FIRST BIRTHDAY....PARTY

Gilbert and I went to our first kid's birthday party together on Saturday. It was for the the son of one of Michael's co-workers, also named Mike. Zachary turned five, but has a younger sister Gilbert's age. The festivities were fun for all, including the mama, me, getting to eat two pieces of birthday cake and bringing some home "for the family". Here is a picture of Gilbert and the birthday boy.

And I am happy to say that our present was a hit, binoculars!

GILBERT IN TRAINING

Yes, now that Gilbert is walking I have him in training. We have a mini-block course that I have started timing him on. So far his best time is 7:40, which is way faster than I thought he would do it in. The only issue is that the gets distracted by....everything. So sometimes we start out, get about half way, and then he turns around and starts to walk back. At that point I usually stop the clock. But the other day I let him pick his own route to see if we could do a little distance winter base training. I was really impressed when we got home and mapped out his route to discover that he had gone .56 miles. WOW! So what is he training for? I'm not sure yet, but there is a race in the Fall here in Chambersburg called The Dash for Drew which is a fund raiser. So if he is ready for it we might do that, I believe it is 2 miles. Anyway, above is the picture of him on his .56 base training route.

MISSING THE WEST BUT HERE FOR NOW

In Chambersburg I really look forward to the Wednesday morning baby lap time at the local library. I mean I really look forward to it since it is the only mom & baby thing to do here in Chambersburg. Michael was offered a position just South of Baltimore but we turned it down. It would have been a parallel move with a really high cost of living compared to Chambersburg. If we stay here for one more year we will get a lot more advancement, so here we go. I do hear that the second year of living somewhere is a lot faster than the first. So far so good.

Here is the posting on the Urbanmama Blog in PDX for the weekend warrior outings for parents and their children. Looking forward to heading back West.

WEEKEND WARRIORS: February 6-8

Thank goodness we live in Portland where, even on a slow, rainy weekend in February, there is still a ton going on to prevent mid-winter cabin fever! Check out the urbanMamas calendar for many more fun and unique events than we could highlight below.

Saturday

The Lucky Teakettle: An old tale from Japan is told in a new way through combined puppetry and storytelling. Find out what awaits the lucky teakettle! Woodstock Library (6008 SE 49th Avenue), 1:30-2:00 pm AND 3:00-3:30 pm.

Fix-it-Fair: What could be better, a free event designed to save you money and connect you to resources. Join your neighbors and talk to the experts about how to spend less and stay healthy.The day will be packed with resources for creating a healthy home, including classes on various home and garden topics, weatherization tips, water and energy savings, recycling and yard care, lead testing, and simple, affordable ways to improve your home.Free childcare and lunch provided. FREE, George Middle School (1000 N. Burr R), 8:30 am-2:00 pm.

Portland Youth Spelling Bee: Got a kid who loves letters? Bring all kids grades 1-12 out for a lively test of spelling skills. Kids will be divided into groups by grade. Prizes such as free pizza, cookies, and t-shirts! Mississippi Pizza (3552 N. Mississippi), 1:00-3:00 pm

Valentine Crafts: Have a love-ly time creating heart-felt cards and crafts. Belmont Library (1038 SE 39th Avenue), 3:00-4:30 pm.

Family Valentine's Day Party: The folks from Portland Early Learning Project want to celebrate--YOU! Free card making, crafts, music (Dave Hall of Bee Positive), all at the extremely kid-friendly Urban Grind Coffee Shop (2214 NE Oregon). 11:00 am-1:00 pm.

Symphony Storytime: The Oregon Symphony is on the road for interactive, musical storytimes. This series focuses on storybooks, music, instruments, sound and fun musical crafts. Each week features a visit from an Oregon Symphony musician who will play and provide an introduction to his or her instrument and orchestral music. NW Library (2300 NW Thurman), 2:00-3:00 pm.

Family Concert: Join Jo and Arlie as they sing original songs from their CD, Animal Tea Party, plus grab an easy dinner while you're there. $10 per family, Airplay Cafe (701 E. Burnside), 5:00 pm.

Sunday

Tales of Japan: Tears of Joy Theatre presents two stories. In "Gift," Myoga and his comical goat meet a magical princess and learn that even a great and wonderful gift can have drawbacks. In the second story, the classic folktale "Momotaro" is told using an array of rod puppets and audience participation. Midland Library (805 SE 122nd Ave)

Chocolate Tasting: Isn't there a little chocoholic in all of us? Feed the beast as New Seasons offers samples of over 50 different kinds of dark, milk, and white chocolate in many different forms. All stores, 11:00 am-5:00 pm.

African American Read-in: Local celebrities, community leaders and students read from works by their favorite African American writers at the 13th annual African American Read-In. North Portland Library (512 N. Killingsworth), 2:30-3:45

Mz. Pearl's Variety Show: A solo clown show filled with physical comedy, juggling, magic, dance and word play. The audience is REALLY involved in Mz. Pearl’s show; in their seats, as volunteers, and in a mini-workshop at the end. Gregory Heights Library (7921 NE Sandy), 3:00-3:45 pm.