The boys are fascinated with volcanoes, so we decided to visit two and give them some perspective on the different kinds. First up was Mt. St. Helens were we realized Tall Boy is quite the hiker! Small Boy was another story entirely. Still, I think it is a perfect Portland or Seattle day trip, something everyone should do.
Next we took the kids to Crater Lake. After Diva handles camping so poorly, we braced ourself for sleepless nights. Good thing, too. But the scenery and history made up for it. It was great to hear the boys comparing the two volcanoes to each other - no prompting from us! And the hiking was amazing. Some of it was more difficult than I'm comfortable with, but since Tall Boy raced through it and Hubba Bubba did each hike - no matter how vertical - with Diva on his back, Small Boy & I had to suck it up and hike!The boys each had Cub Scout Camp, one a day camp, the other an overnight with Dad. It amazes me how boys have enjoyed the same things for generations -- obstacle courses, slingshot, whittling.
The best thing about living where we do, is that we're an hour from the mountains and and hour from the beach. It's the ultimate in summer staycations! We spent a lot of time playing in natures sandbox while the boys played in the waves. It is a recognized fact that native Oregonians are able to find the chilling waters fun, while we imports get frostbite by dipping our toes in.
Since I wasn't in a writing place, I indulged my creativity with art and decorating projects around the house. Diva's room was a major undertaking for me - it's a pink walled garden now. The Tall Boy got a longer bed, I made stacked pots of herbs and did more than a few art projects. :D
It seemed there was always something going on. Birthday parties, Airshow, the county fair, The Lion King, trying every exercise class I could manage at the gym (water aerobics is great fodder for naughty jokes, BTW) a real drive-in, and the afternoon visit from the ice cream truck all wound together to make this the best summer we've ever had.***more tomorrow!
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