July 28, 2009

Summer fun at dad's.


Fred was kind enough to send me some pictures of Blake and some of the things she has been doing .

They have horses. They had to sell her pony Magic, but they have a few more she can ride.

And here she is riding another powerful mode of transportation... a power wheel!


I am unbelievably excited and happy that Blake is spending this time with her dad. They live out in the country. They have lots of animals and even a small grove of apple trees. I've never been there but I can imagine that life is peaceful, quiet and soul enriching in a way she would never experience here in Portland.

She is happy and is having so much fun! And that my friends, is priceless!

So what do people do when their kids are out of the house?



So far Chris and I have...


Slept in.

Attended a comedy improv show at the Brody.

Volunteered at the Brewers Fest then partaken in the brew afterwards.

Had dinner at a bar.

Knitted / Played bass for more then 6 consecutive hours.


But Ranen said it best, "There's something missing..."


Indeed there is.


July 24, 2009

Trailer Trash 2009


It's funny how scared I get when fast moving balls come racing towards my head. Why I decided to play softball is a mystery that eludes me.



...oh, yeah. Now I remember! It's my coworkers. They are fun, keep me laughing and accept my less than spectacular softball skills.

Go Trash!

July 23, 2009

14 days counting

Blake left on a jet plane early this morning to spend two weeks with her dad.

It's been a day and I miss her soooo much.



Daddy's little girl.

July 17, 2009

Noro turns Five!

Tonight we celebrated Noro's fifth birthday.


We had a special cake for the birthday boy. Meatloaf.


Twinkies for the humans...


And cool presents...ummm chew toy.



This was the before the eating of the cake shot. It's hard to see the dog in this picture, but easy to see the tongue.


And the very satisfied Noro after.


Happy Birthday buddy.

July 16, 2009

Mississippi Street Fair Kid Parade

When I first moved to Portland I was scared to explore. The curvy streets, bicyclists on the road and parallel parking scared me almost as much as the thought of leaving my comfy home. Luckily Chris helped me realize that Portland has much to offer and that kids + public events doesn't have to be stressful.

Saturday, after Blake's swim lesson, we drove over to the Mississippi Street Fair. At the children's corner Blake jumped in the bounce house, ate a cookie and decorated a crown and flag for the kids parade.


What kid doesn't want to be in a parade?




We grabbed her bike and she coasted down the street practicing her princess wave. It was quite a sight to see!


It was busy and full of vendors and street performers. I can't wait until next year to spend more time exploring every aspect of the fair.

I heart PDX.

Missing: two front teeth!

V: Hey Blake...come here. I want to take your picture! Say cheese!!




V: Ohhh, come on, don't be shy. Show me those teeth!



V: PLEAAASEEEEE


V: Pretty Please?


V: Beautiful! Now...can you say "she sells sea shells by the seashore?"

July 11, 2009

The state of Tioga

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...