RoyalMom

I have been super excited about Couch Surfing since I first heard about it. Share a couch, lend a couch for more personable (and affordable!) travel anywhere in the world.

We are hoping to scrape enough money together to take the family to Europe in a few months (!!) so I finally set up my CSing profile about four days ago. Four days...I was thinking no one would be interested in staying with us in Hillsboro, as much as we would love to host, but we got a request!

A couple and their 18 month old stayed a night with us. Dad, Brook, is walking across America to raise funds for clean water access. He started a few days ago from the coast and will end in North Carolina.

Here is their journey blog. It was wonderful to meet them! They and some of their brothers and sisters are traveling the country and abroad for various reasons. It's such an inspiration and I can't wait for us to be on the other side of the couch surfing relationship as well.

I hope CS'ing continues to introduce us to new people and experiences. So far, two thumbs up from us!

We took the kids to the 53rd street fountain park. The black clouds were already starting to roll in and lightning was cracking in the distance, but we managed to squeeze in a little play time.

This is the park we love to go to at dusk, due to the complete lack of shade. Also the sun reflects off the light concrete and practically blinds us mid-day.

Another bonus to evening play is the fountain lights that make each spray look like a firework. The lights weren't on tonight...I hope they do get turned on soon!

By the way, half the animals seem to be on vacation and unavailable for viewing: Rhinos, cheetah, Snake, sea lions, iguana, etc, etc, etc. A lot of no vacancy signs and empty pseudo-homes.

But the commute was fun and the fake animals were cool.

"Does it look like we're holding it up?"

"look scared!"

From yesterday...Icen in the house!

The kids and I started our trek to the waterfront "City Fair" at 10:30 in the morning and didn't get home until 9:30 at night. It was a fun day!

Bus stop outside our 'hood.

Stopped off at Finnegan's, the toy store, and then passed the courtyard on our way to Pioneer Place for bathrooms and lunch.

The square...

Action shot next to (flower)England...

Protesters we high-fived. I'm sure the boys are confused. Ha! That's okay...I'm glad you get to blissfully take it for granted;)
'

Ready to hop back on the max to the waterfront...

*love*

Playing with the new toys while we wait for the festival to open...

Simon must have grabbed this street performer's leg a dozen times. Is he real???

Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Everybody wins!

Jason meets us there. Yay!

Isaac mid-air. Awesome!

Kristin made this gorgeous mug and many more that fill my cupboard. Every time I sip a hot drink or ladle up some soup, I admire my handmade mugs. If she gets an Etsy store I'll share the link. Seriously...the perfect mug.

Our happy baby Lotus is approaching six months! I made her this outfit from scraps of yarn leftover from previous projects and it's big enough to last a long time.

In fact, I'm sure the bloomers will fit next year since the only thing holding them up is her giant cloth diaper butt. Ha!

She's just the sweetest thing ever! I've been using the sign for milk and "up" for a while now and she finally gave the milk sign a try today. She doesn't quite know what it means yet but it's a start!

My man in his garage doing stuff on his man's (dad's) day. Meow!

He is learning to weld and planning on making us a gorgeous new gate. My brother, Aaron, hooked him up with the tools and gave him a lesson. Now he just needs to practice and figure out what he'll need.

Playing with food is fun!

I finished a sweater for myself. I yanked the yarn from another sweater I made but never wore.

Remember this one?

It now looks like this...

The fit is...meh. The neck hangs too big so when I don't secure it with the top button it hangs sloppily. That is the same problem I had with the other sweater. :( So I'm feeling a little depressed about it. Too big at the top, too little in the middle.

I'm taking a couple weeks off from knitting to sulk about it.

I was raving about the plate and spoon set we have loved since our very first baby. Its low profile keep them from wanting to pick it up and chuck it on the floor.

But I should change that slightly to: it keeps them from throwing it onto the floor *until* they are bored with the food;)

I joined a swap on Ravelry and we got our package today! Maggie from Florida sent us a fabulous collection of goodies!

An Amy Butler kimono (gawd I need to start sewing!), tea, chocolates, a book and notecards with one of Maggie's own illustrations (she's good!!!!).

How cute is this handmade dress?? I love it so much!

We hit the Keller fountain for some fun in the sun.

I set up my chair in the shade for Lotus and myself and after being there for an hour these dudes decided it was also a good area to have a smoke and stay awhile. ::::::::cough, cough:::::::::::

So we moved to the nice shady spot on the other side...

You know how some people say their kids are like fish and LOVE to be in the water? My kids are not those kids. They tire of it quickly. I am certain we would have hung out longer, climbing over the structures, without the water. In fact we have done just that in the winter and they had a blast.

Crazy kids:)

We've been so lucky to avoid allergies up until now. Jason and I have never had any issues with allergies and suddenly TWO of our kids have them.

Xander's eyes were itchy, red and watering. I took him into the doctor fearing pink eye and when I left with orders to start Claritin and eye drops I was wishing it was pink eye!

Lotus has always had issues with a little patch of eczema on her right cheek that gets out of control if I don't medicate it periodically.

We all went outside to get some fresh air today...

Lotus sat on a blanket gnawing on some grass a couple times.

That patch of eczema turned into this: still all on the right side. Ugh!

My poor baby was rubbing it like crazy with her fist:(

My boyfriend and I make good pizza:D