Ride, Baby, Ride!

With his prowess on the balance bike, Alex and I predicted last year that our little guy would be riding a big boy bike this summer, even though he's not yet 3. Well, we tried removing the training wheels this week and we were blown away--he rode across the yard on his very first try!

We clapped! We cheered! After a few more rides in the grass and on the driveway, he seemed pretty squared away. But he woke up the next morning and exercised another new skill, "I'm not going to ride that bike," he said, "put the training wheels back on." So now we're in bike limbo, trying not to push, but eager for awesome family bike rides. Maybe our three year old will be less fickle!

Another great day

We followed up Friday's fun with another awesome day on Saturday. First it was to Skamania Lodge to check out their raptor program--I've been wanting to go for ages. This bald eagle was part of breeding program, spent a year free, and was then injured too badly to survive in the wild; it's now part of Raptor House's education program.

This amazing barbary falcon flew back and forth between the two handlers several times, flying so low that the audience was brushed by its wing tips.

Here one of the handlers spritzes water on a barn owl to cool it. I liked seeing the easy rapport they seemed to have.

Alex and I love this kind of stuff. We could have hung out watching birds for a long time, but you-know-who was ready to hit the beach. So we drove on to our favorite beach in Hood River.

So much fun. We grabbed a late lunch at Full Sail and felt the happy, sun-kissed, drowsy, summer glow. We even stopped for a cocktail at the neighbor's house on our way home, topping off an excellent day.

Camas Days

We joined in the fun at Camas Days today and marched in the Kid's Parade with Ole's preschool. This year's theme was rock 'n' roll, so we were ready to rock out. We painted Ole's face and tried hair chalk, but I just couldn't convince him to wear the feather boa, sunglasses, or carry a guitar.

 

Quite a pair, huh? Ole was having none of it.

He perked up after, though, when we visited the shave ice stand.

Sharing a bite with dad. We laughed how he'd open his mouth when giving us a bite...aaaah.

Even rockers like snow cones.

Then we high-tailed it out of there for a quiet picnic above the river, watching a nest of osprey and the boats coming and going from the marina. Good day.

Water and the boy



We took the dog for a walk along the Columbia yesterday morning. Ole rode his bike, toting along the ever-present basket of toys. When we reached the river, he was drawn right to the water and I couldn't lure him any further down the beach. "We'll just dip our toes in the water," I said hopefully as he gazed across the river, "since you're not wearing your swimsuit". Pepper strained against the leash, hoping for her own swim.

So the shoes came off, and eventually the bike helmet, as he splashed deeper and deeper. Realizing the inevitable outcome, I stopped fretting and sat down in the warm sand to watch him play. Sure enough, he was up to his neck in minutes. Luckily I always keep a change or two of clothes in the car.

Back at home later, I looked through photos from the last week or two and noticed that the biggest smiles and happiest times are in the water.

Swimming with dad at blackberry beach.

Squirt gun fight with grandma at the ocean

I don't even know what to say about this.

Getting a sip from the slip 'n slide

Happy!

I guess we'll do our best to keep him wet and happy.

Lawn games

We celebrated Alex's birthday last week with a summer classic--baseball! The Hillsboro Hops played the Vancouver Canadians on a sunny Sunday afternoon of opening weekend. The Hops are a Class A farm team for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and despite the fact that game time fell squarely in nap time, a good time was had by all.

Orange crush perks up a long inning...five runs lost :(

Back home we enjoyed a visit from our friend David and his pooch Einstein. They hadn't been over for many months, so we walked slowly around the yard to mark the changes since their last visit. David didn't realize he was in for a workout as Ole ran and sat in the sled expectantly.

But good sport that he is, he obliged.

favorite hiding/pretend-napping spot