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First Day of Summer Vacation...

6/9/2014

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Today was my youngest son's first day of summer vacation.
I promised him a day of mom-and-son-time
dedicated  to his every wish!
So...
we slept in,
watched old home movies,
had pancakes for LUNCH,
rode bikes,
played tennis,
AND
went bowling!
It was truly a fabulous kick-off to Summer 2014.


 BONUS: While at our favorite bowling alley,
we also learned that bowling is free for kids this summer!
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This is a national program, so check for a location near you.
It promises to be a perfect air-conditioned activity for hot days.
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Chess K-12...

2/12/2014

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If you have young chess players in the house, you might want to check out one of the many chess tournaments held here in Oregon. Our experience with these tournaments has been very positive. There is a range of players welcomed, with particular attention to encouraging the youngest of players. Events are typically inexpensive (less than $20 to enter), offer the chance to play 4 or 5 similiar-aged opponents, and are a great way to pass a rainy, cold Saturday.
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Oh, the view...

6/11/2012

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    When Neighbor Bill told us he wanted to organize a family bike ride, I was happy. When Bill said the ride would be along the Historic Columbia River Highway, I was thrilled. Three parts beauty, two parts exercise, and one part history this ride added up to a great adventure.

Here are all the variables:


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44 wheels - Admittedly, the Gorge is a long drive from home for four families with bikes strapped to the top and back of their cars. However, one of the reasons we love the Valley is the variety of fun just over an hour from home. We drive this far to ski in the winter and/or enjoy the beach in the summer -- so a two hour drive for our 4 cars and 14 bikes wasn't too much of a stretch (and turned out to be well worth the effort).
 

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18 feet wide - The bike path we traveled was between 10 and 18 feet wide in all areas, smoothly paved, and included guard rails as needed. I'd consider the trail 8/80 safe - meaning that an eight year-old and an eighty year-old (and everyone in between) can ride safely.

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8 adults – That means one in the front of the pack, one in the back, five in the mix, and one to quickly ride back to the parking lot when you realize you forgot to place your parking-permit in the car window.

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6 kids – Ranging from 7th grade to 1st, this lively crew (and all their gear, and all their chatter, and all their laughter) makes me smile!

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4.5 miles -  That's one way and NOT on even ground. While my amazing-calf muscles hubby made each climb without breaking a sweat, there were several times my youngest son and I had to hop off our bikes and walk up the incline. The good news - coasting down the other side offered a great thrill!

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3.5 hours - Starting at the Senator Hatfield Trailhead in Hood River, we were able to ride to Mosier and back in less than 4 hours. Included in that time were: stops for snacks, lunch, water, a bathroom break, enjoying the view, and several too-good-to-miss photo opportunities.

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2 tunnels –The "Twin Tunnels" of the Historic Columbia River Highway were built just before 1921 and provided safe passage for many a Model T-Ford. Now they are a highlight of the bike trail and a fascinating glimpse into history.

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1 waterfall –On the way back into Portland we stopped at the infamous Multnomah Falls.  The upper fall is 542 feet tall and the lower, 61. It's an awesome scene. We definitely need to return when we have more time to hike to the bridge!

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0 complaints - After a full day of travel and exercise, I have to admit to a sense of Oregonian pride. Our State Parks Department has done a wonderful job of developing and maintaining these beautiful recreation areas. Back at home that night after our ride, my husband had to carry my seven year-old up the stairs to bed. Our little boy's legs were exhausted from all that pedaling. Tucking him into bed, I saw the sides of his mouth slowly curl into a sleepy, sweet grin. “I had fun!” he cooed. I leaned in to kiss his cheek and whispered back the very same words.

   
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And we have take off...

5/11/2011

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The glorious thing about great neighbors is that they do for your kids what you cannot …. or will not.

Case in point: here at our house we’ve created movies, murals, flags, volcanoes, and songs, but model rockets have not made the list. Lucky us -- one of our neighborhood dads recently purchased, oversaw construction, and organized the launching of rockets for all the neighborhood kids. My boys were able to enjoy this incredibly fun activity and my only responsibility was to snap pictures.

 I’m not sure who’s more thankful for
this daddy’s efforts --- me or the kids.


Here’s the basic rundown:
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1) Construct a model rocket -
glue, paint, stickers, and patience required.


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2) Choose a location that includes plenty of room for launching and retrieval. The open field at Keizer Rapids Park was a great fit.



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3) Complete a rocket permit and send it to the Salem Fire Department. There is no cost for this permit but it is required to be reviewed by the Salem Fire Department prior to any model rocket launch within the City of Salem.


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4) Attach and pack the rocket parachute. Be sure to add sufficient “wading.”



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5) Insert the rocket engine. 

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6) Prepare the launching pad.

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7) Start the countdown.

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8) Cheer wildly at take-off and run through the field to "catch" and collect the used rocket.

      Then make plans
     to do it all again!

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The perfect gift for Grandma...

5/2/2011

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Looking for the perfect
Mother's Day gift for Grandma?


Search no further...
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We recently ordered this personalized necklace for
a Grandma we know (and love) and were thrilled by the results. Granted when you have a cutie-of-a-babe like this
it's hard to go wrong, but my hat goes off to Jessica at DIY Studio for so artfully designing this joyful necklace!
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Family Clay Sunday...

4/14/2011

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      Lazy Sundays take on a whole new excitement when families in Salem visit the Willamette Art Center’s Family Clay Sunday. It’s studio art time for the whole family with balance between direction and freedom that guarantees success for clay artists of all ages and skill levels.

Here’s how it works:

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1) Visit the WAC (on the north side of the State Fairgrounds) on one of the scheduled days in 2011.

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2) Pay $10 for access to clay, tools, and instructors (This fee is based on a family of four – there is a $2 charge for each additional child).

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3) Follow the basic instructions, add a bit of individual creative flair, and leave your project behind to be kiln fired.

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4) Return another week to glaze your project and then leave it behind, once more, for a final firing.

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5) Drop by anytime to pick up your finished product.

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Birthday Bash...

2/4/2011

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I’m not the cool aunt.

    Nieces and nephews come to my home and are unable to identify the food I serve. (“What is edamame?”)  These giant teenage children (I used to chase) now barely fit on the loveseat in front of our TV and its uninspired seven channel reception. (“Do you get ESPN?") Other aunts serve pop tarts for breakfast.  I serve a double dose of “Save your money for college” and “Don’t get too serious too young. You can’t meet Mr. Right if you’re spending all your time with Mr. Wrong.”

    But this past weekend, I may have improved my ranking in the polls. Or… at least I gave it my best shot. For my niece’s birthday, I gave her a DIY Studio Birthday Party. The refreshments: fruit. The décor: creative, craft-heaven blue. The activity: earring making.

    Artist extraordinaire Jessica Ramey provided all the supplies, all the know-how, and all the gracious hospitality for my niece and friends to bead, cut, twist, attach and display handmade, personalized earbobs. It was great.
    I am not the aunt these young ones come to for fashion advice or discussion about the latest boy band ("Justin who?"),
but I finally figured it out:
                        Need a groovy-cool teen gift.
                       Go for a groovy-cool teen party.
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Hide and Seek...

4/8/2010

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Now that the days are a little longer and a little sunnier:  I have a great outdoor activity for all the family to share.

Letterboxing

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First started in England, this international game of 'hide and seek' spans the globe with over 5,000 boxes in the U.S alone. There are over a hundred letterboxes hidden in our local area.

So… lace up your shoes and get ready to go!
Here’s how it works:

1)  Someone hides a box and then posts clues or directions to
      the box on the internet.

2) Those who want to seek can read the clues and set out to
      find the hidden box. While on this expedition you’ll need
      a stamp, inked stamp-pad, a pen or pencil, and a simple
      log book.

3) Once you find the treasure – stamp the book that was
      enclosed in the letterbox to show you’ve found it. Then
      stamp your own book with the stamp hidden in the       
      letterbox. Lastly, place everything discretely back in its  
      hiding place for the next adventurer.


The great thing about this outing is that it works for both the youngest and oldest member of the family. My son loved to help us figure out the clues when he was as young as three and older kids can carve their own stamps and hide their own boxes.

Here are clues to a local Salem box to start you off. Good Luck!

To the tune of “I’ve been working on the railroad.”

“We’ve been visiting the train station,
in our hometown.

We’ve been visiting the train station,
the box is NOT on the ground.

Go and find the newspapers,
sold there just outside.

Reach on under the ‘Statesman’
and there our box you’ll find!”
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The coins go clink, clink, clink…

2/20/2010

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When my oldest son was five, we created a new house rule: If you find money laying about the house (between the couch cushions, in the clothes dryer, on the kitchen counter, etc…) AND you can count it – you can keep it. Well… never have I seen a child so quickly learn the difference between a nickel and a dime and how to add up to 100.

Years later now, both my boys have taken up coin collecting. One day my oldest son started keeping track of the ‘States Quarters’ and (a couple of library books later) he soon began telling me which of our coins was minted in Denver and which came from Philadelphia.

This new hobby has led to a new discovery of a family-friendly Salem location: The Salem Coin & Stamp Shop. In a strip mall off Lancaster, the location may not be dazzling, but the kind shopkeepers are always wonderfully patient with my sons. Using birthday money from Grandma we’ve purchased coin protectors & organizing sleeves, a steel penny, a buffalo nickel, and some pretty interesting coins from countries outside of the U.S. As we explore money values (math), we’re also learning skills in history, geography, reading, and writing (“Thank you Grandma for the birthday money. I use it to buy…”).

Although, my son’s collection wouldn’t actually be considered valuable in today’s market, in our house we think of it as time well spent.
:)
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PS: The tooth fairy just brought my son a Sacagewa dollar.
I just love it when Santa and friends get in on the action!


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