Nightmare on 39th Street...

Japanese Garden with GG

Daddy Post: Marty was out of town this past weekend for her book club retreat. To help pass the time me and the girls met up with grandma for breakfast at the Cadillac Cafe. Following that we thought it would be fun to check out the Japanese Garden since it was only 10 AM and a beautiful time of year. We were not disappointed. As you can tell the girls enjoyed watching the koi fish and examining all of the serene details. The girls might not realize it now, but it's not everyday that one gets to hang out with the 87 year-old great grandmother at the Japanese Garden. We are lucky indeed. The picture at the bottom was taken by Andrew and Tia when they generously watched the girls for us while Marty and I attended a Duck game. Willa became friends with Dice-K, but I'm not sure the feeling was mutual. Actually, Willa is friends with all animals which is demonstrated through her becoming quite animated and trying to say their name. Usually, this is just "dog".

Hunting Pumpkins

Daddy Post: Last Sunday we made our annual migration out to Sauvie Island to gather some pumpkins for the Halloween season. We bypass the massive hordes of other such families that become fixated on the "popular" farm complete with corn maze and animals. Instead we drive another 5 minutes out to a nice quiet family farm in the middle of nature. Ahhhhh.......

Once there both Ruby and Willa enjoyed the foraging and tactile environment. Ruby has become quite the little girl and is very excited about being a bear this Halloween. Willa will have to settle for the hand-me-down Yoda outfit. I'm sure it won't be the last, but at least it's not the clown outfit.

#1 Threat to America: BEARS!!!

Daddy Post: So recently I've had the chance to introduce Ruby to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy as it was playing on TNT a few weeks ago. Ruby LOVED IT as she watched for a good 90 min. with me. As a result she asks to watch it on a regular basis and I have to explain how I don't have it on DVD. This usually leads to disappointment and I have to pawn off something like "The Neverending Story" or "The Dark Crystal" as the next best alternative. Anyhow fast-forward to this past Friday when I took the girls to the video store to get some movies for the weekend. Marty and I have been watching the "John Adams" mini-series that originally aired on HBO so I got that. Upon examining the case Ruby became convinced that "John Adams" is evidently a part of the LOTR universe. She let me know this once we were in the car and I explained to her that it was in fact "John Adams". She chose to refer to it as "George Adams" instead. When got home she adamantly declared, "I WANT TO WATCH GEORGE ADAMS NOW!!!". I, always looking for a few minutes of quiet, complied and put it in for her thinking she would become bored. 20 minutes later there was still silence in the living room so I went in to check on her and she was still intently watched "George Adams". I asked her what was happening and she bewilderingly replied, "I don't know." Classic... I'm just waiting for her to confuse an aging John Adams played by Paul Giamatti with Gollum.

In other news Ruby is REALLY excited to dress up as a bear for Halloween. It also makes for good playtime while reading, "Where the Wildthings Are." We went to OMSI this past Sunday. Ruby and Willa both soaked it in amidst the throngs of annoying kids and their doting parents. Of course, Marty and I don't qualify. You can see in the pictures that Willa likes bears as well.