Summertime, Summertime

This summer, the next 10 weeks to be exact, are looking to be pretty simple and laidback. As far as I have found, WA state does not have a developmental program for kiddos like my son, like we had in Idaho. This means that after next Tuesday, Joe and I will have lots of time together. While dad is at work, we will be hanging out. Now to those of you with normal kiddos, that may not sound like much, but to this mom of this child, it means that I will need to find ways to keep the #1 son occupied, entertained, and out of trouble for 8 hours a day. That can be an exhausting task to even the most organized and creative types. And top that off with his very short attention span and you get the picture.

So, on our to-do list so far is:

*visit the library once or twice a week (30-60 min)
*go swimming on fridays at the local pool when they have $1 fridays (1-2 hours)
*drive to Portland to visit the Zoo (all day)
*visit Panther creek when it gets hot so Joe can sit by the creek and throw rocks in the water to his hearts content (2-3 hours)
*see a matinee in neighboring town a couple times a month (2-3 hours)
*visit the local park and swing (30-60 min)

Still looking to round out our time each week. Cartoons and movies at home only go so far. There is alot that he can't do due to his special needs, so thinking creatively is a must.

Any ideas you can think of that I haven't got on my list? I'd love to hear what you would fill up your summer with if you were hanging out with the Joe-boy.

Til next time ....

Welcome to the 'Hood

Mt Hood, that is. Sorry, I couldn't resist.



Saturday we took a drive around Mt Hood. What a gorgeous day of an outing. Sunshine, blue skies, fluffy white clouds, temps in the mid to high 70's. Perfect! And what a gorgeous mountain. So fun to explore our new neighborhood.



By driving around the mountain we got to see it from different angles and viewpoints. We discovered this lake (pic below)about 3/4 of the way around the mountain. Trillium Lake it is called, and tho I didn't see any trilliums we did see this beautiful vista. Lots of people were fishing on the lake shore or picnicing nearby. Tho its probably a good couple hour drive from us, we will be back this summer to spend more time at Trillium Lake.



We ended up in Sandy, Oregon for lattes and a movie, then wound down to Gresham for dinner at Olive Garden--mmmm! Living in the middle of nowhere doesn't seem quite so bad this week.

Til next time ....

How Does Your Shopping Go?

We have moved! We made it! We are in the middle of nowhere!

Seriously, I feel like I'm in the middle of a shopping desert. The local market is 10 minutes away and the evening we got settled we ran down there to pick up a few essentials. We walked out $50 lighter with only 2 shopping bags. Wowsers. I miss my Winco already.

How do you folks who live in the middle of nowhere do it?

Yesterday, I had to drive the hubster into a small town 30 minutes away for training with his new job. I found a wal-mart, tho not the super one with the grocery stuff. It did have a few staples so I picked up napkins, salad dressing, salsa and relish. But I'm told that to do major shopping I have my pick of Vancouver or Portland, both over an hour away.

So tomorrow or this weekend, we will be driving west and checking out the stores there. My question tho, is how often will I need to go over there? Gasoline isn't cheap anymore so I know I won't be hopping over everytime I need something the way I could when living in Boise. I really can't see myself spending the time or the money to drive over there every week. Will 2x a month be enough? Can I get away with every 3 weeks?

Part of this new adventure I didn't see coming. The challenge of shopping! Would love to hear your shopping challenges.

Til next time ....