The salt water here is about 58 degrees.

If you wind up out here, I think Lake Forest Park is probably a good fit for you.

The salt water here is about 58 degrees.

Heh-- yeah, I don't need it to swim-- I just love the smell, the breezes and being able to walk alongside.

I've seen some houses in Lake Forest Park and in Shoreline-- hell, just on Redfin, we've found stuff that would seem to suit us all over the place, which is why it's kind of overwhelming. Everywhere else we've lived, we've been able to suss out where we'd like to live fairly easily. But I know that once we get a chance to go out there, we'll get a better sense of things.

thanks for the realtor recs. I had known about zillow and already checked it, but that gives approx values. But I did find out the neighborhood skinny, which is that the house is up for auction and the starting bid is $525. Also there's something weird because it's listed as well below the sq footage of our house, but the two look fairly close in size. I guess they added-on at some point.

msbelle, Owen is just geting into 6's--I've started shopping for him in the "big" boy dept. instead of toddlers.

Had a parenting fail tonight. We were cooking out at my sister's and after dinne the kids were playing on the teeny beach by her pond. Four adults were watching the kids, who were about 30 yards across the yard.

Liv and Owen started inching into the water playing. Before I could call the in, the pair of them ended up over their heads. My BiL's friend, bless him realized it a split second before I did and sprinted down into the pond in his clothes to pull the kids out.

I vaulted over the deck rail and got there right behind him. The kids were sputtering but fine. I feel stupid and after I bathed the kids and got them dressed stripped out of my wet clothes and cried in the shower.

The good news is that Owen's swim lessons paid off because he was boucing off the bottom and moving into safety. Liv was just too heavy and holding onto his shoulders which bogged them both.

So fucking scary. This is why we do not live close to water.

Liv hasn't had swimming lessons yet, huh? Might be time.

Irrational TV irritation: Big screen computer monitors for presentations where the mouse in your hand calls up exactly what you want just by pointing it at the screen and clicking, although there are no UI elements on the screen. Interrupt your presentation and take a left turn? No matter. Click! Clack! There are the files you wanted.

Stop with the psychic 3D mice. They irritate me. I much prefer having someone at a keyboard controlling an extra monitor. I even think it looks cool, and Criminal Mind's Garcia would agree with me,

A&E showed a marathon of the first CM episodes and they were all such cuties. Shemar in a suit, Thomas Gibson with floppy hair, dolls.

Oh that's terrifying!

I'm glad they're ok. They move so damn fast.

ita, Liv's had a few lessons but she was less receptive to them than Owen was this summer. Not sure if it was the private instructor I found. Owen got some really good concepts down. I think Owen did better with one-on-one instruction. Liv's going to prechool at the YMCA which will also be doing her swim classes this fall.

It's been tricky with those two. They each have such different learning styles. This didn't faze Owen at all. I think Liv will learn ti be a bit more cautious around water.

I have learned that I can run the 30 faster than an NFL back.

I am so glad it turned out okay, Cash, but eek! on the scary.

Not a fail at all though.

You could not have gotten me into a pond at their ages. I could only do sea or pools. Rivers at a pinch if I really trusted the current. No ponds. Didn't make it into a lake (as opposed to rowing through one) until I was in University. And even then just a handful of times.

But I was one of the kids that would wander off "to go see Daddy" and it would take my mother a few beats to realise my father was the dot bobbing far out in the ocean and I intended to walk to him.

Owen is a lot like baby ita.

I personally don't care for water that isn't clear enough to see through.

I'm glad my kids aren't afraid of anything but DAMMIT, my kids are NOT afraid of anything.