We were planning to have our friends visit from Idaho over Memorial Day weekend...but sadly, they called us on Friday with the news that they had gotten sick and were unable to make it. We were disappointed, but we regrouped and decided to make the most out of a three-day weekend at home.
Friday night after the kids settled down Mike and I went downstairs to watch a movie, "Joe versus the Volcano," which is apparently a cult classic. I thought it was a bit odd, and Mike slept through much of it... Halfway through the movie, Chris ran downstairs to tell us that we had forgotten that he and Mike were supposed to go to "The Hobbit" that evening at Northwest Children's Theater! We have never forgotten a play before.
Saturday morning we hit the farmer's market to buy more plant starts and veggies, and then we went to Powell's for Chris to spend his gift certificate. Kieran bought some Harry Potter poster books with his allowance, and Nicholas got a Curious George coloring book. That evening I made huevos rancheros with the freshly bought veggies, eggs, and corn tortillas. Yummy!!
Sunday we went to church and I ran some errands afterward: Michael's to make some returns, and the supermarket and liquor store for ingredients for dinner and gin. Of course, when I returned home I discovered we already had half of a large bottle of gin left over. But now we are stocked for the summer for G&Ts.
Our friends who were going to visit from Idaho had planned to see "The Hobbit" on Sunday afternoon, so we called them on Saturday morning and asked if we could use their tickets. Kieran lucked out, because he had been very disappointed that he was not going to be attending (we bought two tickets for a number of shows and were alternating between Chris and Kieran). So on Sunday afternoon Mike took Chris and Kieran to see "The Hobbit," along with another friend and her son. Kieran in particular loved the play, and it has become his latest obsession. (Thank you, Mary, Shelia, and Ken!)
In the meantime, I stayed home with Nicholas to clean the house and prepare to have friends over for dinner. Dinner was grilled halibut (hot dogs for the kids); pasta with sauteed tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives; lemon broccoli almandine; garlic bread; and strawberries in chocolate for dessert. I'd never made strawberries in chocolate before...and it will certainly not be the last time I make them!! Yum.
After dinner Kieran and Sophie entertained us with a reenactment of "The Hobbit"--Chris and Mike were recruited to play additional roles. (Kieran, of course, was Bilbo Baggins.) Here is the cast hamming it up after the play was over:
This motorcycle ride was really annoying to stand near, because each motorcycle had an obnoxious buzzer/horn on it!
He loved this one!
Kieran loves the Frog Hopper, and Mike said he was laughing and joking a lot with the boy in the middle.
Friday night after the kids settled down Mike and I went downstairs to watch a movie, "Joe versus the Volcano," which is apparently a cult classic. I thought it was a bit odd, and Mike slept through much of it... Halfway through the movie, Chris ran downstairs to tell us that we had forgotten that he and Mike were supposed to go to "The Hobbit" that evening at Northwest Children's Theater! We have never forgotten a play before.
Saturday morning we hit the farmer's market to buy more plant starts and veggies, and then we went to Powell's for Chris to spend his gift certificate. Kieran bought some Harry Potter poster books with his allowance, and Nicholas got a Curious George coloring book. That evening I made huevos rancheros with the freshly bought veggies, eggs, and corn tortillas. Yummy!!
Sunday we went to church and I ran some errands afterward: Michael's to make some returns, and the supermarket and liquor store for ingredients for dinner and gin. Of course, when I returned home I discovered we already had half of a large bottle of gin left over. But now we are stocked for the summer for G&Ts.
Our friends who were going to visit from Idaho had planned to see "The Hobbit" on Sunday afternoon, so we called them on Saturday morning and asked if we could use their tickets. Kieran lucked out, because he had been very disappointed that he was not going to be attending (we bought two tickets for a number of shows and were alternating between Chris and Kieran). So on Sunday afternoon Mike took Chris and Kieran to see "The Hobbit," along with another friend and her son. Kieran in particular loved the play, and it has become his latest obsession. (Thank you, Mary, Shelia, and Ken!)
In the meantime, I stayed home with Nicholas to clean the house and prepare to have friends over for dinner. Dinner was grilled halibut (hot dogs for the kids); pasta with sauteed tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives; lemon broccoli almandine; garlic bread; and strawberries in chocolate for dessert. I'd never made strawberries in chocolate before...and it will certainly not be the last time I make them!! Yum.
After dinner Kieran and Sophie entertained us with a reenactment of "The Hobbit"--Chris and Mike were recruited to play additional roles. (Kieran, of course, was Bilbo Baggins.) Here is the cast hamming it up after the play was over:
Today we hit the Multnomah County Fair at Oaks Park with our friends Lynn, Jolie, Max, and Nico. The fair is a sad shadow of the more agricultural counties...no animals displayed except for a few rabbits, and lots of exhibitor booths. But beautiful Oaks Park is always fun...it's one of the country's oldest amusement parks and right on the river, full of wonderful old oak trees and lots of shade.
The first big disappointment of the day was to discover that "The Screaming Eagle," my all-time favorite ride there, was down. It had been hit in a windstorm a few weeks ago, and they don't have any estimated time for it to be up and running. Bummer!
The other great thing about Oaks Park is the affordability aspect. Admission to the park is FREE. Basic ride bracelets are $11.75, and deluxe ride bracelets are $14.75 for all day. Compare that to the Rose Festival Waterfront Village (also going on right now), where it costs $5/per person for everyone over age 7. Then the rides are several dollars per ride!
I rode on some of the higher-level rides with Lynn and Nico (the thrill seeker!)...the Disko and the looping roller coaster...here we are, getting ready to ride:
Kieran went on the scrambler with me, but decided he would wait to go on it again until he turns 7! Chris accompanied me on the Tilt-a-Whirl a few times (one of my all-time favorites)...but most of the day he was at the Guitar Hero tent or trying to get back to the tent! (That's why we have hardly any photos of him!)
Nicholas also enjoyed the kiddie rides, carrousel, big slide, and train, and for a 2-year-old, he was quite brave! Our other boys would not have been this adventurous at age 2. I'm sure it helps that he has two older brothers...have to keep up with them!
This motorcycle ride was really annoying to stand near, because each motorcycle had an obnoxious buzzer/horn on it!
He loved this one!
Kieran loves the Frog Hopper, and Mike said he was laughing and joking a lot with the boy in the middle.
We were all tired out from the day--it was hot and we are Oregon weather wimps--and all the walking around. Nicholas, of course, fell asleep on the way home. When I brought him into the house, I stood him on his feet so he would wake up. When I returned to the bedroom, he was standing on his feet, leaning on the bed. He would occasionally start to fall over and jolt himself awake, only to put his head down on the bed again! So cute!
Tonight we had popcorn for dinner and gave the boys baths. I can't believe the whole weekend is gone already. Can I have another one?
It sounds like you had a great weekend. So summery. And I can sympathize with the beeping motorcycle horns. I worked at an amusement park during high school and I always got stuck doing the kiddie rides!
ReplyDeleteWhat was that like, working in an amusement park? Was it fun, or brutal?
ReplyDelete