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.

WHAT I MISS ABOUT PORTLAND

1. Julian – my hair stylist
2. Say Say Boutique – or any boutique for that matter
3. Pedicures by wonderful relentless Asian ladies
4. Wine bars – actually simply wine
5. McMenamins movie theaters
6. McMenamins pubs
7. Bike lanes
8. Bike shops
9. Progressive grocery stores – TJ’s, Whole Foods, Natures, etc.
10. Social gatherings
11. Mountains
12. Hiking/Trail Running
13. Training partners
14. 24 Hour Fitness
15. Coffee shops – quality coffee
16. Public transportation
17. Airports
18. Restaurants – Ruby Tuesday isn’t a restaurant
19. Urban planning
20. Triathlons that cost $50–I’m not paying $125 to the mid-Atlantic money grubbers
21. Radio stations that moved past the 80s
22. Evergreens
23. Anything locally owned
24. The knitters
25. Proximity to AK and HI
26. West Coast attitude – or lack of
27. Flowers at the grocery store – Carnations are not flowers
28. Farmer’s markets
29. Home delivered locally grown produce
30. Hollywood District & the peeps that live there
31. Dog parks
32. Forest Park
33. Being in kick ass shape
34. Training on Sauvie’s Island
35. Public gardens
36. Open spaces
37. Walkable communities
38. Bakeries
39. Beer & wine in the stores
40. Weekend wine tasting
41. Sushi
42. The Columbia Gorge
43. Oregon Coast
44. Variety in organic products
45. Meeting up for a drink
46. Hugs from friends
47. Complaining about the rain
48. Snow in the mountains
49. The climbing gym
50. All the mom & baby outings in PDX

FOOLED ALL YA' ALL!

Well okay so most of you probably know that I am still around and did not fall victim from a stomach flu as stated in my most recent posting of...December 19th. But my mom did leave me a frantic message on my cell phone really wondering if I was okay. With that in mind I think it might be time to update things a bit and get this roller coaster back on track. So scroll back to December 3rd and update yourself as to the new comings for the Gallagher family.

The chili at our friends’ house did not send my stomach flu over the top, but actually must have had some magical powers because since that day I have felt great. So great that I have gained about ten pounds since then. Oh the pain and suffering that occurs when cyclocross season is over and we take a training break. Here is a visual as to what happens when you take more than a month off of racing and training.

MOVIN' ON UP

Official announcement, as of today Michael was officially promoted at work to a GS-11!!! Wow, he went from active military, to GS-9, and now a GS-11 all in one year. A bit of a show off I think. Or maybe that guy's got it going on!
After all that, I think Michael deserved this nap in his new corduroy house shoes.

NORTH CAROLINA

Michael had to re-certify for his EMT for the military so it was off to Charlotte North Carolina for ten days. Luckily this is where his sister Amy and family lives along with my friend Perrin and her family. So we spent the first weekend at Amy's house visiting with Amy, John, Zoey, Avery and even Michael's mom. It was like a little reunion. Plus how great for Michael's mom to get to have all her children and grandchildren in the same room...that includes Lucy!
Zoey hammed it up for everyone and put on her usual dynamic singing and dancing show for everyone, with tickets needed for admission.
Avery kept a close eye on Gilbert as you never know when he might sneak that special toy or an extra hug from a grownup, too cute.

The following week we were at a hotel in Charlotte close to where Michael's class was going on. I did tour Charlotte a bit as was in a bit of culture shock to see a real city again. Seriously people, we live in a very different place now.
But I got a real reconnection to reality when we visited my friend Perrin and her lovely family. They moved from the heart of NY City. Funny to think that in the NY way she is majorly adjusting and missing a real city. That kind of put things into perspective.
Charlotte was good, but we were happy to be back home in our own bed. Well that is not totally true. After spending six nights in a king size bed at the hotel, we obsess little over how small our queen bed now seems. Plus Gilbert misses having breakfast in bed. Maybe in the forever house...