Mom's gone! Let's party!

Mom took off for the last weekend in August to race at the Eugene Celebration. Dad and Hazel decided to party.

They started with a neighborhood party at St. John's Park, where Hazel tried her hand at hula-hooping (is that a verb?).

On Saturday, Dad had some work to do. So, he took her to the fire station where she charmed everyone and tried to prevent him from working. He didn't mind too much.

After a rad weekend with Dad, Hazel was tuckered out. So were her babies. They all laid down for a collective nap.

Camping again? But of course!

Because 7 nights in a row is 2 too many to spend in one's own bed, Hazel headed out yet again. This time, she went north to Lake Cushman to meet up Aunt Ailey, Uncle Ritchie, Auntie Sissa, Uncle Nate, and Baby Eli.

Everyone bunked in their own tents right next to each other and hung out on the dock. The lake was down 15 feet due to some dam work, so it was difficult to get any beach time in. Instead, there was a lot of hanging out in the campsite, swinging in the hammock, and sitting around the campfire. On Sunday, everyone went to Hoodsport to uncover crabs on the beach and eat delicious oyster burgers.

Who can fault us for not having time to take any pictures??

Sorry about that. Know this: It was Hazel's fourth weekend of camping in a row. She's a natural. August has been a very, very good month.

Takhlakh Lake

Upon return from vacation, Hazel wanted to know when everyone could sleep in a tent again.

"Next weekend," said Mom. And then she made it happen.

Takhlakh Lake was gorgeous. There were a lot of mosquitos, but Hazel didn't even notice. She was too busy playing in the water, digging in the dirt and eating corn on the cob next to the

campfire. When she returned home on Sunday night, completely covered in mosquito bites, she loudly proclaimed, "I LOVE camping!"

THREE!

Hazel said she wanted a bike race for her third birthday party. Mom and Dad obliged, as did her friends and her "bike race teacher" (that would be Sallyanne).

It was a beautiful evening in Cathedral Park for a bike race and everyone went fast and won a ribbon. We call that a birthday party success. Haze even had a pink cake with a "pink bike helmet and a bike" on it, courtesy of the local bakery. Several of her best friends came, along with her grandma, grandpa and Aunt Ailey and many of her grown up friends.

Oh, and she got to wear a tutu dress. We're pretty sure she was in heaven.

Vacation: Second Verse

For the second half of vacation, Hazel and Co. headed to Priest Lake, where they found a secluded lakeside campsite and spent 4 days playing in the sand, swimming, celebrating Hazel's birthday, playing with Little People and playing in the sand some more. It was Toddler Paradise.

Mom and Hazel dug an epic "hot tub".

Hazel celebrated her third birthday in her birthday suit. She wasn't so in to her birthday pie. She was, however, in to her birthday present.

It's rough to camp right next to a lake and spend your days playing in the sand.

Barker campsite.

For her birthday present, Hazel received Little People circa 1972. She loved them.

And then everyone went home and everyone was very sad vacation was over, including Hazel. She kept asking Mom and Dad when they would sleep in the tent again. Soon, they promised. Really, really soon.

Vacation I

Apologies for the looooooooong delay in posting. Vacation took precedence and then we came back from vacation and life was suddenly...busy again. Weird. Anyway, we're back from two weeks of worry-free bliss, whether you or I like it or not. And we have these pictures to show as proof.

Vacation Part II will arrive shortly, I promise.

Hazel spent the first week of vacation at her Grandma and Grandpa's house, where Mom and Dad are convinced she watched Disney movies and ate candy all day. They didn't mind much, since it was one whole week kid-free and grandparents are allowed to indulge their grandchildren. She could have eaten twinkies all week for all they cared. We have no pictures of the week, however, so we start our little photo journal with the halfway point of Hazel's vacation: meeting Mom and Dad at Grandma and Grandpa's cabin in Central Washington.

It was finally hot enough to take the boat out. Hazel's choice of boat attire: PINK.

Family boat portrait. Oddly, the only family photo we took on our entire vacation.

After meeting Mom and Dad at the cabin, everyone took off for points unknown in Northern Idaho AKA the south end of Lake Coeur d'Alene, where the famdamily camped for three nights.

The batteries in Hazel's headlamp died, so she got a reflector as a substitute. Easily visible by cars, deer and fellow campers.

The 72-mile Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes passes Heyburn State Park. The Barker family of course, had to indulge, utilizing all of the 4 million bikes we brought on vacation.

Days on Lake Coeur d'Alene looked like this: Wake up, eat, play, beach, swim, beach, eat, swim, beach, eat, campfire, bed. And maybe some ballet lessons on a log on the beach.

Hazel quickly figured out how to turn the faucet at our campsite on and off and on and off and on and off...hours of wasteful entertainment while Mom and Dad relaxed around the campfire.

What? You've never had a sponge bath in a too-small plastic bin? What's wrong with you?

When canoeing on Lake Coeur d'Alene, Hazel likes to help paddle for all of a minute. Maybe. Then she likes to just take in the scenery.

Pretty representative of Barker family vacation.

Vacation Part II will arrive shortly...