If you've read my blog in the past, you already know that I LOVE Christmas. When Thanksgiving falls early in the month, I can't make myself wait until the 1st Sunday in Advent to start fun stuff with my kids. We start as soon as we can! Rather than shop on Black Friday, I deck our halls with Christmas decorations, and the next day is the beginning of Advent for us. This year, that means today! I just put notes with each day's activity inside our Advent calendar and the kids rush to it each morning to see what's planned.
I wanted to share our list of activities, and at the end I'll give you the links to past years' ideas. In the past, I have focused a lot on sugary treats/crafts. This year, I attempted to move our activities away from the sugar focus. There will still be plenty sweet in their lives, I'm sure. Merry Christmas!
27 days until Christmas: Zoo Lights at the Oregon Zoo
26 days until Christmas: Festival of Trees at the Hilton Vancouver
25 days until Christmas: Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas
24 days until Christmas: Play Christmas BINGO and Memory
23 days until Christmas: Pick up tags from the Giving Tree at school and watch the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree
22 days until Christmas: Watch Prep & Landing 1 & 2
21 days until Christmas: Go to the downtown Camas tree lighting
20 days until Christmas: Breakfast with Santa at Liberty Middle School/E gets to choose a Christmas movie for us to watch
19 days until Christmas: Christmas concert and Advent Festival at church
18 days until Christmas: E's piano recital (of Christmas music, of course)
17 days until Christmas: Take gifts to the school for the Giving Tree
16 days until Christmas: B gets to choose a Christmas movie for us to watch
15 days until Christmas: L's band concert
14 days until Christmas: Live nativity at Son Rise Ranch (where E takes riding lessons)
13 days until Christmas: Christmas at the Fort (Fort Vancouver)
12 days until Christmas: Watch Beethoven's Christmas Adventure
11 days until Christmas: Watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
10 days until Christmas: Look through our Christmas I-Spy books
9 days until Christmas: Watch The Polar Express with B while L's in school and E's riding
8 days until Christmas: Take Christmas gifts for the teachers
7 days until Christmas: L gets to choose a Christmas movie for us to watch
6 days until Christmas: Drive around in our PJs and look at Christmas lights (especially Peacock Lane)
5 days until Christmas: Go to Miracle of a Million Lights at the Victorian Belle Mansion
4 days until Christmas: Make treats for our neighbors
3 days until Christmas: Deliver the treats to our neighbors
2 days until Christmas: Watch The Santa Clause and make cookies for Santa
1 day until Christmas: Read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and go to the Christmas Eve service
For years' past, check out the following:
Our Washington ADVENTure (2014)
Advent is Coming (2013)
The 12 Days of Christmas (2013)
I am also going to do the trendy thing going around FB this year... I'm wrapping up 24 Christmas books to put under the tree. Then starting on the 1st, I'll let the kiddos choose one each night before bed and we'll read it together. Just one more fun way to make the most of the holidays and hopefully make more fun memories for our children!
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Saturday, September 19, 2015
How Did Life Get This Busy???
My husband and I have never been big mainstream sports people. He did play basketball his freshman year of high school, but track was his big thing. A few years after we got married, he became a competitive cyclist and began shaving his legs. Definitely not mainstream. I am not athletic. In the least. But, I always loved watching tennis, so my junior year I decided on a whim to join the tennis team. I had fun, played all right, and had an awesome tennis partner (one of my best friends). My senior year I played again. Right up until they bought us new uniforms. The uniforms included skirts, which I found very lame and sexist. Now, don't get me wrong... I've never been a full-fledged tomboy (though I had many, many Matchbox cars as a child and I attended several car races with my dad), and I would have worn a dress to elementary every day if my parents had let me. But, after years of male and female tennis players wearing shorts, reverting back to skirts seemed archaic. I wore my uniform for the yearbook pictures and then I quit.
But, I digress... My point is, we are not the types of parents to get our children involved in sports at an early age. Our pediatrician agreed that age 9 was really early enough to have them in team sports. I was fine with that. Yes, that means that our children are far less likely to qualify for any varsity team in the future. We're okay with that. We decided early on that we would only sign them up for something if they asked to participate in it. We also agreed to not let any one child participate in more than two activities at a time (that would include clubs or music lessons). Over the years, our oldest has tried karate (which he was great at, but didn't love going to class twice a week), soccer (through our church in IA, which has a great program focused more on fun than competitiveness), and a couple years of basketball through parks and rec (one awesome experience and one terrible... all came down to the difference in the volunteer coaches). He also attempted soccer last winter here in WA since all of his friends were playing. Didn't love it. At all. Instead, he participated in chess all through 5th grade and qualified for the elementary state chess tournament. He took golf and tennis lessons this summer and enjoyed both, but neither sport is offered until high school. This year, he is running cross country with the middle school, and he'll likely attempt track in the spring.
Our daughter did a year of ballet, jazz, and tap in kindergarten. Her recital was adorable, but the poor children had to be in not one, but two four-hour long shows in one day. She decided that weekend that she was done with dance. She, too, tried soccer at church but didn't love it. Last year, she began riding lessons at a horse ranch. This seems to be her non-mainstream "thing."
Our youngest hasn't asked to participate in anything yet, and we're okay with that. He might give chess a try later this year, might try horse riding next year, and we think he'd love karate, but we'll see...
So it would seem that we should not really be all that busy as a family, right? We're not running to soccer (or baseball or football) practice every day after school or to games every weekend. And yet... the calendar still fills right up. I have plenty to keep track of and manage.
Since middle school starts an hour before elementary out here, a few moms in our neighborhood started a little carpooling group for our middle school boys. I only have to drive the four of them on Tuesday mornings; other mornings my son is picked up by one of three other moms. Because he is the only one of those boys in cross country, we are in another carpool for those practices. I pick them up on Tuesdays and every third Friday (they don't have practice on Wednesdays). L has drum lessons Monday evenings (he previously took two years of piano and one of drums in IA).
Wednesdays really are our crazy day... E has a piano lesson (albeit right down the street) at 7:30 in the morning. Once I have the younger two to school, I have Bible study. The elementary gets out early every Wednesday, so I pick them up at 1:10 and take my daughter to her riding lesson, which is three hours long. After we pick her up, we go to church (which is 20+ minutes away) for dinner and leave L for youth group. He is brought home by another parent that doesn't live too far away so we don't have to go back for him at 8:00. I am helping as a table leader at MOPS for one final year on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of each month. When I am home, I often work on my new part time job, which is being the "content coordinator/editor" for a local magazine.
Now our oldest wants to join the Science Olympiad team, which will probably meet once a week. I don't know yet... We don't want to deter him from participating in something so educational. But, it's one more thing to add to the schedule. I have mentioned before, I am beginning to feel more like a "stay-in-the-car mom" than a stay-at-home mom. And the littlest guy isn't even involved in anything yet! Next year, I'd like to get him into beginning piano lessons. The thought of adding more to the calendar kind of makes my head spin.
Not sure how other families handle all of those seemingly-constant practices and games; especially when they have three, four, or even more children involved in different activities! Our children will only be young once. Right now, all three of ours are out in the woods behind our yard enjoying the sunny Saturday. I am relieved we don't have a game to be attending. We even skipped the cross country meet this morning because it was two hours away on the coast. Instead, we slept in (well, I slept in), had pancakes, and lazed around on Minecraft before heading outdoors. Life is busy enough without filling any more time with practices, games, or lessons. I am content to be home with my family as much as possible. :)
But, I digress... My point is, we are not the types of parents to get our children involved in sports at an early age. Our pediatrician agreed that age 9 was really early enough to have them in team sports. I was fine with that. Yes, that means that our children are far less likely to qualify for any varsity team in the future. We're okay with that. We decided early on that we would only sign them up for something if they asked to participate in it. We also agreed to not let any one child participate in more than two activities at a time (that would include clubs or music lessons). Over the years, our oldest has tried karate (which he was great at, but didn't love going to class twice a week), soccer (through our church in IA, which has a great program focused more on fun than competitiveness), and a couple years of basketball through parks and rec (one awesome experience and one terrible... all came down to the difference in the volunteer coaches). He also attempted soccer last winter here in WA since all of his friends were playing. Didn't love it. At all. Instead, he participated in chess all through 5th grade and qualified for the elementary state chess tournament. He took golf and tennis lessons this summer and enjoyed both, but neither sport is offered until high school. This year, he is running cross country with the middle school, and he'll likely attempt track in the spring.
Our daughter did a year of ballet, jazz, and tap in kindergarten. Her recital was adorable, but the poor children had to be in not one, but two four-hour long shows in one day. She decided that weekend that she was done with dance. She, too, tried soccer at church but didn't love it. Last year, she began riding lessons at a horse ranch. This seems to be her non-mainstream "thing."
Our youngest hasn't asked to participate in anything yet, and we're okay with that. He might give chess a try later this year, might try horse riding next year, and we think he'd love karate, but we'll see...
So it would seem that we should not really be all that busy as a family, right? We're not running to soccer (or baseball or football) practice every day after school or to games every weekend. And yet... the calendar still fills right up. I have plenty to keep track of and manage.
Since middle school starts an hour before elementary out here, a few moms in our neighborhood started a little carpooling group for our middle school boys. I only have to drive the four of them on Tuesday mornings; other mornings my son is picked up by one of three other moms. Because he is the only one of those boys in cross country, we are in another carpool for those practices. I pick them up on Tuesdays and every third Friday (they don't have practice on Wednesdays). L has drum lessons Monday evenings (he previously took two years of piano and one of drums in IA).
Wednesdays really are our crazy day... E has a piano lesson (albeit right down the street) at 7:30 in the morning. Once I have the younger two to school, I have Bible study. The elementary gets out early every Wednesday, so I pick them up at 1:10 and take my daughter to her riding lesson, which is three hours long. After we pick her up, we go to church (which is 20+ minutes away) for dinner and leave L for youth group. He is brought home by another parent that doesn't live too far away so we don't have to go back for him at 8:00. I am helping as a table leader at MOPS for one final year on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of each month. When I am home, I often work on my new part time job, which is being the "content coordinator/editor" for a local magazine.
Now our oldest wants to join the Science Olympiad team, which will probably meet once a week. I don't know yet... We don't want to deter him from participating in something so educational. But, it's one more thing to add to the schedule. I have mentioned before, I am beginning to feel more like a "stay-in-the-car mom" than a stay-at-home mom. And the littlest guy isn't even involved in anything yet! Next year, I'd like to get him into beginning piano lessons. The thought of adding more to the calendar kind of makes my head spin.
Not sure how other families handle all of those seemingly-constant practices and games; especially when they have three, four, or even more children involved in different activities! Our children will only be young once. Right now, all three of ours are out in the woods behind our yard enjoying the sunny Saturday. I am relieved we don't have a game to be attending. We even skipped the cross country meet this morning because it was two hours away on the coast. Instead, we slept in (well, I slept in), had pancakes, and lazed around on Minecraft before heading outdoors. Life is busy enough without filling any more time with practices, games, or lessons. I am content to be home with my family as much as possible. :)
Thursday, September 3, 2015
The Importance of Flexibility
Yes, I did teach yoga for nearly 8 years and have been a practitioner many, many more than that... But, that's not the kind of flexibility I am talking about today.
As parents, we know that the best-laid plans sometimes have to go by the way side. Someone gets sick, the weather doesn't cooperate, someone makes a few bad choices and loses the privilege of experiencing whatever we planned, etc. That is why I typically go in to my ABC summer plans with several "Plan B"s in place.
Those who followed our adventures this summer know that I really went out on a limb (for me, anyway) and changed the way we celebrated the letters. I still couldn't do the alphabet out of order (I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night...), but I did decide that we'd go through the entire alphabet not once, not twice, but THREE times in one summer! The kids loved the idea, and in implementation, they still loved it. Somehow, it made the summer seem longer to them.
At the end of our summer, though, we had to be even more flexible than ever planned. I had been waiting excitedly all summer long for our final O activity: going to OMSI (the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry), which is supposed to amazing. I had on the calendar that my oldest had cross country practice late that afternoon and 6th grade orientation, which I assumed would be in the evening since parents were highly encouraged (i.e. expected) to attend. About a week before that date, I got an email with details about said orientation. It was scheduled from 1:30-4:30 in the afternoon. As for cross country, practice was moved to mid-morning. There was a whole day shot. No going to OMSI, after all.
A couple days after that informative email, my husband's dear grandma Helen passed away. When his other grandma, Violetta, left us in March, he went back to IA for the funeral and only took our oldest. Violetta had suffered from Alzheimer's for several years, and he was the only one of our children who had memories of her before that. Since we were all very close to Helen, we reassured the younger two back in March that when her time came, we'd all travel back to celebrate her life. In July when we road tripped back to IA, we visited Helen and she showed us all around her new care facility. It was beautiful, and she was in great spirits that day. That's why we were surprised when just over a month later, she was gone. We promptly decided to purchase plane tickets and head back.
That meant leaving the day after L's 6th grade orientation (Whew! So glad he didn't miss that!). Which, in turn, meant that we'd be missing not only the letter O, but also letters P-V. Because our Q activity was something that I absolutely did not want to miss, we included it on our N day earlier that week (it was finding the statue of Ramona Quimby in Portland). As for the other letters, I let go control and told the kiddos that we were skipping the final round of them and we'd pick up with W when we returned. They were a little reluctant to give it up and pointed out that we'd be packing ourselves into a plane on P day. Ahhh, they are related to me. ;)
We ended the alphabet as planned after we returned three days before school started. It was very bittersweet to end our final blow-out ABC summer, but our youngest is now officially a Kindergartner. Not sure how we got here, but here we are. I have the next couple of summers loosely planned, but my children are already asking what we'll do after that. We'll just have to remain flexible and see, I guess!
As parents, we know that the best-laid plans sometimes have to go by the way side. Someone gets sick, the weather doesn't cooperate, someone makes a few bad choices and loses the privilege of experiencing whatever we planned, etc. That is why I typically go in to my ABC summer plans with several "Plan B"s in place.
Those who followed our adventures this summer know that I really went out on a limb (for me, anyway) and changed the way we celebrated the letters. I still couldn't do the alphabet out of order (I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night...), but I did decide that we'd go through the entire alphabet not once, not twice, but THREE times in one summer! The kids loved the idea, and in implementation, they still loved it. Somehow, it made the summer seem longer to them.
At the end of our summer, though, we had to be even more flexible than ever planned. I had been waiting excitedly all summer long for our final O activity: going to OMSI (the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry), which is supposed to amazing. I had on the calendar that my oldest had cross country practice late that afternoon and 6th grade orientation, which I assumed would be in the evening since parents were highly encouraged (i.e. expected) to attend. About a week before that date, I got an email with details about said orientation. It was scheduled from 1:30-4:30 in the afternoon. As for cross country, practice was moved to mid-morning. There was a whole day shot. No going to OMSI, after all.
A couple days after that informative email, my husband's dear grandma Helen passed away. When his other grandma, Violetta, left us in March, he went back to IA for the funeral and only took our oldest. Violetta had suffered from Alzheimer's for several years, and he was the only one of our children who had memories of her before that. Since we were all very close to Helen, we reassured the younger two back in March that when her time came, we'd all travel back to celebrate her life. In July when we road tripped back to IA, we visited Helen and she showed us all around her new care facility. It was beautiful, and she was in great spirits that day. That's why we were surprised when just over a month later, she was gone. We promptly decided to purchase plane tickets and head back.
That meant leaving the day after L's 6th grade orientation (Whew! So glad he didn't miss that!). Which, in turn, meant that we'd be missing not only the letter O, but also letters P-V. Because our Q activity was something that I absolutely did not want to miss, we included it on our N day earlier that week (it was finding the statue of Ramona Quimby in Portland). As for the other letters, I let go control and told the kiddos that we were skipping the final round of them and we'd pick up with W when we returned. They were a little reluctant to give it up and pointed out that we'd be packing ourselves into a plane on P day. Ahhh, they are related to me. ;)
We ended the alphabet as planned after we returned three days before school started. It was very bittersweet to end our final blow-out ABC summer, but our youngest is now officially a Kindergartner. Not sure how we got here, but here we are. I have the next couple of summers loosely planned, but my children are already asking what we'll do after that. We'll just have to remain flexible and see, I guess!
Friday, August 28, 2015
All Things X, Y, and Z!
It is my final Pacific Northwest ABC summer list of ideas! School starts on Tuesday, so I just made it before summer break ended. ;)
X, Y, & Z Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* study eXplorers like Lewis and Clark
* Yakima Sportsman Recreation Area (Yakima, WA)
* Mary S. Young State Recreation Area (West Linn, OR)
* Young's River Falls (south of Astoria, OR)
* Youth Outdoor Day (you'll have to search for what day this is held in your state)
* Y restaurants
* zoo (Portland, Tacoma & Seattle each have one)
* Zig Zag Mountain (Mt. Hood area; best in August & September)
Other X, Y, & Z things we'll be doing:
* do something X-tra special for someone
* be your best
* remember zero as meaning there is nothing you can't figure out
The original X is for..., Y is for..., and Z is for... lists include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. The pics from my daughter's ABC photography can be seen here.
Thank you for sticking with me this summer! Next year my youngest will be having an ABC photography summer that we're already planning. Please continue to share this blog with your friends. I'm sure I'll find some other randomly overplanned things to post about soon. For now, if you haven't read how all this ABC summer craziness began, read it! Happy new school year to everyone!
X, Y, & Z Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* study eXplorers like Lewis and Clark
* Yakima Sportsman Recreation Area (Yakima, WA)
* Mary S. Young State Recreation Area (West Linn, OR)
* Young's River Falls (south of Astoria, OR)
* Youth Outdoor Day (you'll have to search for what day this is held in your state)
* Y restaurants
* zoo (Portland, Tacoma & Seattle each have one)
* Zig Zag Mountain (Mt. Hood area; best in August & September)
Other X, Y, & Z things we'll be doing:
* do something X-tra special for someone
* be your best
* remember zero as meaning there is nothing you can't figure out
The original X is for..., Y is for..., and Z is for... lists include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. The pics from my daughter's ABC photography can be seen here.
Thank you for sticking with me this summer! Next year my youngest will be having an ABC photography summer that we're already planning. Please continue to share this blog with your friends. I'm sure I'll find some other randomly overplanned things to post about soon. For now, if you haven't read how all this ABC summer craziness began, read it! Happy new school year to everyone!
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
All Things W
This will be the last post of a lone letter (X, Y, and Z get to share a post). Wishing summer would last forever, but... it won't.
W Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Waffle Window (Portland)
* Wahclella Falls (on the gorge near the Bonneville Dam)
* Wallace Falls State Park (NE of Seattle)
* Washington Square Mall (arguably one of the best malls in the area)
* Washougal River (countless areas to swim, tube, and play)
* Watchman Peak Trail (Crater Lake)
* Waterfront Park (Vancouver)
* Water Resource Education Center (Vancouver)
* Water Works Park (Vancouver)
* Weather Machine Sculpture (Pioneer Courthouse Square - weather is predicted here every day at noon)
* Westmoreland Park Nature Play Area (Portland)
* Whatcom Falls (Bellingham, WA)
* Whitaker Ponds Nature Park (Portland)
* White Pass Scenic Byway (Hwy 12 through the Cascade Mountains, WA)
* Wildflour Cafe (Washougal)
* Wildlife Safari (Winston, OR)
* Wildwood Recreation Site (Mt. Hood; best in August & September)
* Wild Waves Theme Park (Federal Way, WA)
* Willamette Mission State Park (Portland)
* Willamette National Forest (central Cascades, OR)
* Wings & Waves Waterpark (McMinnville, OR)
* Wintler Community Park (Vancouver)
* Woodburn Elementary playground (Camas)
* Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle)
* World Forestry Center (Portland)
* Wunderland Cinema & Nickel Arcade (Portland)
* other W restaurants
Other W things we'll be doing:
* watching out for others
* wandering
The original W is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pics from my oldest's ABC photography summer. My daughter's photos can be viewed here.
The whole point of this blog is to give other parents fun ideas, so please pass this on to others! And encourage them to read the origin story of our ABC summers.
W Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Waffle Window (Portland)
* Wahclella Falls (on the gorge near the Bonneville Dam)
* Wallace Falls State Park (NE of Seattle)
* Washington Square Mall (arguably one of the best malls in the area)
* Washougal River (countless areas to swim, tube, and play)
* Watchman Peak Trail (Crater Lake)
* Waterfront Park (Vancouver)
* Water Resource Education Center (Vancouver)
* Water Works Park (Vancouver)
* Weather Machine Sculpture (Pioneer Courthouse Square - weather is predicted here every day at noon)
* Westmoreland Park Nature Play Area (Portland)
* Whatcom Falls (Bellingham, WA)
* Whitaker Ponds Nature Park (Portland)
* White Pass Scenic Byway (Hwy 12 through the Cascade Mountains, WA)
* Wildflour Cafe (Washougal)
* Wildlife Safari (Winston, OR)
* Wildwood Recreation Site (Mt. Hood; best in August & September)
* Wild Waves Theme Park (Federal Way, WA)
* Willamette Mission State Park (Portland)
* Willamette National Forest (central Cascades, OR)
* Wings & Waves Waterpark (McMinnville, OR)
* Wintler Community Park (Vancouver)
* Woodburn Elementary playground (Camas)
* Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle)
* World Forestry Center (Portland)
* Wunderland Cinema & Nickel Arcade (Portland)
* other W restaurants
Other W things we'll be doing:
* watching out for others
* wandering
The original W is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pics from my oldest's ABC photography summer. My daughter's photos can be viewed here.
The whole point of this blog is to give other parents fun ideas, so please pass this on to others! And encourage them to read the origin story of our ABC summers.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
All Things U & V
It's a combo post! Not many items for these letters...
U & V Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Umpqua ice cream (made in Portland)
* Umpqua River Scenic Byway (south of Eugene, OR)
* go underground (either on the Max train to the Children's Museum, which is the deepest transit station in North America OR on the underground tour below Pioneer Square in Seattle)
* Urban Adventure Quest: Portland (a three hour Amazing Race-type scavenger hunt)
* Urban Farmer restaurant (Portland)
* Valley of the Rogue (Rogue River near Medford, OR)
* Vancouver (WA or BC)
* Vaux's Swifts return to Chapman School chimney (Google it... looks unbelievable... hundreds of birds swoop back down into this chimney every evening in September)
* Vista Balloon Adventure (hot air balloon rides in Newberg, OR)
* Volcanic Legacy Scenic Highway (from OR into CA)
* Voodoo Doughnuts (Portland)
* other V restaurants
Other U & V things we'll be doing:
* use kind words
* play UNO
* volunteer somewhere
The original U is for... and V is for... lists include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from our oldest's ABC photography summer. The pics from our daughter's ABC photography summer can be viewed here.
As always, please feel free to share this blog. I love sharing the beginnings of our ABC summer adventures.
U & V Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Umpqua ice cream (made in Portland)
* Umpqua River Scenic Byway (south of Eugene, OR)
* go underground (either on the Max train to the Children's Museum, which is the deepest transit station in North America OR on the underground tour below Pioneer Square in Seattle)
* Urban Adventure Quest: Portland (a three hour Amazing Race-type scavenger hunt)
* Urban Farmer restaurant (Portland)
* Valley of the Rogue (Rogue River near Medford, OR)
* Vancouver (WA or BC)
* Vaux's Swifts return to Chapman School chimney (Google it... looks unbelievable... hundreds of birds swoop back down into this chimney every evening in September)
* Vista Balloon Adventure (hot air balloon rides in Newberg, OR)
* Volcanic Legacy Scenic Highway (from OR into CA)
* Voodoo Doughnuts (Portland)
* other V restaurants
Other U & V things we'll be doing:
* use kind words
* play UNO
* volunteer somewhere
The original U is for... and V is for... lists include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from our oldest's ABC photography summer. The pics from our daughter's ABC photography summer can be viewed here.
As always, please feel free to share this blog. I love sharing the beginnings of our ABC summer adventures.
Monday, August 24, 2015
All Things T
Today's letter is T! :)
T Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Tacoma Museum of Glass
* Thinker Toys (Portland)
* Three Sisters Loop (central OR)
* Tillamook Dairy (cheese and ice cream factory - Tillamook, OR)
* Timberline Lodge (Mt. Hood; year-round skiing/snowboarding)
* Timothy Lake (Mt. Hood)
* Tom McCall Waterfront Park (Portland)
* Trillium Creek Park (North Clackamas, OR)
* Trillium Lake (SW of Mt. Hood)
* Tualatin Hills Nature Park (Beaverton)
* Twin Falls (Northern Cascades, WA)
* Tyron Creek (Portland)
* other T restaurants
Other T things we'll be doing:
* Tasty BINGO (make your own cards) with Scrabble Jr. Cheez-Its for markers
* tell loved ones how you feel
* tree trunk art ("paint" the trunks/branches with wet sidewalk chalk)
The original T is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pics from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's ABC photography can be seen here.
This blog is for sharing, so share away! And it will all make more sense if you read about the beginnings of my ABC summer adventures.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
All Things S
Tonight I am pounding out the rest of this alphabet! I'll save you the despair and post them on different days so you're not overwhelmed with these last eight letters...
S Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Salem (check out the state capitol or Hallie Ford Museum of Art)
* Salt & Straw (voted 2nd best ice cream in the country by the Food Network)
* Sandy Swimming Hole (Washougal)
* San Juan Islands (WA)
* Saturday Market (Portland - everything is made locally)
* Sauvie Island (Portland - pick your own berries or peaches)
* Seattle (Space Needle, Seattle Center, Mariners game, or the Seattle Art Museum)
* Second Beach (Olympic National Park)
* Sellwood Park (Portland)
* Shevlin Park (Southern Cascades, OR)
* Shi Shi Beach (Olympic National Park)
* Silver Falls State Park (SE of Salem)
* Siouxon Creek (Mount St. Helen's area; best in June)
* Sky Lakes Wilderness (Southern Cascades, OR)
* Slappy Cakes (make-it-yourself pancake place in Portland)
* Smith Rock State Park (Terrebonne, OR)
* Snoqualmie Falls (east of Seattle... the falls on Twin Peaks!)
* Son Rise Ranch (where my daughter takes riding lessons; they offer great day camps in the summer)
* Spokane (Manito Park and Riverfront Park)
* Spring Basin Wilderness Trail (near the John Day River, OR)
* Spring Garden Park (Portland)
* Sun Lakes State Park (Coulee City, WA)
* Sunriver, OR
* Swift Skate Park (Vancouver)
* other S restaurants
Other S things we'll be doing:
* SMILE at everyone
* send notes or surprises to friends
The original S is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Pics from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be viewed here.
Feel free to share this blog with others! The origin story of my ABC summer adventures are a must read. ;)
S Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Salem (check out the state capitol or Hallie Ford Museum of Art)
* Salt & Straw (voted 2nd best ice cream in the country by the Food Network)
* Sandy Swimming Hole (Washougal)
* San Juan Islands (WA)
* Saturday Market (Portland - everything is made locally)
* Sauvie Island (Portland - pick your own berries or peaches)
* Seattle (Space Needle, Seattle Center, Mariners game, or the Seattle Art Museum)
* Second Beach (Olympic National Park)
* Sellwood Park (Portland)
* Shevlin Park (Southern Cascades, OR)
* Shi Shi Beach (Olympic National Park)
* Silver Falls State Park (SE of Salem)
* Siouxon Creek (Mount St. Helen's area; best in June)
* Sky Lakes Wilderness (Southern Cascades, OR)
* Slappy Cakes (make-it-yourself pancake place in Portland)
* Smith Rock State Park (Terrebonne, OR)
* Snoqualmie Falls (east of Seattle... the falls on Twin Peaks!)
* Son Rise Ranch (where my daughter takes riding lessons; they offer great day camps in the summer)
* Spokane (Manito Park and Riverfront Park)
* Spring Basin Wilderness Trail (near the John Day River, OR)
* Spring Garden Park (Portland)
* Sun Lakes State Park (Coulee City, WA)
* Sunriver, OR
* Swift Skate Park (Vancouver)
* other S restaurants
Other S things we'll be doing:
* SMILE at everyone
* send notes or surprises to friends
The original S is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Pics from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be viewed here.
Feel free to share this blog with others! The origin story of my ABC summer adventures are a must read. ;)
Sunday, August 16, 2015
All Things Q & R
Since I only have a handful of Q ideas, I am combining them with R ideas!
Q & R Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Queens River Loop (Sawtooth Wilderness in ID... yes, I really had to reach!)
* QFC (Seriously... it's the nicest grocery store chain out here. Take the kids and get some lunch)
* Quimby tour... Walk the Portland neighborhood in which Beverly Cleary lived and find the statue of Ramona Quimby in Grant Park
* Rattlesnake Ledge Trail (Snoqualmie, WA)
* Reed Lake (north side of Reed College, Portland)
* rivers (take your pick)
* Roaring River Wilderness (Clackamas River... best in Aug. & Sept.)
* Rocky Butte (park in Portland with ancient walls)
* Rocky Reach Dam (Wenatchee, WA)
* Roger Tilbury Memorial Park (Portland)
* Romona Falls (Mt. Hood)
* Rose Test Gardens (Portland)
* Ruby Jewel Scoops (ice cream in Portland)
* other R restaurants
Other Q & R things we'll be doing:
* quit a bad habit (B still sucks his thumb if he wakes up in the middle of the night... I still lose my temper when I don't want to... We all have something we need to work on quitting)
* respect everyone
The original Q is for... and R is for... lists include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. The pics from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be seen here.
Summer is nearing its end, but it's never too early to plan for next year! So, go ahead and share away with this blog. If it makes no sense to you, check out how this whole ABC summer thing started.
Q & R Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Queens River Loop (Sawtooth Wilderness in ID... yes, I really had to reach!)
* QFC (Seriously... it's the nicest grocery store chain out here. Take the kids and get some lunch)
* Quimby tour... Walk the Portland neighborhood in which Beverly Cleary lived and find the statue of Ramona Quimby in Grant Park
* Rattlesnake Ledge Trail (Snoqualmie, WA)
* Reed Lake (north side of Reed College, Portland)
* rivers (take your pick)
* Roaring River Wilderness (Clackamas River... best in Aug. & Sept.)
* Rocky Butte (park in Portland with ancient walls)
* Rocky Reach Dam (Wenatchee, WA)
* Roger Tilbury Memorial Park (Portland)
* Romona Falls (Mt. Hood)
* Rose Test Gardens (Portland)
* Ruby Jewel Scoops (ice cream in Portland)
* other R restaurants
Other Q & R things we'll be doing:
* quit a bad habit (B still sucks his thumb if he wakes up in the middle of the night... I still lose my temper when I don't want to... We all have something we need to work on quitting)
* respect everyone
The original Q is for... and R is for... lists include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. The pics from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be seen here.
Summer is nearing its end, but it's never too early to plan for next year! So, go ahead and share away with this blog. If it makes no sense to you, check out how this whole ABC summer thing started.
Monday, August 10, 2015
All Things P
Figured I'd better blog on our last B day of this ABC summer!
P Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Pacific Park Extreme Sports Park (Vancouver)
* Painted Hills (Mitchell, OR)
* Palouse Falls (Eastern WA)
* Paradise Nature Trails (Mt. Rainier National Park)
* Peninsula Park (Portland)
* Pike Place Market (Seattle)
* Pill Hill (OHSU at the top of the aerial tram)
* Pioneer Courthouse Square (Portland)
* Pioneer Park (one in Beaverton & one in Clackamas)
* Pittock Mansion (one of the best views around Portland)
* planetarium
* Playdate PDX (three stories of indoor playground in Portland - free at 6:30 on Fridays)
* Point Defiance Park (Tacoma)
* Point of Arches Trail (Olympic Peninsula)
* Pok Pok (Thai restaurant in Portland)
* Powell Butte Nature Park (Portland)
* Powell's City of Books (best book store EVER... Portland)
* Port Townsend, WA
* Prune Hill Elementary playground (Camas)
* Puffin Cafe at Port of Camas/Washougal
* Punchbowl Falls (Eagle Creek on the Columbia River Gorge)
* Other P restaurants
Other P things we'll be doing:
* picnics
* plant something pretty
* practice instruments
* make pudding pops
The original P is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Pics from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be seen here.
Don't forget to share my blog with friends and encourage them to read about how my ABC summer adventures began! Only nine more letters to post. :)
P Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Pacific Park Extreme Sports Park (Vancouver)
* Painted Hills (Mitchell, OR)
* Palouse Falls (Eastern WA)
* Paradise Nature Trails (Mt. Rainier National Park)
* Peninsula Park (Portland)
* Pike Place Market (Seattle)
* Pill Hill (OHSU at the top of the aerial tram)
* Pioneer Courthouse Square (Portland)
* Pioneer Park (one in Beaverton & one in Clackamas)
* Pittock Mansion (one of the best views around Portland)
* planetarium
* Playdate PDX (three stories of indoor playground in Portland - free at 6:30 on Fridays)
* Point Defiance Park (Tacoma)
* Point of Arches Trail (Olympic Peninsula)
* Pok Pok (Thai restaurant in Portland)
* Powell Butte Nature Park (Portland)
* Powell's City of Books (best book store EVER... Portland)
* Port Townsend, WA
* Prune Hill Elementary playground (Camas)
* Puffin Cafe at Port of Camas/Washougal
* Punchbowl Falls (Eagle Creek on the Columbia River Gorge)
* Other P restaurants
Other P things we'll be doing:
* picnics
* plant something pretty
* practice instruments
* make pudding pops
The original P is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Pics from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be seen here.
Don't forget to share my blog with friends and encourage them to read about how my ABC summer adventures began! Only nine more letters to post. :)
Saturday, August 1, 2015
All Things O
With a turn of the calendar, we are one month away from school starting out here! Still so much to do...
O Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Oak Island Nature Trail (Portland)
* Oak Park (Camas)
* Oaks Amusement Park (Portland)
* Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge (Portland)
* Odell Lake Overlook (Crescent, OR)
* Old Spaghetti Factory
* Old Town Pizza (Portland - supposedly haunted)
* Olympia (WA's state capitol)
* Olympia National Park
* OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry in Portland - also has the Omnimax theater)
* Oregon Badlands Wilderness Area (east of Bend)
* Oregon Caves National Monument (SW OR)
* Oregon Coast (so many awesome beaches along it)
* Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (Central OR coast)
* Oregon Historical Society (Portland)
* Oregon Symphony Neighborhood Concerts (they're FREE)
* Oregon Trail Museum (the end of the trail - Oregon City)
* Oregon Trail wagon ruts (13 miles of historic wagon ruts half-mile west of the National Historic Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City, OR)
* Oregon Zoo (Portland)
* Oswald West State Park (south of Cannon Beach, OR - best on a clear day)
* Outdoor Adventure (at the Portland Children's Museum)
* Oyster Dome Trail (Bellingham, WA)
* Ozette Triangle (Olympic Peninsula)
* Other O restaurants
Other O things we'll be doing:
* offer to help someone
* have an opposite day
* play Oregon Trail (the old game... the new app game is just not the same)
The original O is for... list includes things to do, places to go, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. The pictures from my daughter's ABC photography can be seen here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with others. Don't forget to read about how my ABC summer adventures began.
O Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Oak Island Nature Trail (Portland)
* Oak Park (Camas)
* Oaks Amusement Park (Portland)
* Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge (Portland)
* Odell Lake Overlook (Crescent, OR)
* Old Spaghetti Factory
* Old Town Pizza (Portland - supposedly haunted)
* Olympia (WA's state capitol)
* Olympia National Park
* OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry in Portland - also has the Omnimax theater)
* Oregon Badlands Wilderness Area (east of Bend)
* Oregon Caves National Monument (SW OR)
* Oregon Coast (so many awesome beaches along it)
* Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (Central OR coast)
* Oregon Historical Society (Portland)
* Oregon Symphony Neighborhood Concerts (they're FREE)
* Oregon Trail Museum (the end of the trail - Oregon City)
* Oregon Trail wagon ruts (13 miles of historic wagon ruts half-mile west of the National Historic Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City, OR)
* Oregon Zoo (Portland)
* Oswald West State Park (south of Cannon Beach, OR - best on a clear day)
* Outdoor Adventure (at the Portland Children's Museum)
* Oyster Dome Trail (Bellingham, WA)
* Ozette Triangle (Olympic Peninsula)
* Other O restaurants
Other O things we'll be doing:
* offer to help someone
* have an opposite day
* play Oregon Trail (the old game... the new app game is just not the same)
The original O is for... list includes things to do, places to go, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. The pictures from my daughter's ABC photography can be seen here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with others. Don't forget to read about how my ABC summer adventures began.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
All Things N
As I'm writing this, we are actually celebrating the letter N! Nothing major... just noodles, North America, and Northern Lights. Good times. ;)
N Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Nadaka Nature Park (Portland)
* National Forests (take your pick of many...)
* nature walks at natural play grounds
* Newport, OR (home of the Oregon Coast Aquarium)
* North Canyon Nature Play Area at Silver Falls State Park
* North Cascades National Park
* NW 23rd shopping (Portland)
* Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (Eatonville, WA)
* N restaurants in the area
Other N things we'll be doing:
* notice random acts of niceness
* name things we notice
The original N is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pics from my oldest's ABC photography summer. My daughter's photos from her ABC photography can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others this summer! Don't miss out on reading how this ABC summer craziness began.
N Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Nadaka Nature Park (Portland)
* National Forests (take your pick of many...)
* nature walks at natural play grounds
* Newport, OR (home of the Oregon Coast Aquarium)
* North Canyon Nature Play Area at Silver Falls State Park
* North Cascades National Park
* NW 23rd shopping (Portland)
* Northwest Trek Wildlife Park (Eatonville, WA)
* N restaurants in the area
Other N things we'll be doing:
* notice random acts of niceness
* name things we notice
The original N is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pics from my oldest's ABC photography summer. My daughter's photos from her ABC photography can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others this summer! Don't miss out on reading how this ABC summer craziness began.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
All Things M
More mindful mayhem. :)
M Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Macleay Trail (Portland - best on a clear day)
* Marine Park (Vancouver)
* Mariners game in Seattle
* Maritime Museum (Astoria)
* Marshall Community Park (Vancouver)
* Marshall Park (Portland)
* Maryhill Stonehenge Memorial (Maryhill, WA - replica of Stonehenge overlooking the Columbia)
* McDowell Creek Falls (Portland)
* McKenzie River Trail (west of Bend)
* McMinnville, OR
* Mill Ends Park (smallest park in the world - Portland)
* Mima Mounds (Olympic Peninsula)
* Mimosa Studios (paint your own pottery place in Portland)
* Mirror Lake (Mt. Hood - best in August)
* Moonstruck Chocolate Truffles from any of Moonstruck Cafes
* Mother's Bistro (Portland)
* Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
* Mount Si Trail (north Bend)
* Mount St. Helen's National Volcanic Monument (WA)
* Mount Tabor (climb to the top and play at the playground in SE Portland)
* movies at the library or in the park
* Multnomah Falls (OR)
* Museum of Flight (Seattle)
* other M restaurants around Portland
More M things we'll be doing:
* making something for someone
* Minions movie
* movie theatre popcorn (taken home!)
The original M is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Our daughter's photos from her photography summer can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others. Also, be sure to read the beginnings of my ABC summer adventures. N is next!
M Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Macleay Trail (Portland - best on a clear day)
* Marine Park (Vancouver)
* Mariners game in Seattle
* Maritime Museum (Astoria)
* Marshall Community Park (Vancouver)
* Marshall Park (Portland)
* Maryhill Stonehenge Memorial (Maryhill, WA - replica of Stonehenge overlooking the Columbia)
* McDowell Creek Falls (Portland)
* McKenzie River Trail (west of Bend)
* McMinnville, OR
* Mill Ends Park (smallest park in the world - Portland)
* Mima Mounds (Olympic Peninsula)
* Mimosa Studios (paint your own pottery place in Portland)
* Mirror Lake (Mt. Hood - best in August)
* Moonstruck Chocolate Truffles from any of Moonstruck Cafes
* Mother's Bistro (Portland)
* Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
* Mount Si Trail (north Bend)
* Mount St. Helen's National Volcanic Monument (WA)
* Mount Tabor (climb to the top and play at the playground in SE Portland)
* movies at the library or in the park
* Multnomah Falls (OR)
* Museum of Flight (Seattle)
* other M restaurants around Portland
More M things we'll be doing:
* making something for someone
* Minions movie
* movie theatre popcorn (taken home!)
The original M is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Our daughter's photos from her photography summer can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others. Also, be sure to read the beginnings of my ABC summer adventures. N is next!
Thursday, July 23, 2015
All Things L
Lots on this list!
L Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Lacamas Park (Camas)
* Lacamas Heights Elementary playground (Camas)
* Ladybug Theater (Portland - currently "taking a break," but possibly in another year...)
* Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (North Central WA)
* Lan Su Chinese Garden (Portland)
* Latourell Falls (Columbia Gorge - our family has hiked there and loved it)
* Laurelhurst Park (Portland)
* Lava Lands Visitor Center (Bend)
* Lava River Cave (Bend - best in June)
* Leach Botanical Garden (Portland)
* Leavenworth (cute German-style town in Central WA with great food!)
* Leonardo's Pizzeria (Vancouver)
* Leroy Haagen Memorial Park (Vancouver)
* Leverich Park (Vancouver)
* Lewis & Clark National Historical Park (Astoria)
* Little Cranberry Lake (Seattle/Puget Sound area)
* Little Cups & Grown Ups Play Cafe (Vancouver)
* Lloyd Center (Portland mall with indoor ice rink)
* Lumosity games (if you haven't tried this website, you're missing out...)
* other L restaurants
More L activities we'll be doing:
* lemonade stand (my kids have been begging to have one ever since we moved here...)
* play date with Liam
* listen (for birds, for music, for directions, etc.)
The original L is for... list includes places to go, foods to eat, things to do, Bible verses, and pictures from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Pics from my daughter's ABC photography can be viewed here.
As always, please share my blog with your friends. And if you have no idea why I made these seemingly random lists, check out the beginning of my ABC summer adventures. Make sure to read my M masterminds soon!
L Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Lacamas Park (Camas)
* Lacamas Heights Elementary playground (Camas)
* Ladybug Theater (Portland - currently "taking a break," but possibly in another year...)
* Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (North Central WA)
* Lan Su Chinese Garden (Portland)
* Latourell Falls (Columbia Gorge - our family has hiked there and loved it)
* Laurelhurst Park (Portland)
* Lava Lands Visitor Center (Bend)
* Lava River Cave (Bend - best in June)
* Leach Botanical Garden (Portland)
* Leavenworth (cute German-style town in Central WA with great food!)
* Leonardo's Pizzeria (Vancouver)
* Leroy Haagen Memorial Park (Vancouver)
* Leverich Park (Vancouver)
* Lewis & Clark National Historical Park (Astoria)
* Little Cranberry Lake (Seattle/Puget Sound area)
* Little Cups & Grown Ups Play Cafe (Vancouver)
* Lloyd Center (Portland mall with indoor ice rink)
* Lumosity games (if you haven't tried this website, you're missing out...)
* other L restaurants
More L activities we'll be doing:
* lemonade stand (my kids have been begging to have one ever since we moved here...)
* play date with Liam
* listen (for birds, for music, for directions, etc.)
The original L is for... list includes places to go, foods to eat, things to do, Bible verses, and pictures from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Pics from my daughter's ABC photography can be viewed here.
As always, please share my blog with your friends. And if you have no idea why I made these seemingly random lists, check out the beginning of my ABC summer adventures. Make sure to read my M masterminds soon!
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
All Things K
Kicking back and keeping my cool today! :)
K Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Kah-Nee-Ta Resort & Spa (Warm Springs Reservation, OR)
* Kazoodles Toy Store (Vancouver)
* Kelley Point Park (N Portland)
* Kennedy School (McMenamins in Portland) - has a movie theater that shows kids' movies on weekends and author-themed rooms in the hotel
* Kidd's Toy Museum (Portland)
* Kite Festival (3rd full week of August every year in Long Beach, WA)
* Klickitat Park (Camas)
* Khunamokwst Park (Portland)
* K restaurants in the Portland area
Other K activity we'll be doing:
* practicing kindness to others
The original K is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pics from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's photography summer can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others, and be sure to read about how my ABC summer adventures began. L lists soon to come!
K Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Kah-Nee-Ta Resort & Spa (Warm Springs Reservation, OR)
* Kazoodles Toy Store (Vancouver)
* Kelley Point Park (N Portland)
* Kennedy School (McMenamins in Portland) - has a movie theater that shows kids' movies on weekends and author-themed rooms in the hotel
* Kidd's Toy Museum (Portland)
* Kite Festival (3rd full week of August every year in Long Beach, WA)
* Klickitat Park (Camas)
* Khunamokwst Park (Portland)
* K restaurants in the Portland area
Other K activity we'll be doing:
* practicing kindness to others
The original K is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pics from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's photography summer can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others, and be sure to read about how my ABC summer adventures began. L lists soon to come!
Monday, July 20, 2015
A Three Week Whirlwind
Today was our first full day home after our huge road trip back to IA. Just wanted to list out the highlights (before I forget them... It's already becoming a blur) and attempt to mention everyone that we got to see!
Friday, June 26th: Ross went to work for the morning, my awesome neighbor Lana took my kids to VBS, and I headed to a doctor's appointment. I picked up the kids at 10:30 and we made the slow (traffic!) drive downtown to get Ross. An hour later, we were on the road headed south. We drove through lots of the redwood forests, checked into a little lodge in Crescent City, CA, and randomly met four fellow University of Northern Iowa Panthers at the restaurant down the street.
Saturday, June 27th: More Redwood National Park, including a (tight) drive through a tree trunk. Drove across northern CA on a horribly curvy and hilly highway (note to self: avoid Hwy 299 in the future, if at all possible). Watched an awesome thunderstorm ahead of us as we neared NV, and stayed in Reno that night.
Sunday, June 28th: Drove across NV; we were surprised by all the salt flats. The Great Salt Lake Desert and the Bonneville Salt Flats were an unexpected bonus along the drive. Never mind that it was 110° outside... Saw the 2002 Winter Olympics ski jumps in Park City, UT, where we stopped for the night.
Monday, June 29th: Happily ate at Kneaders (recommended by all of our local friends who are UT natives) for breakfast. Besides the great food, it was by far the best mocha I had on the way to IA. We stopped for a late lunch at a McDonald's (the one time we gave in to that request) and met an IA native in line for the bathroom. Craziness, I tell you. We made it to Rocky Mountain National Park with time to hike to a pretty little waterfall, saw huge elk, several rams, a cute little marmot, and got to touch the snow at the peak (this was the highest elevation the kids and I have ever been to... over 12,000 feet). After a yummy meal in downtown Estes Park, we indulged in ice cream (for my husband and two youngest) and fresh salt water taffy (for my oldest and me). That was a late night to bed, but well worth all we saw and tasted.
Tuesday, June 30th: We visited an old college class mate, Johi, in Ft. Collins so my daughter could meet her six horses (the boys were happier to meet the dogs and cats). We lunched in Cheyenne, WY, and decided to forgo the out-of-the-way trip to Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff in NE... Everyone was tired and anxious to get to my in-laws' farm. So, we drove straight to Kearney, NE, where we ate at the HyVee deli and salad bar (something we'd all missed) and stayed in the beautiful new Hampton Inn. We're talking total HGTV decor.
Wednesday, July 1st: Because it would be unusual for us to make a five day trip with no major "incidents," I somehow locked the keys in our car while attempting to load up that morning at the hotel. Yep. We had to wait almost an hour for the locksmith. Sigh. Once that was taken care of, we headed to IA! When we got gas at the Casey's in Adair, we couldn't resist getting slices of pizza (well, they were out of cheese pizza, so the younger two split a cup of popcorn chicken). Yum. We'd all really missed Casey's pizza! Made it to the farm outside of Dysart around 4:00 that afternoon. By dinnertime, everyone was there (except my SIL's husband, who had to drive separately from WI the next day). The older kids slept in tents with a couple adults and the rest of us took over the beds. My five year old kicked me all night...
Thursday, July 2nd: Woke up with what felt like a bug bite on the back of my neck (more on that later). Spent the day in LaPorte City, my hometown, at my sister's. We took the kiddos to the pool despite the very mild temps (I shivered sitting outside the pool in the sunshine). Then they ordered FOUR Casey's pizzas for dinner and we all had more than our fill. Ugh. Back of my neck felt weird and crusty by the end of the day. Made my husband take a look and he thought it looked like I had gouged a chunk of my skin. Put up with my restless little one all night long.
Friday, July 3rd: Lots of fun on the farm. I held our six month old nephew as much as possible. His giggles are the best! Took the kids into town for the requisite kiddie parade. Stayed up too late with everyone. Was again beaten up by my youngest all night.
Saturday, July 4th: Husband and oldest ran the Firecracker 5K (BIL Kenny won again, as always). Our 11 year old beat his dad, who found an old high school class mate with whom to finish. Dave was a fellow band geek with us, witnessed my first attempts at skiing, and got married a couple months before we did. Hadn't seen him in years! My sister joined us in our regular spot to watch the parade (my niece was in the marching band and my dad drove one of the LPC firetrucks with my twin nephews along for the ride). Kids played all afternoon, partly at the farm and partly in the city park at the festival rides. Ate s'mores, caught fireflies, and took in the amazing fireworks display. Our youngest braved sleeping in the tent and I was happy to welcome our daughter into bed with me (she slept so still!).
Sunday, July 5th: We got up early to send off my SIL's family back to CO. Loaded up most of our stuff (not all, as the kids and I would be back later in the week), passed around hugs and kisses to the other SIL's family, my BIL's family, and in-laws, and headed to Ankeny for church. It was wonderful to see so many friends there (Amity, the Suedmeiers, Elizabeth, Pam, Krista, Ann, and probably others that I am forgetting). We met my BFF Lisa's family at Jethro's for lunch. My daughter actually choked up when we got to hug everyone! We froze in the AC through lunch, then drove south of Grand in Des Moines to David Primeau's house for a gathering with some of Ross' former co-workers, where our oldest was eaten alive by mosquitoes. We then took L to his friend Truman's to spend the night. The Pattersons treated us to wood-fired pizzas before the rest of us spent the night at Lisa's.
Monday, July 6th: Got up early, picked up a tired L, and took a mini road trip to Pella. We visited Ross' grandma Helen, toured his uncle Scott & aunt Cindy's new home, happened to see the same high school class mate (Dave) riding his bike in the rain, ate lunch at Smoky Row, and bought Dutch Letters at Jaarsma Bakery. Then we drove to West Des Moines and spent the rainy afternoon and dinner at Pizza Ranch with the Songers. We dropped L back off at Truman's house, and the rest of us stayed at the Stovers. After we got E & B to bed, Ross & I stayed up until 12:30 catching up with Jen & Paul. It was so much fun!
Tuesday, July 7th: Said goodbye to the Stovers and headed back to Lisa's for the day (Ross was in WDM and then downtown with old co-workers). Got to see another Jen (who blessedly brought me my favorite Caribou Coffee!) and her boys. After lunch, we spent another chilly couple of hours at the pool, where E met up with her friend Anna. Truman's sister brought the boys to the pool to meet us. After they'd had enough shivering, we visited our old neighbors, Fred & Ginger (yes, seriously). It was a little difficult to be right next door to our old house, but we managed. BTW, if you know Fred & Ginger, please reach out to them as their son, Curt, passed away unexpectedly this weekend. :( L was very disappointed (to the point of tears) that we didn't have time to visit his old chickens at his friend Judd's house because we had dinner plans near the airport with the Hershbergers. As soon as we finished dinner and chatting, we took Ross to the airport to catch his flight back to WA. I drove the kiddos back to the farm, drank some coffee, and turned around to go back to Lisa's for a few more nights.
Wednesday, July 8th: I spent the whole wonderful day with Lisa, getting pedicures, shopping, and eating. Unfortunately, the thing on my neck began itching again, grew into a welt, and by evening was gross and crusty. Ew. Lisa thought it looked like a hive (sadly, she's had much experience with hives). When we shopped at my happy place (the Ankeny Super Target), we ran into Jessica. Ross & I had wanted to get together with her and Josh, but schedules hadn't worked, so it was an awesome surprise. Our besties, Jen & Amy, met us at Fong's Pizza for dinner. At the table next to us happened to be Aimee, another old and dear friend of mine! Then Jill and Margaret from our old church showed up, too. It was so cool. After dinner, Jen took us through the new home she and Kyle are building in Polk City, and we got some so-so frozen yogurt at Yumz.
Thursday, July 9th: My sister came down to shop with me (and eat, of course). It was a great day, and she even helped me find the perfect dress for the family pictures we're going to have taken in Portland later this summer. I also bought the prettiest rainbow umbrella I've ever seen and a UNI rock for our front step. When she took off for LPC, Lisa and I watched Divergent before bed.
Friday, July 10th: Tearfully said goodbye to Lisa and her little guy (her daughters were still sound asleep), and headed back to the farm. I spent the better part of the day cleaning out the car and repacking. We did meet my BIL and his family at the Dysart pool late in the afternoon, and partook in Casey's pizza one final time.
Saturday, July 11th: Before we left, I had my retired nurse MIL check my neck. She thought it looked like a bug bite to which I'd had an allergic reaction. Thanked my in-laws for everything and drove to my parents'. The two of them, along with my sister's family, rented a huge van to make the drive back to WA with us. We set off north and stopped in Blue Earth, MN, to take pics with the Jolly Green Giant. Later that day, we visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. We arrived at the Badlands at the perfect time to eat dinner at the Cedar Pass Lodge. After dinner, we saw some big horned sheep on our way out of the park, and we made it to Rapid City to spend the night.
Sunday, July 12th: Mt. Rushmore was our first stop (very cool), and then on to Devil's Tower in WY. We ate a nearby greasy spoon and then made the long and boring drive to Billings, MT. Let the kids swim a bit, had pizza, and hit the sack.
Monday, July 13th: Made our way to Glacier National Park. I had so much fun with my 16 year old niece, who wanted to ride with me most of the way. This is where my phone lost service (which I figured was normal, since we were in the park). Though it was a bit rainy, we bought the always desired stuffed animals at the visitor's center and saw a beautiful rainbow. Those in the van got to see a big mountain goat, but we missed it. Once out of the park (still no service on my phone), we drove to Kalispell where we ate at Five Guys Burgers & Fries and spent the night.
Tuesday, July 14th: My plan had included a stop at the Grand Coulee Dam, but once again, we were all tired out and done with sight-seeing. So, we drove straight to Leavenworth, WA. It was nice to arrive early enough to take in a little window shopping in this cute little town. We ate at Andreas Keller, which served authentic German food, and then we had very tasty ice cream in homemade waffle cones a couple doors down.
Wednesday, July 15th: My phone finally began getting a signal again (thanks a lot, AT&T) when we left Leavenworth. Stuck to the interstates and got back to Camas around 2:00. Gave everyone the tour of the house, started some laundry, and blew up a couple air mattresses for our guests. Ross made burgers and hot dogs for dinner, and everyone crashed pretty hard that night.
Thursday, July 16th: Ross had to work, but he put my dad and BIL to work, too. They were tasked with getting a bunch of ribs onto the smoker. I think they liked having something to keep them busy. The kids were happy to play outside and use the Wii a bit. With more laundry going, I took my sister and niece to Portland. We spent time at Powell's and then had ice cream at Ruby Jewel (if you have the opportunity, do not pass up their S'mores ice cream!). The ribs were great that night, too.
Friday, July 17th: The guys went and bought a car load of fire wood on Livingston Mountain before we all took off for the OR coast. Ross & I rented a sweet beach house in Tierra Del Mar that had the perfect number of beds for all of us. We ended up having to take a 75 mile detour because of a fatal car accident that had occurred ahead of us, but it was a chance to remind the kids how grateful we were to still be driving. And though we were close enough to see the Life Flight helicopter land just a hundred yards or so in front of us, we were grateful to not be close enough to witness the accident scene. Once at the house, the beach and sunset were gorgeous.
Saturday, July 18th: Ross, Dad & my BIL went on a 5 mile hike in Cape Lookout State Park, where they spotted a whale off the coast. The rest of us got to hang out on the beach (most of the kids splashed in the frigid waters all day). There were a few sunburns, but everyone had a great time. When the sun set that night, we were able to see at least three planets near the tiny crescent moon. So cool. My neck began itching again...
Sunday, July 19th: Woke with a crusty spot on my neck. Sigh. Packed up and ate breakfast at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We all saved room for ice cream or fudge. We then took one last pic of all the cousins before saying our goodbyes. Ross led the van through Portland and then we parted ways as they continued on towards IA. Our family slept quite well last night.
Whew! It was a wonderful and exhausting three weeks. I have many photos to sort through and still have loads of laundry to do. I also have a doctor's appointment later this week to figure out just what it is that is making this spot on my neck itch, swell, and then scab over repeatedly. So gross. Thankfully, it's hidden by my hair! Now that we're back to the norm, I am planning to get back to my ABC blogging more frequently. Summer isn't even halfway over here in WA!
Friday, June 26th: Ross went to work for the morning, my awesome neighbor Lana took my kids to VBS, and I headed to a doctor's appointment. I picked up the kids at 10:30 and we made the slow (traffic!) drive downtown to get Ross. An hour later, we were on the road headed south. We drove through lots of the redwood forests, checked into a little lodge in Crescent City, CA, and randomly met four fellow University of Northern Iowa Panthers at the restaurant down the street.
Saturday, June 27th: More Redwood National Park, including a (tight) drive through a tree trunk. Drove across northern CA on a horribly curvy and hilly highway (note to self: avoid Hwy 299 in the future, if at all possible). Watched an awesome thunderstorm ahead of us as we neared NV, and stayed in Reno that night.
Sunday, June 28th: Drove across NV; we were surprised by all the salt flats. The Great Salt Lake Desert and the Bonneville Salt Flats were an unexpected bonus along the drive. Never mind that it was 110° outside... Saw the 2002 Winter Olympics ski jumps in Park City, UT, where we stopped for the night.
Monday, June 29th: Happily ate at Kneaders (recommended by all of our local friends who are UT natives) for breakfast. Besides the great food, it was by far the best mocha I had on the way to IA. We stopped for a late lunch at a McDonald's (the one time we gave in to that request) and met an IA native in line for the bathroom. Craziness, I tell you. We made it to Rocky Mountain National Park with time to hike to a pretty little waterfall, saw huge elk, several rams, a cute little marmot, and got to touch the snow at the peak (this was the highest elevation the kids and I have ever been to... over 12,000 feet). After a yummy meal in downtown Estes Park, we indulged in ice cream (for my husband and two youngest) and fresh salt water taffy (for my oldest and me). That was a late night to bed, but well worth all we saw and tasted.
Tuesday, June 30th: We visited an old college class mate, Johi, in Ft. Collins so my daughter could meet her six horses (the boys were happier to meet the dogs and cats). We lunched in Cheyenne, WY, and decided to forgo the out-of-the-way trip to Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff in NE... Everyone was tired and anxious to get to my in-laws' farm. So, we drove straight to Kearney, NE, where we ate at the HyVee deli and salad bar (something we'd all missed) and stayed in the beautiful new Hampton Inn. We're talking total HGTV decor.
Wednesday, July 1st: Because it would be unusual for us to make a five day trip with no major "incidents," I somehow locked the keys in our car while attempting to load up that morning at the hotel. Yep. We had to wait almost an hour for the locksmith. Sigh. Once that was taken care of, we headed to IA! When we got gas at the Casey's in Adair, we couldn't resist getting slices of pizza (well, they were out of cheese pizza, so the younger two split a cup of popcorn chicken). Yum. We'd all really missed Casey's pizza! Made it to the farm outside of Dysart around 4:00 that afternoon. By dinnertime, everyone was there (except my SIL's husband, who had to drive separately from WI the next day). The older kids slept in tents with a couple adults and the rest of us took over the beds. My five year old kicked me all night...
Thursday, July 2nd: Woke up with what felt like a bug bite on the back of my neck (more on that later). Spent the day in LaPorte City, my hometown, at my sister's. We took the kiddos to the pool despite the very mild temps (I shivered sitting outside the pool in the sunshine). Then they ordered FOUR Casey's pizzas for dinner and we all had more than our fill. Ugh. Back of my neck felt weird and crusty by the end of the day. Made my husband take a look and he thought it looked like I had gouged a chunk of my skin. Put up with my restless little one all night long.
Friday, July 3rd: Lots of fun on the farm. I held our six month old nephew as much as possible. His giggles are the best! Took the kids into town for the requisite kiddie parade. Stayed up too late with everyone. Was again beaten up by my youngest all night.
Saturday, July 4th: Husband and oldest ran the Firecracker 5K (BIL Kenny won again, as always). Our 11 year old beat his dad, who found an old high school class mate with whom to finish. Dave was a fellow band geek with us, witnessed my first attempts at skiing, and got married a couple months before we did. Hadn't seen him in years! My sister joined us in our regular spot to watch the parade (my niece was in the marching band and my dad drove one of the LPC firetrucks with my twin nephews along for the ride). Kids played all afternoon, partly at the farm and partly in the city park at the festival rides. Ate s'mores, caught fireflies, and took in the amazing fireworks display. Our youngest braved sleeping in the tent and I was happy to welcome our daughter into bed with me (she slept so still!).
Sunday, July 5th: We got up early to send off my SIL's family back to CO. Loaded up most of our stuff (not all, as the kids and I would be back later in the week), passed around hugs and kisses to the other SIL's family, my BIL's family, and in-laws, and headed to Ankeny for church. It was wonderful to see so many friends there (Amity, the Suedmeiers, Elizabeth, Pam, Krista, Ann, and probably others that I am forgetting). We met my BFF Lisa's family at Jethro's for lunch. My daughter actually choked up when we got to hug everyone! We froze in the AC through lunch, then drove south of Grand in Des Moines to David Primeau's house for a gathering with some of Ross' former co-workers, where our oldest was eaten alive by mosquitoes. We then took L to his friend Truman's to spend the night. The Pattersons treated us to wood-fired pizzas before the rest of us spent the night at Lisa's.
Monday, July 6th: Got up early, picked up a tired L, and took a mini road trip to Pella. We visited Ross' grandma Helen, toured his uncle Scott & aunt Cindy's new home, happened to see the same high school class mate (Dave) riding his bike in the rain, ate lunch at Smoky Row, and bought Dutch Letters at Jaarsma Bakery. Then we drove to West Des Moines and spent the rainy afternoon and dinner at Pizza Ranch with the Songers. We dropped L back off at Truman's house, and the rest of us stayed at the Stovers. After we got E & B to bed, Ross & I stayed up until 12:30 catching up with Jen & Paul. It was so much fun!
Tuesday, July 7th: Said goodbye to the Stovers and headed back to Lisa's for the day (Ross was in WDM and then downtown with old co-workers). Got to see another Jen (who blessedly brought me my favorite Caribou Coffee!) and her boys. After lunch, we spent another chilly couple of hours at the pool, where E met up with her friend Anna. Truman's sister brought the boys to the pool to meet us. After they'd had enough shivering, we visited our old neighbors, Fred & Ginger (yes, seriously). It was a little difficult to be right next door to our old house, but we managed. BTW, if you know Fred & Ginger, please reach out to them as their son, Curt, passed away unexpectedly this weekend. :( L was very disappointed (to the point of tears) that we didn't have time to visit his old chickens at his friend Judd's house because we had dinner plans near the airport with the Hershbergers. As soon as we finished dinner and chatting, we took Ross to the airport to catch his flight back to WA. I drove the kiddos back to the farm, drank some coffee, and turned around to go back to Lisa's for a few more nights.
Wednesday, July 8th: I spent the whole wonderful day with Lisa, getting pedicures, shopping, and eating. Unfortunately, the thing on my neck began itching again, grew into a welt, and by evening was gross and crusty. Ew. Lisa thought it looked like a hive (sadly, she's had much experience with hives). When we shopped at my happy place (the Ankeny Super Target), we ran into Jessica. Ross & I had wanted to get together with her and Josh, but schedules hadn't worked, so it was an awesome surprise. Our besties, Jen & Amy, met us at Fong's Pizza for dinner. At the table next to us happened to be Aimee, another old and dear friend of mine! Then Jill and Margaret from our old church showed up, too. It was so cool. After dinner, Jen took us through the new home she and Kyle are building in Polk City, and we got some so-so frozen yogurt at Yumz.
Thursday, July 9th: My sister came down to shop with me (and eat, of course). It was a great day, and she even helped me find the perfect dress for the family pictures we're going to have taken in Portland later this summer. I also bought the prettiest rainbow umbrella I've ever seen and a UNI rock for our front step. When she took off for LPC, Lisa and I watched Divergent before bed.
Friday, July 10th: Tearfully said goodbye to Lisa and her little guy (her daughters were still sound asleep), and headed back to the farm. I spent the better part of the day cleaning out the car and repacking. We did meet my BIL and his family at the Dysart pool late in the afternoon, and partook in Casey's pizza one final time.
Saturday, July 11th: Before we left, I had my retired nurse MIL check my neck. She thought it looked like a bug bite to which I'd had an allergic reaction. Thanked my in-laws for everything and drove to my parents'. The two of them, along with my sister's family, rented a huge van to make the drive back to WA with us. We set off north and stopped in Blue Earth, MN, to take pics with the Jolly Green Giant. Later that day, we visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. We arrived at the Badlands at the perfect time to eat dinner at the Cedar Pass Lodge. After dinner, we saw some big horned sheep on our way out of the park, and we made it to Rapid City to spend the night.
Sunday, July 12th: Mt. Rushmore was our first stop (very cool), and then on to Devil's Tower in WY. We ate a nearby greasy spoon and then made the long and boring drive to Billings, MT. Let the kids swim a bit, had pizza, and hit the sack.
Monday, July 13th: Made our way to Glacier National Park. I had so much fun with my 16 year old niece, who wanted to ride with me most of the way. This is where my phone lost service (which I figured was normal, since we were in the park). Though it was a bit rainy, we bought the always desired stuffed animals at the visitor's center and saw a beautiful rainbow. Those in the van got to see a big mountain goat, but we missed it. Once out of the park (still no service on my phone), we drove to Kalispell where we ate at Five Guys Burgers & Fries and spent the night.
Tuesday, July 14th: My plan had included a stop at the Grand Coulee Dam, but once again, we were all tired out and done with sight-seeing. So, we drove straight to Leavenworth, WA. It was nice to arrive early enough to take in a little window shopping in this cute little town. We ate at Andreas Keller, which served authentic German food, and then we had very tasty ice cream in homemade waffle cones a couple doors down.
Wednesday, July 15th: My phone finally began getting a signal again (thanks a lot, AT&T) when we left Leavenworth. Stuck to the interstates and got back to Camas around 2:00. Gave everyone the tour of the house, started some laundry, and blew up a couple air mattresses for our guests. Ross made burgers and hot dogs for dinner, and everyone crashed pretty hard that night.
Thursday, July 16th: Ross had to work, but he put my dad and BIL to work, too. They were tasked with getting a bunch of ribs onto the smoker. I think they liked having something to keep them busy. The kids were happy to play outside and use the Wii a bit. With more laundry going, I took my sister and niece to Portland. We spent time at Powell's and then had ice cream at Ruby Jewel (if you have the opportunity, do not pass up their S'mores ice cream!). The ribs were great that night, too.
Friday, July 17th: The guys went and bought a car load of fire wood on Livingston Mountain before we all took off for the OR coast. Ross & I rented a sweet beach house in Tierra Del Mar that had the perfect number of beds for all of us. We ended up having to take a 75 mile detour because of a fatal car accident that had occurred ahead of us, but it was a chance to remind the kids how grateful we were to still be driving. And though we were close enough to see the Life Flight helicopter land just a hundred yards or so in front of us, we were grateful to not be close enough to witness the accident scene. Once at the house, the beach and sunset were gorgeous.
Saturday, July 18th: Ross, Dad & my BIL went on a 5 mile hike in Cape Lookout State Park, where they spotted a whale off the coast. The rest of us got to hang out on the beach (most of the kids splashed in the frigid waters all day). There were a few sunburns, but everyone had a great time. When the sun set that night, we were able to see at least three planets near the tiny crescent moon. So cool. My neck began itching again...
Sunday, July 19th: Woke with a crusty spot on my neck. Sigh. Packed up and ate breakfast at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We all saved room for ice cream or fudge. We then took one last pic of all the cousins before saying our goodbyes. Ross led the van through Portland and then we parted ways as they continued on towards IA. Our family slept quite well last night.
Whew! It was a wonderful and exhausting three weeks. I have many photos to sort through and still have loads of laundry to do. I also have a doctor's appointment later this week to figure out just what it is that is making this spot on my neck itch, swell, and then scab over repeatedly. So gross. Thankfully, it's hidden by my hair! Now that we're back to the norm, I am planning to get back to my ABC blogging more frequently. Summer isn't even halfway over here in WA!
Saturday, July 4, 2015
All Things J
We have two adorable nephews named Justus and Jamison. We're SO happy that we are able to see them for our July 4th jamboree! :)
J Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve (Hillsboro)
* Jamison Square "Tidal" Fountain (Portland)
* Jantzen Beach Super Center 1921 Carousel
* Japanese Garden (Portland)
* Jenne Butte Park (Gresham)
* John Day Fossil Beds Visitor Center (Kimberly, OR)
* John's Incredible Pizza (Beaverton)
* Jorgenson Woods Neighborhood Park (Vancouver)
* Jurgens Park (Tualatin)
* J restaurants in the Portland area
* J restaurants in the Portland area
Other J Activities we'll be doing:
* Visit Joy, the llama/alpaca at Son Rise Ranch
* Have a play date with our friend Joshua
The original J is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pictures from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others! Be sure to read about the beginning of my ABC summer adventure. I will kick off my K ideas as soon as I can!
Friday, June 26, 2015
All Things I
Interestingly, we just finished up our first I day of this summer! We were in the car all day beginning our road trip back to Iowa. Oddly enough, at dinner tonight in the small CA town of Crescent City (in the Redwood National Forest), we met four women who were native Iowans and even graduated from the University of Northern Iowa, which is our alma mater. What are the chances???
I Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Ibach Park (Tualatin)
* Ice Harbor Lock & Dam (east of Pasco)
* IKEA (even children love shopping there... and they have cheap hot dogs!)
* Indian Point Loop hike (Columbia Gorge)
* International Selkirk Loop (long scenic byway encompassing OR, WA & BC)
* Into the Wild Equine Adventures (horse riding in the Santiam Forest)
* I restaurants around Portland
More I things we'll be doing:
* Inside Out (the movie)
* inviting over someone new
The original I is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pictures from my oldest's ABC photography summer. As I went back to this list, I saw that I had written it on a snowy February day. Today we drove through 110° temps in southern OR. Crazy! Photos from my daughter's ABC summer can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with friends and read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Just wait for J ideas!
I Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Ibach Park (Tualatin)
* Ice Harbor Lock & Dam (east of Pasco)
* IKEA (even children love shopping there... and they have cheap hot dogs!)
* Indian Point Loop hike (Columbia Gorge)
* International Selkirk Loop (long scenic byway encompassing OR, WA & BC)
* Into the Wild Equine Adventures (horse riding in the Santiam Forest)
* I restaurants around Portland
More I things we'll be doing:
* Inside Out (the movie)
* inviting over someone new
The original I is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and pictures from my oldest's ABC photography summer. As I went back to this list, I saw that I had written it on a snowy February day. Today we drove through 110° temps in southern OR. Crazy! Photos from my daughter's ABC summer can be seen here.
Please feel free to share my blog with friends and read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Just wait for J ideas!
Friday, June 19, 2015
All Things H
Happy summer break to us! My family is off to a fun start on our ABC summer. We celebrated the letter C today and made these cool Crayon canvas art pieces.
H Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Hall of Mosses Trail (Olympic National Park)
* Helen Bernhard Bakery (Portland)
* Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (this is in ID, but worth the road trip)
* Heritage Park (Camas)
* High Desert Museum (Bend)
* hiking... ANYWHERE
* Hoh Rainforest (Olympic National Park)
* Hopworks Urban Brewery (or HUB - family-friendly brew pub in Portland)
* Horseshoe Basin Trail (WA, near the Canada border)
* hot air balloons (festivals in Tigard late June and Albany in August)
* Hot Lips Pizza (Portland)
* Hoyt Arboretum (Portland)
* Hult Center for Performing Arts (Eugene)
* Hyland Woods Natural Area (Beaverton)
* other H restaurants around Portland
More H things we'll be doing:
* be a hero by looking out for others
* horseback riding
The original H is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's ABC summer can be found here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others and check out the beginning of my ABC summer story! I will be giving you the inside scoop on I ideas soon. :)
H Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Hall of Mosses Trail (Olympic National Park)
* Helen Bernhard Bakery (Portland)
* Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (this is in ID, but worth the road trip)
* Heritage Park (Camas)
* High Desert Museum (Bend)
* hiking... ANYWHERE
* Hoh Rainforest (Olympic National Park)
* Hopworks Urban Brewery (or HUB - family-friendly brew pub in Portland)
* Horseshoe Basin Trail (WA, near the Canada border)
* hot air balloons (festivals in Tigard late June and Albany in August)
* Hot Lips Pizza (Portland)
* Hoyt Arboretum (Portland)
* Hult Center for Performing Arts (Eugene)
* Hyland Woods Natural Area (Beaverton)
* other H restaurants around Portland
More H things we'll be doing:
* be a hero by looking out for others
* horseback riding
The original H is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's ABC summer can be found here.
Please feel free to share my blog with others and check out the beginning of my ABC summer story! I will be giving you the inside scoop on I ideas soon. :)
Sunday, June 14, 2015
All Things G
Golly gee, this weekend galloped by. ;) Gotta get going on letter G!
G Places/Activites in the Pac NW:
* Gearhart Mountain (south central OR)
* George Rogers Park (Lake Oswego)
* ghost towns (there are several in WA & OR)
* Gingko Petrified Forest State Park (on the Columbia River, Vantage, WA)
* Glowing Greens Mini-Golf (Portland or Beaverton locations)
* Goonies Tour (Astoria and Cannon Beach)
* Goot Park (Camas)
* Goose Lake (in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA)
* Graham Oaks Nature Park and Playground (Wilsonville, OR)
* Grand Coulee Dam (central WA on the Columbia River)
* Grass Valley Elementary playground (Camas)
* Grass Valley Park (Camas)
* Great Wolf Lodge (Centralia, WA)
* The Grotto (Portland)
* Grove of the Patriarchs Trail (Mt. Rainier area)
* G restaurants around Portland
More G things we'll be doing:
* giving gifts (to those least expecting or most in need of a pick-me-up)
* My husband wants to get a GPS and go geocaching, but we've talked about this for years...
The original G is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with others, and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Heading for Hs next!
G Places/Activites in the Pac NW:
* Gearhart Mountain (south central OR)
* George Rogers Park (Lake Oswego)
* ghost towns (there are several in WA & OR)
* Gingko Petrified Forest State Park (on the Columbia River, Vantage, WA)
* Glowing Greens Mini-Golf (Portland or Beaverton locations)
* Goonies Tour (Astoria and Cannon Beach)
* Goot Park (Camas)
* Goose Lake (in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, WA)
* Graham Oaks Nature Park and Playground (Wilsonville, OR)
* Grand Coulee Dam (central WA on the Columbia River)
* Grass Valley Elementary playground (Camas)
* Grass Valley Park (Camas)
* Great Wolf Lodge (Centralia, WA)
* The Grotto (Portland)
* Grove of the Patriarchs Trail (Mt. Rainier area)
* G restaurants around Portland
More G things we'll be doing:
* giving gifts (to those least expecting or most in need of a pick-me-up)
* My husband wants to get a GPS and go geocaching, but we've talked about this for years...
The original G is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's ABC photography summer can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with others, and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Heading for Hs next!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
All Things F
Forgive me... It's been an entire week since my last post!
F Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Fairy Falls (Mt. Rainier National Park)
* Fallen Leaf Lake (Camas)
* Finnegan's Toys & Gifts (Portland)
* Fir Point Farms (Aurora, OR)
* Firehouse Subs
* Firstenburg Community Center (Vancouver)
* Fisher Basin Community Park (Vancouver)
* food carts in downtown Portland (The Grilled Cheese is my favorite)
* Forest Home Park (Camas)
* Forest Park for hiking (Portland)
* Forestry Center (Portland)
* Fort Casey, WA
* Fort Laramie, OR
* Fort Rock Cave (Fort Rock, OR)
* Fort Stevens State Park (Hammond, OR)
* Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (Vancouver)
* Fort Warden, WA
* Fossil, OR (Paleo Lands Institute)
* Dorothy Fox Elementary playground (Camas)
* other F restaurants around Portland
More F things we'll be doing:
* family fun nights
* fort (building one indoors)
* friends (spending time with them)
The original F is for... list includes places to go, foods to eat, things to do, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's ABC photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with friends and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Get a glance at G ideas next!
F Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Fairy Falls (Mt. Rainier National Park)
* Fallen Leaf Lake (Camas)
* Finnegan's Toys & Gifts (Portland)
* Fir Point Farms (Aurora, OR)
* Firehouse Subs
* Firstenburg Community Center (Vancouver)
* Fisher Basin Community Park (Vancouver)
* food carts in downtown Portland (The Grilled Cheese is my favorite)
* Forest Home Park (Camas)
* Forest Park for hiking (Portland)
* Forestry Center (Portland)
* Fort Casey, WA
* Fort Laramie, OR
* Fort Rock Cave (Fort Rock, OR)
* Fort Stevens State Park (Hammond, OR)
* Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (Vancouver)
* Fort Warden, WA
* Fossil, OR (Paleo Lands Institute)
* Dorothy Fox Elementary playground (Camas)
* other F restaurants around Portland
More F things we'll be doing:
* family fun nights
* fort (building one indoors)
* friends (spending time with them)
The original F is for... list includes places to go, foods to eat, things to do, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos from my daughter's ABC photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with friends and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Get a glance at G ideas next!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
All Things E
Evidently, it is going to be more challenging to post multiple times a week than I imagined! Encouragement... I need lots of it. ;)
E Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Eagle Landing Mini-Golf (Happy Valley)
* Eastbank Esplanade (1200 ft. of floating walkway along the Willamette River downtown)
* Edgefield McMenamin's (Troutdale) - this is one of their most popular locations
* elephant ears (yummy treats you can find at Portland Saturday Market)
* Elephants in the Park (our family's favorite lunch spot in downtown Portland)
* Elowah & Upper McCord Creek Falls (along the Gorge)
* Enchanted Forest Theme Park (south of Salem)
* Enchantment Lakes Trail (central Cascades)
* Engleman Park (Wilsonville)
* Esther Short Park (Vancouver)
* Experience Music Project (or EMP... in Seattle)
* Explore! (there are endless places to do this...)
* Evergreen Wings & Waves Waterpark (McMinnville, OR)
* other E restaurants in the Portland area
More E things we'll be doing:
* Excitedly entertain visitors from our home state of IA!
The original E is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's photography summer. Photos of my daughter's E photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with friends and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Fabulous and fun F ideas are forthcoming!
E Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Eagle Landing Mini-Golf (Happy Valley)
* Eastbank Esplanade (1200 ft. of floating walkway along the Willamette River downtown)
* Edgefield McMenamin's (Troutdale) - this is one of their most popular locations
* elephant ears (yummy treats you can find at Portland Saturday Market)
* Elephants in the Park (our family's favorite lunch spot in downtown Portland)
* Elowah & Upper McCord Creek Falls (along the Gorge)
* Enchanted Forest Theme Park (south of Salem)
* Enchantment Lakes Trail (central Cascades)
* Engleman Park (Wilsonville)
* Esther Short Park (Vancouver)
* Experience Music Project (or EMP... in Seattle)
* Explore! (there are endless places to do this...)
* Evergreen Wings & Waves Waterpark (McMinnville, OR)
* other E restaurants in the Portland area
More E things we'll be doing:
* Excitedly entertain visitors from our home state of IA!
The original E is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's photography summer. Photos of my daughter's E photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with friends and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Fabulous and fun F ideas are forthcoming!
Friday, May 29, 2015
All Things D
Determined to keep posting at least two letters per week! Diligently plugging away... ;)
D Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* The Dalles (home of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum)
* Dave & Buster's (family-friendly restaurant/arcade)
* David Douglas Park (Vancouver)
* Deception Pass State Park (Oak Harbor, WA - north of Seattle)
* Der Rheinlander (a popular German restaurant)
* Devil's Punch Bowl State Natural Area (Otter Rock, OR, along the coast)
* Dog Mountain (beautiful wildflowers along this hike; great for older kids)
* Dorothy Fox Park (Camas - adjacent to Fox Elementary)
* downtown (Portland, Camas, Vancouver, Seattle... whatever downtown you wish to visit)
* Dry Falls (near Coulee City, WA... was once 5 times the width of Niagara!)
* Duggan Falls (much closer - and wetter - falls to play in along the Washougal River)
* other D restaurants in the Portland area
More D things we'll be doing:
* Donate stuff to Open House Ministries (whatever is left from our garage sale... )
*Draw in the dark
The original D is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's photography summer. Photos of my daughter's D photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with friends and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Expect excited E ideas soon!
D Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* The Dalles (home of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum)
* Dave & Buster's (family-friendly restaurant/arcade)
* David Douglas Park (Vancouver)
* Deception Pass State Park (Oak Harbor, WA - north of Seattle)
* Der Rheinlander (a popular German restaurant)
* Devil's Punch Bowl State Natural Area (Otter Rock, OR, along the coast)
* Dog Mountain (beautiful wildflowers along this hike; great for older kids)
* Dorothy Fox Park (Camas - adjacent to Fox Elementary)
* downtown (Portland, Camas, Vancouver, Seattle... whatever downtown you wish to visit)
* Dry Falls (near Coulee City, WA... was once 5 times the width of Niagara!)
* Duggan Falls (much closer - and wetter - falls to play in along the Washougal River)
* other D restaurants in the Portland area
More D things we'll be doing:
* Donate stuff to Open House Ministries (whatever is left from our garage sale... )
*Draw in the dark
The original D is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's photography summer. Photos of my daughter's D photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog with friends and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story. Expect excited E ideas soon!
Monday, May 25, 2015
All Things C
Certain that no other moms I know are sitting on their rears watching "American Ninja Warrior," I decided I'd better at least blog another letter while I watch and listen to crazy commentator Matt Iseman try to make his voice even deeper and impressive...
C Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Camille Park (Beaverton)
* camping in any of the hundreds of options around here (this is something my husband and children enjoy... not so much my idea of fun)
* canoeing (we did purchase a canoe last year, but the last time I went was long before children entered my life... I will attempt to pull on my big-girl panties this summer and go once)
* Cannon Beach, OR (still my favorite of those I've seen so far)
* Cape Disappointment (southwest WA where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean)
* Cape Horn (our family just spent our Memorial Day morning climbing the first leg of this - beautiful view of the Gorge!)
* Cascade Lakes Highway (90 mile scenic route from here to the Bend, OR, area)
* Catherine Creek (near Hood River; best in June)
* Cedar Flats (great for younger children; just east of Mt. Saint Helens)
* Central Library in downtown Portland
* Children's Museum (Portland)
* Children's Playground at Washington Park
* Chuckanut Drive (near Seattle)
* Columbia Hills State Park (north of The Dalles on the WA side)
* Columbia Park (Portland)
* Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
* cookouts (we enjoy them in our backyard, but they're great in parks, too!)
* Cooper Mountain Nature Park (SW Beaverton, OR)
* Council Crest Park (SW Portland)
* Cove Palisades State Park (Madras, OR)
* Crater Lake National Park, OR
* Crown Park (Camas)
* Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland
* C restaurants in the Portland area
More C things we'll be doing:
* Cheer up someone who needs a boost (derived from Bucket Filling from A to Z)
* Crayon art (if we get this accomplished as planned, I'll post photos)
The original C is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's photography summer. Photos of my daughter's ABC photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story here. Don't worry, D will be here soon!
C Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Camille Park (Beaverton)
* camping in any of the hundreds of options around here (this is something my husband and children enjoy... not so much my idea of fun)
* canoeing (we did purchase a canoe last year, but the last time I went was long before children entered my life... I will attempt to pull on my big-girl panties this summer and go once)
* Cannon Beach, OR (still my favorite of those I've seen so far)
* Cape Disappointment (southwest WA where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean)
* Cape Horn (our family just spent our Memorial Day morning climbing the first leg of this - beautiful view of the Gorge!)
* Cascade Lakes Highway (90 mile scenic route from here to the Bend, OR, area)
* Catherine Creek (near Hood River; best in June)
* Cedar Flats (great for younger children; just east of Mt. Saint Helens)
* Central Library in downtown Portland
* Children's Museum (Portland)
* Children's Playground at Washington Park
* Chuckanut Drive (near Seattle)
* Columbia Hills State Park (north of The Dalles on the WA side)
* Columbia Park (Portland)
* Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
* cookouts (we enjoy them in our backyard, but they're great in parks, too!)
* Cooper Mountain Nature Park (SW Beaverton, OR)
* Council Crest Park (SW Portland)
* Cove Palisades State Park (Madras, OR)
* Crater Lake National Park, OR
* Crown Park (Camas)
* Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland
* C restaurants in the Portland area
More C things we'll be doing:
* Cheer up someone who needs a boost (derived from Bucket Filling from A to Z)
* Crayon art (if we get this accomplished as planned, I'll post photos)
The original C is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's photography summer. Photos of my daughter's ABC photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story here. Don't worry, D will be here soon!
Friday, May 22, 2015
All Things B
Believe me when I say that I have every intention of blogging more than once a week to get this ABC summer stuff going! The days just fly by and get away from me...
B Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* Bagley Community Park (Vancouver)
* Hellen Baller Elementary playground (Camas)
* Bagley Community Park (Vancouver)
* Hellen Baller Elementary playground (Camas)
* Battle Ground Lake State Park
* Beacon Rock (even our youngest has climbed this on more than one occasion)
* beaches - take your pick! Or...
* Beaches Restaurant
* Beaver Marsh Open Space (Vancouver)
* Beaver Marsh Open Space (Vancouver)
* Belknapp Hot Springs (McKenzie, OR)
* Bend, OR
* Benton Park (Camas)
* Benton Park (Camas)
* Best of Portland walking tour (our whole family did this with my dad last summer... it was a lot of walking, but we all found it to be fun and informative)
* Big Four Ice Caves (North Cascades area)
* Big Obsidian Flow (Newberry National Volcanic Monument near Bend, OR)
* Big Stump (Forest Park in Portland)
* Blue Lake Regional Park (Fairview, OR)
* Blue Lake Regional Park (Fairview, OR)
* Bonneville Lock & Dam
* Bridal Veil Falls (Central Cascades area)
* bridges - Portland is known for them (the Broadway Bridge is in many films)
* Bridge of the Gods (cross to OR, walk around the island, and play in the park)
* Bull of the Woods (hiking along the Clackamas River - best in August/September)
* Burgerville
* Burnside Skatepark under the Burnside Bridge downtown (let your kids watch the crazy boarders)
* (other) B restaurants around Portland
More B things we'll be doing:
* Be a bucket-filler for your siblings! (borrowed from Bucket Filling from A to Z)
* Bendy Buddies (pipe cleaner people)
The original B is for... list includes places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos of my daughter's ABC photography can be found here.
As always, please feel free to share my blog and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story here. Letter C soon to come!
Friday, May 15, 2015
All Things A
I am finally getting a letter accomplished! Here is the plan: for each letter of the alphabet, I will be posting a list of things to do or places to see here in the Pacific NW. I'll also be linking this post to my original list of ideas that begin with this letter. While I'm at it, I'll probably link you to the photos we've taken for this letter, too. Might as well include it all! :)
A Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* aerial tram in downtown Portland (take the 4 minute ride up to OHSU)
* Airplay Cafe's Open Tike events (where children get the mics)
* Andy & Bax Sporting Goods (military surplus and gear for camping/backpacking... sounds boring, but they supposedly have some of the oddest products in town)
* Ape Caves (hike through lava tunnels - Take your lanterns and dress warmly... It's cold and wet down there!)
* apple tree farm tour... I don't have a specific farm in mind, but my kids thought it would be fun
*Art ala Carte (cute little "all you can make" art studios set up in old salad bars in Vancouver and Portland)
* art museums (we'll likely hit the Portland Art Museum, which was founded in 1892 and is the seventh oldest in the US)
* Ashland, OR, for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which has performances February - November
* Astoria, OR (for the awesome Astoria-Megler bridge or just to check out the quaint town where part of The Goonies was filmed)
* Audubon Society of Portland (150 acres of nature preserve with 4 miles worth of hiking, bird-watching, and an interpretive center)
I love that the Dining Channel has an alphabetical listing of area restaurants on their website. Here are the A restaurants around Portland.
In addition to fun activities the kids and I do this summer, I am attempting to come up with a way to help us all think more of others... Last year I picked up the children's book, Bucket Filling from A to Z, by Carol McCloud and Caryn Butzke, since I am naturally drawn to ABC items. Some of the ideas in it are great, others are so-so. The A plan is to: Ask someone if you can help him/her with something.
My original A is for... ideas include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos of my daughter's ABC photography can be seen here. If you think of great ideas that I have ignored, please let me know!
As always, please feel free to share my blog and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story here.
A Places/Activities in the Pac NW:
* aerial tram in downtown Portland (take the 4 minute ride up to OHSU)
* Airplay Cafe's Open Tike events (where children get the mics)
* Andy & Bax Sporting Goods (military surplus and gear for camping/backpacking... sounds boring, but they supposedly have some of the oddest products in town)
* Ape Caves (hike through lava tunnels - Take your lanterns and dress warmly... It's cold and wet down there!)
* apple tree farm tour... I don't have a specific farm in mind, but my kids thought it would be fun
*Art ala Carte (cute little "all you can make" art studios set up in old salad bars in Vancouver and Portland)
* art museums (we'll likely hit the Portland Art Museum, which was founded in 1892 and is the seventh oldest in the US)
* Ashland, OR, for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which has performances February - November
* Astoria, OR (for the awesome Astoria-Megler bridge or just to check out the quaint town where part of The Goonies was filmed)
* Audubon Society of Portland (150 acres of nature preserve with 4 miles worth of hiking, bird-watching, and an interpretive center)
I love that the Dining Channel has an alphabetical listing of area restaurants on their website. Here are the A restaurants around Portland.
In addition to fun activities the kids and I do this summer, I am attempting to come up with a way to help us all think more of others... Last year I picked up the children's book, Bucket Filling from A to Z, by Carol McCloud and Caryn Butzke, since I am naturally drawn to ABC items. Some of the ideas in it are great, others are so-so. The A plan is to: Ask someone if you can help him/her with something.
My original A is for... ideas include places to go, things to do, foods to eat, Bible verses, and photos from my oldest's ABC photography summer. Photos of my daughter's ABC photography can be seen here. If you think of great ideas that I have ignored, please let me know!
As always, please feel free to share my blog and be sure to read the beginning of my ABC summer story here.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
ABC Summer 2015...
It's getting so close! Granted, it would be much closer if we were still in IA, and it would be one day closer if our teachers weren't holding a walkout on Wednesday (only to be made up at the end of the school year)... Nevertheless, I am deep in the planning process of our big summer.
I was bothered by the fact that we'll be gone for three weeks straight, thus missing out on entire letter opportunities here in the great northwest. So, I decided to really mix things up this year. No, that does not mean I'll be doing letters out of order. If you have read my post The Joys of Being Anal, you are well aware that I like things in order. The alphabet, therefore, must remain in alphabetical order. Go figure.
But, there are so many things to do around here for nearly every letter, that I didn't want to miss out on celebrating any letters right here. Here's my grand idea... We are going to go through the entire alphabet not once, not twice, but THREE times this summer! Woo-hoo!
To make it all come out right on the calendar, we are going to double up on the letters that begin our first names. The first time through the alphabet there will be two days of B, E, L, N, and R. The second and third times through we'll just double up on the kids' initials (B,E, & L). We will also be pairing Q with R and X, Y, and Z together those subsequent times. My children were excited to hear that it will be different this summer. Should keep things interesting!
Beginning later this week, I will be posting my ideas for each letter. I'll also be sure to share the links to my other posts on those letters. Can't wait to get started!
First time on my blog? Check out my original post here. Happy Mother's Day!
I was bothered by the fact that we'll be gone for three weeks straight, thus missing out on entire letter opportunities here in the great northwest. So, I decided to really mix things up this year. No, that does not mean I'll be doing letters out of order. If you have read my post The Joys of Being Anal, you are well aware that I like things in order. The alphabet, therefore, must remain in alphabetical order. Go figure.
But, there are so many things to do around here for nearly every letter, that I didn't want to miss out on celebrating any letters right here. Here's my grand idea... We are going to go through the entire alphabet not once, not twice, but THREE times this summer! Woo-hoo!
To make it all come out right on the calendar, we are going to double up on the letters that begin our first names. The first time through the alphabet there will be two days of B, E, L, N, and R. The second and third times through we'll just double up on the kids' initials (B,E, & L). We will also be pairing Q with R and X, Y, and Z together those subsequent times. My children were excited to hear that it will be different this summer. Should keep things interesting!
Beginning later this week, I will be posting my ideas for each letter. I'll also be sure to share the links to my other posts on those letters. Can't wait to get started!
First time on my blog? Check out my original post here. Happy Mother's Day!
Sunday, April 19, 2015
My (One and Only) PTA Project
How you do get to know people when you move to a completely different part of the country? Well, I figured that joining the PTA at the elementary my children attend would be the way to go. I did, in fact, meet many great parents this way. Frankly, I mainly joined because I wanted to volunteer for the school's Scholastic Book Fair, and the PTA required me to be a member. Then, at my first general membership meeting, I offered to help with this year's silent auction.
I've previously helped with two good sized silent auctions for our MOPS group back in IA. I immediately had a vision in my head of how I wanted this auction to look, mostly based on the school colors of red and black. Since a friend of mine (shout out to Heather Southammavong, now living in Jacksonville, FL!) had made centerpieces for our last MOPS auction using wine bottles painted with chalkboard paint, which she then decorated with beautiful different fonts saying, "Thank You," I decided to steal her general idea.
At our first silent auction meeting, I gathered that each teacher had been asked to donate some sort of class room item. Some were special outings that students could go on with their teacher. But the items that have been most popular in the past were handcrafted items such as platters with all of the students' thumbprints or a rocking chair hand painted by the students. I jumped on this and threw out my (possibly crazy) idea of having each class sign a bottle that could then be auctioned.
Honestly, as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I was apprehensive. Was I nuts? There are 24 classes in this elementary. I'd have to contact all of the teachers and figure out when it would be most convenient for me to disrupt their class to have all of their students sign a bottle. I would have to somehow attempt to not let students smear or smudge the names their classmates had already written on the bottle. It all looked so simple in my head. Not so simple in reality... Have I mentioned that I am creative, but not so much crafty? (I have, actually... "Creative vs. Crafty")
A part of me hoped that the school principal would veto the project. Instead, he happily took the idea to a staff meeting where he claimed "everyone was on board with it." Sigh. I started begging neighbors for wine bottles, soaking them in soapy water to remove the labels, and painting with the chalkboard paint. I sketched out designs for each grade and drew them on the bottles. Then I began by asking my children's home room teachers if I could use their classes as guinea pigs. Those classes went pretty well. I was in and out in under 10 minutes with no major smearing of the chalk pen. But, those were 2nd and 5th grade classes. I dreaded watching kindergarten and 1st graders try to write small enough to allow for all signatures to fit.
This was where I gratefully took up two other PTA members' offers to help. I "let" my neighbor Lana handle the kindergarten rooms (her oldest is in K, so she was willing to do so), and my friend Wendy took on the 1st grade rooms. It was a huge weight off my shoulders, and I was happy to take care of the other four grades. Of course, at least one student was absent from all but a single class when the bottles were signed. I gave the teachers the option of having me come back in a second time to catch the missing names or to have me write them on myself. They were split about 50/50. Last Monday all bottles were completely signed!
All that was left was for me to clean up the smudges, tie on ribbons, spray paint some twigs, and tuck the bottles in the boxes that will transport them to the auction in a couple weeks. I finished it all up this afternoon! I'll be adding a single white daisy to each bottle the day of the auction, and praying that parents are willing to bid a little on them. I think they'll be pretty additions to our tables. I'll add pics from the auction night on here later, but here are the bottles today:
I've previously helped with two good sized silent auctions for our MOPS group back in IA. I immediately had a vision in my head of how I wanted this auction to look, mostly based on the school colors of red and black. Since a friend of mine (shout out to Heather Southammavong, now living in Jacksonville, FL!) had made centerpieces for our last MOPS auction using wine bottles painted with chalkboard paint, which she then decorated with beautiful different fonts saying, "Thank You," I decided to steal her general idea.
At our first silent auction meeting, I gathered that each teacher had been asked to donate some sort of class room item. Some were special outings that students could go on with their teacher. But the items that have been most popular in the past were handcrafted items such as platters with all of the students' thumbprints or a rocking chair hand painted by the students. I jumped on this and threw out my (possibly crazy) idea of having each class sign a bottle that could then be auctioned.
Honestly, as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I was apprehensive. Was I nuts? There are 24 classes in this elementary. I'd have to contact all of the teachers and figure out when it would be most convenient for me to disrupt their class to have all of their students sign a bottle. I would have to somehow attempt to not let students smear or smudge the names their classmates had already written on the bottle. It all looked so simple in my head. Not so simple in reality... Have I mentioned that I am creative, but not so much crafty? (I have, actually... "Creative vs. Crafty")
A part of me hoped that the school principal would veto the project. Instead, he happily took the idea to a staff meeting where he claimed "everyone was on board with it." Sigh. I started begging neighbors for wine bottles, soaking them in soapy water to remove the labels, and painting with the chalkboard paint. I sketched out designs for each grade and drew them on the bottles. Then I began by asking my children's home room teachers if I could use their classes as guinea pigs. Those classes went pretty well. I was in and out in under 10 minutes with no major smearing of the chalk pen. But, those were 2nd and 5th grade classes. I dreaded watching kindergarten and 1st graders try to write small enough to allow for all signatures to fit.
This was where I gratefully took up two other PTA members' offers to help. I "let" my neighbor Lana handle the kindergarten rooms (her oldest is in K, so she was willing to do so), and my friend Wendy took on the 1st grade rooms. It was a huge weight off my shoulders, and I was happy to take care of the other four grades. Of course, at least one student was absent from all but a single class when the bottles were signed. I gave the teachers the option of having me come back in a second time to catch the missing names or to have me write them on myself. They were split about 50/50. Last Monday all bottles were completely signed!
All that was left was for me to clean up the smudges, tie on ribbons, spray paint some twigs, and tuck the bottles in the boxes that will transport them to the auction in a couple weeks. I finished it all up this afternoon! I'll be adding a single white daisy to each bottle the day of the auction, and praying that parents are willing to bid a little on them. I think they'll be pretty additions to our tables. I'll add pics from the auction night on here later, but here are the bottles today:
Not sure if I've ever been so relieved to have a project near completion. Can't wait for May 1st!
P.S. Now I should have a little more time to start working on our ABC summer plans. As always, *For those new to my blog, check out the beginnings of ABC Summers here.* :)
Monday, March 23, 2015
ABC Summer - Portland Style
While our awesome friends back in IA have already finished up spring break, we in WA are still patiently awaiting ours. But all the trees are blooming and I am beginning to think of summer!
Since many of you are probably clueless about our crazy ABC summers, I want to share a little background. If you really want all the details, you can read them on my original post, Beating the Dreaded Brain Drain. We've been celebrating our summers with the alphabet since 2009, the summer before my eldest began kindergarten. This fall, my youngest will be a kindergartner. In our family, that means we will be having one giant ABC summer blowout!
Here's a brief glance at what we've done each year:
2009 - all ABCs all summer (for my oldest)
2010 - found photography (my oldest took pics of letters he found in objects around our house and town; see more at Photography, Books, & Food... Oh My!)
2011 - we read lots of books with titles that started with every letter of the alphabet
2012 - all ABCs all summer (for my middle child)
2013 - photography (my daughter created letters from objects that started with each letter; i.e. a B from buttons and an E from eggs. Read all about it at ABC Photography Summer 2013)
2014 - foods that started with each letter of the alphabet
As I said, this year will be another "all ABCs all summer!" We've been used to summer break lasting from the end of May through mid-August, but this year we'll be adjusting to a different school calendar. Our summer break will be from mid-June through Labor Day. I still need to sit down with the calendar and plan out how many days we'll be spending on each letter, but the kids and I are really starting to look forward to it! We know the plans will include a huge road trip to IA, lots of fun with relatives and friends there, and another road trip home including a caravan with my parents and sister's family. It should be loads of fun!
I'll also be posting ideas for each letter that are geared towards those of you in the Pacific Northwest. Many of the places I planned around in my first ABC posts were in the Midwest. This year, I'll post new lists of places in WA and OR, as well as things that can be done around here. If you are native to this area and have ideas that you don't want me to miss, please let me know! :)
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