During summertime in Portland, there is always something to do. I seriously think the parents are suffering from a severe case of stuffinitis. The parents are tired.
But the kids...oh they are having a BLAST! They seem to have this never ending supply of energy. If only there was a way for me to stick a straw in their aura's and suck it up for my own evil purposes. But alas, here I am suffering from a cold and sleep seems to be my best friend!
So here are the top 5 activities our family can be seen doing on a weekly basis:
Classes:
Yup. Ranen is still plugging away at his trumpet. The boy is actually blowing out some tunes that I recognize. ..."it's a small world after all" is the song of choice for this lad. sigh. Just when you think it's out of your head, that song burrows its way back in!
Blake is still taking Art and swim classes and next week she starts a week of day camp with Portland Parks and Rec. She's very excited and nervous. But I think she'll have fun. They have art, cooking, and sport activities planned for the week. Plus, they are taking a field trip to the zoo on Friday. Can we say COOL!
Biking:
It ends up we live 5 minutes away from a family friendly bike trail that scoots around Kelly Point Park. The traffic is low enough that we don't fear Blake taking out anyone with her sometimes wobbly ridding. But she is getting better and it's cool to see her and Ranen take such a joy and love from bike riding. Now the biggest complaint is that Blake can't go fast enough. The bike she has is too small so we plan on putting her on larger one by the end of summer. My bike will be going into the shop for a hub repair later this week. It needs a little TLC. And chris... you can see him biking to band practice pulling his gear in his trailer. My dream of having our family become a bike commuter family is becoming a reality and it's fricken cool!
Swimming:
The outdoor pool in our neighborhood is now open so there are more options for taking a late afternoon dip. The kids LOVE to go swimming. Blake tries to be like ranen and wants to go off swimming, but she's just not there yet. It's a little frustrating for her but I keep telling her to practice and with the classes she's taking she'll catch on in no time at all!
Parades/Festivals:
Every weekend there seems to be a Fair, festival or parade of some sort. Yesterday Chris took the kids to a sustainable fair on the eastside where the kids gorged themselves on treats and had fun playing at the booths. Later today is the Mississippi Street Fair and next weekend is the next Sunday Parkway! The following weekend Chris and I are volunteering at the Brew festival. Our calendar is always filled with things to do! It's exhausting, but it keeps the kids outside and off videogames so I can't complain too much!
Other Stuff:
Both of the kids are on a summer reading program. Ranen is plowing through books faster then we can check them out at the library. And Blake always wants "one more please" at bedtime. It makes my heart swell at my little book lovers!
A wonderful friend has loaned me her spinning wheel while she was out on vacation and I used the time to spin up some lovely fiber I bought at the Black Sheep Gathering a month ago. Can you tell which is my first attempt? Yup. The purple/yellow stuff on the left. I'm getting better and I find it relaxing and addicting in a way that knitting is. So I have to be careful and not get too addicted. I'm sure Keri would like her wheel back...eventually!
Oh, and if your wondering about the fourth, we watched a parade in Hillsboro in the AM then watched the fireworks at Blue Lake in the PM. I was a bad bad mom and forgot to take pictures.
Until next time...
