Vikings and Voodoo

Mason has been drawing maps and looking at pictures of Portland State for the last couple of weeks.  Luis had taken the kids there to look around once last summer but he wanted to go look around again.  We're up for anything that may, in some way, encourage college in the future so we loaded up and headed downtown.  Since we were in their neighborhood, we called up the DeCicco's to see if they wanted to meet up for dinner.  Sharon and Giada were in southern Oregon but Chris was game for our little adventure.

Siena gave us a pose by the strange sculpture on campus somehow celebrating women.  This was shortly after some women espousing equal pay marched by us with a sign that said "Viva Vulva".

Mason consults his map outside the PSU library.  We walked through the sky bridges between Neuberger, Smith, Cramer, and Lincoln.  We also checked out some of the newer buildings.  I have to say, I was a little dismayed that they fixed the stairs in Lincoln.  The grooves from years and years of feet were cool.

From Portland State, we headed further downtown to dinner at Macaroni Grill and dessert at where else...Voodoo donuts!

We took a chance this time around and ordered a dozen of their choice.  Since the gal saw that we had kids with us, she gave us a fair number of kid friendly donuts, including the bubble gum donut, blue something or other, Coco Puffs, and a couple Marshall Mathers (marshmellow).

Siena couldn't be happier with her M&M donut.

4 Cruzes in a fountain...

Speaking of a fountain...

2 Cruzes in a fountain...

We just got back from Kendra's 12th birthday party.  Luis took on Andre in a battle of Wii soccer.

Then Andre and Mason did battle.  Such focus...such concentration...

Kendra asked for $$ for her birthday and scored big time!

I also took 3 hours out of my life this afternoon to organize all of the books, movies, and music in our den by color.  Oh yes..I did.

Sunny Days

I know I missed posting last weekend.  My 2 followers must be concerned.

Last weekend was plenty busy.  Siena had dance on Saturday morning as usual.  Then I met my good friend Sarah for our sometimes monthly coffee date.  Weeds were pulled.  We all had worked up a pretty good appetite by dinner and were ready to try someplace new.  Our neighbor suggested we check out the carts on 43rd and Belmont (one block from Movie Madness).  It was like stepping into an episode of Portlandia, albeit a tasty one, with dreadlocks, Birkenstocks, and knitted hats galore!

There are various food carts and good eats galore!  Even spinny chairs!

We all tried something different.  The kids opted for the sushi and had it gobbled up by the time Luis and I had gotten our food.

I got the calamari sandwich, topped with coleslaw.  Yes, it was as amazing as it looks.  Luis had some sort of Asian Mexican fusion.

There were many more carts that we wanted to try but for me, none more than this one which was unfortunately closed on this day.  Why yes, that sign does read "Viking Soul Food".  Bring on the lefsa.  We'll be returning.

After a rainy week, we received a visitor from a long lost friend this weekend:

Both kids have recently mastered riding their bikes on 2 wheels so yesterday we went for a family bike ride on the newly finished Trolley Trail not far from our house.  It's an old trolley line that has been paved over to make a pedestrian walkway/bike path.  We rode down to a neighborhood park, played a bit, and headed back.  It took a couple of hours and the kids got tired but it was so nice to be out.  Oh, and I got a sunburn of course.

Today we had the Cruzes over to celebrate Gloria's birthday.  Luis barbecued and the kids played in the yard while we enjoyed being out on the deck.  Admittedly I didn't take enough pictures this weekend but it was just so nice being outside and soaking up the vitamin D that I didn't bother to grab the camera for once.

You Jump, I Jump

I saw Titanic in the theater SIX times.  I've never seen any other movie more than twice in the theater.  After seeing it so many times in the theater, it just wasn't the same watching it on VHS when it came out.  I was too used to the big screen, the surround sound, and the popcorn smell.  So when I heard that my favorite movie (well, it's really a coin toss between this and the Sound of Music) was coming back to the theaters in 3D, I was giddy as a school girl after a basket of Easter candy.

Lucky for me, Mason caught the bug too.  He watched it with me when it was on tv a while back and really liked it so we let him watch the VHS version a few times (we FF'd the "drawing" scene) and loved that it was based on a true story.  He was definitely on board with joining me for the 3D version.

Since it is a 3 hour movie, we enjoyed crazy overpriced hot dogs, popcorn, candy, and Sprite.  Mason was a good boy and turned away during the drawing scene.  We both loved it.  Now I'm just trying to figure out when I can squeeze in theater viewing #8.

Oh yeah, and yesterday was Easter.  We went up to my parents and celebrated the holiday with Barb and Keith (aka the Walkers) and Gena, Jon, and the boys (aka the Morris').  Since Yaya and Papa Ron's house is very much Mason and Siena's domain and it had been a long time since the Morris boys visited, Mason and Siena gave them the full tour, including the fish pond.  Luckily no one fell in, though Quentin (the youngest on the right) tried to push his oldest brother Kaden in once or twice.

  

The kids got to eat together at the kids table and seemed just as happy to be separated from us as we were to finally be at the adult table.

Gena made this super cute bunny cake.

The little girl amongst all the boys.  She's showing off her special Easter hat and gloves.

The boys.  From left Mason, Quentin, Kaden, and Ryder.  Mason and Kaden are 3 months apart in age while Siena and Ryder are 2 months apart.

Mason may be 1.5 years older than Ryder, but they're about the same height.

Time for the big hunt.  We hid the eggs all over the back yard so the kids had to work for it.

It was a full on scrum at times.

Even amongst siblings.

In the end, thanks to a redistribution of wealth, everyone ended up with an equal amount of their favorite treats.

It had been a while since the kids had a chance to play together but they clicked like it was yesterday.  Everyone had a great time.  It was also nice that the weather cooperated.  It was the first Easter that our kids weren't Easter egg hunting in the rain.

This picture speaks for itself really.

Wet Break 2012

Since we'll be in Puerto Rico for 2 weeks in June, we decided not to do anything too big for Spring Break.  Given the weather, that was probably a good choice.  The kids had a nice 2 night sleepover at Yaya and Papa Ron's during the week and I took off Thursday and Friday to hang out with them.  Thursday and Friday were pretty slow and uneventful which is just what I needed after a busy couple months at work.

Friday night after Luis got home from work we took off for our annual Spring Break beach trip.  We knew not to expect too much from the weather and were prepared to make the best of it.  And after a torrential downfall on the drive down, our hopes weren't up high at all for dry weather.  And then there was some snafu involving someone forgetting the key to the condo, having to call the office, all of us standing outside for 10 minutes at 9 PM on a Friday night, and that said someone eventually finding the key in her purse.  But we won't go into that.

Saturday morning we had breakfast at our usual haunt the Spouting Horn in Depoe Bay.  The waitress is always the same and recognizes us when we come in since it's at least 4 times a year.  Mason made a full itinerary before we left so next stop on the list was Agate Beach.  And believe it or not, it wasn't even raining! We all played a little game of tag with the ocean waves.

There's actually a lighthouse there somewhere.  In person it looked really pretty.

After walking around Agate beach, we went down to Newport and walked around the historic bayfront.

This was the only sea lion that was there to visit with us on this trip, though he was rather entertaining for a few minutes.

Water view of the Newport bridge and bayfront.  Oh, and Luis & the kids of course.

Then the hat tour commenced:

I assume these hoodie keychains are a Treyvon Martin shout out.

And the hat tour continues! Siena's facial expression matches that of the Oregon Duck.

Indian Mason!

Not too intimidating on Siena.

After we got back to the beach house, it was time to bust out the kites that Lucinda and Deb gave the kids for Christmas! Siena's is the one toward the front and Mason's a little further out.

The kite pro herself!

Mason had a little trouble starting out.

But then he got the hang of it!  We got some good wind and the kites flew great.

While we were flying kites, Luis went clamming.  Here's his catch.  Why yes, that is one clam.

This morning we spent a fair amount of time lounging around, trying to will the weather to improve and waiting for the tide to go out.  The tide finally receded a little so we went to Devil's Punchbowl as per Mason's itinerary.  It was cold, windy, and rainy.  And the tide was still in too much to see any marine life.  It was a good adventure nonetheless.

Visiting a lighthouse was also on Mason's list but they closed the Yacquina lighthouse due to the strong wind so we headed home.

Less you think I was joking about the amount of rainfall we've had, here's a shot of the highway in Corvallis we passed on the way home.  So much for a 2 lane highway.  We saw many full rivers so this flooding wasn't much of a surprise.

For some reason, the drive home from the beach always seems to take so much longer than the drive there.  For me it's probably because I'm thinking of all the stuff I have to do at home when we finally get there.  Regardless, we made it and it's time to start another crazy week.