Kid Friendly Activites: Part One

I always wondered how there were those parents who seemed perfectly content and happy after having kids.  While I found myself feeling like I lost a part of who I used to be.  I missed the days of hiking, sipping martinis at a bar, going to see movies in a theater, enjoying happy hour.  The list goes on.  Then I figured out the key to being a successfully, happy parent.  You can still do all of those activities, you just have to find different ways to incorporate your kids into what you want to do.  Two of my favorite new words became compromise and improvise. I was beyond ecstatic to realize that the former me could still be part of the new me, just in a different way. Below is part of a list of the favorite places I now spend time at with my kids.  If you live in the Portland/Vancouver area, check out these places.  Your kids and your former self will thank you. 

One of my favorite hiking places is the awe inspiring Forest Park located in the West hills of Portland, Oregon.  I have found myself wandering for miles, lost in the beauty of the almost untouched nature of this place. Forest Park is LARGE.  It is one of the country's largest urban forest areas and spans over 5,000 acres.  The trails range from easy to difficult and there are even bike trails for those who don't want to explore on two wheels.  You can hike around Pittock Mansion, it connects to the area around the Portland Zoo, the Japanese Gardens, Washington park. There are a number of places that the trails can take you. The trail that I enjoy with my kids is the Wildwood trail (which is one of the bigger trails in Forest Park). One of the trail heads that is easily accessible starts in the Upper Macleay Park off of NW Upshur.  The trail is relatively easy and meanders down to where it follows a small stream. You will pass a stone house along the way which has been called The Witches Castle. It actually was a place which was built to house bathrooms back in the depression but was damaged by a storm and is now empty.  Tip(s): Bring a trail map.  You can find books on the trails of Forest Park at Powell's Books in Downtown Portland. Or you can print one off of multiple websites online.  Also, bring water and a little snack. The last thing you want to listen to while enjoying nature and your surroundings are how hungry and thirsty your kids are.

If you are in the mood to do a little shopping, enjoy being outdoors and appreciate the Art of handmade crafts, the Portland Saturday Market is the place for you (and your kids of course).  Located on the West side of the Willamette River, this market runs from March to December and is open on Saturday and Sunday. While it can be busy, there are so many things to look at and enjoy you barely notice that you are bumping into people left and right. The food is yummy, the beer is cold (there are only two places that you are allowed to drink in) and the merchandise is beyond eclectic.  Tip(s): Get there early and bring cash! Also, parking can be difficult in downtown, so typically I park on the East Side and ride the Max (light rail).  There is a small fee to ride, however, kids under 6 ride free.  If you want to grab an awesome Tie Dye or some handmade soap, eat some street food made with love or find a spray painted canvas for your kids room, go check out the Saturday Market.  You wont be disappointed.

If you have ever been through the Northwest, you have probably heard of a string of locations ran under the name of McMenimans. This chain of locations, ranging from hotels to restaurants to pubs, was founded by brothers.  They purchase old schools, churches and other buildings and turn them into establishments meant to be enjoyed. I have been to a number of McMenimans locations, experiencing different things at each. But for this post I am going to focus on one location that I frequent and is one of my favorites, Edgefield.  This location was once a poor farm, a place where emotionally disturbed children were housed and a nursing home. All at different times in history.  McMenimans purchased the location and turned it into a place where you can stay the night, play on a par 3 golf course, see a concert, watch a movie, get married, have a spa treatment and so on and so on.  One of the best times to visit Edgefield is when the sun is shining and you are in the mood to just walk around while letting the kids stretch their legs.  Some of the sites you can see on your walk are; a garden, a field where they house outdoor concerts in the summer (some fairly big acts have been seen here) and a golf course.  There are several places along the way where you can stop and grab a brew or a glass of wine (children are not allowed in the wine room) or you can stop at one of the restaurants and grab happy hour or gourmet food at The Black Rabbit.  If you decide that you want to stay the night and enjoy the place to its fullest, there is a heated outdoor pool for hotel guests.  Tip: Grab a table in the outdoor area directly above the concert field and enjoy a glass of Ruby (my favorite McMenimans beer) from the tiny red shed located there. Let your kids run around and get some vitamin D.  P.S. Their tater tots and peppercorn ranch are the best. The kids will love them and you will crave them.


To Be Continued....

Sleeping Like A Baby: The Saying That Doesnt Ring True

It is fairly common knowledge that having a newborn baby in the house, equals less than adequate sleep.  Sometimes to the point of barely being able to function as a normal human being.  You usually hear stories about lack of sleep until the baby is 6 months old when typically they stop waking to eat in the middle of the night.  If you are one of the lucky ones, this can occur around 4 or 5 months of age.  But what if you have a baby that still wakes every three or four hours to eat at night and it is beyond the 6 month stage?  This is what I have been enduring.  I have attempted to do "all the right things" when it comes to my baby and sleep.  I moved her into her own room around 2 months of age to get her used to be away from me.  I first moved her bassinet into that room to keep her comfortable and a few weeks later transitioned her into her big girl crib.  She actually transitioned rather easily without much fussiness or hesitation.  However, she has only a handful of times ever slept more than 5 hours at a time at night.  There has been a rare occasion or two where she has slept a full 8 hours.  This has only made matters worse, tricking me to think the day had finally come where I would get a full nights sleep.  I started feeding her solids to fill her tummy and make her more satisfied.  I have tried adding rice cereal to her bottles at evening feedings.  I didn't know what else I could do to make her sleep through the night so I started doing some research.  I discovered that babies at this age rarely wake because they need the extra calories like they did when they were growing so rapidly as newborns.  They wake now out of habit.  So in order for her and in turn me, sleep through the night I had to break the habit. Multiple different articles said that it should only take a night or two of calming and reassuring her but not feeding her and she would stop night waking.  Well my baby wants to eat.  There was no amount of talking to her and telling her it isn't time to eat it is time to sleep (which I read somewhere is supposed to work).  She didn't care.  The only thing that would calm her down was eating.  So instead of sitting up half the night trying to console her without feeding her, I decided to just feed her the bottle and be back in bed 30 minutes later. Granted, it's not the full night of sleep I have been wanting, but it will have to due for now.
Tip: Do what feels right to you as a mom.  Don't try to search out the perfect answer to an imperfect scenario. It doesn't exist. Every baby is different and every baby has its own specific needs.  In order to find out what works for you, let your baby guide you. They know more than we think they do.

Butta

Some people refer to the seasons by their formal names; summer, spring, fall and winter.  I refer to the seasons by the type of cooking I do during that time.  Winter is comfort food.  Spring is light and refreshing.  And summer is grilling season.  I enjoy grilling the typical items like brats, turkey burgers, portabellos.  But I like to find ways to put a twist on these typical items.  Yesterday I grilled some corn on the cob.  What kind of twist can you put on corn on the cob?
Tip: Butta. Its all about the butter.  You can add a number of things to plain butter and give it a twist.  You probably already know about the common honey butter, one of my faves still.  But did you know you could add other seasonings to butter to flavor it up?  Try some things like dill, chopped rosemary or paprika.  You will be surprised at how much a little seasoning can turn plain butter into something gourmet.  If you like spice, try putting some tabasco or sriracha in it. Be creative and enjoy!