turn around and head back, and Phoebe almost always wants whatever Finn wants. But, Phoebe in the woods without Finn was quite content. We turned back when she needed to use the toilet, but only after she asked if she could dig a hole and poop in the woods. Umm, not on a hiking trail at the Audubon Society sweet girl...
Then I headed (without kids!) to a naked lady party (for those of you unfamiliar with the term, it is a ladies clothing swap.. no one is actually naked) and spruced up my wardrobe. Then home for a run, dinner on the grill, and a post-dinner family walk.

Sunday morning, Finn was feeling back to normal and the whole family headed up to Lacamas Park in Camas, Washington. I hadn't been there for a couple of years, and never in spring, and was reminded how beautiful it is there. We saw western painted turtles, a cormorant, lots of ducks, and even a waterfall. We had lunch in Camas at a tiny Mexican restaurant where Phoebe tried to speak Spanish to the waiter. After, I took the kids for an afternoon playdate with some friends, and then for dinner we went to a barbeque at our friends house.

Today, in celebration of Memorial Day, Finn didn't have school. Todd decided he needed to work so I took the kids up to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington. It is somewhere that has been on my radar for awhile.. it's only 40 minutes away and I have no idea why I haven't been before. It is a gem of a place and a paradise for birders. It is basically like a bird safari... you get a tour on CD, which explain the different areas and tells you what to look for. There are a couple of places you can get out and hike, or you can stay in your car. We saw great blue herons, egrets, tons of red-winged blackbirds, cinnamon teals, painted turtles, and many more birds. And this spot is absolutely gorgeous. I am already planning a trip to go back near the end of summer to see how things have changed. I love it there. We finished up weekend with a trip to the Rose Festival downtown with some neighbors. The kids went on a few rides, ate french fries and ice cream, and ran around like maniacs. It was a good end to a good weekend.

How was your weekend?