Peterson Prairie Campground and the Great American Solar Eclipse

The view of Mt. Hood from Steamboat Mountain

We decided last month after our camping trip on Bainbridge Island that we needed another one before the summer ended and luckily I snagged a campsite in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Mount Adams.  We changed our plans a bit and added an extra night so that we could be within driving range of central Oregon for the BIG solar eclipse.

Preparing banana boats

A highlight of Zoë's trip, seeing a deer

Leaving early on Friday because we anticipated bad traffic heading towards Oregon, we took our time getting to our campsite and stopped at three hikes in our Best Hikes With Kids book to check them off.  The first one was the Ape Cave near Mt. St. Helens and it was a great adventure.  No dogs allowed so Chris and I took turns taking the kids down into the cave.  It was dark and cold and beautiful.  The kids loved taking their flashlights down the long stairs and into the cave to explore.  We didn't make it to the end but I think we got close.

Ape Cave

Our second hike stop was at the Trail of Two Forests just around the corner from the Ape Caves and it, too, was super cool.  An eruption 2000 years ago caused molten lava to consume the living trees in the forest taking their places and shapes creating tree-shaped basalt wells and tunnels to climb through.  Chris and the kids climbed through a 100 foot tunnel that they accessed from a ladder that went straight down into a tree well.  It was so cool and I was impressed that BOTH kids went into the pitch dark without being able to see the light at the end.

Trail of Two Forests

We headed out to our third hike of the day at Thomas Lake winding through a million dusty, gravelly, and bumpy national forest roads.  It was a pretty, short (and dusty) hike up to a cluster of five small lakes and would make a great place to backpack with little kids.  Our kids bickered and screamed halfway up the trail over who got to be the leader but recovered when Chris caught a frog and they finally caught sight of the lakes.

Thomas Lake

The Peterson Prairie Campground is a great campground with large campsites and good picnic benches.  It is definitely "real" camping and the kids had a BALL running around and building dirt castles (and, in some situations, throwing dirt up in the air and letting it land on their head...OLIVER).  Fiona ALSO had a great time and was no longer a white dog by the end of our trip.

Dirt Castles

Day two took us to Steamboat Mountain for a 2 mile roundtrip hike up to the top of a peak with a stunning view of four mountains: Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood.  It had an elevation gain of 800 feet and the kids didn't whimper once (except for a few foot slips).  I was very impressed with the two of them and it definitely opens up some more hiking options knowing they're capable of accomplishing some serious elevation.   At the end of our hike (which, by the way, we didn't see another soul on, so giddy Fiona got to run off leash the entire time) Chris cooked hot dogs in the gravel parking lot and we picnicked in the dirt before heading into Hood River for the afternoon.

Hot Dogs in the gravel/dirt

Hot 

Steamboat Mountain

We ate ice cream, visited the book store, and had China Gorge in a park before we headed back to the campground.  Oliver started to get super sick during the afternoon and by the time we got back at about 6:30 he was worn out, so he went straight to bed while Zoë got to enjoy a bit of time around the campfire.

Hood River

Hood River

On day three we had a leisurely breakfast and then headed out to Langfield Falls which was a half mile hike to a fan-shaped falls that was beautiful.  Miss Fiona had the time of her life swimming in the freezing pool below the falls and then rolling in the dirt.  Oliver was disappointed he couldn't get in the water but we envisioned him doing the same thing as Fiona and didn't want to encourage him getting any more dirty than he already was!

Langfield Falls

In the afternoon we headed to a set of hikes that were within a five minute drive of our campground: The Ice Cave and Natural Bridges.  Within 10 feet of the ice cave Chris slipped and the lantern shattered and Oliver slipped and fell on the rocks which terrified him.  We determined that going further into the ice cave wasn't a good idea, saw some cool ice structures up ahead thanks to other people's flashlights, and called it good.  It was cool but the kids would have had a hard time going any further on their own and it was difficult to hold a flashlight and them.  So, we headed to the natural bridges which were formed when lava tubes collapsed and left bridges crossing the large gaps where the tubes once were.  They were cool but not our favorite and we were done with the trail in about 15 minutes.

Ice Cave and Natural Bridges

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We went back to the campground and relaxed during the evening (had our favorite camping meal, spaghetti and meatballs and french bread!) and packed everything up except for the tent and our sleeping bags so we could high-tail it out of the campground bright and early the next morning to begin our adventure towards central Oregon for the best viewing of the solar eclipse.





















So, at 5:30 in the morning we woke everyone up, packed up the tent and our sleeping bags, and started the two and a half hour drive to get as close to Madras as we could to set up to view the solar eclipse in it's totality.  The kids did great on the drive (of course they didn't fall back asleep) and while we were worried about hitting traffic on the way down there we didn't hit any (the highways definitely had more cars on them than usual but we weren't slowed down) and arrived at about 8:45 on the side of the road with many hundred other cars.  We were trying to make it to a rest stop about 25 miles north of Madras but decided after a quick consult with Google Maps that that wasn't a good idea.  Our location turned out to be perfect and easy to make a quick escape from once the eclipse was over.

Snacks and eclipses, what could be better?

More Pineapple Eclipses

Pineapple Eclipses!

We set up the shade tent for the kids to hang out in while we were waiting.  They played Zingo (kind of), ate some candy and snacks galore, had mini meltdowns (they DID wake up at the crack of dawn, after all), and watched as the moon began to make it's way across the sun starting a little after 9am.  It was incredible.  It was so much fun to watch them observe how it moved and started to cover up the sun.  Oliver needed REPEATED reminders to keep his glasses on and not look up without them (nooooooot really sure if we escaped eye damage with that one yet...time will tell) but Z was very good.  I made them little masks with a paper plate to help them keep the glasses on their face and protect their eyes a bit more.

Safety Briefing by Mom

The seconds before totality

Once the moon was about two thirds of the way across the sun it started to get noticeably cooler and the light started to be different.  Hard to explain but it just seemed like the light around us was not as sharp and crisp as it was before.  A bit fuzzy?  About fifteen minutes before totality the sky started to look like it was late in the day near sunset.  Long shadows on the ground.  I was concerned about how cool it was getting and grabbed sweatshirts for the kids because they were NOT going to ruin the minute and a half of totality we would have by complaining it was cold.  Of course, they wouldn't put them on.

Oliver was even wowed

About three minutes before totality Oliver had a complete meltdown.  He screamed.  He kicked.  He was going to ruin it for us and ALL of the people around us by piercing the silence and peace with his screaming.  I threw some Skittles at him and he was fine.

Science with my babies!

WHOA!

Totality was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.  I might have teared up (not really a surprise to anyone who knows me).  The minute the sun was completely eclipsed it got DARK.  We could see stars!  Taking off the glasses as soon as the last sliver of sun disappeared was fantastic and I think I loved looking around at the landscape as much as I enjoyed looking at the eclipse.  The eclipse was beautiful and I think both kids thought so too (Zoë was especially enraptured).  It all went so fast but the minute the sun started to peek out from around the moon again it was clear it was time to put the glasses back on and the sky immediately brightened up.  We waited around for just a few minutes but knew the faster we got on the road the less traffic we would encounter.

Totality

Nerd family...good work, team!

A view of the western horizon during totality

Luckily, the only traffic snags we hit were near the town of Maupin (a super tiny town that involved winding down and back up through the town which slowed traffic quite a bit) and of course through Chehalis because of a traffic accident (CHEHALIS!  *shakes fist*).  We were back home by about 4pm, took showers and tubbies and enjoyed relaxing and hitting bedtime early.  We had a wonderful trip and can't wait to do more camping next year!

Totality!

A Jam Packed July

We have been busy busy this month as is the usual for the summertime.  It's crazy how fast the summer flies by and it's already nearing the end of the month and I'm planning Halloween costumes (only a little bit kidding).

We enjoyed a fun Fourth of July starting with the kids bike parade in Brown's Point.  The kids helped decorate their bikes and did great on the route!  They both pedaled (scooted, in Oliver's case) the entire route.  Oliver and Chris were actually the last ones by the end and the only complaint Oliver had was 'self' (he wanted to do it himself).

We had some good friends over for a BBQ and then headed down to the Brown's Point Lighthouse Park to watch the Tacoma fireworks.

Our weekend camping trip was on Bainbridge Island last weekend and we had an amazing time!  The campground was a city park and aside from having terrible neighbors the first night and a bumpy campsite we really enjoyed it.  We even knocked off four hikes in our Best Hikes with Kids book.  The island was beautiful and the kids did great camping (a few accidents on Oliver's part but he really loved peeing in the grass).  We ate yummy food and slept in fresh air.  Doesn't get much better than that!

The Palevich's were here for five days this past week and it was really fun to spend so much fun with all of them.  We went to the zoo, swam in the pool, had a BBQ, went to a concert in the park, had another BBQ and made lots of memories.  They'll be back in a couple of weeks!

Summer Has Arrived

Our kids are growing!!!  We have so many new milestones being hit and this mama is always sad that they are growing so fast.

Oliver:

Potty Training: Take #1

I foolishly started potty training a few weeks ago.  Because I'm a crazy person and just can't wait.  I knew the summer would be the easiest time to do it since the kids just run around naked anyway...well.  Oliver filled up his first sticker chart in record time (earning Cars toys and eventually his Thomas and Mickey undies) and has successfully pooped in the potty once.  In three weeks.  He rushes to the toilet because he knows he has to go, sits for about thirty seconds, leaps off the potty and goes and poops in a corner.  If we take him every 20-30 minutes he will pee every time but if we miss one of those timers he will most definitely pee in his pants and has no desire to run to the toilet if he feels it coming.  But there is NO way we're going back now, so we'll just keep trucking along!

Showing off his certificate at the showcase

Oliver can successfully count to ten and can identify all of his colors (when he's not distracted by...life).  I think it's super impressive.  His favorite numbers are still two (do) and five (figh).  He LOVES to count before he does things and demands "minute!" before we ask him to do anything which means he wants us to set the timer for some minutes before he: goes potty, gets ready for bed, washes his hands for dinner, picks up toys, etc.

He is sleeping a bit better since we returned from Sunriver and his few nights in the bottom of a bunk bed there.  I think he was waking up in the morning when he wasn't covered by his blankets and then wouldn't go back to sleep eventually.  Now, he still needs to be recovered around 5:30-6:00 but then he'll go back to sleep for another hour sometimes!  YAY!  I think being in a big kid bed with big covers will do wonders for him, but I don't want to get rid of the glider in his room yet, so we're going to transition his crib to the toddler bed for a bit.  Maybe.  Or maybe I should just suck it up and put the twin bed in there.  Ugh.

Cheesing Oliver is way better than tantruming Oliver

Probably the most drastic recent development is Oliver's proclivity for tantrums.  Like.  Big ones.  He has discovered the word NO and uses it frequently.  And if we expect him to do something and he doesn't want to, forget it or expect a complete meltdown.  It's guaranteed at some point he will melt down in the car, sometime before nap/bedtime, and perhaps before dinner where he is placed on the bottom step of our staircase until he calms down and goes and washes his hands so he can come join us at the table.  ARGH.  It is SO frustrating because he was SO easy going and now, NOPE.

Zoe:

Riding her bike at Sunriver

Z is also growing growing growing.  She has learned how to ride her bike which she absolutely LOVES (especially since she learned how to brake in Sunriver) and she thinks she's the fastest bicyclist in the world (spoiler alert: she is SO slow).

Zoë and Miss Madeline

"Woodland Creature"

End of the season showcase at The Little Gym

Watching her in her gymnastics and ballet classes has been my absolutely favorite thing about her lately.  She LOVES her classes and is the best student in the class, for real.  She listens to the teachers, follow directions, and pushes herself to try new things every week.  I know gymnastics is the perfect environment to challenge her because she feels safe and loved by her teachers.  I can't say enough good things about the Little Gym and want her to go to classes there forever.

Her ballet recital was absolutely precious and it was so fun to watch her perform.  Her teacher, Miss Madeline, was not at the recital so they had a stand in teacher lead them onto the stage and do the dance with them.  The kids were all bunched up on one side of the stage and so Zoë ended up in the back of the group on night one.  I told her on the way to the school on night two that she needed to get to the front so I could get a better view.  And, wouldn't you know it, about 15 seconds into her one minute dance she slid right to the front and continued seamlessly with the choreography.  Every time I watch the video it makes me laugh to watch.

The whole class

In other fun news, Z has been sleeping until 8am some mornings and it is glorious.  She is also working on recognizing her numbers 1-12 so that she can earn a watch.  AND, she can now count to 100 with just a little bit of help on the 10s (and still skips #16!).

She HAS become little miss independent and sulky-pants.  But more on that later.

We went to Sunriver with our good friends Kari and Patrick and their 9 month old son Bennett and had a great time.  Chris participated in the Pacific Crest Triathlon which was so fun to watch him do.  He swam the first leg in the Wikiup Reservoir about a 30 minute drive away from Sunriver, biked to the Three Rivers School, and then finished up a 10K in the Village.  We got to see him at each transition and he was wonderful!  It was, of course, the hottest day Sunriver has seen this summer yet (high was about 94) so he had his work cut out for him.  We are heading back in September with my entire family and we're looking forward to spending more time on our bikes and eating ice cream at Goody's.

With the Bradleys: Patrick, Bennett and Kari

We have our first summer BBQ tomorrow and pretty much have the yard ready, thank goodness.  It seems like the summer is flying by already and it's not even the Fourth yet.  We have too much fun to pack in!

With Daddy before he started his swim for the Sunriver Triathlon

We love Sunriver!

Easter and Spring

***Disclaimer...this was written in April and posted in May.***

We had a wonderful Easter with our family over for brunch in the morning.  The kids spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house the night before so Chris and I had a relaxing morning getting everything ready for the meal and it allowed the Easter Bunny LOTS of time to hide baskets and eggs!

The kids had a GREAT time searching for eggs outside and I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was really fun to watch them run around.  The Easter Bunny hid about 75 eggs, so they were everywhere.

We've been getting outside as much as possible even during our super, record setting, rainy spring.  The rain doesn't stop us!  It's included searching for painted rocks as that's the newest fad in Tacoma.  We've painted a few, also, but haven't hid them yet.  We've gone to the zoo nearly every week since we got our membership at the beginning of the month.  It's definitely a fun and easy outing.  I'm so proud that both kids can walk for such long distances and I don't have to rely on the stroller anymore. 

Chris and I have been working on building a new bed for ourselves, KING SIZED!!!  It's almost done and then next week we'll have a couple of days to paint Miss Zoë and Mr. Oliver's rooms so we can move our queen sized bed into her room (lucky girl).

Chris took Oliver to his 2 year wellness check and he weighed 31 pounds (75th percentile) and was 35 inches tall (80th Percentile) and right on track for everything.  What a healthy boy!  And, in Zoë's health news...I took a shower at the beginning of naptime last week and as I got out Zoë came in and said "Mama, I need your help.  There are beads stuck in my nose."  I laughed so hard.  I would have NEVER thought SHE would have shoved anything up her nose and was immediately reminded of when my sister shoved an earring back up her nose when she was of a similar age.  I had an appointment made with her pediatrician to go have them taken out (because I didn't want to shove pony beads up even further into her nasal cavity) when a friend sent me a suggestion she found online.  I put my mouth over hers, closed one nostril as best I could, and blew a sharp puff of air into her mouth and the bead popped right out!  So.  File that away for later.  What a nut.

That's all for now!  The weather is getting nicer (we had our first impromptu BBQ last night with Bailey's family and the pool will open at the beginning of June and then we'll be ready for a summer of fun!).