Detail Girl

Here's CJ working on a paint by number she received for her birthday. It's supposed to be for ages 8 and up, but she seems to be doing well with it.

Summer Candy

This morning we stopped at the farmers market to grab a few berries. We were surprised to still find raspberries and then as we walked along we saw many more berries that looked so wonderful we had to take home 1/2 flat. We kept a few out to munch on, but froze a bunch. They are so good (well the strawberries are a bit hard), it's like having candy in the house. I've already been back for seconds and thirds. We need to get these bagged up soon before they are all gone.

Hulabiscus

It's that time again. The Luna Hibiscus has started to bloom. We need to get CJ out there for a picture like last year and before.

Backyard Business

We had some extra deck cleaner and brightener so we went crazy a few weeks ago cleaning the outdoor furniture. We gave it time to dry and today Mama used the extra deck stain to finish the table and chairs.

Since Mama was already in the finishing mode, Daddy suggested I work on some other chairs we'd cleaned. We didn't have much stain left, so decided to oil the chairs instead. I ran out of the teak oil after one chair, but Daddy was happy to run to the store for more. Here's a before and after oiling picture:

Now that the backyard is coming together we are hoping that the weather will hold on a bit longer so we can enjoy it before the rainy season starts.

Beaches

Since we were in the area, we decided to check out one of our old haunts, Beaches on the Columbia. We made it in time for the Happy Hour we used to frequent when we lived on this side of the river. We had the most friendly waitress and she took care of us wonderfully. She even helped CJ pick out a toy from the treasure chest and put together an ice cream sundae with sprinkles on top. Who knew this place was so kid-friendly.

Kids Club

CJ was invited to a friend's party at Kids Club so we headed back across the river. The kids got quite a workout running around playing and sliding in "The Jungle". They finished up playing in the "ballocity". All this plus birthday cake - she had a blast.

There's No Place Like Home

If only these shoes were ruby red, they would totally remind me of the ones from Wizard of Oz. We picked them up yesterday afternoon and she's actually wearing them. Usually CJ likes to let her new shoes and clothes sit for a few months at least before she starts to break them in. Besides finding some new kicks, we were also lucky in that when we left the shoe store, an ice cream truck was conveniently parked in front, serving up refreshing treats.

Zoo Day

We got an early start and met some friends at the zoo. It wasn't as crowded as we expected for a sunny summer day. CJ had fun brushing a goat, playing drums and viewing the dinosaurs on the dino path.

Summer Arts on Main

We headed downtown to check out the Arts on Main today. CJ was pleased to have another opportunity to make a zucchini car.

She also colored a butterfly and made a bracelet out of fruit loops and macaroni.
Then we ate lunch listening to the music on main street before we headed to the farmers market next door. Afterwards, we headed over a couple of blocks to check out a new fountain. It was a bit shallow for CJ, but she still had fun.

We even managed to squeak in a few minutes at the toy store on our way back to the car. A pretty good day.

The Ole Homestead

It was a cloudy morning so CJ and I decided to check out one of the summer movies. The one that seemed the most interesting to both of us was Ramona and Beezus. It was playing up north in Vancouver. It was a good movie - probably the most serious movie CJ has ever seen, but she seemed to enjoy it.

On our way home we drove by the house where Mama and Daddy used to live. I showed CJ where Daddy had to put up chicken wire next to the fence so Big B couldn't escape and take himself for a walk when he was a puppy. We also stopped by the old park up the road where we walked the dogs almost every day we lived there. We hiked up to the top trail where Big B loved to walk. It was full of memories as tomorrow would have been his 16th birthday.

Then CJ was excited to check out the play area. If there was a play area there before, it certainly was not as nice as what we found.

We continued back towards home, but first stopped in downtown Vancouver to check out one of CJ's favorite stores, have some lunch and then wander around viewing the chalk drawings and messages people had left in the park earlier.

Happy Birthday, Daddy.

Cousins or Twins?

CJ was excited to have her cousins come for a visit. She surprised B with a swimsuit to match hers and then we headed over to the outdoor pool. Unfortunately the sun didn't come out while we were there, but the crowds didn't either and we had fun splashing around.

Soccer Camp

CJ spent her mornings this week at a soccer camp at a nearby park. Three hours went by really fast for Mama, but not so much for CJ who got to practice running, dribbling and playing lots of games. She even told us she scored a goal in the "steal the bacon" game. Good thing we got those new cleats since we could barely squeeze her feet into the ones she wore for t-ball. The coach really had the kids under control and CJ was so serious about her stretching every night.

Happy Happy Hour

Tonight we decided to head out to try another local Happy Hour. The server mentioned a glitch in the kitchen when we sat down, but the drinks came promptly. We went ahead and put in food orders, but were told it might be a while. It really wasn't that long before we were eating, but the server went ahead and bought Mama and Daddy each a beer. Nice. Before we left, we were able to enjoy a little of the live music that was playing on the side patio.

HUB Happy Hour

A while back, Daddy started to go in to work a bit earlier. And he's been coming home earlier, but for the last 6 weeks we had swim lessons that interfered with dinner plans. Since lessons are over and the weather was good, we decided to hop on to our bikes and head out to a local brewpub to enjoy their happy hour outside. CJ brought some toys to play with after she finished coloring her menu. On our way home we stopped by one of the many frozen yogurt places. CJ loves picking her toppings out.

Playgroup Reunion

Today we met up at a park with a playgroup that we've been a part of since shortly after CJ was born. The hospital provided a facilitator and space for new moms to meet and Mama took advantage of it. It's amazing to see how big the kiddos are getting.

Sliding Solo

Today our plan was to go to the public outdoor pool as soon as it opened. We'd gone last Sunday and really had to fight the crowds for chairs and space. Well, we didn't make it before opening, but we were close. And this week it was still a bit cloudy out, which meant we had much more room to spread out. It appears that if the morning starts out sunny, people have lots of time to plan to swim before the pool opens at noon. This week the clouds were just starting to clear when we arrived. Mama read a bit until it was warm enough for her to go in, but CJ and Daddy jumped right in and had so much room to themselves. It was a great day. We went down the big blue slide and Daddy mentioned that he'd seen some really small children doing it by themselves. We asked CJ if she wanted to try and she said yes. She did awesome, letting Dad go first to catch her at the bottom. And there was no line, so we ran back up the stairs to do it again and again. She's getting to be such a big girl.

A Little Green Friend

Look what we spied on the side of the road as we pedaled home from swim lessons:

Shhhh...She's a Polar Bear

CJ improved her front and back crawl enough that when we got her report card we learned that her next class will be at the Polar Bear level. She doesn't like to admit it however. I think she may be worried that the class will be held in the deep end of the pool. We're planning on taking a break for a while so maybe if we wait until next summer she'll be a bit taller and that won't be anything to concern her.

The Pool Calls

The weather has been pretty great this week, with sunny mornings and 80 degree afternoons. So we got a quick run in this morning and then headed back to the pool to meet up with friends. It is nice that CJ gets to play and practice her swimming at the same time.

Back to the Park

CJ had such a great time at Oaks Park, that we went back this week. We invited friends to join us, which made it even more fun.

And CJ convinced everyone to give the roller coaster ride a shot. They look pretty happy afterwards, don't they?

Clubbing It

Mama had a 5-day pass to an athletic club so today we met some friends with memberships there to enjoy the sun at the outdoor pool. The girls had a blast swimming and Mama enjoyed her time relaxing poolside. We could get used to this.

Another Fountain

The weather was great, so after the Reptile Man show, we headed outside for lunch and then played in the fountain and park.

Reptile Man

CJ joined some friends to see the Reptile Man at a local library. At the end there was an opportunity to pet a huge snake. CJ declined, but at the last minute gave it a quick touch.