Wednesday, March 21, 2012

portland "sprin-ter" 2012



about a month ago, anthony received a call from one of his bosses asking if he would be interested in traveling to cabo san lucas for a week or so to help open a restaurant. our first thought was, "yes!" our second thought, well at least my second thought was, "i'm not sitting around here all alone, nolan and i are heading north!" and so we did.

within a couple weeks, tickets were booked, a passport was renewed (anthony's, not mine...obviously), bags were packed and all three of us were off. since this trip occurred roughly a week and a half after nolan turned two, we had to buy him a seat on the plane too (doh!). luckily vra-vra (i think that is pretty close to what nolan calls her), aka: grandma (my momma) helped us out with some frequent flyer miles! and i must say, having that second seat was incredibly helpful - more space and two more bags that we didn't have to pay to check! i looked like a pack mule, but it was totally worth it.

when we left santa monica, spring had certainly sprung. in fact, i think we may have skipped right over winter. we were going to the beach at least 2x (sometime 4 or 5x) a week, sometimes with a light sweatshirt, sometimes in just a diaper (nolan, not me...again...obviously). when we arrived in portland, it was quite clear, they had not skipped winter. in fact, it seemed, they were still in the heart of it. after a few days, it became clear i had 1) seriously overpacked and 2) been waaaayyy too optimistic about the weather forecast. after 10 days, our suitcase contained all of the cold weather clothes that we did wear plus five unworn t-shirts, five unworn tank-tops and two unworn pairs of crop pants on my side and six unworn t-shirts on nolan's. ha. what!? note to self: before traveling, check the local weather. it even snowed one day that we were there!

nolan was amazing on both plane rides there and back. the way there we had an entire row to ourselves and spent the majority of the flight reading, coloring, snacking and getting up and down off the seat before falling asleep on our descent. whoops. somehow though, he managed to stay asleep when i laid him down across the seats to organize our stuff, through the transition into the ergo and when i schlept myself, him and four (yes, four) bags down the aisle of the airplane and through the airport. but woke up on our way down to baggage claim. sleep was much more appropriately timed on the way back and he got in a full (on schedule) nap, but both worked out just fine.

while we were in town, we packed our days full of activities! it was awesome. we had a great time staying with vra-vra and playing with the bagillion toys that she drummed up and borrowed and the fort she made out of a HUGE appliance box (she is one craft lady). we got to play at an incredible indoor playground with a flashy/lighty-upy dance floor, a ball-launching pirate ship thing, three really (i mean REALLY) big, moderately terrifying slides, a special toddler area and so much more for only $4! i got to hold a teeny tiny new baby and a super-sweet 5-month-old little pea and catch up with lots of old friends. i had two mornings out for coffee with lady friends sans bebe, bought a book at powell's (for nolan), shopped on 23rd (though didn't actually buy anything), played at four (possibly more) different parks, transferred the carseat 11 (possibly more) times between cars, ate some delicious manzana chicken tortilla soup, spent six unnecessary hours at the airport before our first flight home was cancelled and we worked two more days out of our trip, opened an alaska airlines credit card, earned 30,000 bonus miles (between card opening and cancelled flight), and made it outside every day, rain or shine, like a true oregonian (teaching nolan early)!

i can't wait to be back in june.

checking out the airplanes out the window before take off
cheese! ready to take off.
just about the time we started our descent into pdx

checking out the fort!
legos!
park at gma's
"petting" baby alora!
got my dump truck and my pink cell phone.
morning snuggles/books with gma
making himself at home in gma's bed
trees! on our way to the park (walking) from gma's
he spotted the playground!
tractor! well, lawn mower, really. he could have watched this go back and forth all day long.
lake oswego
apparently spring has sprung in portland!
oh, dear. spring got snowed on. sorry, daffodils. :(
brrrrr...
up, up, up
down, down, down - yikes! these were literally launching kids off of them!
pirate war at playdate pdx with the petersons!
squished.
entering powells
spotting the books!
before we left santa monica, we had to return this library book...it had quickly become his favorite book, so naturally we had to buy it! happy boy.
wait(e?) park in canby
this was across the street from the place where i met a friend for coffee, right on a main street in sellwood.
ducks! poor little guys were terrified though. :(
getting in a little reading at gma's neighborhood goodwill. haha.
helping vacuum. :)
nolan helping gma organize (and re-organize) her container cupboard. hours of entertainment.
airport trip home, take one. waiting for what we thought was a simple delay.
auntie kari!





checking out baby gwen.
jumping beans.
sliding at the airport!
lego table at the airport!
giganitc activity cube at the airport (pdx is pretty freaking awesome).
one last look out the window at pdx before take off.

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