Could We Be Lazier???

September decided to depart on a cold and rainy note, so the kids and I literally spent the entire day inside the house in our pajamas. We laid around and watched cartoons, made pancakes, did some Play Doh, made a few Halloween decorations, had lunch, and took naps. I don't think any of us remembered to brush our teeth until bedtime (gasp!). The highlight of the day was our neighbor Abraham spent the night with us. He came over for pizza and some play time, and then he bunked in Aiden's room on the bottom bed. Abe's visit motivated Mason to at least don a princess dress for the evening...Aiden remained in his jammies for the duration.

The Swifts

Along with Diane, Steve, Stella, and Riley, we went and saw the swifts tonight. I'm not talking about my friend Shawn & her husband Jeff (whose last name is Swift)...I'm referring to the yearly migration of thousands of tiny birds called swifts that visit Portland each September. On their migration to Mexico, the swifts make a stop in Portland for 3 weeks, spending their days in Forest Park and their nights roosting in the chimney of Chapman Elementary School. It's an amazing sight...starting about 6:30 pm, the swifts begin filling the sky, swooping around the chimney. As the sun sets, the birds fly one by one into the chimney, and by sundown, the last of the swifts makes its way into their nighttime abode. It's hard to describe how incredible it is, but there are literally THOUSANDS of birds making their way into the chimney...oh, and there is a resident hawk that usually makes an appearance, snatching one of the little birds out of the sky for his dinner. Hundreds of Portlanders make their way to Chapman to see the swifts every fall. It's quite an event and has become a yearly ritual for the Kola family. If you live in Portland and you haven't gone to see the swifts, you absolutely must do so.

Swifts descending into Chapman school chimney

Mason & Stella

bundled up...it was chilly!

Happy 75th Birthday, Dad!!!

Happy birthday, dad! You're the youngest 75-year-old I know!!!

Goodbye, Summer!

We paid our last summer visit to the park by our house this afternoon. Amidst a chorus of two little voices calling "Watch me, mommy!", I was reminded of all the new tricks my kids learned over the summer:

walking the balance beam

leg pumping

scaling the bars from end to end

swinging across ALL the rings

Aiden likes pushing; Mason likes to be pushed

Goodbye, summer...we look forward to your return next year!!!

Flashback Friday

It took all of one second to come up with my flashback for today. Exactly one year ago, Erik and I were wandering the streets of Barcelona after enjoying a leisurely lunch with Cory & Slaed (all of this kid-free thanks to my in-laws!!!).

It was the perfect time of year to visit this beautiful city, and so wonderful for Erik and I to enjoy some time together. :-)))

My Little Fashionista

We had our biweekly neighbor playdate this morning, and this is the ensemble Mason threw together for our gathering...pink sundress, tights, yellow poncho, and sparkly pink ballet flats. Even when it comes to fashion, this girl is fearless!!!

Our play group: Erin, Mason, Eli, Lila, Ronan, Angela, Stella

Aiden started soccer this weekend...his first time on a real team (at least, as real as it can be for Kindergartners). There are 8 teams of 5 kids, and his team is called the Bullsharks (apparently, the result of a compromise between one boy wanting to be the Bulldogs and another wanting to be the Sharks). Each team does drills for about 20-30 minutes, then they play a game against another team. Aiden scored two goals...his first in the opponent's net, his second in his team's net. Good job, Aiden! Go BULLSHARKS!!! ;-)

Flashback Friday

Yes, Flashback Friday is here again already. My, how quickly a week goes by these days. Anyway, I was wondering earlier today what went on in the world on this date in history, so I did a quick Google search and found a fun site called InfoPlease...click on the link below and you'll see several historical events (and some important ones, at that) that occurred on September 14.

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Happy Friday!!!

Happiness Is...

...getting organized!!! Thanks to a recommendation by my friend Ronette, I am now the proud owner of a Real Simple planning calendar from Target. It offers color-coded scheduling (so each member of my family has their own color) and removable stickers on which to write appointments, etc. I liked the calendar so much, I also got the coordinating day planner. And everyone was wondering how I'd fill my time once both my kids were in school!!!

Holding on to Summer

I am in complete denial that summer is at its end. This is proven by the fact that my kids are still in swimming lessons at the outdoor pool, which closes in just a couple of weeks. Thankfully, mother nature is affording us the opportunity to continue outdoor swimming with some beautiful, warm end-of-summer weather. :-)

Mason taking a "water nap" with the assistance of Teacher Brianna

I swear Mason must have sprouted gills with the amount of time she spends submerged these days

Aiden doing an unassisted backfloat

Practicing the art of looking handsome! ;-)

First Day of Kindergarten

Well, the apron strings have officially been cut...Aiden started Kindergarten today. It was a bittersweet moment for me - a mix of tremendous excitement for what lies ahead for him, and a twinge of sadness that my little boy's world is extending beyond my protective arms. He was a total rock star today...he marched right to school without hesitation. I am so very proud of him.

Mason lends a comforting hand on the walk to school

Testing out the kindergarten playground

The troops head inside to start their day

Annual Block Party!

We had our annual block party Saturday afternoon (and well into the evening...the adult "after-party" went until 11:45p). It was alot of fun...great people, yummy food, kids running amok in the street (don't worry, we had the street blocked of all traffic). I think everyone had a good time.

Partygoers hangin' in the street

Bouncy house bonanza!

Thirsty doggie

Just a few of the 15 kids that live on our block!

Flashback Fridays

Today was none too exciting. But, flash back to 3 months to June 7, 2007, and I was livin' la vida loca! My entire family and I (17 of us!) were enjoying a tremendous vacation in Puerto Vallarta in celebration of my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Oh, Mexico, how I miss you so...

View of Banderas Bay from our villa

Photo by: Steve Schneider

Diane, Wendy, Dad, Mom, Deb, Rick

Photo by: Steve Schneider

The anniversary celebration on the villa's veranda, complete with an authentic mariachi band

Photo by: Steve Schneider

Wildly dancing to "Guantanamera" (or as we Americans call it, "One Ton Tomato")

Photo by: Wendy Hanson

Photo by: Steve Schneider

Nothing says the end of summer like...red hot dogs???

These scream nostalgia for me. As a kid, my family used to stop at the butcher shop in Red Lodge and pick up their freshly made red hot dogs for cookouts over a bonfire at our old cabin. I recently discovered these at the Red Lodge grocery store this summer, and while they are not the original, they are quite delicious. I'm sure the red casing is full of dyes and additives, and they are as fattening as a croissant slathered in butter and deep-fat-fried, but somehow I manage to forget these minor details once their smell wafts from the grill. Ya gotta try 'em sometime!!!

"Thanks for cooking us red hot dogs for dinner, mom!"

First Day of School! First Day of School!

After two years of dropping her brother off at preschool, it is finally Mason's turn to strike out on her own. The first words out of her mouth upon waking this morning were, "Mom, I start school today!" Clearly, she's ready.

Armed with a pink lunchbox and Thomas the Train backpack, she arrives at school. Note her brother just ahead, leading the way.