Choate Monday

So, "Choate Monday" starts with a reprise of "Choate Sunday",

because I forgot the bike ride.

Tate, however, did not ;D

Sunday afternoon the kids all decided to go for a bike ride.

Almost all the kids.

One of the boybarians decided he needed some quiet introvert time in his room.

(No, he wasn't being punished.  He really did need some down-time.)

With not-quite-enough bikes for everyone, Tate rigged the wagon to his bike and pulled Katherine and a cooler with water bottles.

As I look at this picture I'm having a "Duh!" moment.

I puzzled over whether the bike ride was Sunday or Monday.

But, DUH.

Look at the school playground.

It would not be available to us on a weekday.

And it's a great school playground,

with a million dollar view :D

Yet another thing we take for granted...

clean, safe parks and playgrounds.

Not always common overseas.

Then a visit with Polly.

So.... back to MONDAY...

Monday's plan was for everyone to do their normal things...

work and school for Kerry and the boys,

exercise (early in the morning is so much more fun with Joanna!),

and errands for the moms.

So ordinary to me,

yet a re-entry into American culture for Joanna.

Things like the Apple store to get her phone checked,

Walmart, the grocery store, and Barnes and Noble :D

Once everyone was back home,
and dinner was in the oven
(Costco lasagna, because I am all
SO FANCY MUCH WOW!)
we headed down into Whatcom Falls Park
for a three-bridge walk.

Long ago there were sawmills out on Lake Whatcom.
An electric streetcar ran out to the lake.
And even when I was little,
a train still came out daily.

These two ALWAYS had some sort of friendly discussion and/or debate going :D

If you're local you may recognize the trail down to Derby Pond,
and the little dam (or weir),
and Bridge #1 :D

Katherine, Gunnar, Wyatt, Aaron, Olivia, Tate, Benjamin, and Sarah

(Kerry, where were you?  Joanna and I were taking photos)

And on through the hatchery to Bridge #2

Looking downstream...

... and upstream.

If we could just get the kids to quit goofing around for a moment!

They absolutely LOVED that we kept making them pose for photos.

(Yes, sarcasm is just one of the services I offer.)

And they're pretty cute even when they're not posing :D

I'm usually in the park in the morning,
so it was interesting to see it in different light.

Around the pond to Bridge #3...

Apparently Wyatt got tired of having his photo taken.

And about that time we all realized how hungry we were getting!

And thinking of FOOD and DINNER and LASAGNA and starting to hurry home!

But I was lagging in the back,
with Joanna keeping me company,
enjoying the beauty of the woods and the water.

I could just sit in that red chair...

... and look at the sky...

... and watch the wildlife...

... and listen to the birds :D

Especially with a good friend to share it with :D