December 2011
Dark comes early in the winter, but thankfully holiday lights bring a little cheer to the chilly evenings. While it is fun to just drive or walk around neighborhoods to see the lights, there are also several holiday light shows in the area where amazing light displays can be seen in a concentrated area. Plus the light displays are often accompanied by Holiday music and other entertainment.

Colton Celebration of Lights
December 10-27, 6-11 pm
Take a walk through light displays, a toy land, and a train display, watch holiday movies, and enjoy refreshments.
Aspen Meadow, 24232 S. Upper Highland Road, Colton

Lloyd Center Mall, November 30, 2011

A couple years ago when Alex was just a few months old, we took him to meet Santa the very first time. We took him to Lloyd Center Mall, for convenience sake, and got some lovely photos. We bought digital copies which I used on our Christmas cards.

We did not take Alex to see Santa last year. Instead we went to Drakes 7 Dees and saw the reindeer. It was fun and with some work in Photoshop I was able to come up with a cute image for our Christmas card.

October 22, 2011

Alex loves the Portland Children’s Museum, what kid doesn’t? We got a membership in the beginning of the year and it has turned out to be a very smart purchase. When the weather doesn’t cooperate for outdoor activities and there are no Open Play sessions scheduled at Inflatable Kingdom, the Children’s Museum is a great place to go.

The museum’s newest attraction is the Lego Castle Adventure. We went to check it out on a Saturday morning. Morning is a great time to visit the museum as the parking lot tends to fill up later in the day with Museum and Zoo visitors.

October 11, 2011

When I got the catalog for the Fall classes at the East Portland Community Center this year, the class listings were particularly interesting to me. See Alex turned two in September. There aren’t many classes and activities available for kids younger than two, but at two years of age, Alex is now old enough to choose from a few of the classes the center has available. Since Alex loves balls, the choice was a no brainer. I signed Alex up for “Balls! Balls! Balls!.” We signed up for the Tuesday session which ran from October 11 until November 8.

November 20, 2011

One of the first things strangers say when they walk into my house is often something like “So, you like horses…” It isn’t much of a stretch when you see the horse paintings and figures that decorate my house. Anyone who knows me, knows I have a horse of my own as well.

So when I heard Cavalia was coming to town, I really wanted to go. I had read about the show in several of my horse magazines, and I do love horses. The only problem is the show is very expensive. And while a common misconception is that you have to be rich to own a horse, a more accurate observation is that you will always be broke if you have a horse.

October 30, 2011

I have a good memory of going to Chuck E Cheese’s as a kid. I can’t remember any specifics, I think I only went once for another kid’s birthday party, but the thought of going to Chuck E Cheese’s makes me smile.

The bowling alley where my husband, Brian, bowls each week is located across the street from a Chuck E Cheese’s. Alex goes to the bowling alley with his dad every week, though Alex plays with his grandma while the adults bowl. Alex loves bowling, even though he has not had the chance to bowl in the real alley yet. He has a toy bowling set (Sponge Bob) and loves to draw and sculpt bowling balls and pins. So Brian and I have been wanting to take him to the alley some time when he would be able to bowl.

November 5, 2011

Alex loves trains. We went and rode on Thomas the Train earlier this year and have since accumulated a small collection of Thomas trains and videos. Recently I found a collection of model railroad DVD’s at a thrift store called “I Love Toy Trains.”. The DVD’s are very interesting and fun to watch.

Of course I am not surprised Alex is fascinated by trains. His grandfather is too. My dad had a small toy train set up in the basement when we were growing up. I remember watching the trains go around the miniature landscape with all the amazing tiny details.

October 8, 2011

Saturday was beautiful sunny day, so I gathered up Alex and his grandparents Kathy and Wayne and we headed out to Liepold Farms pumpkin patch in Boring, Oregon. This was our first visit to Liepold Farms. Last year Alex and I went to Fir Point Farms and had a great time, but with so many pumpkin patches in the area, I want to visit a different one each year.

Halloween is just around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about getting a pumpkin. Picking out a pumpkin is a great family activity, plus while you are at the farm, you can navigate a corn maze, pet farm animals, enjoy fall treats, and more. Here is a list of some of the area’s pumpkin patches.

Albeke Farms
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-7, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 12-5
Activities: U-pick and fresh pumpkins, vegetables, and fruit, and crafts.
Location: 16107 S Wilson Road, Oregon City, 503-632-3989

Sunriver is a four hour drive from Portland, which is just a little too far to be a good day trip. Luckily there is plenty of room available to rent in the resort for overnight stays or people who enjoy camping can find a spot in the nearby Deschutes National Forest.

I took Alex to Sunriver recently to visit with my family who were in town for the Sunriver Music Festival (my sister was performing with the orchestra this year). We drove to Sunriver Tuesday, August 16. Alex slept most of the drive, waking up in Redmond. We stopped for lunch when he woke up then completed the drive without further stops.