12/5/13

I have certainly been remiss in my posting! Though to be fair, not a whole lot has happened. You don't care that we bought Lydia new socks.
Anyway, I got some pix organized and will share below. SO, last weekend we left at our usual late morning hour and headed for Seattle in time for dinner with Chris and Matt and Matt's sister Audrey. We checked into the hotel at about 5. We stayed at the Hotel Monaco on 4th street, near the Fisherman's Wharf, down a bit from Pike Market. Ed found the hotel on Hotwire, and it made our vacation a success on it's own! It was new and clean, beautiful and beautifully situated! We were across from the new library on one side and the water and new ferris wheel on the other, see pix to follow!
We met the family for 6:30, which is a late dinner for Lydia, but she did very well! It took some time, but she opened up and got silly with Chris. The food was lovely, as was our visit. We had hoped to get together again on our way back south, but the traveling turned out to be a little harder than anticipated. So we will have to make plans for another time.
We went back to the hotel and took Ayla for a walk and then returned for sleep. Ed and Lydia woke and went out for a walk in the morning and we got on the road, I want to say around 9. Not sure. In any case the drive to Vancouver was much longer than we thought it would be. We finally got to the border and while sitting in line, lost our coverage. There was to be no more until we drove back over Saturday.
Customs always makes me nervous, I have a guilt thing when accusations hang in the air, even if I know nothing! We had no GPS and no directions to where we were staying. We knew it was North Vancouver, so we drove through Stanley Park and found the Marina area, we drove around trying to get close to the water where the Floating home would be. We did have to stop and ask for directions, an electrician working on power lines, one would think they know the area. No. We drove 20 feet away from him and there was a large sign for the Mosquito Creek Marina. No mosquitos. Ed called the owner from the security mans phone and while we waited for him, took a walk to a nearby park. When we met Jeffrey Speed the Barrister, he opened his mouth and I swear I heard Norm MacDonald talking. He took us down to his floating house, gave us the dime tour and left us to it. It was really cute and just right for us. I found it strange that his things hung in the closet and his deodorant was on the sink and his soap in the shower. It felt like we were staying at a friends house while they were out of town.
The place had skylights in the living room,and kitchen, there was a loft above the kitchen with doors leading to the rooftop deck, where we ate dinner that night. The bedroom was smallish, but a had a high, very cozy bed. We all slept well. After the neighbor finished using his power tools.
Lydia and I were taking Ayla out after dark and heard something large plop into the water by the next house, nothing surfaced and we never figured out what it might have been!
There was a beautiful Heron who stood in the dark in the bay nearby, hoping no one would see him,  I watched him for a while, making him nervous.
The drive up was absolutely gorgeous, the mountains were huge and jagged and covered in snow, the sky was a stark blue. When we woke on Friday, we were surrounded by fog, and remained so until we left Saturday. The rain came in Friday around dinner time. We started the day by driving to the Lynn Canyon Park. Where we walked across the suspension bridge, Ed ignoring his strong fear of heights! And then walked through the woods. Afterwards we dropped Ayla off and drove through Stanley Park, stopping at the Hollow Tree, a 7-8 hundred year old hollow tree stump, one of the beaches where the water was clean and clear, and then over to Granville Island. It used to be an industrial section, and is still partially so. Now it is a funky area with shops and crafters, and a public market, as well as a seafood market. It was Christmassy and fun. They had a whole mini mall for kids stuff. We drove back to the Marina, let Ayla do her business and walked down the way to catch the Sea bus across to downtown. We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant, sitting at the window, watching people pass in the rain. Afterwards we did some walking, found an indoor mall, walked some more and then took a rainy walk back to catch the Sea bus home.
We woke Saturday morning and hit the road by 10 or 11 I think. It took awhile to find our way back to the border, but once we crossed it was easier driving and we discovered that we had phone coverage again!
We were too late for lunch with the boys, we drove into Freemont around 4 I think, Ed popped into Dusty Strings to look at the Mandolins quickly, we grabbed some lunch next door and after a quick climb on the Troll under the bridge, were back on the road. I can't remember when we got home, but it had been a long day on the road and it was nice to be home. We even found a parking space near our building! That doesn't usually happen after dark.
We are back at the grind now and getting ready for our Christmas journey to Southern California.
Tonight we have a sitter coming, Ed and I are going to see The Moth live. It is an NPR podcast where people tell a personal story based on the evenings theme. I have been looking forward to this for months!
Okay, I need to try to get some pictures up here. Let's see how it goes.

11/15/13

Ed's birthday is Sunday. I bought a groupon for him to go into a float tank! He's so excited. I may need to go next.
This morning was Donuts for Dad's and those who love us, at Lydia's school. They got to walk to school together and Ed got a chance to see Lydia in her element. He was very pleased to see her instigate a group of girls into caring for a classmate who cried after her Dad left.
She completed her testing for TAG. She said some was hard and some was easy. We are still fluctuating in our planning for Holidays! Thanksgiving is coming fast and San Diego is so near, yet so far. We will probably nail down a plan that day. For those who know us well, you may be nodding in agreement.
Lydia brought a friend home yesterday. Her birthday party is at a Laser tag room tomorrow, and Lydia does NOT want to go.  So we had Maya over and went for ice cream.
Ed continues to well at work, getting accolades and much appreciation. And Lydia is quieting down and settling in pretty well at school. I am slowly moving forward.
If we do anything interesting this weekend I will write again!

11/10/13

Well we packed a lot in these last few days! We went to hear "Lemony Snicket" speak at OES Friday afternoon. It was such a delight! He is quite the performer. Lydia got her signed copy of his first book in his new series.
Saturday we drove to Forest Park and hiked through some of the trails, it was so beautifully green and moss covered. Ayla has overcome her fear of pooping in public, as she went twice trailside while people passed us by. Granted she did still turn her back. I think it led up to a freedom she dove into today. I'll tell you about that in a bit*.
After the hike we drove downtown, popped into REI, and then went over to O'Bryant square for some food cart dinner. Home from there to change into finer duds to attend the Portland Youth Philharmonic performance. Ed's name was drawn at work for two tickets. He went online to buy one so Lydia could come with us and the very last seat available was right next to ours!
 It was a nice chilly evening, the trees lining the streets were lit up with white lights, people were milling around, some rushing off to other shows.
We walked up to the Portland theater and entered it's beautiful halls, took the stairs to the Mezzanine and watched a group of pretty young kids play a few pieces. Afterwards we hit the ladies room and then made our way to our seats. We enjoyed the first piece, a new one written by a Portland native, just returned to his native city from living in NYC for the last twenty years. The next was a little boring, it was a famous one, I forget the name, it may have been one by Dvorak. It had 3 parts and when it ended it was time for intermission, and while Lydia did somewhat well sitting through it, it was most definitely past her limit of tolerance, so we went home.
Today Lydia had an offer to play at Willa's house, so we dropped her off and drove north over my favorite of all the bridges, the St. Johns. We explored up there for a bit, when Ayla * overcame her fear of public, city pooping, and squatted in the middle of the sidewalk. We were aghast!
Leaving that area, we drove down to the Mississippi neighborhood where we went with John last year to a festival. We putzed around a bit, ate at Little Big Burger and then came home, took a quick nap and ran off to reclaim Lydia, who had her own good day.
She is home from school again tomorrow and we will have Colleen for a couple hours in the morning. It has been a long stretch of vacation here since last Weds., but alas we are close to the end. Pictures to follow sometime soon!
And here they are! Again, not great. :(

11/7/13

Lydia had school Monday and Tuesday and is now on break until next Tuesday. We went to meet with her teacher last night and were just giddy at the report! She is doing very well academically and behaviorally. The teacher asked for our permission to test her for TAG.
After we left there we went to OES for the Open house. After some talking we toured the lower school and I am now a convert. I want her there next year. But it is very expensive, even discounted for staff, and there will only be 3 or 4 spots open.
Today was a strange day weather wise. We had some big rain, beautiful sunshine, dark skies, light rain, puffy clouds, all intermittently.
During the sunshine we took Ayla for a walk, it was so beautiful coming through the drops of rain hanging off the berries on trees, and the moss hanging everywhere. The creeks were raging and wide. Ayla had such a great time running crazy with her tongue out. We had to go back home for the camera and when we went to go back out the sun was gone, so the pictures just do not do justice to what our eyes beheld.
I will put a couple up, but they are not very good.

11/4/13

   Sometime last month, Ed went with students to participate in community service. Their assignment was planting trees at the Audubon Society. He has been talking about taking us back there ever since. So Saturday we put Ayla in the car and drove the short trip over. When we got out and started up the trail there was a sign saying "No dogs". Argh. So we put Ayla back in the car and went over to the center.
They had a building with some beautiful birds, and a Vulture that could not be sent back to the wild. We got to see a couple close up. Some were set back in the woods, away from humans so that they would not get used to us, and then be able to go back out.
   We hiked through the woods and it was just beautiful! Moss on trees, huge ferns, pond and stream. I left the camera in the car, not realizing we would be in the woods. We WILL go back, and we will take you when you come! After we left there, we drove over to the Alphabet district and walked around with Ayla.
Sunday Lydia had a birthday party, but it didn't start until 5:30! And it went until 7:30. So not only was it a late school night with sugary cake, it was clock change day. It was long. The party was at a bouncy house arena, it was glow in the dark. The kids went crazy. She asked us to stay with her, but after the first two minutes in the first room, she said she didn't care if we left. So Ed and I went on by ourselves!
During the day we went to Powell's books in Beaverton, we only knew there was the square block , 3 or 4 story building downtown, and one in the airport, so we were very excited to find this one. Powell's is awesome! Afterword we went to the library, which too, is great. Ours over here in Garden-Home, is small.
     Lydia only has two days of school this week for teacher conferences and grading. Friday at OES, the author "Lemony Snicket" will be speaking! We are very excited about this! Every night at bedtime we read his books, and are almost at the end of the series. He has started a new one and we will get it signed. He will also be speaking at the Beaverton Powell's that night. Lydia wants to go to both.
Ed spoke with his brother Marc and we have all been communicating about the holidays coming. We may go to San Francisco to meet all and share a house. And then Christmas will be in San Diego. Though we hope to coordinate some time to see Aunt Zoo and the boys!
All for today.