NW Kid Chaser

          My oldest son studied Peru during the past school year. As part of an 'International Festival' he and his classmates chose nations from South America to research. For weeks, my son brought home books  and filled pages and page of notes. When the unit was over, he had produced this audio book to share with his peers:

       As an extension of this project, I decided we should enjoy a meal at a local Peruvian restaurant. A search of the web led me to Las Primas Peruvian Kitchen. In a bike friendly section of north Portland, this restaurant has a variety of moderately-priced items our family could sink our teeth into. Family friendly and great service - we'll be back to enjoy more soon!

Here are the highlights of our meal:

It was ALL LEGO® - ALL day for us this Saturday!

Here's a few snapshots of the fun activities:

Here's a few of the store's great offerings:

      Now, we're home and our our LEGO day continues. I'm sleepily sipping a cup of hot cider (with my feet up) while the boys are busy building with their new bricks. With their new purchases, and the  'mini-set' prizes they received at KIDSFEST, I'm not sure when they'll be ready for bed. Our eight year old keep announcing, "This is such a fun day!"

Who ever imagined that such small bricks could bring such joy and contentment to so many?

Congratulations to
Cara and her two boys!

They will be enjoying LEGO® KidsFest in Portland on October 12th with two free tickets generously provided by event organizers.

For others who want to join the fun - you can still purchase tickets at: http://www.legokidsfest.com/portland/tickets.html.
In addition: Here's a link to a discount code for $2 dollars off.

Right now all the sessions are open, but this could change
as sessions will fill as the event date nears. Get your tickets soon!

It turns out that LEGO is the contraction of two Danish words, "leg godt" meaning "play well." With Lego-brick-loving-boys (like Cara and I have), my guess is the event will include just that.

Thank you LEGO®!

To enter the drawing for these two passes--
just leave a comment to this post.

If you’d like additional chances: You can mention this giveaway on your own blog (please provide the link to your post with your comment) or spread the word to your friends and family (as I’ll give you additional chances anytime anyone mentions your name in their own post. Ie..“Jennifer K. told me about this giveaway!”).

The drawing will be held Wednesday, Sept. 18th.
Feel free to email me with questions!
Good Luck!

     Anyone who knows my boys, knows that LEGO® bricks are hugely popular at our house. They say that children around the world spend
5 billion hours a year playing with LEGO® bricks, and based on how my boys love to build  and rebuild their original creations, I'm not surprised. LEGO is a central part of my son's childhood. As a family, we've had the good fortune of visiting several LEGO related places. (Three cheers for LEGOLAND Billund; applause for LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago; hoots and hollers for FIRST LEGO League!) Lucky us: Now, I hear that LEGO KidsFest is coming to Oregon!

       Here's the official press release for those interested. There are 5 sessions available (4.5 hours in length and each featuring the same exhibits and activities). Tickets are $19 for kids and $21 for adults. All the official information can be found at: www.LEGOKidsFest.com

       With 915 million ways to combine six eight-­stud LEGO® bricks, this is the perfect opportunity for Oregon boys and girls to continue the fun. Check back here in a few days for more info. and the possibility of FREE tickets for one lucky family!

    While you are at the Museum, be sure to visit the Discovery Center on the 3rd floor. There are books, exhibits, costumes, art supplies,  and furniture all designed with young museum visitors in mind.   
       After walking through almost all of the exhibits, my boys were ready for action. My youngest loves a good mummy fact. My oldest, began a portrait of a "young Roman guard" for the wall. I tried my hand at tin-foil sculpture.

For years I’ve heard of Portland’s Eastbank Esplanade, but have never had the pleasure of exploring the 1.5 mile path.  Following along the east side of the Willamette River, the Esplanade officially extends from the Hawthorne Bridge to the Steel Bridge. Even better: there are a variety of connection to east-side destinations.

 My family recently accessed this amazing bike path from OMSI. After enjoying a few hours of science museum fun, we jumped on our bikes and followed the path all the way to the Portland Saturday Market on the north end of Portland’s Waterfront Park. Highlights included the floating portions of the Esplanade path, crossing the Steel Bridge (on a level completely separate from cars), ice cream cones at Saturday Market, water fountains in Waterfront Park, and (of course) little boys who love to ride!

Here’s a bit of info for out-of-towners like ourselves. Free parking for your car, can be found just south of OMSI near the SE Caruthers Street Portland Spirit and Portland Opera offices. East access to both the Eastbank Esplanade and the Springwater Corridor are available. We rode just a bit of the Corridor near OMSI and found it to be mostly undeveloped. The railroad is on one side and the unmaintained river’s edge is on the other. That currently makes for a feeling of seclusion. The day we were there provided enough traffic that I felt safe – but generally, I would not want to take the path without my husband along for the ride. This was in sharp contrast to the Esplanade which was more open, visible from a distance and heavily in use. I felt very safe, as the path seemed expertly integrated into the urban landscape.

I recommend that all riders bring water, sunscreen, a bike-lock, and money for ice cream along the way. If you don’t have bikes of your own you can transport to the big-city: Never Fear! Kerr Bike Rentals is right along the way and has everything needed to set you up for the day (including tagalongs and bike trailers for wee ones).

      My Mother’s Day was pure delight.

    We enjoyed the first 2012 Sunday Parkway in Portland and discovered a wonderfully delicious breakfast spot in NE Portland.

     Helser’s on Alberta first came to my attention when watching Breakfast Special on OPB. After a glowing recommendation, I was eager to try the fare of this local café.

    Think English muffins,
but better than anything you’ve had from the store shelf.

The true sign of
a northwest chef
behind the griddle.

A hard boiled egg,
wrapped in sausage,
rolled in panko bread crumbs,
and deep fried = Genius!