June 2018

Summer is so sweet in Portland! We spent the month of June outside as much as possible to make up for the cold and rainy winter.

Baseball 

After a few months of letting baseball run our lives, it finally came to an end. The final event was a tournament in Clackamas against a bunch of new teams we hadn't played yet. The kids played hard, worked hard, got themselves into and out of pickles, and had a lot of fun.

I bought the girls ring pops for breakfast that turned into binkie suckers.

Tommy's team really pulled it together and played well in the tournament. As hard as it was to work around baseball games and practices, I was very sad to see the season come to an end. Until next year!

Each of the kids received an award from their coaches. Tommy received "Rookie of the Year," a fitting award for him. Tommy's best asset is that he listens carefully and works really hard to follow the advice and directions his coaches give him. He has fun, but he focuses on improving and working on his weaknesses. It paid off this season and we are all so proud of him.

This is the transcription from the video of his coach, Tony: "Our Rookie of the Year Award. This guy, it’s his first year playing ball, but he’s amazing out there, okay? From day one at practice ‘till now, I mean, I have no doubt in my mind that when we put Tommy out there he’s gonna make a play. When we put him at the plate he’s gonna get a hit. This guy’s amazing. He’s our Rookie of the Year!" 

Tommy's Birthday

June is Tommy's month. We celebrated his ninth birthday with lots of whittling supplies and tickets to a Mariner's game. I can't believe how old this boy is getting!

Trip to Seattle

The weekend after Tommy's birthday we took a road trip up to Seattle to see a Mariner's game. It was his first major league baseball game and turned into a great weekend.

We left early on Saturday morning and arrived in Seattle shortly before lunch. We parked at the Pacific Science Center, got in for free with our science museum membership, and spent a couple of hours enjoying the museum. Let's just say that some kids loved the butterfly room while others screamed bloody murder as the butterflies flew around their heads.

After a couple of hours in the science museum we wandered outside to spend some time in the parks around the Space Needle. There was some kind of festival going on so we had no problem finding the best fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate-dipped strawberry skewers in all the land.

We spent the night with our friends, Roger and Anne. They lived in Arizona when we did and then moved to Seattle right before we moved to Portland. Our kids have known each other since they were babies. We recreated a picture taken of Miles and Tommy when Tommy was just a few months old.

All of the kids got along so well even though they don't see each other very often.

The next morning we had breakfast with our other Seattle friends, Adam and Jamie. They lived in our ward in Arizona and moved to Seattle a couple of years ago. After we went camping with them in 2015 we have affectionately called them the Bird People. The kids got along great there, too.

After breakfast we headed downtown to the Mariner's game. It was the first time the kids have been to a professional sporting event. The baseball was good, but I think the kids would say the Dippin' Dots was the best part!

ICE Occupation

June also marked the beginning of family separations at the Mexican border. A bunch of cities, including Portland, gathered at ICE facilities to protest the new policy. The kids and I joined the protest in Portland. We made signs and took pizza to the protesters that were camping out

Things were pretty chill while we were there. We did see the protesters harass a handful of agents. We also saw them prevent one agent from leaving the parking lot by standing in front of the car. The day we were there was the last day that facility was open for a couple of weeks. It was pretty cool to be part of the movement to shut down the facility.

Ben had a friend come from Eugene to protest with her daughter. His friend decided to sleep over at the protest so we watched her daughter, Bee, for the night. It was the first time Lily had a friend sleep over and she couldn't have been more thrilled.

Haircuts

We tried a couple of months ago to cut Clara's hair, but she screamed so much that we gave up. After a bunch of role playing she was ready to try again. Success this time!

I was so proud of my girls that I took them to the park for lunch and even bought them ice cream when the ice cream truck passed by.

Swimming, Park Time, and More!

We spent as much time as we could outside at the park, at splash pads around town, and at the pool.

Portland Parks always hosts such great activities at the parks during the summer. We love to go eat lunch, do crafts, and play for the afternoon.

And I don't remember where or why Clara and I took this picture, but it's pretty funny so I had to include it.

May 2018

Spring is so sweet in Portland! After a dark and wet winter it feels absolutely sublime to be in the sunshine and fresh air. We soaked up as much sunshine as possible in May with plenty of hikes and visits to parks.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is in full bloom in May! Between the beautiful flowers and the clear water it feels like a little fairy world. We counted dozens of different colors of flowers, ran around the paths, and had fun feeding the ducks and geese. It was still early enough that we saw some ducklings and goslings, though we got hissed at by some mama geese when we got too close to their babes!

Talent Show 2018 

We had our annual homeschool talent show at our church. The girls did a Dance with No Music while Tommy recited all 45 of the presidents of the United States. It's always so enjoyable to get together and see how much the kids have learned and progressed.

Salmon River Hike 

Trackers ended in mid-May, which left us with some free days to spend in the forest. We drove to Mount Hood National Forest and did this little walk along the Salmon River. The kids threw rocks into the river, played in some sand, and ran along the trail.

We turned around when the trail intersected a little stream. We spent about an hour there, which was honestly pure bliss. We played on a log that had fallen across the stream. The kids felt very brave crossing over on top of the log.

They worked on a project where they carried the big rocks to different locations to make dams and reservoirs. The big kids called their business The Best Damn Dam and thought they were hilarious.

I helped Clara cross the stream a few times until she built up her confidence to do it by herself. Once she got the hang of it, I sat back in the sunshine and watched the kids play.

At one point I remember that Clara crossed the river, but she slipped a few times on the rocks. I was praising her for her effort, but she fixated on the fact that she slipped, not that she had finished or accomplished something new on her own. I thought a lot about what a great analogy that is for life. I slip all the time, but instead of focusing on the imperfections and the mistakes, I think God would want me to focus on my diligent effort and what I accomplish in the big picture. If I can focus on that for Clara, how much more would a perfect parent focus the effort of His imperfect children?

Sunshine is the Best Medicine 

We had some truly gorgeous days in May. It's a real party when the sun decides to come out again!

We pulled out the balcony furniture, the bikes, and other outdoor toys. Spring is really the time to enjoy Portland!

Our lives revolved around Little League for Tommy with two practices and at least one game per week. It was kind of a big deal, but I appreciated how much time we all spent outdoors. The girls and I played at the park during his practices, which was really fun and wonderful.


Tommy continues to improve his baseball skills, so much that every time he comes up to bat the crowd starts shouting, "Tommy Time!" He almost always gets a hit. He's a very reliable player who works hard, listens to his coaches, and loves every aspect of the game.

Grammy's Visit 

Grammy graced us with a short visit. It's always a party when Grammy is around. The kids played and played, got spoiled with small toys and candy, and Lily enjoyed lots of early morning snuggles with Grammy before anybody else was awake.

We celebrated the end of our school year with bowling, friends, laser tag, and arcade games. The highlights were Lily hanging with her best friend, Annabelle, Clara bowing after a decent bowl, and me creaming all the kids in a game of laser tag.

One of the best things about Grammy's visit was celebrating Tommy's birthday a few weeks early. We called a Grammy Birthday Party since she was the only one handing out presents. It's always more fun to be there to see the kids open their presents and to see how excited they are.

My favorite thing about this video is how Tommy gives Grammy a big hug, says thank you so sincerely and graciously, and then looks at his present and asks, "Question, what is this?" It's such a testament to Tommy's genuinely thoughtful nature.

Pioneer Woman's Grave Hike 

Since Trackers ended in mid-May I decided that I would continue making Thursdays an outdoor adventure day. We got a few friends together and did the Pioneer Woman's Grave Hike. It was one of Tommy's Cub Scout badges, plus it was super educational and beautiful to boot. We learned a lot about the pioneers crossing on the Barlow Road, which was the last and most treacherous leg of their entire journey across the West.

Even in May it was freezing cold that high up Mount Hood! The kids even found snow! The drive was as beautiful as the hike and I'm glad we got to do it.

Bonus Hike 

It took us almost two hours to drive up to the Pioneer Woman's Grave hike so I wasn't about to just hop in the car and go back home. We stopped in Rhododendron to do a little waterfall hike I had done the year before with some girlfriends on a weekend retreat.

The kids found new bounce in their step and cruised through that hike as well. It was warmer down there, too! Once we were done with that hike I felt satisfied enough to head home. A day out in the woods always feels amazing!

April 2018

We started out April with Easter right on April 1. We called it "Easter Fools" since it shared with Aprils Fool's Day. Our Easter Bunny may or may not have dyed some milk pink and rehid the kids' Easter baskets when they weren't looking.

My favorite part of the morning was watching Clara and Lily do a "Lollipop Dance" while eating bunny-shaped lollipops. We also listened to General Conference and ate our sugary Resurrection Rolls. It was a great day at home with LOTS of candy.
Tommy got glasses! He looks like one handsome dude. Apparently his sight in one eye is pretty bad, but we didn't know because he never complained.

The first time he put on his glasses was pretty magical. He kind of jumped back and said something like, "Wow, I can see!" Now he wears them full time without any complaint because the difference with and without glasses is so stark.

The big kids have been going to Trackers every Thursday. They basically take a bus to the woods and run around like wild monkeys all day. They love it and say it's their favorite day of the week.

This leaves Clara and I one day every week that we get to spend just the two of us. It's really precious time with her. We call Thursdays our Mama Baby Dates and do fun things together like go to McDonald's and play at the park. The picture below is on a Ladybug Walk we did with Portland Parks and Rec. All the kids get a bunch of little tools in a ladybug backpack and we wander around the park together observing nature. She loved the Ladybug Walk and I loved giving her my undivided attention.

The picture below is from another Mama Baby Date when we went to a free day of Tinkergarten. It was raining hard all day, but Clara was prepared in her rain suit and sparkly rain boots. We gathered leaves, fir cones, and rocks from around the park, sang some songs, ate a snack, and marched in some puddles.

Clara absolutely adores puddles.

I think we went to the Waffle Window after this park date and warmed up with some over-the-top waffles.

Sometimes the kids come home from Trackers covered in mud and charcoal. They absolutely love it. In the picture below Tommy is holding a broom he made from a bush called Scotch Broom that apparently grows rampant everywhere.

One of our homeschool group activities in April was visiting a craft fair. After being there onece, I definitely wouldn't take my two-year-old again. There was too much fine pottery and glass that she nearly broke. But learning how to weave and spin yarn and playing with the wet clay was pretty fun and not stressful. So I guess that's a win.

The kids had their annual Interest Fair with our homeschool group. It's like a science fair, but not just for science. This year Lily chose to present her cupcake game that she has been obsessed with since Christmas. She has made up several different games with these little cupcakes and it was fun to watch her teach other kids and parents about the games she invented.

The picture below is just a cute one of the kids in their Easter clothes from Grammy. They are pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

During the school year we spend A TON of time at the science museum. The kids have classes there and we always stay after for a few hours to play. We know every inch of that museum and somehow it still doesn't get old. They build some pretty cool stuff there.

While Ben and Tommy were at a baseball game, I took the girls to the 82nd Avenue Carnival. They had an all-out mini fair with rides and snacks and all the carnival games. Clara was pretty scared of the rides, but Lily enjoyed them. And they both enjoyed the cotton candy, so it was worth the effort to be there.

For one of Tommy's Cub Scout requirements we had to visit a sacred place. We decided to branch out a little and visit The Grotto, a Catholic sanctuary. It was absolutely breathtaking. It's build right up on the side of a cliff so some of the statues are in little caves. We took the elevator up to the top of the cliff that was adorned with gorgeous flowers and so many beautiful statues. It was peaceful and beautiful. I can definitely see myself spending a lot more time there when I have a few minutes to be alone.

Our lives are governed by baseball. Tommy is rocking it and loving every minute he has out on the field. It's a big time commitment, but I love watching him and spending so much time outside. Go Titans!

Phew, last thing! Once a month our homeschool group meets up to play in the gymnasium of an old church. They run around and have fun and are really super loud. Tommy is always a great sport to play with Clara and push her around. They have a very sweet bond.