JETBOAT!

The weather this summer has been both a blessing and a disappointment. We were lucky the temperatures were so mild, but since it never reached 90, our hot-weather activities were missing. I tell the kiddos that if it hits 90, we can put the pool in the yard. If we see triple digits, to the coast we go!

This year, 90 didn't show up until AFTER school started. The boys were bummed (even though they went coastal twice). But today, as I sat under the Fremont Bridge wating in the heat for a photography class to be over, I saw a jetboat fly by.

Lucky for us, they'd had a cancellation. I raced home to snag the familia, and then back downtown to catch our boat. Bayley & Hayden debated over which seats would get the most wet. Finally, they settled on the middle. Fine by me since I remembered which seats were underwater by the time the trip ended!

We loaded up with Hayden on the outside, Bayley on the inside, and Grace in the middle between Jeff & I. The boys started with their requests to get soaked before we'd even had out life jacket demonstration!

I like the historical tidbits on these tours, while the boys are all about the hard stops and 360s. Grace liked the waterfalls, sea lions, and the eagle.

We were relieved that Grace liked the water play. She was very comfortable on the boat, except for the wind whipping her hair. I pulled it back, but her bangs still bugged her. So, she snuggled into Daddy for the trip down to Willamette Falls.

After Bayley realized Hayden was considerably wetter than he was, he snuck over to the side to share the water love. They both claim next time they'll be sitting on the outside of row two. Um, maybe with Daddy! I got plenty wet in row 6, thanks!

Without even knowing it, the kids learned about the history of the bridges, Ross Island (which is now a lagoon), Willamette Falls, the locks, the fish ladder, Native American hunting patterns, sea lions, eagles, herons & lamprey eels. We even had a great seat for the dragon boat races!