Summertime an' the livin' is easy

One of the things I love best about summer (besides sleeping in, of course) is spending more time with friends.  During the school year we all get so busy and it is hard to see friends as much as I would like - and I know others have the same problem!

At the end of July I went to Eugene with Sarah to visit Sarah.  Confused?  Sarah in Eugene had moved into her new house last August and we still hadn't seen it!  We took a road trip with the kids, and spent the day visiting and trying to keep the kids occupied.   If my memory is correct, it was also really hot.

The boys playing video games.  The age difference is such that right now the older boys are not that interested in Trey.  I hope that as they get older, it gets a little better.  And then there is poor Anna...the only girl around and going into middle school...let's say she spent most of the day with the ladies on the deck because it was much more interesting.

Trey and Zander playing video games

Hanging out with the Sarahs on the deck

I was able to help Julie a little with taking Grady to some of his OT appointments.  One day after his session, we stopped at Jim and Patty's Coffee, one of my favorite spots in Beaverton.  I got a delicious coffee and he got a delicious cookie.  We were both really happy! 

Trey's friend Owen has a pool in his backyard which was one of our favorite places to be this summer.  Trey did a lot of swimming at different pools, and we could really see the difference with his comfort and competence in the water.

Trey, Sunny, and Owen in the water

Taking a break in the sun

Cool dudes in shades

Trey and Ana went to a theater camp together this summer, and they had a performance at the end.  Ana was the queen and had the biggest speaking part.  She did a great job!

Queen Ana in her throne with Trey next to her in orange

Like I said, Trey and I had a lot of fun looking for Pokemon in different parks.  This park is really close to our house, and while all of the Pokemon must have been napping so we couldn't find them, it was a beautiful park with really tall trees.  I can't believe I've never been there before!

One Sunday we went to meet Elinor and Tim for breakfast and ended up with Super Spy Trey in our company.

Trey keeping himself busy with his book

On another weekend day (may have been the same day as breakfast with the Super Spy) we went swimming with the Hobbs family.  Trey is in heaven when he is in a pool, and he could have stayed there all afternoon.

Silas, Trey, and Randy

Two content boys

We went out to Edgefield, a McMenamin's compound, in Troutdale to spend a sunny afternoon with Curt and Ana.  I had heard that it was a Pokemon mecca, and it didn't disappoint.  It was fun to walk around with a beer and look for Pokemon.  I sorta think that Curt and I may have had more fun than the kids. 

I've talked about how much Trey loves reading, and he really enjoys the graphic novels.  Here he was on the couch for about an hour and a half reading the Adventures of Ook and Gluk.  It has been such fun to watch him dive into reading and love books as much as I do.

For Owen's birthday we went swimming at the Conestoga pool.  The kids had fun on the splash pad first and then went into the pool.  Thanks to Genius Jocelyn, we brought the husbands, and they got into the water with the kids.  She and I sat on the side and chatted while the kids and husbands (and poor Jennifer and Kristina) swam.  It was awesome!

We saw Zander and Kai at the pool who happened to be there with their neighbors too!

My dad came up to spend the week of his birthday with us.   It was fun to have him around and spend time with the boys.  Julie and her family were with us for several of the evenings, and it was some good family time.  On his birthday I took him to sushi, one of our favorite things, and we enjoyed a nice lunch out on the sidewalk.

That night Julie and the boys came over for a birthday dinner and apple pie.  The picture of my dad with his three grandsons is not the greatest, but it's the best one I got.

Randy and Trey bought a new video game that they have been playing together - Super Hero Marvel.  It is fun to hear them talk strategy together and work together as a team.  Granted, they lose track of time a bit when they play (what happened to those screen time limits that Randy wanted, eh?), but it keeps both of them out of my hair.  Ha!

You're probably seeing a theme in my summer posts of two things: Pokemon and Ana.  Combine them together and you put Trey in paradise!  We took the kids to a park in SE Portland one day but it was a little rainy.  The kids didn't mind, but we didn't stay for long.

Then we went to Double Mountain, one of our favorite breweries that just opened a second restaurant in the Woodstock neighborhood.  Can you believe there were even Pokemon trying to get our beer?

Trey and I stopped by the library one afternoon to pick up our holds and get Trey his own library card.  He was so excited about his new book that he just plopped down at the counter and it was hard to get him up.

One afternoon when I was trying to get some coursework done, Jennifer took Trey with her kids to Pump It Up Jr.  I am so lucky to have friends who provided me with such awesome support in getting through my summer classes!  Trey is pretty lucky too!

We went to Oaks Park one summer morning with Jennifer, Adam, Owen, and Bryn.  It was one of the last chances we had this summer to do the preschool rides (and one of the last chances ever because it only goes up to age 6).  Trey had fun on the rides and even Doggy was happy to be there.

Another summer playdate with Owen and Sunny...

Trey dressed up in his Batman costume and wanted to wear it to the playground.  Sunny couldn't believe that Trey would go like this but Trey didn't change his mind.  I was kinda proud of him for sticking with what he wanted to do and not caving in to peer pressure.

On another summer day, we went to Ryder's birthday party.  I love how close we live to our friends and that we can just walk to their house.  The boys had a lot of fun playing, and the grownups had fun catching up.  Jocelyn made hosting a birthday party at her house look like a piece of cake - made me wonder why it feels so exhausting to me.

Owen and Ryder

Decorating his own cupcake with frosting and candy may be his favorite dessert ever! 

Playdates and introducing Pokemon Go!

Can we talk for a minute about being an only child?  Randy and I made a conscious decision to just have one child, and it works well for our family.  I do have moments where I think I will regret this choice because Trey will not grow up with siblings, and he will not have a brother or sister when he is an adult (and let's be honest - when Randy and I die).   I think there are pros and cons to having an only child, which I won't list here because we all have our own opinions, but one major con for us is that our boy wants a playmate all. of. the. time.

Trey is a social creature and almost always wants to be with people and to talk.  Luckily, Randy and I like to be social too, so Trey is often surrounded by people.  Nevertheless, our summer days were hard at times because I felt like I had to keep Trey entertained and this often meant playdates.  I am totally on board with the "let your kid be bored and play with sticks outside" movement, but Trey isn't quite there yet.  And when Mama has homework to do and Dad has work to do, it is easier to keep Trey entertained with friends than having him pester us.  Thank god the boy has a lot of friends, right?

One of Trey's favorite things right now is Ana, Curt's daughter.  Those two could play together every day if it was possible.  Sometimes Trey wakes up asking about Ana and if they will get to see each other on that day.  Lucky for all of us, the parents enjoy hanging out too, so we try to make it at least a weekly event to get together.  When we got back from the beach on Fourth of July, Ana and Curt came over.  The kids dove into their imaginary play, and the grownups hung out on the deck.  Curt brought over some sparklers, and we wrapped up the night with a final celebration of our country.

One of the requirements for my graduate program and licensure is to take the Praxis in the area of school psychology.  This is a 140 multiple choice question test that you have to take in 140 minutes.  It covers a broad range of questions about school psychology, and it feels impossible to remember all of the minute details about the history of the field or all of the lawsuits that have created change in the educational system.  I took this test in early July and was happy to pass it and cross it off of my to do list.  I celebrated by going to get some delicious beers to share with the hubs and buying some new (used) books at Goodwill.

Breakside's Lunch Break India Session Ale is currently one of my faves.

Can we talk about Goodwill for a second?  It is not my favorite organization ever, but the Goodwill on MLK in SE Portland has the most amazing book section.  You can get books in really good condition for three or four dollars.  I love to go there when I'm not in a rush and browse the titles for books I want to add to my collection.  On this day, I added three "classics" that Ive been wanting to read forever plus two more contemporary novels.  I haven't read any of them yet, but they look great on my shelf!

Just a random picture of a lunch I made for Trey because I'm the best mom ever!
(This is probably the insomnia and lack of sleep talking since I've been awake since 3am and am currently blogging at 5am.)

I mentioned the summer playdates, right?  I am so thankful that we have made some friends in the neighborhood.  This is what I've wanted for a long time and never had in our old 'hood in NE.  I loved being able to schedule impromptu playdates and not only have Trey get to play with his friends but also get to see mine.

What's hard to see is Trey walking across the schoolyard - by himself, OF COURSE - on his way to meet Sunny.  The boys wanted to go on adventures by themselves with their backpacks filled with supplies.  Luckily, this idea died out quickly.

Sunny, Owen, and Trey at the playground

Trey and Sunny at Pump It Up Jr

Me trying to get some homework done before girls' night

The boys in that hurricane wind tunnel at Pump It Up

One night in July we had a girls' night and did the "drink wine and paint" thing.  We got a Groupon and signed up for an event at a winery in Newberg.  First we had a yummy dinner at a restaurant I've been wanting to try in Newberg, and then we headed to the winery.  I am NOT a good artist, but I am a good wine drinker and I love hanging out with my friends.  It ended up being a really fun night! 

Me, Kristina, Jocelyn and Jennifer

The set up - whoever thought of this is a genius.

Random family selfie on the couch with our messy house behind us

One of the camps I signed Trey up for was a super hero camp that he did last year.  He is not as into super heroes now (thanks to Pokemon and Minecraft), but he still had a good time.  Randy and I had a good time too as the Fireside Grill is across the street from camp.  He and I would go and sit outside on the deck, do work on our computers, and drink some delicious Boneyard RPM while Trey was at camp.  It was a nice productive way to spend the afternoon.

One day (or two?) Nyree came to meet us and hang out on the deck.

So have you heard of this tiny little phenomenon called Pokemon Go?  Trey and I started playing it a few days after the game came out, and it was a fun addition to our summer.  We explored a lot of new parks in our area which was super fun.  There are a lot of different opinions about Pokemon Go (my husband has some strong ones), but I think it is a fun and harmless (if you don't walk off a cliff) game. 

Looking for Pokemon at Fanno Creek Park

Looking for Pokemon at the Washington Park Rose Garden

Looking for Pokemon at Tualatin Hills Nature Park

Looking for Pokemon at Schiffler Memorial Park

You're getting the idea, right?

One night Randy was out and Trey decided he wanted to make me dinner.  I was in charge of getting the pizza out of the oven, but Trey set the table and "prepared" me fruit snacks, fruit rollups, tortilla chips, and Ritz crackers.  He was so proud of himself and it was such a healthy dinner.  

Since I've been assisting in classes at Hipcooks, I earned a free cooking class.  Kris and I signed up for the sushi making class and were really excited about it.  It turned out to be interesting to learn how to make our own sushi, but the sushi itself wasn't that great.  We agreed it was because the rolls had too much rice, and Kris said the rice wasn't very good.  However, now we know how to make our own sushi and hope to try it at home some time.

One summer night we went to Cooper Mountain Vineyards for music and wine.  We met Kris, John, Ted, and Sara there and enjoyed a picnic dinner.  After spending $10 per glass of mediocre wine, we decided to go create our own music and wine night at Kris and John's house which was nearby.  Hanging out with this group of people is always a fabulous time and one of my favorite things to do.

Trey and Randy relaxing amid Pokemon cards

Silas and Trey

One weekend day we headed out to the gorge with Missy, Kourt, and Wyatt.  Missy and Randy have known each other since they were children in Texas, and it has been fun to get to know each other as families.  One can fairly say that we mesh well. 

I was in the midst of research class hell at this point of the summer, but I took my materials with me and worked on stuff on the ride out.  I was not quite as productive on the ride back.

We took Missy, Kourt, and Wyatt on our favorite Gorge loop.  We started at Catherine Creek so the boys could run around, went to Cor Cellars to do some wine tasting, and ended up in Hood River.  We let the boys run around at the park while we waited for a table at Pfriem and then had a delicious meal and even more delicious beer.  It was a five star day!

Wyatt and Trey

Boys and their dads

Hanging out on the deck back at Missy and Kourt's house

 after we returned to town

There are not many things I love more than watching Trey sleep.  It is the most precious thing and I sometimes just sit and stare.  Does this ever change?  I hope not.  

Cuddling up with Wolfie