Autumn in Portland

Bauman's Farm - Harvest Fun

Autumn in Portland is one of my favorite times of the year!  From Fresh Hops Beer Festivals to Harvest fun at the surrounding farms, the choices are endless for family fun.

We joined friends at the Oaks Park Fresh Hops Festival and Steve and I split our time enjoying the Oaks Amusement Park rides with Maddy, and sampling the fresh hop brews.  We all had a good time and Maddy went on her first solo ride!  She was nervous at first, then we couldn't get her to stop - again, again, again she said!

There are so many farms just outside the city filled with fun activities for kids, great food and pumpkins galore.  This year we picked Bauman Farms, and our friends Joe, Angie and Olivia Rock joined us there for the afternoon.  It was a beautiful, sunny day/  Maddy was a bit cranky for part of the time (I think the big slide at the beginning was a bit too much for her), but we managed to throw lots of fun activities in and she ended up having fun and did not want to leave.  She really liked feeding the goat, so I see many petting zoo activities in our future.

Daynia had some good one-on-one time with Maddy sitting for us one night, and they used their time for a tea party (this seems to be becoming a theme with them).  Maddy just loves Daynia and her tea parties, and was over the moon when Daynia gave her a beaded bracelet that Daynia had made just for her. 

Maddy and I both had Columbus Day off and we were planning on meeting Christy and Luella at the zoo, but Christy was not feeling well, so we met Andy and Lu instead!  We had fun tooling around seeing the animals and exploring a section new to me that offered another view of the lions!  Roar!  As usual, Maddy and Lu had lots of fun running around together and goofing off.

Not a bad start to Autumn in Portland.

Oaks Park (Fresh Hops Beer Fest)

Maddy's first solo ride

On the train with friends!

Bauman Farms: Olivia and Maddy on the Bug Train

 

 

Tea Party with Daynia

Daddy/Maddy Camping Trip with the Sweanys

Lu gives a helping hand

Over Labor Day weekend Maddy and Steve went camping for a night with Andy, Christy and Luella Sweany at LePage Park.  I stayed home to get some things done around the house and have a little "me" time.   Maddy had fun hanging out with Lu, and Christy had Cinderella on the iPad for the girls to enjoy during down time.  Everyone had a fun time!

Relaxing in the Tent with Cinderella

 

Little Swimmer

I had a proud mom moment (several actually) on Sunday October 18, 2015 when Maddy began swim lessons again. Her class is a repeat of "pre-penguin" which she did not pass mainly because she would not put her face in the water. We told Maddy she would need to master this to pass to the next level. All summer when swimming with me and Steve she resisted practicing this skill, but once class started her reservations seemed to disappear. She was a true champ, listening to teacher Nate and performing the tasks very well! After class teacher Nate told me she's doing really well.

When leaving class I asked Maddy what had changed- how was is that she put her face in the water so well now? She responded: I just made a decision. I decided to put my face in the water and to listen to my teacher.

Well done.

August Update

Portland Thorns

Our family had a busy August filled with fun events.  Maddy, Steve and I met up with our friends Katy and John for a Portland Thorns soccer game (women's soccer) which Maddy was very excited about for weeks ahead of time.  She enjoyed the game and lasted through the whole match
(this was Maddy's first sporting event)!  She also got her first Portland Thorns t-shirt.  Lucky girl.

We also went to Sunset at the Zoo a couple of times to enjoy the Portland summer weather, do a little dancing, and get a free bandage for Maddy's little monkey-friend Grapes.  The very family oriented Sunset at the Zoo concert series was sponsored by a veterinary and they  encouraged kids to bring their stuffed animals for "check-ups", even sewing up ripped lovies for the kids.  One of our favorite local bluegrass bands, Student Loan, played one of the nights which was fun for all of us. Maddy danced up a storm!

Our 7th anniversary happened to be on a Saturday this year, and I decided to plan a surprise night away for me and Steve.  Our friends Christy, Andy and their kiddo Luella hosted Maddy for the night, and Steve and I snuck away to Astoria, the site of our engagement.  We enjoyed a flight of beer and some decadent appetizers at Buoy Brewery, walked along the Astoria River Walk, had nice dinner out and enjoyed our stay at the Cannery Pier Hotel. Since I mentioned it was our anniversary, the staff had champagne and chocolate waiting in our room which was a nice touch. Every room has a balcony overlooking the Columbia River, and the sights and sounds of the river were breathtaking.  It was a wonderful anniversary!

Dancing to Student Loan at Sunset at the Zoo

Grapes Gets a Bandage at Sunset at the Zoo

Our 7th Anniversary

Cannery Pier Hotel

Celebrating at Buoy Brewery in Astoria, OR

Grandmom and Granddad's Rock Sculpture at their home

Lake Cushman Camping: Wyatt and Andy Birthday Duo

 

In mid-August Maddy and I headed to Lake Cushman for a weekend of camping and to celebrate two birthdays: Wyatt Daby and Andy Sweany.  Sadly, Steve was not feeling well so he stayed home to rest.  Although I was a bit nervous about heading out for my first "solo" camping trip with Maddy, the sheer multitude of friends that were going to be there made the thought much less daunting.  We have quite the village of friends...many with kids...and we all work together!  The crew this weekend included: Emily Wilcox & Eric Skaar, the Sweany family, the Flaby family, the Gregorich family, Megan, Brendan and Kieran (Riley was in Minnesota), Jon and Wilson Daby, Maddy and me.  We celebrated Andy Sweany's birthday with a smorgasbord of blue cheese (his choice of birthday "treat") and Wyatt Daby's with cake and cupcakes.  Maddy enjoyed Wyatt's treats the best. 

We had three walk-in sites all next to each other and a little bit away from other campers.  A burn ban was in effect due to the very dry summer, which was a bummer, but we made the best of it by using candles the first night and a dura-flame the second, which was close to the real thing.  It was a nice, relaxing camping trip.

The weather was a bit chilly but some of us did swim in Lake Cushman anyway.  I braved it and mostly swam about with Maddy, Kieran and Wilson.  Kieran and Maddy loved the blow up water toys - Gecko and Airplane were the biggest hits (Maddy and I joked about the Runaway Gecko!).  Sunday was the nicest day and also the day we were to head home, so I packed up as quickly as possible, and since Maddy was busy playing with her friends and other adults kept an eye out for them, I made record time and was the first one packed out!  I was pretty proud, I'll admit, and knew then that camping "solo" with Maddy was a piece of cake (well, as long as other friends were there!)  After packing the car, we headed to the beach and enjoyed the slightly warmer weather and peeks of sun with our friends until early afternoon.  Maddy and I had a great trip but we were happy to see Steve when we got home, and even happier because he was feeling much better.

Celebrate!

Lots of wagon use on this trip

 

Sweany's Blue Cheese Birthday

Kieran, Luella and Maddy celebrating with Andy

Wyatt turns One!

Mmmmm. Cupcakes

Maddy and Kieran - not really napping and Althea knows it

Althea hanging out on the beach

Airplanes - best water toys!

Hangin' with Lu

Maddy's note to Luella (even though it wasn't Luella's birthday)

Over the summer we've had the pleasure of hosting our little friend Luella for a couple of sleepovers, and Christy, Andy and Luella have done the same with Maddy. A win-win for all involved! Maddy and Lu have lots of fun playing together and I think they learn a bit from each other as well. : )  

Maddy's the more reserved of the two and likes to play the "big sister" role, trying to teach Lu the ropes when she can (Lu's a year and a half younger than Maddy). This makes Maddy quite proud. And little Lu has a very adventurous spirit, which is a good influence on Maddy. If Lu can do something, you can bet Maddy's going to try it too!

We've all had lots of fun and look forward to many more sleepovers to come!

Time for Bed

"Serving Food" at the Playground

Look! Trains!

Cinderella - movie in the park (Face-painting too - Maddy as a fairy, Lu as a skeleton)

Animal Themed Breakfast

Happy Girls

Rainbow!!

Tunnel and Tent Morning Fun

Mt. Rainier Camping

Maddy and the Star of the Weekend...Eric G!

The year of 40th birthday celebrations continue...this time it was Eric G's turn!  Our crew descended upon a group campsite near Mt. Rainier at the beginning of August and we enjoyed a lovely weekend in the woods.  We all went on a hike, and some of us with slightly older kids went to a Park Ranger's presentation on animal life in the area, which was interesting (I discovered I have a fondness for woolly marmots).

The Gregorich family, Flynn family, Flaby (Flynn-Daby) Family, Eric & Emily, and Jon & Wilson were represented (and us!) with a special appearance by Natasha, Brian and their newest addition, Henrietta.  Quite a group to celebrate Eric's birthday in style.

Happy Birthday Eric G!

Jon's Hammock was a hit!

The whole crew on a hike

 

Eric and Emily

 

Spacious Group Campsite

Meeting Henrietta!

Reading in the Hammock