Ferry boats and pastries...

While Reece embarked on his adventure at Microsoft, Cyndi, the kids and I set off on an adventure of our own.

I almost killed us all trying to find my way to the ferry, and I'm going to have to learn to stay the panic attacks that threaten to destroy me while driving in the rain, but somehow we made it onto the boat just before it set sail for Bainbridge Island.

The weather was quite dreary, and Lola was not so keen on the idea of standing out on the sundeck for a picture.

All this added up to a shot that will live in infamy.

Sure, I'm probably a little nuts to take my kids out into the storm.

But sheesh, have you seen the skyline?

We spent the rest of our voyage inside, devouring lollipops and getting our blood pressure back to normal. Much more conducive to a happy Lola.

 We drove off the ferry to an even gloomier sky on Bainbridge.

But it was the good kind of gloom -- the gloom that makes the green look greener than the greenest green you've ever seen.

Our ultimate destination was Poulsbo, Washington's so-called Little Norway.

Reece and I spent an afternoon here on our Seattle trip a little over a year ago and it quickly became one of the highlights of our vacation.

Our first stop: Sluy's Bakery.

The heavenly pastry smells are enough to make a person leave their former life behind and camp out by the front door.

Lola immediately gravitated toward the sugar cookies, because that's how she rolls.

James, on the other hand, just scrambled for anything that appeared to be edible.

Though there were plenty of happy cookies on display, Lola shook her head and declared, quite firmly, "No Nana, I want the sad one."

I'm hoping my toddler isn't going through an emo phase already...

 Those sad cookies had reason to shed a tear or two -- my kids consumed an entire bag in about a half hour.

We don't mess around when it comes to baked goods.

Nana stocked us up on enough pastries to feed a small army of premenstrual women.

With that, our trip could have been complete.

But the town is lined with quirky little shops just waiting to be destroyed by my rambunctious babes, and so explore them we did.

We ducked into a little pizza joint for lunch, but before we could get settled, Lola spotted several puddles waiting to be disrupted by her boots.

This child loves puddles.

I think she was always destined to end up in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Somewhere along the way, Lola decided the time had come to purchase a pink umbrella.

After all, a girl can't call herself a true Seattleite without an umbrella of her own.

The answer to her prayer lay hidden in a small children's boutique across from our beloved bakery.

It wasn't quite pink, but instead, something much, much better.

 

"Mama! It's a thee-bra!!!"

 It would appear that the "thee-bra" is now an official member of our family, as it goes with us everywhere, sleeps in our children's beds and would likely sit at the dining room table for meals if I was a kinder woman.

On our ferry ride home, the "thee-bra" and Lola watched our city reappear through the window.

"Look mom! It's Seattle! I like it here."

Me too Lola.

Me too.