Out of this World

Our playgroup discovered Out of this World Pizza, and we go back every time the weather turns cool.  To say that all our kids  love it, would be an understatement.  Once a warehouse, this enormous facility with a space theme has something for all kids, which makes it great since we all have 1 and 3 year olds.

The main attraction is 36x48 feet and 23 feet tall.  It is amazing. It has a huge area with four BIG slides--two spiral slides, a huge open slide that could easily fit 5-6 kids, and  a "dark slide" which the more daring kids like to brave!  It is also structured so that it is nearly impossible to fall, so parents can feel at ease that their kids are safe.  I can say from experience, the climb up is almost more fun than the actual slide, and the blue spiral slide leaves you feeling quite dizzy!

There's also 2 inflatable bounce house areas--one for big kids and one for little kids:

An area for kids under 5, including slides, mats, books, toys, and couches for parents:

And a racing area for scooters--Franny's loves these!

Among other events, there's also:

• Weekly table side Magic every Friday
• Weekly story time and crafts every Wednesday
• Women’s safety classes once every three months
• Bully Buster classes for kids once every three months

Oh, and did I mention there is pizza?  It's a 3-year old dream!  And, did I mention that Franny napped for 2 1/2 hours and Cole napped for 3 hours at the same time following this event?  That's a mama's dream!  We love this place! I'll refrain from using the obvious pun!

Something about Chipotle...

Franny has always loved Chipotle.  When she was really young, it was the only restaurant where she would sit in a highchair and eat.  When she was a little older, it was the only place she would actually eat.  Now, Cole is developing a love for this place, as well.  For the kids, this means a  menu of pinto beans, cilantro rice, and cheese.  Last night, he actually sat and methodically ate bite after bite until I had to start scooping up the spilled food from his chair to keep his momentum going.  Amazing.  By the end, I was actually starting to get anxious that we would run out of food!  We may have to start eating here on a daily basis...

Wafflin'

For the last two days, Cole has been eating a morning snack of a waffle and cream cheese. This has been Franny's morning snack since she starting eating, so it is no surprise that it has become Cole's snack, as well. It is, however, worth noting, because Cole typically does not eat anything besides milk until lunch. Maybe he's growing or maybe all his running around is just making him hungry. Regardless, with the 200+ additional calories, I just hope this trend continues!

Taking the wheel

Last night at the zoo, after patiently waiting for Franny to finish her turn at the tractor wheel, Cole got his turn. Oh, what fun! 

            

Where did it all go??

Cole met with his nutritionist eight weeks ago.  At that point, he was 18 pounds and a half ounce.  Since then, although his recommended intake is 900 calories, he has been consuming anywhere from 900-1500 calories depending on the day.  He eats the highest fat foods I can find and make, including ice cream smoothies 1 to 2 times a day.  This week, we met with her again and Cole was 18 pounds and a half ounce.  Needless to say, the boy is once again off the charts.   However, with his growth of an inch and a half in length, in addition to his diet and intake, she was not concerned and just recommended continuing to focus on calorie dense foods.  That's really no problem, but I really would like to know how I can eat a macadamia nut ice cream smoothie everyday and not gain an ounce!

Until next year...

Composing my blogs has allowed me to prolong that wonderful, relaxing vacation feeling for a few extra days. It was a great vacation and it's sad for it to be over. But, there are new adventures to be had and many more new memories to be created, so I know it is time to allow this one to come to a close. However, regardless of what we do, there are some things that always remain the same: there is nothing better than being together as a family, watching your children grow, and feeling thankful for all the joys we are blessed with. Life is good. Life is very good. And that, we can feel every day.

Two monkeys

Franny and Cole wore their matching monkey shirts on the trip to and from Sunriver. Despite much effort, I was not able to get a good picture of the two of them wearing them together. But I thought they were just too cute not to post something!

Sweet feet

And, of course, a sweet face, too!

Through Cole's eyes

We knew that Cole would have a great time at Sunriver, but we were also a little nervous about taking that fair skin into the hot desert sun. Needless to say, Cole was lubed up everyday with sunscreen from head to toe. And thankfully, his skin came back to Portland without burn or blemish. Of course, now Cole likes to be outside all the time. I'm foreseeing a future surge in the stock price of California Baby...

A great way to end the day

Since Cole was barely two months when we went to Sunriver last year, this trip was Cole's first real summer vacation. Not surprisingly, excluding the bike rides, he loved all of it--hiking, swimming in the pool, wading in Cultus Lake, playing in the grass at Fort Rock Park, and noshing on fries at the Deschutes Brewery. But, without a doubt, Cole was happiest when he was hanging out with Franny and Megan, and especially loved the nightly baths with the two of them. Three crazy kids, one big tub, lots of suds, and one daddy getting it all done--it was chaos at it's best, and sweet, silly Cole was in the middle of it, giggling away with the biggest grin on his face!

Life in the fast lane

With 37 miles of paved bike trails in Sunriver, we were very excited that for our vacation Cole was finally old enough to ride in the bike trailer. Unfortunately, his initial enthusiasm quickly gave way to helmet frustration, and the emphatic complaints that soon followed only subsided with onset of sleep. Hopefully, his sweet smile will soon return and he will enjoy bike rides in the future. For this trip, however, I would have to say that these pictures don't tell the whole story...

Cole and Grandpa

I love this picture from the Fourth of  July.  It makes me wonder what these two are chatting about...