AE | The Labor Day Weekend Lens
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The kids and I spent the weekend with my parents on the Oregon coast.
We never get tired of visiting - the area or my parents.
I love that my parents are always using their camera too.
This trip Simon and I took a little "me & him" adventure down to the beach below my parents place. When I looked back through the photos I loved this series of three together above: rocks, sand, and surf.
I like the perspective of him in those shots - his size vs. the landscape.
I also managed to get in one good self-portrait while we were down there. Shot using a self-timer on a rock.
These two can not get enough of Grandma Pati. When we visit they only want her for every little thing. I heard "No, not you! Grandma!" quite a few times.
This one, she definitely has opinions. About everything. Sometimes it's hard to remember that she's really still just two.
Lily continues to be the very best dog. Her miraculous recovery still blows me away. She sure seems healthier now than she's been in quite awhile. She loves the beach.
Probably my favorite piece of the weekend was Simon deciding that he wanted to write out Old Bear Stories.
I've written a bit in the past about his affinity (and his complete memorization) of a couple of the stories but this time, instead of saying all of them out loud, he decided to write them out by hand.
It was so totally cool.
He's never written out any stories like this. The sheet of paper above is how he started and then he decided to re-write it all over again in a journal in pencil so he could erase any mistakes he made along the way. In his journal he wrote pages and pages. He'd ask us how to spell words here and there but other than that he just wrote and wrote.
Can't wait to see what he decides to write next.
GO SIMON GO
Today I'll be taking both kids to open houses at their schools. Anna's starting preschool and Simon's starting fourth grade. Lots of excitement around here this week.
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49 comments
What beautiful penmanship!
Handwriting is just so beautiful.
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I agree AnneE....I just LOVE to see someone's own handwriting!!
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love love these pictures and the writing with them Ali. The ones of you and Simon are my favorite. WAY TO GO on the self timer one, it's perfect with both of you in it. Miss Anna is growing up way too fast and going to be like my summer girl who has always acted older then what she is. Cherish every moment with her while she's still little.
So awesome about Lily thanks for sharing that part with us.
GO SIMON GO on your adventures in writing and stories, you could be just like your mom with that passion.
Good luck at both schools and my Sam started 4th grade too and has said already that he wants to go back to 3rd grade. So hope your Simon has a better time with it.
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Again Ali , you blow me away with your pictures and your thoughts. I am so so happy to see Lily too. She looks great and seemed to throughly enjoying herself. I can see why you love to visit the Oregon Coast, it is so totally beautiful. My kids are all very close to their grandparents and I am so happy that Simon and Anna can have this priceless relationship.
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Just a ps Ali.... what is so wonderful about all of this is that YOU are willing to take the time to BE with your children! Your do such an awesome job nuturing all these relationships.
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What an amazing second home! Your Mom is inspiring my future Grandmother dreams.
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Simon should be an inspiration to all of us! Go Simon!
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Ali, just realised how apropriate to the picture the word "refuge" is on that boat! Oh, and excellent work Simon!
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It looks like you had a lovely weekend!
Just wondering, what is the name of the beach area in your photos?
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Hi Sarah - this is a small beach area on the southern Oregon coast, outside Coos Bay/North Bend, between Bastendorf and Shore Acres State Park.
The actual name of the this stretch of beach is called "Lighthouse Beach." The beach is on the east side of Cape Arago Lighthouse.
Thank you. We brought our family to Oregon this summer and toured your coast. Now that we are home, we are already planning for next summer in your beautiful state!
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Awesome writing Simon! My daughter is now in grade 12 and having to write an essay a day in her English class. If only she could focus on this sort of 'fun' writing again...
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Never been to the west coast. These pictures make me want to go! Love the pictures of the kiddies. My daughter is approaching 2 and she has lots of opinions, too. Have a great week.
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the area your parents live is gorgeous. i am visiting the NW coast next year. can you tell me where this is?
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This is near Coos Bay/North Bend - on the southern Oregon coast. Most of the beaches along the Oregon coast have this great mix of rock and sand - two of my personal favorites are Manzanita and Canon Beach.
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my daughter and her family live near the coast we go to seaside when i visit (i live 350 miles away) i LOVE it there! hope to take my other grandkids with me next year for a visit i am impressed with simon's penmanship he does a great job! i have 3 grandkids that are 2 yrs.old closer to 3..and they are a lot like anna forming their own opinions!! gotta love that!
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Holy cow, his penmanship is amazing!!!!!
Those pictures are just beautiful, so very different from the beaches here on the east coast. And, YAY for Lily! :)
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beautiful Simon! LOve your writing! keep writing Simon! My girls have tons of little blank journals and books to write in and they bring them everywhere! it will be fun to look back at those someday! love the beach shots all of them!
and i LOVE that miss Anna is so opinionated! I have TWO of those types of girls myself! fun, but exhausting!
tara
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Hi Ali. I was just reminiscing with a friend about my old lab who was so great and then opened your blog and there were the pictures of Lily, looking so much like Quest, complete with the gray on her chin. I'm so glad she's recovered. Love that Simon likes to read and write—and his handwriting is beautiful! Anna's certainly a cutie. I have a 2-year-old g'daughter and I know what you mean about opinions! The beach is beautiful. I'm envious! Neat photos.
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Dear Ali,
Somehow since meeting you and taking your class at Creative Escape has made me feel closer to you and the family. I have followed you for year and remember when Simon was a little tyke! He is so grown love the beach photos and Anna (my mom's namesake) is so typical 2 yr old , my great niece, Mia is her age and has just learned how to climb out of the crib! Thanks for sharing and looks like you had such a great trip....hugs and blessings
Sharon Dryjanski
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Beautiful photographs! I love your self-portrait.
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That makes me want to a super deep sigh. Loved this share. Thank you so much for sharing! Go Simon Go! :) That is so amazing & its going to be awesome to show him when he gets older.
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Love the beach shots. Love the beach itself. It has been years since I've been to the Oregon coast, but I just love the whole West Coast from Northern California on up to British Columbia.
Having a kidlet with similiar challenges as Simon, can I just say how Fantastic Simon's handwriting is?! Wow! And I know exactly what you mean about not writing before and then suddenly deciding he wanted to. Every once in awhile, we see that here. But, it's not often and most definitely something to celebrate! Go, Simon, Go! :>
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Oh man, those pictures made me miss the ocean and the beach. Austin is great, but I sure miss being by the ocean - the smell, the sound, the feeling that I am one with the universe.
How cool that Simon is writing those stories! I have a storybook my daughter made when she was a little girl and it was a treasured possession. I will give it to her soon, now that hse is not moving so often!
I love that the kids want Grandma to do everything. As a grandparent, there is NOTHING better! :)
Thanks for sharing a bit of your weekend!
Steph
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