A perfect day.

It's way too late for me to be up blogging. But, through the steady rhythm of my husband's heavy breathing next to me, I poke away silently at my iPhone keys because I just had to get this out.

Today was a perfect day. It was just us, the three musketeers. Contrary to what those images of "perfection" may have implanted in your brain, we didn't do much of anything. Started like a normal Sunday with the usual pleas for pamcakes while papa is at the gym followed by some errands. But, instead of the usual race back home for nap time, we pushed it back a few hours to enjoy some time in the sun.

Post-Target for some last minute camping items, we had lunch on the patio at a new McMenamins we had never dined at before. Lunch on the patio in Oregon? Score! Lunch with a baby that skipped naptime but didn't have one meltdown? Double whammy!

With bellies full of tots and a thick yearning for adventure, we trekked into West Linn and happened across a little gem that is Tanner Creek Park.

A play structure for the bigs and the littles alike. A covered area. Bathrooms without swarming bees and the smell of warm pee. And the creme de la creme water feature made just for Claire's size. It was glorious. Took her a few to warm up to the new surroundings but she was hopping in and out of those baby fountains like a pro in no time.

This park was set right smack dab in the middle of this adorable cookie-cutter neighborhood and just screamed suburbia. Claire shook her little swim-diaper covered booty right into those mini fountains while Kevin and I plotted on how we could one day get a piece of this pie. As if it couldn't get any more idyllic, my ears detect that familiar sound of none other than... dun dun dun dun... the ice cream man! Seriously!? Too good. I went running down the hill and stopped him. The guy was nice, with his big fancy truck, and we exchanged words about how I hadn't seen an ice cream truck in ages, he gave me my cones and he was in his way.

I'm not so sure that ice cream man knew how crucial his role was in my story and just how happy he made me. But I do. Man, we sure bit off a huge bite of summer today...and it tasted so good.