Scenes from last 2 weekends

Sean had 2 birthday parties last weekend. Such a busy social calendar. One of the parties was at a friend's house and the Reptile Man came to entertain the kids (and parents brave enough to stick around). This is Sean with a Boa Constrictor around his neck...looking scared and amused at the same time.
We took the boys to a Portland Trailblazers game Saturday night. Around halftime, they were starting to get tired-the game didn't start till 7pm. But then , the cheerleaders came around and handed out inflatable sticks that could be banged together to make loud noises...and of course, everyone got their second wind!!
We tried out 3-D glasses during the Superbowl. The end of the second quarter had a few special features designed for the cool 3-D glasses. Sean kept asking, "when is the 3-D show?", long after it was finished. It's a good look for him. Jackson is missing the top 3 teeth and with the soap suds beard, he looks very interesting.

Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon

Feeling patriotic

New year, new photos

Recent happenings here include:
*Our first trip up to ski at Mt. Hood...boys both did great and Jackson can now ski blue runs.
*Jackson has lost both front teeth and has another tooth on top that is very loose.
*A trip to the science museum where the boys learned about wind, designing earthquake proof structures, and plumbing...hence the pic of Sean perched on the toilet!
*Talus is officially 8 years old and the boys decided we should have a party. So, we had presents, special treats and a special b-day collar for Talus. Pics coming soon!

More from Christmas

One of the nicest things about this Christmas was the fact that it was truly a white Christmas. Very unusual for Portland.

From Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas from Our Winter Wonderland

Today in Oregon

Christmas Tree and Santa Train

The holiday season is in full swing. We met up with friends to ride the Santa Train last week....a beautifully restored old train that does a short jaunt to downtown Portland and back with a special appearance by Santa. Six boys under the age of 7= a lot of energy. But there was plenty of room on the train so we made sure to sit in our own little compartment so we wouldn't annoy any other passengers. It was a gorgeous day...which may explain why all the boys are squinting...we aren't used to this much sun in December!
Then we headed out to a local tree farm on Saturday and found a lovely tree...again a sunny day. The whole tree excursion was a lot of fun except for the part where the tree almost slid off the car while we were headed home because the tree farm "helpers" neglected to tie down the back part of the tree. Fortunately, we realized what was happening just in the nick of time...and the tree was secured and made it home in one piece.

Making dinner rolls on Thanksgiving

Playing the Wii

Harvest Party

Sean's class had their Thanksgiving Party today. Here is Sean dressed as an indian, singing "Albuquerque the Turkey".

Up At Mt. Hood

This was outside a store in Government Camp, on the way up to the mountains. The boys were very excited to see small piles of snow around town.

Sunday Dinner

We are finally using our dining room. Not sure why we waited so long to use this room...now it's the designated spot for Sunday dinner.

Halloween

Things we've done lately

Played outside on a day off from school (Jackson), went to high school football game (lasted until halftime), had a doctor's appointment (4 shots....ouch....and up to 46 pounds and 44.5 inches tall).
Side note: Jackson had his check up as well. I was certain he and Sean would be the same weight, but Jackson has crept past the 50 pound mark...he is now 51 pounds and 49 inches tall.

Warming up for swim lessons

Mouthful of Hay

This is from our trip to the pumpkin patch last week. Despite the mouthfuls of hay, the boys wanted to go again and again.

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Saturday soccer game

Getting ready for a bike ride

Sean has been coming up with some rather fetching combinations of clothing lately.

Homework

This is one of the biggest differences between kindergarten and 1st grade...homework! We have a few pages of reading and/or math plus we are working on 20 minutes of Jackson reading to us out loud each night. Keeping Sean occupied during designated homework time is sometimes a challenge.

Jet boat ride

On Saturday, I took the boys out for a Willamette Jet Boat ride. It was a "moms and sons" expedition ,organized by our local park and rec department. The boys loved it! The boat goes up and down the Willamette river and offers great views of downtown and the surrounding areas. Of course, the big draw was that the boat goes very fast and as an added bonus, the driver does several high speed spins and quick stops along the way ensuring everyone gets sprayed with water (unless you duck down). Fortunately it was a warm sunny day and we all dried off quickly.

En route to school

Heading upstairs for bath time

Portland Pirate Festival

This is what we did last Saturday. It was a fun event and amazing to see how many adults enjoy dressing up in pirate attire.

10 years today

From the archives

Last of summer

After two weeks of perfect weather, it looks like we are finally headed toward Fall. This may have been our last outside swim for a while.

Three kids, three dogs, one busy weekend

We were in Central Oregon this past weekend to babysit for a close friend I've known for almost 20 years. She went on an overnight hiking trip with her husband, and Jim and stayed at their house to watch their daughter and two dogs. We brought the boys and Talus and had a lot of fun going swimming, playing at the park and enjoying the beautiful views from their house.

Why September is our favorite month