Bug Cards and Sumemr Reading

While we were in Portland last month, Nana let us use her library card since she knew we are always checking items out of our library here. Chance and I both love the library, not only were we able to check out regular children's books we also checked out books on Chief Joseph and other subjects specific to the Oregon area that our libraries here don't have on the shelf.
The Multnoma County Library (in Portland) was also hosting their annual Summer Reading Challenge while we were there, and since Chance loves to read we signed him up. He got a sticker for each 15 minutes we read or did a reading activity like listening to an audio book or working his word puzzles. There were four prize levels and with some hard work on our last day we were able to finish them all four.


The first two prizes Chance got to pick himself from a box full of little toys, he chose some really neat bug cards with pictures of bugs on them as well as info about each bug and a clicker which we have decided is an outside toy (it makes a lot of noise). His next prize was this awesome shirt he is wearing in all these pictures and his last prize was a bookplate which we got to put his name on and place inside any book in the library. The book he chose was The Button Box which we have never read but it's the one Chance picked so here he is holding the book with his bookplate inside.


A few days after we got home here in NOLA we got a surprise in the mail, it was one of Chance's bug cards in a pop up star card from Nana and Grandpa Von. It wasn't just any bug card either, it was Chance's favorite, his Dung Beetle card. We had accidentally left it behind and since Nana and Grandpa Von knew Chance would be looking for it they sent it to us right away. He is interested in all the bugs and asks us to read them all to him but the Dung Beetle is most definitely his favorite (I think because he gets to say the word "poop"). Thanks for sending it so fast.
Here is chance showing off his Dung Beetle card (the other bug cards and his pop-up star card are on the table) and these last two pictures are Chance playing at the park in his Summer Reading shirt. Swinging all by himself.

crafty playdate

A few days ago we went to Miss Mariah and Iggy's house for a crafty playdate. First all the kids just played and had a good time then Mariah laid out crayons and pre-cut masks for everyone to color then wear around.
Chance didn't do a lot of coloring on his but he really enjoyed wearing it around for the rest of the day.

Dinosaurs

On our second day with Dan and James they gave us a list of things to check out while they were at work and the one we decided on was Dinosaur footprints.

We drove off the main road onto a dirt road then drove and drove some more till we reached a little gazebo with some signs and a boardwalk. It was pretty amazing that anyone found these footprints way out here but it's cool they did and that they are being studied and preserved for us all to enjoy.
Dan and James warned us that at first you don't see the footprints but when you do finally start to see them you realize they are everywhere. And sure enough once we figured out exactly what we were looking for we could see them all around us. They still aren't sure what type of dinosaurs made the footprints but these footprints are putting a whole spin on the dinosaur world changing where and when it was thought certain dino's lived. These prints are 167 million years old and back then this area of Wyoming was a shoreline looking out into the Ocean. The thought of it all is pretty amazing.

Visiting Dan and James and the Farm

Dan and Chance on their back porch

On the way up to Portland I posted a picture of the sunrise at our Wyoming hotel on my Facebook page, well James (third picture all the way to the right) saw it and asked where in Wyoming we were because he and our good friend Dan (sitting above with Chance) who used to live in NOLA now live in Wyoming. Turns out we were well past their house by the time he saw the picture but it worked out for the better because we were able to work extra time into the drive home to stop and see them for a couple days.
It was so great to see them, Dan was so so so helpful to me in the first year or so after Chance was born when Scott was out of town. I looked forward to him stopping by for coffee or asking me if I wanted to go for a walk to get me out of the house. One time I was very very sick and Scott was working, Dan took Chance to his apartment and watched him overnight. I honestly have no idea what I would have done if Dan had not been here that night. I had no idea how much I enjoyed Dan's friendship until he left NOLA about two years ago. Being able to work it out to see him and meet his partner James was really wonderful.

Dan Chance and Jennifer (farm owner) talking about and looking at Chickens

We arrived in Worland, WY when both Dan and James were still at work so we stopped by to see Dan and get directions to their house. We were warned that their two dogs might bark when we came in but were friendly. And that they will get along with Deedle but might show him who's in charge in the house at first. I was expecting big dogs but turns out they were the most mellow cute little things not much bigger than Deedle himself. They gave us one or two warning barks and then went on about their business. I looked through all my photos but don't have any of them, I can't believe it!
After Dan and James got home we hung out at the house enjoying the wonderful weather and the relaxing atmosphere. It is so nice there, when it is quiet it really is quiet no city noises just peace, it's lovely. When global warming starts keeping the winters above freezing there I will definitely consider a move. Anyway, I don't really know the conversation that led up to it but Chance asked Dan where milk comes from, so Dan called a friend with a little farm and in no time we were on the road to find out where milk really comes from.

Scott, Dan and James look on while Jennifer holds a Duck for Chance to pet.

When we first arrived at the farm Chance ran off to explore, he didn't need any prompting to touch the animals he is more the kind of little guy who will run right in there and you have to pull him back a little. But he listens well so when Jennifer caught a duck for him to pet he was very gentle while petting his soft feathers.

Next we went over to a pen where they had goats and a little lamb. The lamb was very cute and after Chance entered the pen the lamb followed him all around.
Next came the purpose for our visit the the farm: milking! Jennifer was so nice, she showed Chance what to do then sat him on her lap so they could milk together.

Chance did a really good job. I was actually pretty impressed that he listened so well and did exactly what she told him to do. He also wasn't grossed out or weirded out at all, he just did it, he seemed very interested in the whole process. After a while his attention span was exhausted but I was really proud of how good he did.

After milking we checked out the cows and the horses. We were able to pet one of the cows but she wasn't really into hanging out with us very long. A minute later the horses came running up as if to get their own share of the attention. Dan and Chance investigated the horses through the fence (below).

For the finishing touch to our farm visit Jennifer asked if Chance wanted to ride on a horse. Without hesitation Chance said "yes" so on he went. Chance sat on the horse as Jennifer lead and I stood by to make sure Chance was holding on tight.

We rode down the driveway up a little hill then back again, the whole time Chance was having a great time.

I want to give a big thank you to Jennifer and her husband for letting us visit their farm and to Dan for setting it up. A city kid needs lots of great experiences just like this to keep life in perspective. Thank you!

been recouping/Yellowstone

Sorry I've been out for the last week or so. I've been recuperating from the drive home and getting back into the routine here. Let's go back in time a bit and tell you a little about our drive home. First, Chance and I left Portland while Scott was still in Norfolk, VA. We spent the first night in Missoula, MT just the two of us. The next day we were supposed to pick Scott up in Billings at 3pm but his flight got delayed and rerouted so he would not be arriving until 10pm. With all this extra time I was looking for something fun to do to keep us busy till it was time to pick Scott up from the airport.

After looking at a map I discovered that we were only 1 hour from Yellowstone which would give us about 3 hours to see the sights in the park before starting off toward Billings. It would be a whirlwind trip but I couldn't pass it up. We took very pretty road from the interstate to the park then of course we had to stop at the sign. A very nice woman saw me trying to take a self portrait of myself and Chance and she got back out of her car to take the picture for us. Thanks to her for helping us get this nice picture of the two of us.

From there we paid the entrance fee and entered the park. I had been the Yellowstone before but I had forgotten how you find the animals until I saw a bunch of cars parked by the side of the road and people with cameras. We had only been in the park a few minutes when we saw our first animals. They were some kind of mountain deer. When Chance saw them he got all excited, pointing and counting them.
After this stop we went to the first visitor's center we came to in the park, which was surrounded by a herd of Elk so we had to wait in the car for a few minutes and be careful as we walked across the parking lot. Inside I told the guide we only had a few hours but I would like to see geysers and buffalo. Of course they couldn't pinpoint where the buffalo would be but they told me where they had been grazing recently and pointed us to geysers that were close by.

When we arrived at the geyser location another very helpful forest ranger helped us choose which trail to take to have the best shot at seeing a geyser erupt. I love forest rangers, a forest ranger is one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up but it isn't the easiest profession to get into so that never really panned out but I love their job, it just fascinates me, and think about it have you ever met a mean forest ranger? They love what they do and it shows.
Anyway we walked down the trail to a whole field of geysers, they had built boardwalks just inches above the ground because they whole area is thermal. We were able to see super heated pools of water and geysers shoot up 10 - 20 feet in the air. Chance liked walking on the trails, he kept asking to go swimming, he didn't quite understand how hot it was. He was really interested in the water shooting in the air and seeing the steam come out of the holes. We could also see lots of bubbles coming up from the Earth. It was really cool.

Continuing on our drive around the park Chance fell asleep and I saw some deer and some other pretty sights. I had told Chance that I would wake him up if I saw any really cool animals so when we came upon a herd of Buffalo in the road I had to wake him up. At first he wasn't interested but as soon as he saw how big and how close they were he woke right up. He was really animated pointing them out and listening to the funny noises they make. We were stuck there for a while as the buffalo moved across the street. The Buffalo in this picture was right in front of our car.

The road we took to exit the park and take us on to Billings is #212 a little mountain road that is known for it's beautiful views. It twisted, it turned, winding around mountain cliffs up to 7,000 feet above sea level. It was absolutely beautiful! As we drove along we were getting up to where we could see snow on the mountain tops around us, Chance spotted it and I told him we would stop if I saw any close enough for us to play in, not two minutes later we came around a corner to a whole pile of snow and a place to easily pull over. We got out of the car, made some snowballs and played in the snow for a bit before heading off to Billings.

We made it to the Airport just in time to pick up Scott and head to the hotel where we were all very happy to relax and get some sleep.

Road trip part 2

We are heading out of Portland tomorrow bright and early. We did so many great things here I haven't gotten an opportunity to blog them all but I will work on that as soon as we get home. Which if things all go according to plan will be August 2nd.
Chance and I are on our own tomorrow then we pick Scott up at the airport in Billings, MT on the 29th to continue our journey to our friend Dan's house. We are going to hang out with him till the 1st then take off for home. As before I will blog if I can but you can definitely keep up with us on Twitter or Facebook.

Friday night we had a great outdoor adventure, we went camping. I love camping and turns out so does Grandpa Von so we packed up Chance and off we went.
Grandpa Von picked a great place near some ponds where he goes fishing. There was a flat spot for the tent, a fire circle and a nearby fishing hole what more could you ask?

We set up our tent then went for dinner at the General Store. After a tasty meal we went back to the camp site for dessert. Chance was a great helper gathering sticks for the fire which took off fast with the help of a Duralog from Safeway. We decided since Chance had never been camping before it would be wise to take out one variable and make the fire as easy as possible.


Chance did a great job roasting marshmallows then passing them on to us to eat. Much like last time he wasn't into eating them but that was ok with us.
After the sun went down we all climbed into the tent. Chance had all his usually sleeping things but I wasn't sure what would happen when bedtime came. We listened to the frogs croking by the pond and owls hooting in the trees. The moon was shining bright but after a while Chance began asking fewer questions and moving his flashlight around less and fell asleep.
We were up in the morning with the sun, it was chilly but perfect for camping. We built another fire and had a couple marshmallows for breakfast then went down to the pond for a little fishing. Afterward we packed up our campsite and headed back to the house for some coffee and breakfast.

OMSI

We made a trip recently to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. This was a great museum, we all had a lot of fun exploring all the great science experiments and seeing the awesome science artifacts like this space capsule (picture #1).

in the picture above Grandpa Von and Chance are releasing a 2 litter bottle that they had just filled with the right amount of water and air. If you follow the pillar to the left you can see a green blur near the top of the picture, that is their bottle.

There was also a whole room of vacuum tubes and blue balls. You could connect the tubes however you wanted making them go around the room or up in the air and into cones or mazes or other fun things. In the above picture Chance is using the vacuum tube in his hand to suck up the balls then they will go up into a trough where they will be released onto the conveyor near the ceiling with you can see at the top of the picture.

Chance enjoyed watching the experiment in probability in the above picture. When you pushed the button all the balls were released then taken up to the top and dropped back into the middle of the board. The idea is that even though it is random the probabilities lay with the balls falling in a curve pattern as indicated on the board in from of Chance. And true to form the balls did fall in that pattern.

There was a Chemistry Room which was a lot of fun and I think might have been my favorite part of the whole museum. Chance and I did an experiment while Grandpa took the camera for this one. We put water, vinegar and ammonia in dishes then added Grape juice, Cranberry juice and beet juice to see what happens. Each juice turned a different color depending on which substance they were added to. Chance thought it was neat that the same juice turned different colors, I am happy that he was interested even though it seemed kind of boring at first.


Now we come to what we are pretty sure was Chance's favorite part of the museum. A representation of the Port of Portland with a big crane that you can really use to pick up big lego blocks moving them off a boat onto the land then move them over another crane that can be used to move the blocks onto another boat then onto a truck that you can drive through a tunnel which will read an actually bar code on the side and tell you what is supposedly inside the container on a computer screen on top of the tunnel. See picture below.

Another science experiment we did was to find our DNA. I had no idea it was so easy but it is, Chance and I swished some water around in our mouths then spit it back into a paper cup. Then the ladies working the table added our water along with some salt and meat tenderizer to a test tube and let Chance shake it up, after it was well shook they added a little vinegar and amazingly the DNA just separated and began to float to the top. Below you see Chance and I watching the DNA move to the top of the test tube.

In another room made just for little ones under six years old. There was a little cave to explore with flashlights and sections set up like the big rooms around the museum but smaller for little guys. Below you can see Chance and Grandpa Von stacking blocks on a scale testing their weight.

Chance almost never wants to stick his head in one of these things so I had to snap this last picture at the end of the day. We saw so many more things that just couldn't make it into the blog so if you are interested you can check them out by following the link to the right to our Flickr account. We had a ton of fun at OMSI we stayed past nap time and there was still more to do, next time we come back maybe we will check out the submarine or an Imax movie.

Fishing for Cars

A few days ago we all went for a drive and a bit of fishing in a new spot. This little pond was in a beautiful area as you can see in this first picture. It is easy to imagine spending a day here relaxing with a fishing pole and a picnic lunch.

Grandpa Von and Chance worked their strategy one casting and one holding the pole, we all waited. Chance was a bit distracted by the new location and wasn't into holding the pole as much as before but we pressed on. We walked all around trying our luck at each available spot but the fish weren't biting today.

That does not mean we came back empty handed. At the end of one of the little piers Grandpa Von spotted a little car then using the fishing pole and a little reaching he came up with it. A perfect toy car in full working order.
After fishing we stopped at a local restaurant (one of Grandpa's favorites) it used to be an old general store and still is actually with a restaurant attached. You can see Grandpa and Chance playing with the new car below while we are sitting at the table waiting for our food.

Riding the Light Rail

every time we see the light rail go past Chance asks to ride. He was pretty excited when we actually got on it to ride. He sat up in his seat looking out the window most of the time. talk, talk, talking all the while. Asking about every little thing we passed and every person who got on the train. He is super observant as I imagine most kids are and is at the stage where he needs to announce what he sees to the world, so he would share out loud every little thing that happened. It's great when that happens because you know he is happy, interested and excited about what he is doing.

Both of these photos are Chance on the light rail.