Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine

Finally! Thomas got to meet his biggest fans, the Burke brothers!

We got there early, which was great because riding thr train is just the icing on this cake! There is so much to do! Videos, temporary tatoos, a gift shop, a tent with tables of trains to play with, two bounce houses, a petting zoo, a mini train to ride...you get the idea.

The boys had a great time. We never thought we'd get Hayden away from the train tables. They had the electric set that we have upstairs (ahem, yes, we have 3 Thomas sets). He was trying to tell everyone how it worked and trying to con the people monitoring the tent out of more batteries for more power.

Bonneville Fish Hatchery

Unusual animal farm as part of 101 things to do? Everyone will do alpacas. We did a fish hatchery. It was great to see the fish in all the different stages and sizes, as well as where they are spawned.

I think Bay liked the sturgeon viewing pond the best. They had one in there that was bigger than him! We got to see them through a viewing window and from above.

Hayden seemed to prefer the rainbow trout (easily three times the size of any I'd ever seen before) that you could feed.

Multnomah Falls

Hiking the falls is one of those things every tourist does, but people who live here never seem to get around to. On our way back from Thomas, we stopped and made it as far as the bridge...Hayden was just too tired to continue. He siad we could try it again when his legs were longer.

Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals

Bayley has been collecting rocks everywhere. Since one of our 101 things is to visit an unusual museum, and we have one of the best rock museums in the world locally, this came together perfectly.

The boys and I trekked out there and arrived early, so they got to explore the grounds a bit. The museum was originally a private home, so it is very homey and well landscaped. Their favorite part of the entire event was the huge rick pile. They got to climb over all the rocks and comb through them for the perfect one to take home.

Inside the mineral museum we got to learn how thundereggs are formed (which I am sure I knew at some point, but must have forgotten) and see different kinds of quartz and opal.

There was a florescent exhibit the boys loved, and rooms devoded to gems. If the boys had been on a learning kick, instead of a look at this adventure, they would have been into the room that showed how minerals are used (Borax, Tums, etc).

Thought we'd never get Hayden out of there, and dinosaur fossils. When it came time for Hayden to select his rock to take home he searched for one that resembled the fossilized dino dung.

The petrified wood gallery was another favorite. They had huge petrified logs polished on one end to show the crystals inside, photos of petrified forests and cross sections of polished petrified wood that looked like paintings.

I plan on heading back there - maybe signing Bayley up for some of the kid classes they do. He had a great time exploring, and would have enjoyed it more without Hayden jaunting ahead. There was a display of meteorites I think he would have liked me to read to him about, but we had to chase someone down who had found dinosaur eggs.

Garage Saling

I've been thinking on this one. 101 wants us to take the kids to a 2nd hand store, which is fine. I mean, who doesn't head to Goodwill at Halloween? But, I thinkg garage saling is more of an adventure, and since this weekend marks the annual neighborhood garage sale...off we went in search of a big wheel (all our plastic tires have gone flat...as in...worn holes through them). Alas, no big wheel. Though I must say, garage saling is the way to go for baby stuff. My oh my!

Washington Country Historical Museum

You know your kids have been a lot of places when they tell you a museum is not as good as the Forestry Center, and then ask if the cabin/jail is the same one that was at the fairgrounds "all makeovered". Why, yes, I believe it is.

Maybe they get out too much?

Two in One!

Bayley lost two teeth in one night! His second front tooth, and then one on the bottom!

He is very excited and now tells everyone that he is rich! He has more than 700 cents and is saving up to buy a car while he is still a kid. Or maybe a Thomas train. It depends on what he gets for his birthday.

Kindergarten Graduation!!

Bayley is proud that he made friends and learned to read. When he grows up he wants to be a race car driver.

Laboratory

OMSI has a science lab for kids to do their own experiments - like making flubber, writing with invisible ink, watching ink run up filter paper, and learning how to make fireworks.

Seriously. The boys held different chemicals over a Bunsen burner to see that different chemicals created the different colors in fireworks.

And then Hayden made flubber.

Through Their Eyes

After a few rousing games of hide and seek, hiking around, stomping oak tree 'eggs' full of bugs, playing on the playground, and seeing a baby bat, the kids were understandably bored.

I handed the boys the camera. Here is what they saw.

Bayley ::

Hayden ::

Eddie ::

Ahoy Mateys!

Tall sailing ships made their way into Portland this weekend...and when the news mentioned they were the same ships used in both Pirates o fthe Carribean and Fear Factor, Bayley had to go. Bayley has no interest in seeing the movie, but he likes pirates, so he figured it would be cool.


One of the things Bayley made sure to check out on both ships was the compass. He's really into how they always point in the same direction.

I think the biggest hit was raising and lowering the anchor. The first time they thought it was fun, then when we came back to it one of the crew members was sitting on the mechanism and the boys got to pitch him off when it turned...they loved that!





All in all, it was a great day to be a Burke Brother, but then, what day isn't?