Finally the sun is out in Portland! And on a SUNday no less, so that's good for our family's one day together. Papa made sausage and eggs and waffles this morning, before grabbing Mayan from Grandmas house. (She'd had a sleepover there.)
The Rose Festival is happening downtown and today was the last day of fleet week and the dragon boat races. I had been wanting to take a run on the waterfront, so it worked out great: I ran along the Eastbank Esplanade while Blake explored the events with the kids for an hour.
Next, we headed to a park in Northeast for a friends birthday party. Bubbles, cupcakes, foam swords, and playground fun. Before we headed back to the Southeast, we grabbed some coffee and sruised our favorite vintage/consignment shop. I got a cute vintage Hawaiian short robe and an antique iron Christmas tree stand (I've been wanting one forever!! I hate the plastic ones.) Now Mayan and Geo and I are chilling at home while Blake does a few piercings, with Izzy.
When he returns, I am taking the girls out for a "Team Building" activity. The girls have been stuck in pretty yucky dynamic for a while now, just a cycle of irritation that has been really painful for Isadore especially who really craves her sisters attention and approval. They had a helpful therapy session last week where they named what was happening for themselves and tried to have some empathy for the other, and brainstormed some ideas on how to shake out of it. Roles can really stick when we get locked into them every day for "family survival"...the plan is to give them some opportunities to have some fun together just the two of them, without either Blake and I involved. (Anusuya also reminded them that one thing that their friends will never be able to fill for them is the commonality of coming from the same family....such a good point.)
First idea is to have our friend Savannah take them to the thrill ride park, but that date isn't set for a few weeks out. Yesterday, I got the idea to design a scavenger hunt for them to do together, clustered in an area where they are familiar and relatively safe (the blocks around Nomad.) They will take the camera phone and have to find and capture the image of the 10 items on the list, then report back to me when they finish. I hope it doesn't blow up in my face! If they are successful, I'll take them out for a treat. I'll be sure to post the pictures on the main blog.
In other news:
School is out this week! WOW. I can't believe we made it..our first year of "real" school. It's amazing to look back and she the changes over this year. So many challenges, but so much shaping into new roles based on this experience. I am so grateful that Trillium has been such a good fit for them both so far. Mayan is bummed to not see her friends everyday, but I promised to help her see them as much as possible. She will be in 5th grade next year, Izzy will be in 2nd, and Geo will be in preschool 2 days a week.
Blake met with the financing department at Legacy Hospital and they have set a date for him to have his hernia surgery (he's been dealing with it for over a year now.) We don't know yet how much it will be exactly but their is a chance they will cover a good portion of it, and the surgeon is actually a good client whom Blake has a really good relationship with. Late July is the plan, the week after our family reunion in Fort Bragg.)
Blake treated me to a three month yoga pass, so I am hoping my summer is full of yoga, yoga, yoga....and running, writing, and adventures with the kids. I am still waiting to hear about my financial aid for school (arg...) but I should be registering for at least 2 classes in the Fall. Marylhurst offers a really special program that allows you create your own major depending on your area of interest. My prior learning assessment professor recommended that instead of majoring in English Lit and Writing I create a Writing and Communications degree...which would save me a ton of money as I have enough past experience to write a bunch of communications essays for credit. So I meet with an adviser in Interdisciplinary Studies in a few weeks.
Finally, we had SO MUCH FUN at the coast with Grandma and Grandpa, and Meshem and family! Yurt camping is possible my favorite thing, plus campfires and s'mores and kid fun on the beach....it was so memorable.
Okay, off to to the hunt with the girls. Love to you all!!
