The Mummies Are Gone!

I can't believe we missed the Egypt exhibit at OMSI. We never miss an  exhibit - that's what the membership is for! But, alas, the mummies have escaped us. It hasn't been gone long, because they still have the Life Hall blocked off.

We arrived to see a line of almost 20 buses. I had a mini-panic attack and thought about heading back home. But, apparently there was an OMSI overnight, and half the buses were taking kids away. Still, the place was packed with roaming middle schoolers. It seems at that age they've forgotten about waiting in line and taking turns. I wonder if I can fast forward my kids past it....better yet, keep rewinding them to the good parts.

The Design exhibit is still up and running. The kids really like this one because of the video games...and Grace loves to try and catch the dancing lights.

I was amazed by how much time we spent in the Science Playground, a part of the museum intended for the preschool set. I guess playing in the sand never gets old.

Turbine Hall was quite busy. We enjoyed the Physics Lab - especially the static electricity maker and music - until the place was invaded by more school uniforms than the fire marshall allows. And then it was home for nap time. You hear that Grace? NAP!

Columbia Gorge Field Trip



The U shaped Columbia River Gorge

The TAG program offered a fantastic field trip, with an Audobon Society instructor as a guide! I was thrilled to see all the things on the list - Vista House @ Crown Point, Rooster Rock State Park, Fish Hatchery, Bonneville Dam, Robins Island, Multnomah Falls, Horsetail Falls. Now, Jeff & I would probably tackle most of it with the kids in a day, but we're nutty that way (recall our Seattle marathon vacation, also known as Spring Broke). I couldn't see how we'd fit it all in, plus drive time.




The kids closing their eyes and pointing to Idaho



Well, that's because it was a list of possibilities, not the itenerary. Where they take the kids depends on weather (less hiking in the rain) and season (no point in viewing the fish ladder at the dam when there are no actual fish in it). Still, Jeff & I plan on trying to see how much of it we can do in a day some time this summer.



The first stop was Rooster Rock State Park, where the guide used the landscape to illustrate the history of how the gorge was formed. It cracked me up to hear the kids say they came on the field trip to skip class. They were given more information on science, geology, history, ecology, and biology than could have been packed into a monthh of lesson plans. They learned how Idaho built the gorge, the basalt building from lava flows and then era's later being carved down by the breaking of the ice dam on Lake Missoula, over and over again. Great, but a ground squirrel stole the show. What can you do? Kids love cute and furry.



@ Horsetail Falls



We hit the Old Columbia Gorge Highway and drove past Multnomah Falls, then to Horsetail Falls. The kids learned about the different kinds of basalt (which forms the sheer cliffs of the Columbia Gorge). Then we hiked up to Ponytail Falls. It was steep, but graded. Bayley is an avid hiker, and even he admitted his legs got sore towards the end of the uphill. But it was totally worth it...the trail went behind the waterfall! Amazing!!



I didn't hear a single complaint on the way back down. The kids all seemed to enjoy standing in the spray of the waterfall. Their sheer wonder reminded us how young they really are, no matter how mature they'd like us to think they are.



Bayley & Riley under the waterfall



Lunch was at Robins Island, a park on site at Bonneville Dam. After inhaling their food (hiking makes kids hungry!) they gathered around the guide who switched gears a bit and explained to them about dams and the effect on fish. Then it was all about salmon. Did you know your hand can help you remember the six kinds of salmon in the Pacific Northwest? 





Ponytail Falls basin, leading to Horsetail Falls below



Hold out your hand and look at your fingers. Touch your thumb...what rhymes with thumb? CHUM. Next take your pointer finger and poke yourself in the eye (just kidding), but the visual helps you remember SOCKEYE. Your middle finger is the longest, for KING or CHINOOK salmon...next comes your ring finger for SILVER or COHO. Your pinky is PINK. Then make a fist and tap your noggin for STEELHEAD. Hey, I thought it was cool!





The guide explaining the holding ponds



At the Bonneville Fish Hatchery the kids watched a video about how the fish are harvested for spawning. It's graphic, but does explain a lot. They wandered though the outside ponds to see the fish at different sizes, and then took the obligatory peek at Herman the sturgeon. Then it was back on the bus so we could make it back before the end of school.



What an amazing opportunity for these kids. Bayley is still talking about it, and wants to take Jeff on the Ponytail Falls hike, though it's not Grace friendly. Maybe with the Cub Scouts...

Pizza Night!

Extreme Pizza (our family fave) and Cold Stone (another fave). I don't think the boys will forever be able to talk Grace into their favorites for her birthday dinner, but it worked this year!

Mother's Day Garden

Even though some claim it's too early, we have a tradition of putting in the garden on Mother's Day. Only rain will stop us!

This year, Jeff added a second raised bed, so we were able to plant zucchini, cucumbers, corn, beans, carrots, and radishes with our tomatoes and herbs. We have high hopes to try growing potatoes in these plastic potato bags!

Here's to a tasty summer!

Babies Who Brunch

Gracie's 3rd Birthday party was a big success! We managed to book the Tyson rec center, which meant we had a classroom and the indoor play area all to ourselves! The kids had such a good time, I'm hoping one of the baby girlfriends has a party there too.

We let the kids have free reign over the playroom, and enjoyed watching what they came up with. Bayley & Hayden both went to preschool there, so it was quite cute seeing them revisit old favorites. Bayley has always liked the giant building blocks, and promptly built Grace a house, then a cage...and finally...a coffin! Kids!



Grace in the house, Hayden in the cage





Steven in the coffin (with Ava, Brennan & Isabel)



Grace was more interested in the slide and rocking toys than anything else. She did take a moment to try her hand at basketball...before she dropped the ball and gave it a swift kick, soccer style!

Instead of having the other kids watch as Grace opened her deluge of gifts, we tried to do it one at a time with the gift giver. It worked for the most part. I think it was less overwhelming for Grace that way, and it gave her time to explore each new present instead of having it spirited away.



Mikaylin, Gracie Mae, Sarah Jane 



Since it was a morning party, we side-stepped the usual cake in favor of muffin mania. And I went crazy with the variety - carrot, pumpkin chocolate chip, chocolate, chocolate raspberry, blueberry, banana, corn, blackberry corn...and now our house is poised for muffin week! 

Uncle Gabe is in town!

Gabe, Joni, Daniel, Jenna, Matt

Uncle Gabe flew in from DC to spend Mother's Day with Gram-Mo. We all wanted to get together to sample some of the chicken he's been winning BBQ contests with, so planned on having the extended family over for dinner on Friday. It seemed like such a simple plan.

Until Uncle Gabe wound up spending the night in Chicago...and being rerouted through Phoenix. Still, he managed to show up just 12 hours behind schedule.

Hayden loved the stuffed cheeseburgers

I had a marathon day prepping for Grace's birthday party (9 kinds of mini muffins for babies who brunch!). After baking, I finally took a break for a shower, then came downstairs to start cleaning.

And found...a swamp under the sink! I salvaged what I could and tossed it in the utility sink for draining and mopped up the mess. Then...I tried to figure out why there was a leak...and since I don't know a thing about plumbing besides it makes one heck of a mess when it breaks...

Natalie was excited Bayley would read to her

I had to call off the family dinner. I mean, I hadn't made the mac & cheese or cake truffles...plus, you can't have people over when you don't have a sink! But then...who shoudl fly to my rescue? Jeff the plumber.



Hayden got to feed Natalie



I know, he looks like an accountant. But he managed to get the sink working in a half hour. And dinner was on! I hope everyone had a fun time visiting. And I really hope everything is much smoother for the birthday party tomorrow! 

Aw, how cute

Backyard Shenanigans

Few things are better than sunshine and a backyard playset :)

 

Pancakes

Grace woke up this morning and wanted pancakes. She would not be appeased with anything else - not cereal, waffles, toast, eggs....PANCAKES.

She didn't just want to eat them, she wanted to make them.

Grace takes her pancakes with butter and jam

God bless whomever invented Bisquik!

Camporee!

Bayley shooting a BB gun at water balloons

Bayley's Cub Scout group finds the funnest things to do. Last weekend was Camporee, an event hosted by the boy scout troops where the boys get to experience the best activities from the camps in the area. As soon as Bayley came home, I asked what his favorite part was. He said everything (I learned this was what ALL his Webelo friends said). But, when pressed, he said playing tug of war while standing on a tree stump.



Some of the activities require special equipment (rifles, tomahawks, harpooning whales) but most things celebrate imagination - like having the boys build boats out of natural materials (Bayley's was balsa wood, string, and tree sap) and use everyday things to play games.



The "boat" with its "cargo" (flour)



Tug of war on a tree stump







And the weather? Goregous. What a great day to be a little boy.



The harpooner

The whale

Zoo!

With Mom locked in the writers cave she calls and office, Dad & Bayley hanging out in the woods for Camporee, GramMo and Pop Pop decided the smallest Burke's needed some fun too.

Off they went to the zoo with their tour guide, Hayden. Grace was content to ride in the stroller until...the elephants. Apparently our dinosaur loving princess thinks elephants are "too big"!