End of September

Oh boy, I am getting terrible at this! My weekly updates have somehow morphed into monthly updates. I really do resolve to get back on track with these.

I also have been slacking in taking pictures. Terrible, I know. The last few weeks have been spent doing lots of different things - trying to take advantage of as much of the nice weather as we can for as long as it lasts. This very evening after dinner Henry asked if we could go outside and play baseball, then he looked out the window and said, in a very perplexed voice, "it's getting dark out?" I tried to explain to him that, yes, it is and that's what happens in the autumn and winter. Sad. :(

Here is a picture of him in his firefighter's uniform. He loves it. We've totally entered a new phase of interests - p0lice, firefighters, and paramedics. He absolutely is intrigued by every aspect of those professions. I think he might want to wear this as his Halloween costume although I'm not sure since last night he was stomping his feet, clapping his hands on his thighs and sticking out his tongue. When I asked him what he was doing he replied he was a Maori dancer and he needed to have his face painted. So maybe he'll want to be a Maori dancer...although that would be a rather chilly costume!

Summer Wrap Up

I can't believe it's already September! I have totally slacked off on posting lately - I'll blame the lazy days of summer. Actually, they haven't been very lazy at all...we've been out and about keeping pretty busy and trying to squeeze in as much activity as possible before the rain begins.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last couple weeks of summer.

Starting at the top: Henry downtown outside the main library. He was so excited this day because he got to wear his jersey without a shirt on underneath it for the first time - just like a real basketball player!

We went to the Sandy River on one of the really hot days - had a blast. I'd love to get back out there for another day if the weather stays hot. Henry loved the calm, shallow water and that there were lots of other kids there to play in the sand with. In this picture I asked him to show me a "normal face" and that's what I got.

Henry, Gigi and I spent a cold, rainy and windy day at the Oregon Coast. Still played on the beach and had fun despite the less than stellar weather.

At Director's Park in downtown Portland - one of our favorite spots on warm days. It's right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of downtown (across from the Fox Tower) and is always full of kids playing in the fountain.

We went down to Pioneer Courthouse Square to see the Stanley Cup and join in the Winterhawks celebration. Henry got to meet three of the new Winterhawks and shoot some pucks too.

And, finally, Goofy! Goofy came to the radio station for a meet and greet. While a little cautious at first, Henry warmed up and enjoyed meeting him.

Hawaii 2011

I am finally getting to posting some Hawaii pictures! We've been back for a week and two days, but I just hadn't gotten around to it until now. While we were in Hawaii, I didn't have regular internet access, so I wasn't able to make updates during the trip. Anyway, we had a wonderful time! I can't believe how quickly 2 weeks flew by; I could have easily stayed another 2 weeks! After the first night, Henry settled right in and loved his daily routine of swimming, beach, swimming, etc., etc. His water skills greatly improved with the daily swimming - he went from barely able to jump into the pool while holding on to both of our hands to running and leaping into the pool after telling me repeatedly to "move back! move back!" I have it on video somewhere...at some point I'll get it posted on here. He did equally well in the ocean riding on the same boogie board we got him last time - with a clear viewing window so he could see the fish just like we were while snorkeling. We saw lots of wild dolphins, sea turtles, a sting ray and of course fish. He really, really wanted to snorkel like the rest of us...maybe next time! Other than being in the water, he loved playing in the sand with all his sand toys. He also loved the nightly "nature" walks he went on - usually with Bumpa to look for toads, frogs and whatever else they could find. And of course, playing Angry Birds (that's what they are doing in the picture of Henry and Bumpa on the couch...).

All in all, we had an amazing time. I think all of our most favorite part was just spending the time together...as sappy as that sounds!

Ballet Camp

Henry just wrapped up his last day of a week-long ballet camp in Lake Oswego. He asked me specifically to take ballet, so when I heard about this class it seemed like a perfect opportunity. Overall I think he really enjoyed the class although I don't think his instructor was very well suited for preschoolers. Regardless, he had fun and is still interested in ballet, so perhaps I will try and find him another class in the fall. He was the only boy in the class which I found a little surprising. I certainly didn't think it would be an even split among the genders, but I thought there'd be at least one more boy. I am metaphorically shaking my head at gender stereo-typing in this day and age. I would have thought more people would be more open-minded about it, but I guess not. The interesting thing is that no one would think twice about sending their little girl to a basketball camp (or something similarly male skewed) but a boy in ballet? Everyone comments on that.

Here is a picture of the kids lining up to enter the studio (the teacher definitely had the "discipline" aspect of ballet down pat) and one of them at the end of their last class.

Henry's First Movie

Last Sunday we went to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie at Cinetopia. It was the first time Henry has ever seen a movie and I had a difficult time explaining to him what it was all about. He was convinced that the characters were going to come out onto the stage - since all we've been to previously were live shows, he didn't understand the whole movie screen concept...even though I kept telling him it was going to be like watching television on a larger screen. I don't think he's quite old enough for a movie yet, since he spent more time out of his seat than in it! Or maybe it was the subject - he's not that familiar with Winnie the Pooh; perhaps if it had been a Caillou movie he would have remained seated the whole time! Nonetheless, I think he enjoyed it, especially since he told me he wanted to go see it again.

Backyard Swimming?

This video reminds me of the axiom about kids enjoying cardboard boxes more than the toys that came in them. On one of the few hot, hot days we had last week Henry and I went out and bought a fancy new wading pool - a blow-up alligator pool that has a built in sprinkler. We got that all set up and then I also pulled out the little sprinkler mat we got a couple years ago. The neighbor kids came over and were enjoying the new "water features" in our backyard...but where was Henry? I had to get the video camera rolling when I saw him, shunning the new water toys and was instead sitting on the deck in a plastic storage bin filled with water. :)

Berry Picking

On Friday, Henry and I headed out to pick some berries. Another mom at Gymboree had told me about a place about halfway between Beaverton and Newberg called Smith Berry Barn, so we headed there. It was a great day for berry picking - not too terribly hot, but still nice and warm. I went without knowing what would be ripe and available to pick. When we got there we found out it was just a couple different varieties of raspberries - no blackberries, which is what I had hoped. Nonetheless, the raspberries were wonderful and we picked about 2 and 3/4 pounds of them in about an hour. They also have chickens and goats so we spent some time looking at those before heading across the street for lunch at a cute little country diner. I definitely want to go back again when we get home from Hawaii for those blackberries!