Summer's End

This was our last week of lazy mornings - I will miss them. Although, this last week was not all that relaxing. You know that panicked feeling you get when summer is nearing the end and you rush to do all the things you wished you had done all summer long? That's what happened to me. Oregon has beautiful, mild summers but they are not long enough! The rainy season goes all the way until the second week of June, and I know my children do not have enough vitamin D stored up to last them another 10 months! Anyway, here are a few of our end-o-summer activities:

Our visit to an awesome pirate ship park, where little boys play with mud until their hearts are content.


Swimming at the wade pool - who knew nine inches of water could be so much fun?

Blueberry Picking

We found this farm by following blueberry signs off the side of the road. On the side of the barn there was a sign listing the prices and an old coin box. Apparently there are a few places left where people are still trusted. There is something so relaxing about being out in a field and picking berries, as opposed to the feeling I get at the grocery store (see previous post). It's almost as if this is the way we are supposed to get our food. Now, if only I could figure out how to make things grow in my own garden...

We made it home with almost a gallon of blueberries, and then we made blueberry muffins. Perhaps the freshest muffins we will ever taste. Aah, the perfect day. Click here for the recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/To-Die-For-Blueberry-Muffins/Detail.aspx?prop31=4 And the look of delight on Aubrey's face has nothing to do with cooking and everything to do with her Daddy, he had just walked in the door.

Pirate ship park - cont.

After all of this, there were bound to be a few naps lost along the way.
At the end of the day, you can almost measure just how perfect the day was by the color of the bath water. A mixture of popsicle juice and mud is just right.

Love is Blind...

In this case, color blind. Sam has attached himself to a very soft, pink blanket once belonging to Aubrey. He loves it. When he's tired, he curls up on his side, grabs his blankie, sucks his binkie, and dreams. Anyone know where I can get a soft, polyester, blue blanket - just like this one? I hate to gender type, but I know he'll thank me later.


And speaking of love, my love involves a diaper and a baby (part 2). But I don't think you have to be blind to love this one. Seriously, those blue eyes, that fresh diaper?

And someday, when Sam is a teenager and slams his door after arguing over rights to an automobile, I will miss these moments. But that's why it's important to journal those other not-so-pleasant memories. Like when I was grocery shopping with all three children, each in turn causing a scene (sorry - no picture). And when I finally reached the checkout, I realized (in horror) that I had left my wallet at home. I could have ditched the merchandise, but Aubrey had opened a bag of candy. The cashier was kind enough to set it aside, all so I could load the kids back up, grab some money, unload, and try it all over again. Only causing a 20 minute delay to our next event.

If I can remember these moments, perhaps that moody, demanding teenager will be all the more lovable.

The week of Chad & James - cont.

The crowning moment for Chad's big week was his pirate birthday party. Chad & his buddies had sword fights, threw cannonballs, ate grub, hunted for treasure - the usual boy stuff.

DWC&JWTD Week

In celebration of Do-Whatever-Chad-&-James-Want-To-Do Week (Chad's idea), we headed for the beach! Although it was 100 degrees in Portland, it was about 35 degrees cooler at Cannon beach. The occassional sun breaks helped.

How to tell when you're not the favorite child...

Question. What Kind of Bear Is Best?

You know those questions kids ask that you have never really contemplated? The ones they expect you to know the answer to? I am just very thankful for the internet. I am ill prepared to answer most of them myself - I just recently discovered that Egypt is on the African continent (it looks like a different location on those Middle Eastern maps!) and that pickles are actually cucumbers (no pickle trees?). I am very disappointed in the quality of my education - or perhaps just my lack of curiosity.

Curiosity is something Chad has plenty of, and here's a few of his questions, along with the answers (just in case your kids ask them - you can look much smarter than I):

Why is the moon following us? Because it is so far away, our view of it changes very little while we drive. The distance makes it impossible for us to pass it. Make sense? Kind of?

How do phones work? I read all this http://communication.howstuffworks.com/telephone.htm (okay I skimmed it) and I still have no clue. Anyone want to simplify it for me?

What is the biggest number? Googolplex (1 followed by a googol of zeroes) - we love that word now, use it all the time. Apparently James knew this without having to look it up, I am now referring all questions to him. According to physicist Carl Sagan, it's impossible to write out all the zeroes since "doing so would require more space than the known universe occupies."

What is the largest bill? This is a shocker - the largest still being printed is $100! Now I understand why the robbers and kidnappers in the movies are always asking for $100 bills. There are a few $10,000 bills circulating and at one time there was a $100,000 bill used by banks, but no longer necessary.

If you have any Q & A's for me, send them my way. I could use a little prep. As for the answer to my blog title: black bear.

Redneck Stonehenge

Perhaps all the Utahns heard about this already? So funny ... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080804/ap_on_fe_st/odd_car_fence;_ylt=ApdBNhzvB3x103XDq0lYFAIazJV4

All's Fair...

Sam is four months old - and he rolled over for the first time yesterday. He is officially on the move. I have no idea what I will do with three mobile children! I better start working out now. So, I really don't know how I got this font underlined, or how I get it off! I'm not exactly a pro blogger.

August already? We have so much left to do, but we can check the Fair off our list. Chad looks forward to this occassion every year, probably because he has seen nothing better (aka Disneyland, Lagoon). Poor kid. Perhaps he is learning to enjoy the simpler things in life (atleast that's what I am going to tell myself so I don't feel so guilty).