5. Seattle

We went to Seattle!  Madeline was reunited with her best friend/pen pal Ilan.  There was not a moment of shyness or hesitation -- they launched right into their friendship as if they'd only been apart for a few days instead of over a year.

Oliver and Avigail were reunited too!  The kids had a special dinner at the kids' table.

And, after dinner, Madeline and Ilan continued to enjoy one another's company.

(As did all the children.)

At bedtime, Madeline was very excited to share Ilan's loft bed.

Then, before we knew it, it was morning, and all four kids were playing together again.

After breakfast, we all went to the Seattle Science Center.  Madeline and Ilan learned about planets ...

... and other things.

We went into the butterfly exhibit, and Madeline tried to identify the different kinds of butterflies we saw.

Then she hung out with her favorite dinosaur, Triceratops horridus.

Oliver loved all the dinosaurs.  He didn't want to leave the dinosaur room.

But he was pleased to see more dinosaurs outside.

Outside the museum, I made everyone pose for an obligatory Space Needle photo.

Then we got lunch at the Seattle Center Armory.

And, after lunch, Madeline and Ilan got in a last little bit of time together, holding hands as we walked back to the cars.

Eventually Oliver joined them.

And thus ended our whirlwind Seattle visit.