The Portland Children's Museum

We spent the afternoon at the Portland Children's Museum. I enjoy going and Maddie seems to really enjoy it too. We joined some friends there and spent the afternoon playing and using our imagination! I also love that we got in free! At our library we can check out a pass called the cultural pass. The Children's Museum is just one of the places you can check this pass out for. I plan on checking it out to visit other places around town for free too...it's a great price!! :)

Sitting in a dinosaur nest with eggs and all! :)

Bryan's Promotion

This morning we went to a ceremony for Bryan's Promotion to AO (apparatus operator). He has worked so hard for this position and had to take tests and have interviews in order to move up in the fire department. We are very proud of him. He starts driving the big trucks tomorrow! :)

Very Clean Teeth!

I was getting Peyton ready for bed and Madison was getting herself ready for bed. She put on her PJ's and I told her to go brush her teeth. Peyton was not cooperating and it was taking me a while to get her settled down... but that is another story, it took me 4 hours to get Peyton to sleep! So... I went into Maddie's room (with Peyton in tow) and read her a bedtime story. After the story, I asked her if she had brushed her teeth. She said, "Yes Mommy. I brushed them with soap, see (showing me her teeth). I said, "Why did you do that?" She says, "I couldn't find my tooth paste." I asked, "Didn't it taste really bad?" She said, "Yes, I had to drink a lot of water!"

So, a little while later she came out of her room and said she could not sleep because her mouth tasted bad. I brushed her teeth with toothpaste, and big bubbles kept forming in her mouth... those are some extra clean teeth!

Playing Around

Bryan showed me how to use the black and white and sepia on our camera... who would have thought?! I am so bad when it comes to technology or any kind of fancy stuff. I had fun playing around with the camera for a couple of days. Here are some of the pics.

More Summer Fun!

It has been beautiful outside weather so...we spend many days/evenings outside. Here are some more pictures of our fun.

Reptiles and Popsicles

Today was the kind of day that I love. We were not in a huge rush, the weather was perfect, and the day was just easy. The kind of day that Summer should be.

We went to a free program at the West Linn Library. The "Reptile Man" brought all kinds of snakes, lizards, and tortoises to the library for a little show. Madison is an animal lover and I thought she would enjoy this! She did... and it was even more fun because the neighbor kids joined us. We did not get to hold any of the creatures but we did learn about them. Peyton stayed with Grandma and Grandpa MacKender while we were at the show.

After the show we picked up Peyton (thank you Jan for taking care of Peyton!) and and then went to the neighbors house to play. The kids had Popsicles and a good time just hangin out! :)

Mia and Peyton... sitting pretty

Maddie, Aidan, and Mia enjoying a treat!

Positive Thoughts!

My dad was trying to get a cable hooked up to run the TV. It was not working. After trying and trying many different things he was getting frustrated and says with sigh, "I just can't win". Maddie replies, in a truly meaningful tone, "Papa, I can help you win. I can win for the both of us." :) How Sweet!

Wanted: SLEEP!

Peyton was sick for a couple of days last week, we went to the beach (two separate times) where she had to "sleep" in the porta crib, and she is teething. She has been waking up at 3am every night for the last week. It takes about an hour to get her to fall back to sleep and then I can not fall back to sleep. It makes the nights very long... or short? I don't know, I am so tired! I hope she will settle back into her regular sleeping pattern, 7pm to 7am... SOON!

Back To The Beach! Again!

This weekend we went back to the beach. We got home on Thursday from our Lincoln City/Newport trip. We left Friday (Maddie, Peyton, my brother Jon and I) for Cannon Beach, to my parents beach house. My parents brought down a load of furniture and we moved things around, did a little redecorating, put a bed together, and reloaded the trailer to bring some items home.

It was pretty nice weather and Maddie was able to have some digging time on the beach. Just a tad bit windy! :)

Maddie wanted to help do everything! Here she is helping Papa hammer a nail.

Ready For Sun!

Ready For the Sun!

To The Beach for the Night!

We went down to Newport to visit my Grandpa. Madison has never met this Grandpa...my Mom's dad. We went with my mom to Newport beach, visited with Grandpa, went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium(GREAT AQUARIUM!), and then spent the night in Lincoln City. Fast trip!

Sickies!

Peyton woke up Tuesday morning at 2 am with a feaver and not feeling well at all. I was not feeling to hot myself so we had a PJ day and just stayed inside...humm... Summer vacation not so fun so far!

Summer Vacation!!

Monday was my last official day at work! YIPPEE!! I am so happy to be on summer vacation. We celebrated by going to the zoo after I was finished in the classroom.

There is a dinosaur exhibit at the zoo, just for the summer. They move and make lifelike sounds...some were a little too real!

Happy Father's Day!

(Maddie and Papa!)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD (PAPA)!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

For Father's day we went to Caitie's house and enjoyed the pool and 75 degree weather. We had lunch together, Dad watched golf, Maddie and Caitie did a little swimming, and Peyton, Mom and myself enjoyed the sunshine...out of the pool.

It was a relaxing time!

Lovin' Grandma!

Lounging by the pool eating fruit... ahhhh, the life!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL THE DADS OUT THERE!

Festival of Balloons

Last night we went to the Festival of Balloons in Tigard. Bryan said he wanted to do this for Father's Day (he has to work on Father's Day so we celebrated with him a day early!) My parents, Bryan's Mom, My sister Caitie, and Brother Jon joined us. We had never been to the festival before and we had never seen a hot air balloon up close...they are huge! It was nice weather until the sun went down...then it got a little chilly, but still "nice". We hung out and Maddie went on some of the carnival rides, we ate dinner, and then saw the hot air balloons get all fired up. It was a fun evening!

Jon, Caitie, and Maddie in front of a balloon.

Growing Everyday!

Peyton is growing and changing everyday! She is starting to sit up for short periods of time, is working on sprouting her second bottom tooth, and I know I heard the words "Mama" today! (Her first tooth came in a couple of weeks ago and she started to say "Dada" on Mother's Day...of all days!) I know the words are just jibber jabber and she doesn't direct them towards Bry or I but, it is still fun to hear them, and pretend! :)

Puzzle Mania

Madison finished her first 100 piece puzzle by herself today!

WOW! She did a great job! She surprised me. I knew she could do puzzles in the 60 piece range and I told her to wait to do this 100 piece one until I could help her. Well...she opened it the other day, on her own, and put it together while I was getting ready for work over the last couple of days. What a big girl! :)