Hey sports fans! Chloe and I went on the annual Goodwill Hunting assault on SW Portland’s thrift shops. And we did mighty good.
Ok, so this holiday season I ran across this: https://www.playpiper.com
It’s a kit where your Minecraft-obsessed children get to assemble their own computer, then are launched into a series of Minecraft-driven interactives to introduce them (sneakily) to STEM learning concepts by wiring up components and doing some basic programming. I helped her a bit to assemble the box (a couple years from now she’d be able to do it all herself) and after we booted up, she was off and running.
When she goes through all the interactives, add a USB keyboard and it’s a portable Linux desktop for exploration, learning and probably playing a lot of games.
I wonder what she’s going to do with it? Let’s sit back and watch…
What’s Santa Lucia? Click here to learn more.
Chloe is leading the procession to bring the special buns to all the classrooms.
‘Lussekatts’, St Lucia’s day buns flavored with saffron and dotted with raisins.
Yes, those are real candles!
Chloe will tell you that no breakfast is complete without chocolate pancakes.
Then we run off to the Northwest Trek wildlife park, see? Mountain goat! We also saw lynx, cougar, bobcat, bears, wolves, owls, snakes, elk, bison….
Chloe impresses Adaline with her from-memory recital of every My Little Pony movie:
Ok, they are actually sitting still…
Here’s Chloe enjoying a bathtub full of balls…
Surprisingly comfortable, this bathtub. Here she is with Saskia, who did most of the work solving the puzzle room we were enjoying.
Then before you know it, we were enjoying Zoo Lights at the Tacoma Zoo — Chloe got to ride a real camel!
…and a less real Cheetah…
We call it, “The Really Fun Park”. Not only does it have all kinds of big things to climb on, it’s also got a big section of sand and concrete water channels and a pump at the top to create all kinds of rivers and lakes. WAY FUN!
Since I moved up to WA I simply wasn’t *in* Oregon very often this summer, just a few days a month on average. Thus, fewer days with Chloe and fewer photos. Here I’ll try to catch up since her birthday back in June.
Chowing down at the new Fro-Yo place!
Holding a baby duck at the Forest Grove Farmer’s Market
Here we are at the Swallowtail School Farm for the big ice cream social before school started.
Good photo of Mother and Daughter
Meanwhile, back at the pool…
We’ve got a long way to go with the “learning to swim” thing, but she’s taught herself the doggie paddle, so I guess we’re on our way!
Here’s Daddy, wondering how he suddenly was nearly 50.
Ice cream issues! You may notice her eye looks funny – that’s because she’s been fighting a weird eye infection all summer.
Yes, it is getting better and finally going away, slowly.
meanwhile…
After 20+ years of driving my Mrs Beesley’s Daddy-o finally stopped for a yummy burger…
Birthday Girl! Pony cake!
Chocolate cake with chocolate inside!
Pool time!
How about we put our ice cream cone on our nose?
Everyone into the pool!
Shark towel from Gramma Diane!
This past weekend Chloe and I slept over in Betsy, Joyce’s camper:
Chloe’s favorite Dad breakfast? Chocolate Pancakes!
After breakfast we rolled out to Lincoln City for a few hours at the beach.
On the beach!
Lovely day out.
You should have seen all the crazy jellyfish we saw that day. Sorry, didn’t get a good photo.
Searching for fossils at the fossil store! Chloe was very excited to get a piece of whale bone and some big shark teeth.
Mermaid!