6th Grade Graduation

Hayden's 6th grade graduation was quite the event. The theme was Over the Rainbow, and the teachers dressed up Oz style.

Elementary school has been a lot of fun for him, and the idea of middle school makes him nervous, but I'm sure he'll have a great time.

Their school has a great tradition - the clap out. All the grades gather in the hallway outside their classrooms and clap as the sixth grade parades by. Once the kids make it to graduation, they've been through this drill six times, and are more than ready for it to be their turn.

Cabin Capers 2014

This year we finally got Jeff down to see the cabin. The kids spent their week there, and we came down for the weekend to pick them up.

On the drive back, we stopped at Diamond Lake. We took the kids out on the lake in pedal boats, which are made for an even number of people. I kept thinking Grace was going to jump out the back!

Gracious Mae 7th Birthday Interview

1. What is your favorite color? Pink
2. What is your favorite toy? Isabelle, American Girl
3. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries
4. What is your favorite TV show? Team Umizumi
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? peanut butter banana and honey sandwich
6. What is your favorite outfit? blue dress with the ruffle skirt
7. What is your favorite game? tag
8. What is your favorite snack? banana
9. What is your favorite animal? Horses
10. What is your favorite song? Let It Go
11. What is your favorite book? too hard to choose, adventure books
12. Who is your best friend? Kaitlyn
13. What is your favorite cereal? Frozen
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play
15. What is your favorite drink? Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Mother's Day
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Teddy, blankie & my owl
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Frozen cereal 
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Ribs
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? a doctor

6th Birthday interview...
5th Birthday interview...
4th Birthday interview...

Theater :: Timmy Failure

Timmy Failure is a complete success!

Timmy Failure and his distinctive scarf come alive in this hysterical debut production. Timmy isn’t the kind of kid you typically cheer for. He’s oblivious, snarky, and more than a little self-centered. But he and Total, his polar bear partner, want to do the right thing. They’re just much better at getting into trouble than out of it.

The stage is set like a page out of Stephan Pastis’ popular Timmy Failure series. The pen and ink drawings and minimal props allow the vibrant personalities of the characters to truly shine. Many of the actors have multiple roles, changing hair, costumes, and voices in a flash. The Total Failure Detective Agency notebook kept up with the cases our detectives took on, the larger-than-life screen changed every time Timmy opened it to make notes. His goofy drawings always got a laugh.

From the moment Pat Moran takes the stage as Timmy Failure, the audience is on a journey with him. You never take your eyes off him, except when Total takes the stage as a hip-hop dancing ballerina. With too many laugh out loud moments to count, the show speeds along until Timmy’s life and lies come crashing down. Quite literally.


Timmy Failure: Mistakes were Made operates on multiple levels. On the surface, it’s a hilarious take on how an eight-year-old views life. They are the center, so everything going on must relate to them in some way. But the parents and mature kids in the audience will feel the weight of the things happening around Timmy that he can’t control – family economic crises, his mother’s slick new boyfriend, dealing with a new teacher, relating to other kids, losing your best friend. The world is imperfect, but Timmy is undaunted is his quest to set things right for his mother, and for himself.

The live telling of Stephan Pastis’ popular Timmy Failure series was developed as part of Oregon Children’s Theatre’s New Play Initiative. To bring contemporary voices to the stage for children, the initiative’s goal is to produce a new play each year. This season they produced two and will do the same next season.

This show is fun for any age. For families where the children’s ages vary, this would be a great option. It has jokes that appeal to kids and one-liners to make even the surliest of teenagers crack a smile. Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid would love Timmy Failure – the play and the books.

Are You Going To Make Me?

It's official. Bayley is too cool to do much of anything with his family. Anything we ask him to do he responds with, "Are you going to make me?"

At first I thought, well, no, I want you to be with us because we're fun. We're awesome. You used to think we were the bees knees.

And then I started to miss him. So yes, I am going to make you. Because right now I still can make you go to Zoolights with your family, and one of these years you'll have a job and beg off on account of work or homework. And I'll miss you then, but I don't have to now.

First, Sixth & Eighth

School's is back in session! Thank goodness we survived another summer. This will be Gracie's first year of being in school for the full day, which I'm looking forward to. Hayden is looking forward to ruling the school, and Bayley has this whole middle school thing down.

Daisy Day

Gracie so wants to be a Girl Scout, but our school doesn't have a troop for girls her age. Sometimes I can find activities she can do where she doesn't need to be part of a troop - like Daisy Day at Camp Arrowhead. The camp set up a 'try it' day for the small ones. They got to try swimming (Gracie wouldn't go in), hiking, crafting, and canoeing.

She really enjoyed it. Hopefully she can find a place next year, or I can find more events. Preferable ones where I do not have to get in a canoe!

Glow Run!

For some reason, I love fun runs. The 5K version with a walking option. Basically, I like to wander about and look at people dressed in ridiculous costumes. All the better if there is beer at the end. And thanks to Russell & Kim, this one was free. And we all know how much I love a freebie.

When we arrived they gave us glow-glasses and necklaces, Kim brought flashing rings, and as soon as the sun set, they sent us off to cross the bridges and walk by the river. Neither are things I would typically attempt in Portland at night.

I loved it, especially when they started the foam machine. I am a fan of all things quirky.

Mt Hood Trip - Adventures & Nature

Mt. Hood is great for snow sports in the winter, if you're into that sort of thing. In the summer, they have an adventure park, with ziplines and trampolines and all kinds of fun stuff. I've always wanted to take the kids, but it's just beyond the length I like to go on a daytrip. So when Katie asked if I wanted to split the cost of a condo for a couple nights, I was game.

The condo was great - Katie and I had our own rooms, the little girls had a sleeping loft and Bayley...wound up with a couch. The complex had two pools and a hot tub, which were as important to them as the adventure park!

We'd heard that it takes two days to do the Mt. Hood Adventure Park because of the lines and the two locations. But when we showed up on Wednesday, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Lines were minimal, so the kids could do things over and over and over...

The boys liked the go-carts, but the girls weren't tall enough. And that's a good thing because we put Grace in a kiddo cart and she couldn't even make it around the track. There were lots of things to do. Some things the kids could all do together - mini-golf, obstacle courses, trampolines - some that were for the bigger kids - ziplines and bungee jumps - and some that were best left to the small ones - pony rides and kiddo carts.


The boys thought the ziplines were just meh, but the really liked the bungee and both did it twice. I'm not a fan of them jumping, but I have the misguided hope that by doing it in controlled environments like this, they won't need to try and do something nuts like base jumping. Plus, it looked very cool to jump with Mt. Hood in the background.

The kids did the summer tubing hill, but it didn't really compare to the Alpine Slide. They all liked the Zorbs - giant inflatable hamster balls they roll around in on water. Much more fun than it sounds.

The Adventure Slide is at a different location than most of the park. I try to avoid most rides, but Grace had to have a partner to steer, so we got in on the action. So long as you don't get stuck behind a slowpoke, they're a thrill. Until you take a spill. Somehow, both Hannah and Hayden were tossed from their carts and wound up with quite the road rash. Slide rash? Whatever. We found out that the first aid offered is...minimal. Good thing Katie knows basic wound care.

The second day there were lines thanks to kids being trucked in for summer camp field trips. The place really is better when you don't have to deal with lines.

Because I can't have a trip without working in some kind of educational element, we took the kids to the Mt. Hood Cultural Center where we tried to show them the history of the forest fires, Native Americans and quilts. The kids...weren't all that interested. But Grace saw the spinning wheel and decided to play Sleeping Beauty.

We also went up to Timberline Lodge and found snow! There is something magical about snow in the summer. They tried to have a snowball fight, but it was more like an ice fight and that is fun for no one. We also walked them through the history exhibits inside the lodge - I think the kids felt a but tricked.

One our way back, we went to Trillium Lake. There are some amazing photos of the lake, where it is a glassy mirror of the mountain. But, it was windy and there were lots of people about enjoying the lake. So, no artistic picture, but we did see a pregnant salamander.

We had such fun, I think Jeff wants to go next time!

Hayden is 11!

1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Kindle 
3. What is your favorite fruit? Banana
4. What is your favorite TV show? Dude You're Screwed
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Ribs
6. What is your favorite outfit? Hoodie
7. What is your favorite game? Injustice
8. What is your favorite snack? Corndog
9. What is your favorite animal? Orca
10. What is your favorite song? Centuries by Fall Out Boy
11. What is your favorite book? Origami Yoda
12. Who is your best friend? Riley
13. What is your favorite cereal? Frosted Flakes
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Soccer
15. What is your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas/Chanukah
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Kindle
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Leftover Panda Express
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Panda Express
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Marine Biologist