Arboretum

We needed a break from hiking for a weekend, so we rented a canoe from UW (University of Washington) and rowed to the arboretum. Last time Vân and I did this, we almost killed each other because we could not work as a team. This time, I just let Vân have control, and it worked out a lot better. We actually enjoyed rowing. Sophie was really happy to be in the canoe, and she even tried to help Vân row. 

In the back

Lake Washington

The 520 bridge

Lily

Blue Heron

Rowing

Foie Gras?

Hiding from mommy

Row, row your boat...

Songs from "The Princess and the Popstar"

Sophie has finally memorized all the songs in the Barbie movie "The Princess and the Popstar." It was cute at first, but then it was Barbie all the time. I even learned to play "Here I Am" on the guitar, so that Sophie would play along with her Ukelele. Now, I can't get these songs out of my head!

"Here I Am"

"How High We Can Fly"

"A Perfect Day"

"To Be a Princess"

"To Be a Popstar"

Heather Lake -- Darrington

We were supposed to go to Blue Lake. But it was 3 hours away. On a whim, Vân decided on Heather Lake because she remembered hearing her co-workers recommending it.

It was not an easy hike -- 4.6 miles round trip with 1,100 ft in elevation gain. There were stretches on the trail that scared me. I had to put Sophie down and make her climb over a boulder and a fallen tree. She did really well and kept her calm better than I did.

As soon as we reached the lake, Sophie and Vân took off their boots and walked in the mud. They spent a good amount of time walking around in the water and catching tadpoles, frogs and salamanders. It was worth the trouble.

Mother and daughter hiking together

"I need a break."

Heather Lake

See the snow?

Muddy feet

Walking in the water

Walking in "chocolate mud"

Burke Museum

Burke Museum is a part of UW (University of Washington) -- or Daddy's school, as Sophie would say. It has some interesting exhibits, and the best part is that it's free to all UW students. We came and saw so many interesting things: totem poles, dinosaur fossils, and Native American art. Sophie was scared of the fossils, but she loved playing with the dinosaur toys. When we left, I even bought her a "souvenir." A scorpion sucker -- which I've yet to let her eat! 

"Who are these guys?"

"What's that about it?"

Mastodon

Whale

Dinosaur egg

Toy dinosaurs

Prehistoric fish

Bye Bigfoot!

Scorpion sucker

Black Leotard and Pink Tights

Black leotard and pink tights are the required uniform for Sophie's dance class. It seemed simple enough, but it took us two tries to get it right. What we picked out from the dance store the first time did not fit the requirement. The leotard had to be a certain style. We just forgot to check the school website before visiting to the store. It turned out that the uniform was what we rejected during the first visit. Well, Sophie still looked pretty cute.