Sunday Parkways 2017; Kate bikes solo

Audrey and Kate participated of another round of Portland's Sunday Parkways bike rides today. The girls rode a little over 5 miles, starting from home and then traveling to Khunamowkst Park and Fernhill Park and then reversing course to head back home. GPa joined the girls for part of the route.

Unlike previous Parkways, Kate rode her own bike and was not towed in a trailer or on a tag-a-long. There were several stops and the obligatory sugary treat as an incentive (in this case, a sno-cone), but she made the whole trip under her own power.

Tennis pros

Audrey and Kate joined Mom and Dad for another round of family tennis sessions at Grant Park. Neighbors Elli and Madi joined them for the first two sessions.

Snow Daze

Audrey and Kate were treated to an extended winter vacation over the last week with four days off from school due to snow plus the three-day MLK holiday weekend. The girls made good use of the eight inches of snow that fell last Tuesday and Wednesday, playing with their cousins and neighbors to build a snowman and igloo, holding snowball fights, and sledding down Ellie and Madi's driveway. In addition to playing in the snow, on Wednesday they ventured out to Starbucks and had their neighbors and cousins over for hot chocolate and karaoke. On Thursday, they went with Lily and Cora and Elli and Madi to the Rose City Golf Course for more sledding, and soaked in the hot tub.

On Friday, for a change of scenery Dad chained up the van and everyone went into work; Kate with Dad and Audrey with Mom. It ended up being a weird day, with Anna and Audrey having to evacuate the building due to a possible gas leak and Kate coming down with a stomach ache and fever at Dad's office. Audrey skipped her dance class, Dad ventured out for cat and Chinese food, and the girls wound down the day by watching "Storks."

The weekend was mostly low-key, with Kate fighting off a fever and no one feeling super-ambitious. The girls watched "The Three Amigos"with their cousins on Saturday night. Audrey spent most of the day Sunday with her friend Hannah, while Kate went with her cousins to get manicures and pedicures. On Monday, the kids got in some more sledding on the neighbors' driveway, Kate went to the doctor, and everyone had hot chocolate and cookies at Elli and Madi's. On Tuesday, Mom and Dad had the day off, and the girls played in the snow a final time just as the snow-melting rain finally started falling. Hannah came over to play with Audrey, and the girls got ready for school the next day (which did finally re-start after a two-hour delay).

 

 

The next Venus and Serena?

Mama and Dada have been working to get Audrey and Kate interested in tennis. Audrey's taken lessons off and on, including after school at Alameda, and this summer Kate joined her for lessons through Portland Parks and some family tennis lessons at Grant Park. They're starting to get the basic strokes down--Kate has a good underhand serve--and even occasionally get a ball over the net.

Visting cousins and Canada

Audrey and Kate headed north this weekend to visit their cousins Liam and Elsa in Bellingham and attend a Women's World Cup soccer match in Vancouver, BC. They got an early start, driving up on Thursday night and arriving at Liam and Elsa's house a bit before midnight. Kate fell asleep in the car -- Mama and Dada's memories were hazy, but it may have been the first time she's ever fallen asleep on a car trip in her life -- and Audrey dozed a little. 

The next day was low-key and relaxing. Liam and Elsa showed the girls a lake in their neighborhood, and the kids splashed around awhile to stay cool. When they got back, a new pool had arrived, so the kids helped set it up and then enjoyed some more water time.

The next day everyone piled into Audrey and Kate's minivan for the trip to Vancouver. It was Audrey and Kate's first trip out of the country, and they were excited to get a stamp in their new passports at the border. They arrived early, and got some lunch and checked out a waterfront park while waiting for the game to start.

The stadium was packed with 54,000 people who came to watch Canada and England contest a quarterfinal match. The kids cheered on the home-town team, which played a good game but ultimately lost 2-1. Kate and Elsa were especially interested in the game, commenting on and asking questions about everything that was happening on the field. 

The next morning, Liam and Elsa showed their cousins a fun, historic part of Bellingham, after which the girls started the long drive home. On the way, they stopped at the American Girl Doll store in a suburb north of Seattle to spend the allowance and lemonade-stand money they had been saving on Josefina and Rebecca. Kate got Rebecca's ears pierced and bought two little kittens as pets, and Audrey got a "spa treatment" and hairstyle and a karate outfit for Josefina.

Father's Day bike ride

Audrey and Kate strapped on their helmets and headed out for a bike ride during the Sunday Parkways event in North Portland today. They met up with Honey and GPa and Grandpa Dave and Judy at Arbor Lodge Park for an informal Father's Day gathering. The girls played on the playground and with stilts from Circus Cascadia, listened to Celtic rock and Indian dance music, and ate snowcones, hot dogs, and Cheetos.

 

Audrey runs a 5K

Audrey ran a 5K this morning with Mama. It was a Portland Parks "$5 5K," and was held at Lents Park in Southeast Portland. A 5K is about 3 miles, and Audrey completed it in 39 minutes and 44 seconds.

Audrey Oxbow Park class field trip

Audrey's class went with a couple of other second-grade classes on a field trip to Oxbow Park today. (Dada went along as a chaperone, but got there late, as he and three other dads that were driving together got lost on the way.) The kids looked at animal tracks, looked for insect larvae and nymphs under the rocks in the river, and took a hike through some old-growth forest. Audrey was happy her friend Kamea was in her group.

Memorial Day beach trip

Audrey and Kate took a trip to the "beach house" in Gleneden Beach for Memorial Day. In addition to their usual coast activities -- swimming in the swimming pool, dining at Mo's, and watching a lot of cable TV -- the girls also helped Dada celebrate his birthday and checked out a few beaches they hadn't been to before (the beach on the Salishan Spit, Nye Beach in Newport, and the beach at Fogarty Creek State Park).

Westmoreland Nature Play Park visit

Audrey, Kate, Lily, and Cora played in the new nature-based playground at Westmoreland Park today. They climbed on rocks and logs, had a picnic, climbed on the low-hanging limbs of some cedar trees, and fished sticks out of the casting pond.

Hike at Smith and Bybee Wetlands

Audrey and Kate and their cousins went for a hike at Smith and Bybee Wetlands Natural Area this morning. It was a beautiful day for a walk in the woods, although much time was taken up with snacking and complaining about "mosquitoes." At the end of the trek much amusement was had with a hollowed-out boulder.

A February(!) bike ride

Audrey and Kate took advantage of the unseasonably warm winter weather and went for a bike ride on the Springwater Corridor today. They got on the trail at Oaks Park and then rode up to the new TriMet bridge, stopping to throw some rocks in the river. Audrey pedaled her own bike the whole way, about 6-7 miles round-trip. They stopped for lunch at Cha Cha Cha in Sellwood on the way home.

Family camping trip

Right after Audrey's soccer game, she and Kate went home and started packing up for a short camping trip with the families of some of Dada's high school and college friends. As Dada loaded the car, the girls walked down with Mama to block party, where they got to jump around a bit in a bounce house before hitting the road.

As with last year, the campsite was at Silver Falls State Park. Arriving a day later than usual, there was not as much time for the girls to partake of any grand adventures in the park, but they did have lots of fun reconnecting with friends they don't see often, playing in the woods, eating junk food, and telling (non-scary) bedtime stories in the tent.

The next day, they packed up and headed home, stopping in Silverton for a late breakfast. Then it was off to a party for Uncle Keith and Aunt Allison in which they revealed the gender of their baby girl due in January (a girl, as it turned out).