Every summer since 1997, we spend a bit of time with Kevin’s folks in Seattle. And every summer, we always set aside one day to take a trip down to Pike Place. That means for 20 odd summers or so we’ve been visiting Pike Place every single time we go to Kevin’s home, and the best part about each Pike Place jaunt is the fella who joins us. Kevin’s dad, Alex, who is also known to the kids as Babaji, joins us each and every time. It wouldn’t be a summer a visit without this family field trip to Pike Place.
We have our usual jaunts: lunch in the park, a stroll through the market, the magic store in the basement, and always a cookie from our favorite corner bakery. Sometimes we find new favorites like the Herban Farm’s spices–get the Pike Place blend. It’s amazing! We get dorky purchases at the magic store that serve as great pranks all summer long. (So far out at the cabin, we’ve been making guests jump with our very real looking little mouse.) If we’re lucky and catch the magician on the right day, he’ll perform some pretty nifty tricks for us.
As predicted when I’m in Seattle, I’m simply wearing my Seattle uniform: white tee, cut offs, and sneakers. To add a touch of Annie flare, I added my iridescent fanny pack. Oh, a word on these these sneakers… I’m already planning on buying one, maybe two backups. They are seriously the best! (They’re called the Nike Mayfly.)
Peek-a-boo!! It’s like a “Where’s Waldo?” but with Annie.
Meet the fortune teller at the Market Magic Shop.
Alex is always game for anything! He’s such fun goofing around and just tags along without a care. He’s simply happy to be with us, and we feel that love every summer. The four of us take him with us everywhere when we’re in Seattle. Alex has helped Vincent pick out a suit, he buys Gigi ice cream every single time, he joins me when I want to go to Goodwill, and he copies Kevin’s sneaker choice every time. Babaji even wakes up early for our family–he’d prefer to sleep in–just so he can join us on our Seattle field trips. And if there isn’t an outing for the day, he’s making the kiddos their favorite breakfast: Babaji’s homemade waffles.
Thank goodness Alex was ready to help me get up on Rachel, the market piggy bank. It was no easy feat for me!!
It’s official: our summer 2018 has started! These pictures were taken during the first week we spent in Seattle with Alex and Jane (Kevin’s folks). It was such fun. Sadly, I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Pike Place with Alex aka Babaji. It’s just that much fun! Luckily however we can anticipate them visiting us out at our cabin plus a trip with them to Santa Barbara come July.
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