Baby Ballerina

Adeline took her 1st Ballet class this July with her best friend Abigail. They were so cute I felt like crying. She took it very seriously and was learning a little french as well. Her teacher's name was Miss Star and what a dramatic, Hollywood sounding name if I do say so. Every class Adeline was to end it by coming up to me and saying " Bon Jour Mama", however, apparently the French or just french in general makes Adeline angry, so she just grunted, scowled or screamed at us if we asked to hear her Bon Jour. As nimble and dainty as she is I can see this being a regular weekly class in our future.

Red, White and Ouch weekend

Every July here in Pensacola the hometown Blue Angels take to the sky for a 3 day air show. This by far is the biggest event in Pensacola and has a HUGE attendance, by boaters, beach goers and tourists. The Blues perform right over Pensacola Beach, so people get there by 6am to camp out, set up their tarps, towels and white trash, and get ready for Fat A and the Blues. We have seen this show faithfully for the 7 years we have lived here. We've seen it by beach, sail boat and pontoon boat. Here is Reece with Fat Albert making his low pass along the beach, nice and slow.

Emma sits in anticipation for the sneak attack by the stealthy Blue Angel who hides and then comes close to breaking the sound barrier over your head when you least expect it.

We Parrish's, we ain't no dummies, we didn't just fall off the turnip truck. We come prepared with all the ear gear the kids need to not be scared during the show.

Well, this year didn't go off without a hitch though. Friday morning before the practice show, Rick and Emma were walking in knee high water in Little Sabine, when awwwwww, stingray attack! WARNING WARNING, the next photo is the actual wound, so look away for the faint of heart

It was a 4 inch long gash with a deep puncture wound at the top that went in about 3 inches. We have had 4 antiobiotics, 2 shots and plenty of neosporin and 2 weeks later, it's still not closed or even close to it.

Hard to tell but the left cankle and calf are twice the size here

Saturday the BIG DAY and we parked with everyone else in Quietwater, far far away from stingrays, but close close to Bushwhackers. Those are my favorite beach drink made with rum, chocolate, ice cream and who else knows what to make it brown and slurry. All I know is this is the most fun we have all year. No sting ray or shark or beer shortage will keep us away, and for those out of towners, come down the 2nd weekend in July and join us.

Wrapping up the west coast

On our way back from 2 weeks in Washington, flying the best airline out there....Southwest. Why is that man behind me trying to get some face time for himself in our family picture? Boy, I sure didn't know what was in store for us later that night! Stuck in Phoenix for 5 hours and then arriving in New Orleans at 1am. Driving the 3 hours home and getting to our pad at a little after the cock crows. People were already waking up to go to work.

My wonderful other friend Becky from Seattle, lives near Mt. Rainier and was kind enough to have us invade for an evening to enjoy salmon on a cedar plank over the open fire. I worked with Becky while we lived in North Carolina and her husband Jeff, was also a marine stationed at Cherry Point. We both taught 5th grade together at the year-round school. Neither of us had kids yet. Then they moved and we moved and somewhere along the 10 years we went not seeing them, we each had 3 kids. So our daughters are 3 months apart, then we both had little boys and rounded the family out with more little girls. They have Gretchen, Joey and Bridget.

Becky and I and her huge Rhodesian Ridge back, Rusty

While on a mega tourist extravaganza, we did a ferry ride west and then drove to Ballard to see the locks. Here Adeline and I decided to run away and become hobos

At the Salmon Ladder under the Ballard Locks. Every few minutes we would see a Sockeye come shooting through the ladder on his way to Lake Washington

Out for a date night with Robin and Mark to the Cheesecake Factory, got the funniest look from the waiter when I asked him to tell me all the drinks you could put Kahlua in. He decided for me that I wouldn't like anything besides a white russian b/c I'm a huge wuss, so that's what I had. While in Seattle, we stayed up north in Bothell with my brother-in-law(Mark's) father and wife. So, they were kind enough one night to offer free babysitting services for us, thanks guys

While out on the Kitsap Peninsula we got ice cream and Vivian got her 1st taste of ice cream and demanded more immediately. She eventually ended up with the end of some one's cone and was content to grossify herself.

From the top of the ferry deck, the mountain came out that day! Hurray, so hurry everyone smile while we take a family picture with Mt. Rainier

Robin's family, Marjorie, Vivian and Mark

At Mark's fathers he has a chicken coop in the backyard and this became the kids sole entertainment for the four days we were there. The chickens would cluck quietly at around 5am, and that's when Emma and Reece would sneak outside in their pajamas and start picking up sleeping chickens to check who laid the egg. Emma called this chicken the "ultimate chicken", b/c she laid the most eggs , once laid 2 eggs at the same time and she let Emma pet her.

I kept calling them Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, b/c they were like the Lord of the Flies back there in the chicken coop for hours on end. And that was our amazing trip to Washington State , that included playgrounds, newsrooms, mountains, waterfalls, chickens, salmon, old friends, wineries, space needles, hotels, ferries, and COFFEE. See you next time Robinski

Coffee runs through my veins

You can't go to Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks, and not try to visit at least 1 on each block, gas station, grocery store, bank, airport, one right across from another on 2 adjacent corners. This sign is the actual real life 1st Starbucks EVER. OK everyone take a deep breath and say Thank God you exist, baby.

And so, this trip to visit my sister, turned into my coffee vision quest. Here on Mercer Island

I had to add this b/c this is a classic Emma pose, where she believes she is super adorable and looks like a baby bunny or mouse or something hamsterish and cute

Oh look, what is that, a chipmunk? A bush baby? The cutest animal alive?

Downtown on 5th ave

Somewhere near Pioneer Square or Westlake Center

Inside what I thought was the 1st Starbucks, so I copped a pose with a coffee stirrer in my mouth , surrounded by people who were probably wondering what was wrong with me or thinking, out of towner! Then ask the barista if this indeed was the 1st starbucks and he said NO, that one's down the street. Embarrassing