A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village

WARNING: EXCESSIVE PHOTO POST!

So last week Debbie & I got a hankering for a fun activity to do with the munchkins. So we loaded in her van & headed up to Salem to visit the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village. I had never been there and was really impressed. It is learning-based, hands on fun!

The first stop was the munchkin-sized grocery store for some shopping & shopkeeping.

Colin sending groceries down the hand crank conveyor belt. Next was the water science room.

Inspecting a specimen.

Learning about newts & suckerfish.
On to the Asia discovery room where we painted slate tiles with water.
Colin, Janessa, & Kaden in the giant rocking chair.



Very cute Kaden sized rocking chair.
There was a dino discovery exhibit.


The bubble room was the biggest hit. You could stand on the platform below & pull a bubble up all around you.

Bubble mess was everywhere.

Kaden bit the dust twice slipping on bubbles on the astroturf floor!

Their Magesties, our own King Arthur & Princess Guinevere.

Debbie & the kiddos learning about water pumps.
Kaden wants to drive so much...
this truck was perfect for him.
Playing on the marimbas.

A giant checkers game, the kids had fun rearranging & knocking down all the cones.
It was a great way to spend a friday afternoon. The kids were practically asleep by the time we pulled out of the parking lot! Lots of fun had by all!

Killer Bee Attack!!

We were out in the field behind our house today trying to plant a little cornstalk that had been growing wild in a friends yard. We thought it would be fun to transplant it and see if it would continue to grow wild corn. While I was digging a little hole for it suddenly my arm was killing me, I shouted to Brad, who was 15-20 feet away from me with Kaden, that I thought I had been stung by a bee. It really hurt and I could still hear it buzzing around me. As I was high tailing it away from where I had been squatting it was still buzzing around me, and as I got closer to Brad and Kaden suddenly Kaden started screaming. I thought maybe he was reacting to me screaming and flailing around as well as Brad who was batting at the air and trying to see if it was stuck in my hair or something. I told Brad to grab Kaden start running as it, or they, or whatever, was still buzzing around trying to get us. With Kaden sobbing we made it into the house where I removed his shirt to find this:

There are seven sting marks. Three right along his waistband and four others up his back. Whatever it was was clearly stuck in his shirt and wasn't the kind of bee that stings once and then dies (we never did actually get a look at it/them- wasp, hornet, who knows.) After a dose of baby tylenol, laying on his tummy while the baking soda paste worked its magic, and one episode of House of Mouse he was pretty much recovered. (Although I am still whining about my one sting on my arm- I can't imagine how seven must feel.)

He is posing with Grama Betty while I document his battle wounds. What a brave little guy!

(P.S.- This was no where near that hive we saw earlier this summer)

I Pity the Fool!

Kaden's hair has been getting pretty shaggy lately, especially in back, it was starting to curl up and look very rumpled after a nap.

So, it was time for Brad to get out the clippers and work his hairdressing magic.


When I left them Kaden looked like this,,,

This is what I got when I came back!

No, just kidding. It really is real, but I knew that was the plan all along. Kaden asks for a mohawk every night when he gets out of the tub, so we thought it would be fun to give him a real one for a while. He thinks he is pretty cool, we think so too!

Now, if only I could get Wickett to sit still at the sound of the clippers we could have twins!

Black Butte

Last weekend the forest service was ready to evacuate Black Butte due to forest fires burning about a mile away from the homes. Lucky for us we were their the previous weekend & spent a leisurely weekend playing with the puppies and hanging out in the pool, without any fire threat!

Above is Wickett with his new summer haircut (a little late this year) and below is Harley. Harley is a Lhasa Apso also. He is the reason we have Wickett, actually. Brad fell in love with Harley, who belongs to our friends Travis & Rachel, and when Brad picked out a puppy for my birthday 4 years ago he wanted one just like Harley. So, that's how we ended up with Wickett. They are super good buddies now & love to wrestle around.
Harley sits like this when he is asking "please" for something, it's hilarious, all the way down on his bottom, I've never seen another dog do this before!


Travis' family has a house in Black Butte and they were nice enough to invite us along to their weekend getaway. They have the cutest new little baby, Jacob.


Travis, Rachel & Jacob enjoying the pool.

Kaden jumping in the pool to Brad.

He just loves to swim on his own!

After we got out the wind picked up, we bundled him up as best we could & I thought he looked just like Ariel the Mermaid in this shot!

We took some long walks around the golf courses.

Stopping to chase lots of bushy tailed squirrels along the way. Fourtunatly they were way to fast for Kaden or Wickett!

Playing on the playground...

What a cute kid, huh!?