Roller Coaster

 

Yesterday was Rocky's last day of school so we felt like we should get out and enjoy the sunshine and bask in the freedom that summer brings.  Unfortunately for Brandon that freedom won't begin for another week.  Generally I stick with the boring mom scenario and make the girls stick to the playground outside our front door so that I can happily sit on a blanket and read while Rosy naps but today I was feeling inspired.  I had an errand to run in Veneta and figured that since we were already 30 minutes into the drive that we might as well extend it to Florence. 

 When I first proposed the idea the girls were so excited that they were running around the apartment cheering.  We found a little beach off of the spit and they frolicked and danced in the sun for an hour or so before Daisy came back to me and asked when we would be leaving for the coast.  I was perplexed because as far as I was concerned we had already arrived.  After a few minutes of her insisting that we weren't there I asked her to tell me more about it and she said, "You know the coast that goes up and down and you ride."  It was then I realized that she was under the impression that I was taking her to a roller coaster.  "Yeah," she replied, "Aren't we going to the roller coast?"

 I didn't take a photo but for a few minutes we shared this small patch of sand with two gigantic dogs.  As they approached the blanket that Rosy and I were sharing their owner from about 100 feet away yelled, "Don't worry, they are really nice."  This was news I was happy to receive, especially since one of them was in the process of chewing on Rosy's hat brim. I think at this point it is important for me to emphasize that it was the brim of the hat that was currently on her head, which looked like a pea next to the monster teeth of that dog.  While I waited for someone to call their pet off my baby the owner just kind of smiled and shrugged his shoulders, his wife stood with him and continued looking for seashells.  Rosy for her part was too busy trying to eat the sand to care much.  While reflecting on this situation later it seemed that I should have been more proactive in protecting my 8 month old offspring and done something, but the moment was too bizarre for me to react rationally.  Lucky for us, those enormous animals were in fact nice, or we would probably have one less Rigby.
As the time passed I grew some pretty tender feelings for the dogs.  Their spastic bouncing in and out of the water was the four-legged version of the same dance Rocky and Daisy were doing.  I still wasn't sure about their owners though.  If it was reversed and Rosy was trying to take a bite out of one of their dogs I'm sure I would have at least apologized.  She only has two teeth but I have been bit enough by them to know I need to keep her reined in.
The guy's only comment was, "They are just being a couple of crazy hamburgers."
What does that even mean?  Hamburgers?
Later he told me he was from Warshington which made me think of my dad and seemed a little endearing and since none of my little hamburgers were hurt we all parted as friends.

The girls wanted to show their Opa that they found stick guns.  Instead of play shooting each other however, they used them as part of an impromptu peace demonstration.  You can take the girls out of Eugene but you can't take the Eugene out of the girls.   It was especially effective because Rocky is clearly holding her pistol by the barrel.

 Two minutes after the photo the sticks were set aside when an argument began over who got to use the purple bucket and they went for the real weapon that was available, the sand.  So much for peace. Once they were both crying from the pain of sandy eyes I swept in to save the day by handing out a round of bananas and all was well.

Happy Summer!

Bonus Photo:

Last day of school with teacher Stormi