The end of summer. At the beach. Such a fitting finale. We drove out after work on Friday and made it just in time for fish and chips and beer and good conversation. There were five of us- Zach and I, Tate, Nonna and Grampa Coach. Nonna and Grampa Coach, you ask? Oh- haven't I told you the happy news yet? My mom and dad- Tate's Nonna and Grampa Coach- have come up to Oregon for the year to take care of Tate while Zach and I are working. Aren't we lucky? Tate will get the absolute best care, and we avoid daycare. But most exciting? My mom and dad are living just down the street! This is such joyful news, and I intend to soak in the luxury of it as much as I can. Weekends window shopping with Mom... improving my (non-existent) golf game with Dad... USC football on Saturday... Sunday night dinners as a family. And getting to watch Tate really grow up around his grandparents.
So there we were, the five of us in a small coastal town called Cannon Beach. We slept. And read. And watched college football. And played Bananagrams. And walked around town. I snapped pictures as we went, since really, you can't believe Cannon Beach until you see. It is that idyllic.
Charming candy shoppe.
Fresh saltwater taffy...
Yum! So many different flavors. 94, I believe. Zach bought an assortment to share.
The Captain's Quarters.
The wine shop. Grape vines.
Smiles.
Happy times by all.
Now for the not fun part of the weekend. I think on blogs it is so easy to only write about the fun and interesting parts of life, and the good decisions we make. But this weekend, we had one very, very bad (and almost deadly) accident. So here's what happened: like many people with cats, we occasionally leave Moose home alone for a few days. So when we left on Friday, we left Moose at home. A few bowls of food were scattered throughout the house, and multiple bowls of water. But when we walked in the front door this afternoon, laden down with bags and baby, we heard heart-stopping wailing coming from our bedroom. It turns out that, when shutting our bedroom door for the weekend, I had accidentally locked Moose inside. This is embarrassing and horrifying and could have been disastrous, since all his food and water was in other rooms. Luckily, the toilet seat was up, so he had water to drink, but he had nothing to eat, nowhere to go to the bathroom (except our bed, but I consider a new duvet a small price to pay), and generally was put through what I can only imagine was a ridiculously traumatic 3 days.
Since we've been home, he won't leave our side (even to eat, which has led us to all huddle around his food bowl giving him encouragement and praising him when he takes a bite) and he is avoiding our bedroom (rightly so, as it was so recently his prison), but other than post-traumatic stress (can cats have that?), he appears ok.
I am feeling horrible guilt about it and also incredible thankfulness that this member of our family is alive and well. So that's how we've been. How about you? Any highs (or lows) for the holiday weekend? Anything you are feeling particularly grateful for?
First, that picture of you and Zach is one of my favorites ever. Second, Tate is growing up so much! I feel a little twinge in my heart every time I see a picture of him shooting up like a beanstalk, knowing I am missing it. Ah, the tragedy of living so far apart. Third, Moose! Pobrecito. Bless his hungry little heart.
ReplyDeleteThe best part of this labor day weekend for Javi and I was our Sunday afternoon pilgrimage to two of our favorite bookstores in Manhattan. We took our time, meandered through the shelves, and then took our purchases to Union Square Park to read for a while. Books we bought: Me - The Red Tent (this month's book club book), Javi - The Giver (he bought the Spanish version, El Dador). I recommended it and told him that you and I read it aloud to each other in college. :)