50% chance of rain

That means 50% of no rain, so you have to go for it.  We had gorgeous weather and views in Astoria yesterday.  The last time we went to Astoria with no plans, we didn't see anything but the bridge.  Many people told us to "Give Astoria a Chance".    So, we did some planning and had a great time there.  

We hit the Maritime Museum which was surprisingly fun.  We did the museum and then went on a tour of an old Coast Guard Ship.   We learned a lot about the Columbia River Bar (otherwise known as Graveyard of the Pacific......) and how treacherous it  is to maneuver in a ship.   We took the cute little trolley up and down the riverfront.   The kids hit and AWESOME comic book store there and got some fun reading material which they devoured on the whole car ride home.  Carson and Sharon climbed the Astoria Tower for some awesome 360 degree views.  Last on the agenda was a stop in Seaside at the most awesome candy store.  We spent 30$ on candy before playing on the beach for an hour or so.    Spring Break fun!

Afternoon delight!

People were making fun of us!

Packed up the subbie and headed out to Mosier today to check out the Mosier Tunnels.  Had a little lunch in Mosier.  I discovered my new favorite pre-hike treat...A delicious pint of porter with a shot of espresso.....mmmmmm.     

 We scooted up and up and up to get through the tunnels and then got to scoot down and down and down.    cool old tunnel pictures here.
We were the only dorks on scooters, but we had a good time.  We took the scenic route home on Route 30 and passed all the waterfalls.  We ended up at the Vista House on the hill.  The only thing missing.........Dairy Queen.

Garden Curse

Our garden will be cursed forever since our children broke St. Fiarce (patron saint of Gardeners).  Or we will find ourselves in a drunken stupor on Taxi Cab Confessions since he is also the patron saint of Cab Drivers.

Little Door Update

I sent the little door home with my friend and commissioned  him to paint it.  100$ if I like it or 50$ if I don't.
click here.

Dude, that's funny.

Keeping Portland Weird...One person at a time.  

This guy was walking his cat through the Park Blocks this weekend. 

House updates

It seems as if my home projects never end.  For the last few weeks I have been prepping and painting my 2nd floor.   The prep and the clean up are so horrible for my ADD personality.  I like to roll the paint on and finish a wall in 10 minutes.  I do not like to fill holes, sand, and cut in.  It has been a test of my strength  to get it right.   We started with the "guest room".   Finishing that lead to my bedroom.  I have had some ideas in mind for the room and finally got it together.  That room is almost done now and I have been working on the playroom (carson picked an awful color blue) and now the hallway upstairs.  I didn't realize how bad it really was until I started covering up the ugly. 

I sent the little door home with my artist friend to paint a tiny mural on.  Commissioned, of course.  I should finish the hall this week and get started on the old family photo collage we are going to do.  Some photos are of our real families and some are well loved instant ancestors from antique stores.

Blooming Clematis

When I got back from WV I noticed that the clematis was in full bloom hiding behind the trailer. 

NO TREASURE FOUND BEHIND LITTLE DOOR

I have been wondering what was behind this little door.  So I opened it.  Part of me really hoped to find and old diary, love letter, or other little treasure  hidden behind the door.   Instead I found a pile of dust.   Wouldn't it be fun to write a story about something you found behind this little door?  Maybe  I will pitch it to Carson.

What the hell have I done?

All I wanted to do was paint my bedroom.....Now this.....  We tore out the plastic Pergo-like flooring and found some fir underneath.  Overall, it is in pretty decent condition.  Now we have to live with it until we can save some money to refinish it.    That is on the bottom of the list at the moment.  I also am going to go ahead and finish painting the upstairs.  We only have the playroom and the hallway left so I may as well do it now.  I want to reglaze the bathtub, get a new front door,  and build a deck with a hot tub.  
Pauly came over to help us pull the flooring.  Now he has taken about 1500 sq. feet of the awful stuff to put in his house!  He didn't sign up to be our son's male role model and it's a good thing because he could be my long lost goofy twin.  Here he is getting stuck between our bed and the wall.   Sam loves Paul and when we aren't doing a house project asks when he will be coming back.  They are good buds and find humor in the same kind of jokes and bodily noises.

Inside my bedroom..

When we first moved into this house everything was yellow and tan-yellow.  It was like the previous owners bought a paint sprayer and painted most of the house tan or yellow and then mixed those two colors and painted the rest.
We exhausted ourselves and our wallet renovating the main floor.  (Actually, we didn't do any of the  work ourselves, but...).   Now I feel like the upstairs is in need of some attention.  So room by room we are painting and fixing and replacing.  The guest room is done!  However, guests will still be sleeping on an Aerobed since we wanted to still use it as an office for the 45 weeks of the year that no one is visiting.  The room will also convert easily to accommodate a Japanese Intern or exchange student in the near/distant future.
Now we are on to my bedroom.  I designed the whole room around my awesome Jesus and Mary pictures.  I know, kind of odd for a non believer to have HUGE Jesus and Mary pictures on a mantle in her bedroom, but they are so intriguing.   (Thanks for impulse buying them for me, Mom).  I also got an amazing tapestry made by women in Pakistan  from  old Saris to hang on the wall.
I will post pictures this weekend.

Carson helps.

Poor Sharon doesn't know that I also plan to make her paint the hallway upstairs this weekend too.   Pauly is coming sometime to take all the awful Pergo upstairs (which is also a variation of tan yellow).  I am hoping the hardwood underneath is in decent condition.

The Dody animals.....photos by Carson

Another beautiful day in Portland.

I am grabbing them up while I can, cause I know that the rain will soon return. I am also thankful that Carson will gladly stop playing with her friends to go for a hike with her family. The weather and the scenery were very Denver-like this weekend. Except I don't remember any blooming trees in Denver in Feb.

February Thaw.

This picture is extremely offensive if you are living on the east coast right now and your children have had two weeks of snow days.......
These are the flowers outside of Richmond Elementary.
The Pacific Northwest rain payoff = spring like weather and bloomers in February. We visited Portland during the February Thaw a few years ago and didn't believe that it rained all winter.....We were fooled.

Today Sam and I were out all day. We picked up Carson on the bus and walked home from school today. Everyone was happy for this day.

from now on, i will only shop at Cargo

I am in love with Cargo. This super coolio store in the Pearl is full of world treasures. Today I got a paper mache mask (I could have bought all of them), an old cigarette advertising poster from China, and what I thought was an Oni (Japanese monster) for Carson. It turns out that it was a Daruma, which is a small red wooden doll that you make a wish upon. When you make your wish, you color in one eye and when it comes true, you can color in the other one. Carson said, "mom, that is no Oni silly, it's a Daruma"! As if I would and could possibly know the difference.
Here are some paper mache masks. I got the girly one.

Sam and Grampa at OMSI

Who had the most fun? It was close. We spent the day keeping gma and gpa company while their house is in destruction mode for a remodel. I can't wait to see it. We went to breakfast, window shopping, and OMSI. I am thankful for the days I spend with Sam. I can't believe (or can't wait) for him to start Kindergarten.

The 4 year old sleepover.

What to do with two four-year-olds? Why take them to the cemetery, of course. Then they can talk about dead people and zombie ghosts while I look for moss and terrarium stuff.
OK, let me explain. The other day I went shopping with D&N and we saw some awesome terrariums for about 190$. So I figured I could make one for 10$. I found this awesome glass bowl in a teak wooden holder for 7.99$ at the goodwill on Friday and bought some potting soil for 3.00$. So, I took the kids to the cemetery and we scooped moss off of the walls and rocks. We had one rule.....do not scrape moss off of the headstones or you will have 100 years of bad luck.

Friends or Enemies?

You decide.

Will you be there Kristen?

TGHP continues

Last week Carson spun the wheel and won the jackpot; a sleepover. So, Simone is here for the evening and the girls have planned 4 movies to watch. Do they know that is 8+ hours of sitting in front of a screen? I doubt it will happen. Oh, and also....They will be staying up ALL night long. HA!
The homework project continues to work and the secret is this......

All the prizes are stuff she would get or be allowed to do before. She had sleepovers, built forts, bought stickers, and picked out candy/ice cream before!!!

It's all in the details and the wording.

Everybody has their own addiction.

Lately I have been feeling the need for another tattoo. Sharon would kill me if I defaced my body anymore, but.... a girl can dream right? I think it may have something to do with the gray days of Portland when I crave a little sunshine or color in my life. Sometimes I forget about Frida and her monkey adorning my body and I get a glimpse of it in a mirror or window and get so excited that it is actually there. So, I am not going to get another tattoo.....yet.

I quit!

This is NOT caramel icing.

Couch shopping

I got home from a couch shopping outing with Don and Norma and downloaded my photos. This may just be my favorite picture of them EVER. It seemed to capture the moment well. We found some neat couches at Portico and this one jumped out at all of us.

Portland children mid-winter.

The first sunny day in a LONG time. Here is how the Pacific Northwest child responds.

Sam's new do

Sam FINALLY agreed to let me put styling juice in his hair after yesterdays haircut. Look at that pointy little chin! He must get it from Sharon.