When Daddy uses the barbeque, I get to help prepare the food at my side work station.  I wear one of my special aprons to make sure my clothes stay clean. (Ed. Note: Yeah… sure, Ben.)

This time I also got to help gather strawberries, which are conveniently located right in the yard!

Sometimes you have to go to the lower garden to get enough!

M&D took me to Seattle for a visit.  Boy do they have a lot of fun things there!

On the first day, we started out with an airplane ride:

They have a really great airport where you get to walk way out and be near all of the propeller planes.  I could have stayed and watched longer, but M&D said it was time to go.

Next, it was a ride on the light rail (my first real train ride!):

Not only was the ride fun, but there was lots of great stuff to see out the window while we were riding, like these diggers!

After the train ride, Daddy and I went for a big, big ferry ride.  This ferry carried a hundred cars – and even big tractor trailer trucks!

Not only that, but it had three levels with stairs, and it had an inside with seats and tables, and snacks!

That was kinda nice because it was pretty windy “topside”.

After this big day, we stayed with Uncle John and Aunt Carol at their house by the lake where they have a dock where you can throw rocks in the water – which is the best kind.

The next day, we went to the market.  Our adventure started with my first bus ride:

And that was no ordinary bus!  It was a double bus.  Daddy said it was “articulated”.

At the market, these chocolate croissants tasted as good as they looked:

The fish were fun to look at, but we didn’t taste any.

Then it was down the big hill…

…to see the UPS truck:

Just Kidding!  It was the Seattle Aquarium!  There was lots of fun stuff to see here, like this enormous fish tank…

… and sea otters…

… up close and personal!

The next day we went to visit my friend Lauren at her house.

We worked on making a snack together, and also on puzzles and games.

Later, we went for a ride on their dock-boat.  Lauren’s Daddy Big Ben let me drive!

At the end of that day, I guess I was pretty tired.

Our last day in Seattle, my photographer apparently took the day off so I don’t have any pictures of me to share.  But we saw Aunt Jo, Uncle Don, and cousin Sarah for a yummy breakfast.  And we visited with cousins Nicole, Haley and Toby, and we even went to the Lego store where I got a recycling truck set!

What a fun trip!  I hope we get to go back soon!

For doing such a good job on my swimming lessons, M&D took me out for an ice cream treat.  Yum!

The crickets were so loud that I had to put ‘Mater on my ear to block out the noise.

(Ed. Note: Looks like it worked, Ben!)

I helped Mommy make a plum galette with plums from our very own tree!  I got to help spoon the plum mixture, and add the cinnamon and sugar.  I also got to help fold up the edges.

And of course I had to taste to make sure everything was OK.

Doesn’t it look yummy!

I got to have TWO pieces.  It WAS yummy!

Lately, M&D and I have been playing Bat and Ball.  On this day, Daddy was coaching and pitching.  Watch me get a piece of this one!

And a ‘great job’ to Mommy, my stand in photographer!