Happy New Year! (Updated with video)

It's already 2011 somewhere...still 3 hours to go here. We're just back from a couple of days at Timberline. Click here for photos and click here for the video.

Best wishes for the New Year!

A Day In The Snow

The boys went skiing yesterday. Here are some video highlights they put together from their day using the new video-editing software Santa brought. Click here to watch them in action.

Merry Christmas... (updated to include video)

Click here for a few photos of our Christmas. The kids were up incredibly early, and anticipation was running high.

Gift highlights include remote-control helicopters and video-editing software with green-screen for the boys, not to mention all-things-Nerf! As for Emily, she got her very own sewing kit, a new robe and slippers, and lots of cool stuff for her room.

Click here for a video clip of the day, complete with special effects (at least the ones we've figured out how to use so far).

It's all good here... hope your day was great, too!

Happy Christmas Eve!

From our family (the real-life version and our dough-doubles above) to yours.. Happy Christmas Eve!

And thanks Tony, Lee, Elan, Diego, Luna and Ari for turning us into such lovely cookies! We'd suggest they are too cute to eat, except that Jake has already nibbled off his left leg.

Lights, Camera, Caroling!

We've taken advantage of a couple of dry days by visiting Portland's Peacock Lane to see the holiday lights and with an evening of caroling through the neighborhood with friends. Click here to see some photos.

Happy holidays to all!

We've Got Spirit... How 'bout You? (updated)

It's been "spirit week" at school this week, in celebration of the upcoming holiday break. The kids are planning to spend a lot of time in their pajamas over Winter Break, so "pajama day" was great practice!

As for the weekend, it has been filled with some of our favorite holiday traditions... a Feuerzangenbowle party and the annual Christmas Ships parade. Click here for photos.

Happy Holidays!

Narnia, Knots & Nice Friends

Today Drew and some friends from his high school sailing team volunteered to play the role of characters from the new Narnia movie as part of a special opening-weekend theater promotion for "Voyage of the Dawn Treader." Their assignment included teaching basic knot-tying to movie-goers.

Community service hours AND a free movie... who could ask for more on a rainy Saturday. (Kudos to Steve and Tom for figuring out how to get an Opti to the top floor of Pioneer Place via a crowded downtown parking garage!) Click here for photos.

Dreidel Anyone?

This weekend we attended a wonderful Hanukkah celebration with friends. Click here for photos from dinner, dreidel and more.

An Early Start to Ski Season

Pat and Drew made their first trip to Mt. Hood today... hopefully, the first of many this ski season! It snowed off and on all day, with a few sun breaks to brighten things up. The video clip below is one Pat took during their lunch break, so Drew is a little preoccupied. Despite the lack of dialog, they had a great day.

Happy Thanksgiving...

Let's talk turkey...

Our Thanksgiving started with a great neighborhood soccer game (perfectly timed with a camera malfunction, so you'll have to trust us... it really was GREAT!) and ended with lots of yummy desserts with our friends Francesca, Rebecca and Eli.

Thursday was just a warm-up to Friday, when we officially ramped things up to full-speed for the holiday season with the Macy's holiday parade in the morning; selecting the perfect Christmas tree in the afternoon (we're limited by the dimensions of our living room and ceiling, darn it); and the official Portland tree-lighting ceremony in the evening. Here are some photos.



Happy Holidays to all!

Snow Day... sort of...

School is out this week for Thanksgiving Break, so technically, it's not a "snow-day". Also, there's the part where most of the snow missed us. Washington State got tons, but less than an inch made it our way before turning to ice and spoiling the moment!

Reports from the Field: Cell-Boats & Book Reviews

Emily and Jake recently completed their first big science project of the school year...documenting their knowledge of a cell's parts by assigning them to something familiar. Jake chose to create a blue-print of a house; Emily choose a boat (and the 3-D option).

Examples of the parts of a cell-boat... The dad-cleus in the boat is like a cell’s nucleus because the dad-cleus controls what the boat does like the nucleus controls what the cell does. The boat’s sail-plasts are like a cell’s chloroplasts because the sail-plasts capture and produce energy like a cell’s chloroplasts produce energy.

Examples of the parts of a cell-house... The vac-arage in the house is like the vacuole of a cell because the vac-arage is a storage area in the house like the vacuole is a storage area in a cell. Computo-matin in the house is like the chromatin in a cell because computo-matin stores information and makes it available to the nucleo-mom of the house just like the chromatin in a cell makes information available so the nucleus of a cell can direct the cell’s activities.

As for Drew, for banned book week back in October, he opted to read Animal Farm and created this poem as part of a "book mark" assignment.

I am from the farm,
once run by humans.
From the sweet communities;
and the simple life;
and few rules.
I am from the plentiful meals.

I’m from the work;
from the hard days.
I’m from the new ruler,
and the delusions and lies.
From the meager rations,
and the murders of comrades.
I am from the wars,
and the false rumors about our welfare.
I am from being deprived of my rights.
I’m from Animal Farm.

Happy Halloween!

Here are some photos of our Halloween weekend. After carving a few jack-o-lanterns on Friday evening, we celebrated Halloween-eve on Saturday with a great party hosted by our friends Reeve, Ellen and Andrew.

Click here for a few additional photos from trick-or-treating on Sunday. Jake's pillowcase weighed in at 10 lbs, so it was definitely a good haul!

Our motto this Halloween... TGFDC (Thank goodness for duct tape).

The New York Cousins

Pat was out in New York last weekend and got a chance to visit with his nieces and nephews. Here is a video we just posted of the whole crew. CLICK HERE.

For the best picture, play the video full screen at 720p (the setting is on the video) and it should provide a good quality picture.

Outdoor School (Updated)

Jake and Emily spent last week at Outdoor School, a big highlight of 6th grade for kids in Oregon.

Click here for a photo album that now includes both their big send-off last Sunday and some photos they took with disposable cameras during the week.

We are now a 3-wood-cookie family!

Underwater ...

The competition has been fierce in regard to who got to test-out the new water proof case for our video camera. Clearly, what we really need is a snorkeling vacation... or at least a larger hot tub.

Pumpkin Picking & Apple Pressing

We celebrated the first week of October with a trip to the Pumpkin Patch and an Apple Pressing Party.

We timed our pumpkin picking and trip through the corn maze a day ahead of the rain, so it was both sunny and mud-free. Click here for photos from the farm.


As for the apple-pressing party, a little rain couldn't possibly dampen the fun of DIY cider & donuts. Our friends Mike, Elizabeth, Teddy, Joe & Zanna had picked 1,000 pounds of apples for the occasion! It was a delicious afternoon! Click here for photos from the party.

Signs of Fall

It was 80 degrees and sunny (at least for part of the weekend), but none-the-less, fall is in the air. Drew and some friends took in Lincoln High School's first football game of the season on Friday evening, while the rest of us headed to Sauvie Island to celebrate the opening of "corn-maze- season" with a concert and bonfire.

We also took in the final Sunday Parkways event of 2010 with a bike/stroll through NW Portland. Here are a few photos.

Be sure to click here too, to see Emily and friends in a really cute music video... the latest release from the producers of the famed documentary, Bridlemile HvZ.

P.S. Happy Birthday wishes to Bella and Ruby Belle, both of whom celebrated their specials days this week!!

Reports from the Field: What's in a Name?

As their first writing assignment of the school year, Drew, Jake and Emily were asked to research and write about their names. Here's what they said:

DREW
Patrick was to remember Grandpa.
It was of noble worth, but I fell
a little short. I am the third and youngest
noble in the family, at least for now.
What happens in the future is up to me.

Like hand-me-downs can sometimes be,
Patrick is a big uncomfortable coat to me.
I am not Pat or Patrick like my dad.
I am Drew, which means sturdy and
fits a little better.

At school they call me “Drew-E or Drewshka”.
If anybody said Patrick to call me over,
I would not think to respond. Patrick is like a box
in the back of the closet that you forget is there
unless it’s needed.

JAKE
My name is Jake Alexander. My mom and dad named me. The origin of Jake is Hebrew. My name means supplanter, which is like a conqueror. I like my name because it is short and easy to spell. Some qualities that go along with my name are reliable, steady and always happy. I think these are qualities that describe me well.

EMILY
My parents named me Emily. They chose the name Emily because they liked that name. Diane, my middle name, is my grandmother’s name, but sadly she passed away before I was born. Emily was the most popular girl name the year I was born and my parents didn’t even know.

Emily is a Latin name which comes from the name Aemilia. Aemilia is a feminine version of the surname Aemilius. I like my name because it means “ flattering one”. Also it’s very musical and has a nice flow and vibe to it.

I have lots of nicknames but one that has stuck is Emers. I got that nickname from my first grade teacher Mrs. Meyer. One day she called me Emers and it has stuck.

Time for School

Well that went fast! The kids went back to school today... the backpacks were full, the schedules were memorized, and the anticipation was high.

It was a gloomy, chilly start to the school year weather-wise, but we're still forecasting a great day!

Labor Day Weekend by Land & Sea

We've been trying to take full advantage of the last weekend of summer while still getting ready for the first day of school tomorrow.

On Saturday, we took in a concert/movie at Washington Park, and on Sunday, visited our friends Rich and Gail at their floating home for dinner and water play.

Rich has created a whole new way to enjoy the game of golf off his back deck... check out the photos.

Olympic Loop - Part 5 of 5 (Sequim)

The final stop on our loop of Olympic National Park was in Sequim (pronounced Skwim)... home of the longest natural sand spit in the United States. Whereas Forks and the Hoh Rain Forest just down the road are among the wettest places in the US, Sequim sits in a rain shadow and gets less than 20 inches a year.

Sequim's Dungeness Spit stretches 5 miles into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A lovely, sunny day and the opportunity to tour a lighthouse at the tip of the spit offered a nice incentive for a long hike on the final day of our trip. Here is a photo album.

Strong winds blew in just in time to make the return portion of our journey a little extra challenging, but we didn't let that spoil a great walk!

Olympic Loop - Part 4 of 5 (Victoria)

From Port Angeles, it's just a hour's ferry ride to Victoria, BC, so we took advantage of our proximity and took the kids to Canada for a day. They loved the busy harbor, as well as the parks, gardens and oddities we encountered as we explored the city. In the afternoon, the boys checked out the classic boat show while the girls took time for High Tea.

As if the day hadn't already been great, a couple of whales were passing through the Strait of Juan De Fuca just as our ferry was passing by! Here is a photo album from our day abroad.

Olympic Loop - Part 3 of 5 (Hurricane Ridge)

Visiting Olympic National Park's Hurricane Ridge, just south of Port Angeles, was a definite highlight of our trip. The views from Hurricane Hill trail were amazing, and topped those at Rocky Mountain National Park in our opinion. To get there, we passed the lovely Lake Crescent area, where we hiked to Marymere Falls.

Here are photos from our day in the mountains.

Next stop... CANADA!

Olympic Loop - Part 2 of 5 (Forks & Neah Bay)

Continuing our journey around Olympic National Park, we spent a few days in the Forks area so that we could explore Washington's northern beaches. Rialto was amazing! We hiked to Hole-in-the-Wall, so that we could get a sneak-peek of the coastline further north, something you can only see if you time the trip right with low tide.

Cape Flattery was amazing too, though it was a bit too damp to fully enjoy. The Cape sits at the northwestern most point of the continental US, so it was a must-see, even if it was pouring rain that day! The hike to Shi-Shi beach will have to be saved for another trip - too much mud to make that trek.

During our time in Forks, we stayed at the lovely Cabins at Beaver Creek. Our hosts - John and Michelle and their children - could not have been more gracious and welcoming. The cabins they have built and just opened in August sit on their family farm, so the kids were able to help out one morning with milking duties. This was a highlight of Emily's trip.

Click here for photos from the farm, beach and more.

Drew and Jake loved the creek that runs just behind the property - both for its kayaking and fishing opportunities. And we all enjoyed spending evenings with our hosts around the fire pit... their knowledge of the area and great stories were both much appreciated! So was the delicious salmon John brought us fresh off the boat.

John and Michelle also helped get us up to speed on the whole "Twilight phenomenon" sweeping the Forks-area. Though that is a book series we had not yet taken on, we will now... guess you could say we've been "bitten"!

Olympic Loop - Part 1 of 5 (Quinault & Kalaloch)

We are just back from a great week of exploring Olympic National Park. We started along the Washington Coast and looped around Highway 101 in order to taken in all that the park has to offer - beautiful lakes, dense rain forests, wild coastline and snow-capped mountains.

We squeezed a lot into 7 days - including lots of great hikes and a day-trip to Victoria, BC, so the kids could use their passports. We're going to post photos from the trip in sections since we have so many to share.

Click here for a photo album of the first two days of our trip, which included visits to Lake Quinault; the Quinault Rainforest; the Hoh Rainforest and its amazing Hall of Mosses; and the beaches of Kalaloch (pronouced Clay-Lock).

The photo above is of Kalaloch's Beach 2. Each beach was unique and amazing in its own way, but our favorite of the day was Ruby Beach.

Days 3-7 coming soon...

Last Games of Summer...

The kids in the neighborhood managed to squeeze in a final summer game of Humans v. Zombies last week... it was a record turn-out and a great game. The zombies won this round. Here are photos of the finish.

Mockingjay is Here!

If you haven't gotten your copy yet, run -don't walk- to your nearest book store! Mockingjay, Suzanne Collin's final book in The Hunger Games Trilogy is now available. We celebrated by checking out a release party at Powell's Books last night. The kids went in costume. Emily liked hers so much that she is now giving serious consideration to pink as the new brown!

Surf & Nerf in Neskowin

We spent a wonderful weekend at the coast with our friends Tom, Megan, Henry and Ruby this past weekend. Here is a photo album of our adventures on land and sea.

Kids at Work & Play

We got a chance to see Coach Drew at work this week. He has been helping out with an adult learn to sail class and since the group meets in the evening, we got to sail along. We had a DI reunion... even after 3 months off, the kids had no trouble remembering how to have fun.

Here is a photo album.

Indiana Visit

We're just back from a trip to visit family in Indiana. Here is a photo album from our trip, which included a day at the Newport Aquarium, a picnic at grandpa's barn, and lots of swimming to try to beat the heat.

Special congratulations to cousin Kaylee who completed her first day of Kindergarten today... her cousins are very glad they still have three more weeks of summer vacation!

Game Day

It's time for another round of Humans v. Zombies... may the best team win!

Be sure to check out this documentary on HvZ Bridlemile-style, too. The kids filmed it during a recent game.

Project Runway Jr.

Emily and her friend Ruby got to walk the runway yesterday wearing outfits they created/designed. It was the culmination of a week-long fashion design camp where they had to complete their very own "Project Runway" challenge: to make an outfit that fit one of four fashion trends and could be transformed in some way. Here are some photos.

To celebrate their great work, we all went to an open house last night at Anne Bocci Boutique in Multnomah Village to meet Seth Aaron (Project Runway Season 7 winner).

Time flies when you're having fun!

Here are some photos of our final day of enjoying Portland with Fabien. It's been a great week and we're so happy for our time together, however brief.

Fun with Fabien

We are enjoying our week with Fabien and are happy to be able to share with him some of our favorite neighborhood activities and Portland must-sees.

Click here for photos of this week's edition of Tuesday in the Park. It was "National Night Out" so we celebrated with a pot-luck picnic, three-legged racing, donut-eating contests and more.

Click here to see photos of more fun around town. Today's agenda included a bit of sailing, a ride on Portland's aerial tram, and a lesson in the fine art of Nerf warfare.