J's bday in canby part 3

Before saying goodbye to the cousins and heading home, it was time to take Z & S to the river where daddy and Uncle B used to play when they were kids.

J's bday in canby, part 2

Cousins

Helping daddy open cards and gifts.

The idyllic backyard meal setting

Making up the rules as they go...

The cake for the birthday boy

J's bday in canby, part 1

On memorial day weekend, I abandoned my poor hubby, leaving him on the morning of his birthday to go to a conference in Minneapolis.  Fortunately, he had plans to visit los Abuelos, and the cousins for a little get together in my absence...

ridgewood park

exploring one of the parks we don't often visit.

children's museum

One quiet weekday, I took the kids to the children's museum.  The usual cuteness ensued.

playing in the bushes and trees outside:

Construction worker S:

And Construction Mommy:

And letting the kids paint their own faces:

What could possibly go wrong?

dancing with teddy

also, on the way to HR, S kept wanting to listen to her "Dancing with Teddy" song over and over, and was going through the "moves" while in her car seat....

Hood River

At the end of June, we took a family day trip out to Hood River with the goal of picking cherries.   We went to the one U-pick place that was open that early in the season, and managed to pick WAYYY too many cherries....but the kids had fun contributing (and mostly eating).

Here are Z and S under a cherry tree:

After picking our buckets full of cherries, we went to a lovely park in town, on the river.  It had little climbing structures for the kids, and even a little beach.

After the park we had lunch just across the street at Pfriem brewing (where mommy proclaimed her burger to be absolutely amazing, and daddy was being silly and had salad and no beer*).
After lunch, it was time to drive home, and we were well aware that someone was going to zonk out in the back seat.
Here is S making a valiant effort to keep her eyes open, and then succumbing to the inevitable:

*Daddy's silly abstinence apparently paid off, since we dropped him off at his climbing area on the way back home, and he managed to climb his second ever 5.12.

Is it a hat?

We received some lovely yellow flowers in June - and then made the mistake of leaving them out unattended in the kitchen.  But, for once, V didn't destroy them or break any vases - we would have almost believed that he was being well-behaved, if it weren't for some tell-tale streaks of yellow across his fur...

Also, around that time, Z was channeling his inner inventor, and came up with this remarkable box ... toy ...hat ...erm, creation?

raspberries!

S was a stylish little helper picking rasperries and Smith berry barn.

birthday party

c's surprise birthday party!

s playing

here is s playing, on two separate occasions. 

she kept waiting forever to go down, and needed me to hold her hand because she was afraid of going too quickly.

at a different park, on a different day, but still beautiful weather.

s making and eating "cookies."

a child's way

playing at a child's way 

                                     

s walking on the snake

mother's day 2014

j cooked a yummy meal - lemony pasta, fancy appetizer, lamb chops.

z didn't like the lamb, so we got him to eat it wrapped in salami.

s had fun sniffing a "flower." 

the kids created a fancy mother's day hat for me.

mother's day 2014

after wine tasting, i watched the kids while j cooked. here is a bubble battle.

mother's day 2014

my cuties wearin shades

 for mother's day 2014, we met at tina's in dundee. unfortunately, grandma was sick with a brief tummy bug, so she and grandpa stayed home. we missed them. after brunch, the kids and daddy went home, and the rest of us went wine tasting. we went to white rose, domaine serene, domaine drouhin, and deponte cellars. 

trying to pee before brunch in the parking lot. this one is so cool, she carries her own potty everywhere!

z is playing with his newfound toothy gap, sitting with los abuelos.

z and daddy.

what?! i get to eat all this food???

the whole gang, minus grandma & grandpa.

mommy & s.

first tooth fairy visit

z lost is first tooth on may 10, the day before mother's day. it came out while i was brushing his teeth with his sonicare toothbrush. the tooth fairy visited and left him a $5 bill with a gold sparkly tooth on it.

children's museum

one morning, i took s to the children's museum. she was very cute!

cinco de mayo

z came home with the cutest little hat on may 5 for cinco de mayo.