Green Card Barbecue

Paul and Nancy celebrated their permanent residency with some delicious smoked ribs and chicken last night. I made mojitos with Pablo's rum and Nancy's mint, and of course we drank some nice wine. We met some great new folks from their church. Mali had a great time with Zoë, and Moose got to come too, and had fun hanging out with his mother. Meanwhile, Andrew went to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3 with Austin, and loved it. Photo below: Mali and Moose crash on my office floor while we wait for Andrew's return.

Pool Opens! and Wine Tour

The pool opened yesterday! Andrew, Mali, and I went in the evening after Susy and I returned from our wine tour.
The tour (map) was great fun! All the usual suspects went, and we visited two vineyards, Gypsy Dancer and ElvenGlade, then ended up in the town of Carlton, where there are several (5+) tasting rooms. We visited only two of them, but are planning to return someday. (We missed this one!) We enjoyed a huge picnic in Carlton - I'm still full. I'm hoping I'm able to eat in time for Paul and Nancy's barbecue tonight.

Track Meet and Green Cards

The middle school district track meet was at Westview H.S. last night. Andrew set a PR in the 400m with a time of 1:01.91 (hand timed by me.) I'm pretty sure he got second place. He hurt his foot somehow, so did not run the 800m, and his long jump distance wasn't his usual. Austin was there and won her heat of the 100m but I didn't get her time, and she got second in the shot put.
Meanwhile, Mali had her first soccer practice for the new Xtreme.

Afterwards, Mali, Andrew, and I met the usual suspects at Ruby Tuesday to celebrate Paul and Nancy getting their green cards. Susy was working out so didn't come.

Dance Class Photos Today

Austin was over after school, and stayed for burgers and Susy's gelatin-free strawberry pie. Afterwards, Mali left for dance class and we played Pictionary - Susy won both games with different partners each time.
The clock was wrong, so I was a few minutes late picking the dancers up. I found them outside, rolling down the grassy hill and laughing their heads off.
I took a quick photo before dance with Mali in her recital outfit - they had class pictures today.

Motorcycle Diaries

Pablo came over this afternoon and helped us set up our new surround sound system for the upstairs TV. Then Susy and I watched The Motorcycle Diaries to test it out. We loved the movie. I didn't realize Che Guevara was asthmatic.

Crystal Ballroom and BlueHour

Alana and Susy and I finally checked out the Crystal Ballroom last night. It's an old place, built in 1914, and it's claim to fame (other than the many musical visitors) is a strange, purposefully bouncy dance floor. We got a pretty good show from Joss Stone (though she didn't play this song!) and opener Ryan Shaw (awesome!), though the acoustics of the place - or maybe just Joss Stone's soundman - left something to be desired.
Afterwards we relaxed at Blue Hour over coffee and dessert. We loved it - Alana had been there before - I'd just peeked in the windows (It's near PPM Energy's office.) This review raves about the food, which we liked, but the decor was coool and the service was awesome.

We got home late to Andrew pretending to sleep on the couch, and Mali asleep with her lights on. Moose was ecstatic to see us.

Moose Status

Moose is doing much better. He is barely favoring his injured leg. We are all relieved.
In other happy news (for everyone but Moose): We are starting to plan for a Caribbean cruise - I think over Spring Break next year.

Andrew's 14th Birthday

For Andrew's 14th birthday we had Austin over and went to GoGo Mongolian Grill, Andrew's favorite restaurant. Susy met us there with a fudge brownie cake - so there was more than enough food.

Moose Injury!

Happy Mother's Day.

Moose did something this morning - we didn't see it. He showed up at the door whining in a new way, and wouldn't put any weight down on his left back foot. We took him to the vet and it is something with his knee. If he's not doing better tomorrow, we will take him back for x-rays.

Mali's Performance Team Routine

Big day Friday! Susy and I walked up to the school at 2:00 to see Mali and Rachel's performance team routine. They were surprisingly good. Surprising only because I saw their Thursday night rehearsal in our hallway and it was halting and rough. But they pulled it all together for the big show. Another surprise: they got a huge cheer from the audience before they even started. Apparently the girls have some fans.
There are more photos at www.flickr.com/photos/oregondad.


Andrew spent the afternoon at Austin's. The rest of us went to Alana's for a barbecue: Sangria and Pablo's chimichurri. The new expanded list of usual suspects include Alana's horse trainer Janet and her husband Michael, and Deborah.
No Paul, Nancy, Zoë, and Hannah; they are in Seattle this weekend. We are watching Tinkerbelle (Moose's mom!) for them while they're gone. They dropped her off Friday and already she has taught him to bark at people walking by, and to dig in my garden!!!!!

Max visits Moose

Alana and Max stopped by on their walk the other day. Click for a close up of Moose with his favorite toy.

Twin Oaks Bike Ride

I went for a lunchtime ride today with Paul, who's on vacation all week while Nancy is in N. Carolina for Time Plus. It was about 12 miles. Here's the route - the shortcut past the airport.

Dean called: Mali made the team.

Yay!

Mali's Busy Day - soccer tryouts and dance

Mali had a busy evening yesterday. First was soccer tryouts, where she did much better than Saturday morning, but was much more nervous beforehand. Andrew had to talk her down. He did a great job, and Mali really looked like she belonged there. She usually does, she just lets tryouts make her nervous.
After soccer ended at 7:05 we went almost straight to her dance class, swerving only slightly to pick up Zoë After that Paul took her and Zoë to Cold Stone for ice cream - Zoë's reward for trying Ketchup Pizza.

Moose the Great Mole Hunter

Moose captured a mole tonight in the backyard! I am thrilled - I now have a mole removal service!
Mali saw him dancing around playing with something a little differently than usual. We joked that maybe it was a mole. When I saw he actually had something, I guessed a bird, and ran out to deal with it. Seeing the mole was a relief (not a bird) and brought great joy (it's a mole!).
Then the mole moved.
I scooped him into a bucket. He was dazed and slightly damaged. Mali quickly named him Martin, which prevented us from killing him. Instead we took him a couple miles away and Andrew let him go in a large field far from any houses. He was actually cute, in a very weird way.
Susy carefully reached into the bucket to pet him, and announced he was Very Soft. Her new business plan involves breeding them for fur coats. Because they're soft - and they're waterproof. Mali laughed hysterically at that. Susy said they must be waterproof, since he wasn't dirty at all, even after crawling through tunnels. Here's a photo of him on our outdoor table - the spots on him are from the pollen that is coating the table.

Andrew Swims, and Cranium Cadoo

Pretty quiet here tonight. Mali spent the afternoon at Zoë's after finishing her homework. We had fish and chips for dinner, and then Mali, Susy, and I began a game of Cranium Cadoo. I left in the middle to drive Andrew, Ryan, and Austin to the public pool. Came home and finished our game. Susy won.
Mali has been after us to play it with her for a long time - we didn't realize how long until tonight, because the questions were all a little too easy. We need a version of the game for older kids. I think I'm the only person who missed a question - I couldn't find something with wheels - walking right past the laundry cart to the garage, to look for roller blades or a skateboard. Instead I found the dolly, but lacked the will and time to wrestle it inside. My back has been really stiff since gardening on Sunday.
I'm walking like a 90 year-old man. Tomorrow I drive to Washington - I probably won't be able to get out of the car.

Phonograph

We played Pictionary again last night after dinner. It was adults v kids. Andrew and Mali had trouble with the word: Phonograph. Andrew had to ask Susy what it was. They decided that if Mali said "Record Player" it would count. Andrew drew a pretty good picture of a record player, and Mali had no idea what it was. Finally, after he drew a picture of a record and vigorously indicated the grooves going around and around it, Mali came up with "Cassette!" They never did get it.

Changing of the Dishwasher

It is a new month, so we've changed our dishwasher. The new one is named Andrew. Mali got paid out a $3 bonus for her quality work over the last half month when it all began. Andrew seems determined to expand on that, and is asking questions and learning what it will take to go the extra dish and up the bonus into the stratosphere, base salary being not much more than dinner and the occasional Starbucks.

Monday night was quiet. Moose and I walked Mali to Rachel's house, so now she can go there on her own. After a scrounged-up dinner, Susy and I walked to the pet store to get Moose a much-needed dog toenail clipper. A good walk, but it quickly cooled down and the wind picked up. The only loud part of the evening for me was the post-walk retrieval of Mali, Zoë, Natalie, and Lilly from their dance class.

Sunday night was not quiet, but it was also fun. Andrew invited Austin over for the afternoon, and they entertained Mali and Moose most of it. She stayed for dinner and then we played a very fun game of Pictionary, boys v girls. Girls won by an inch, as Andrew correctly guessed Alps for Pyrenees just after Mali said, "Time."
("European Mountain Range." "Yes, and...")
Previously, in Dad/Andrew Pictionary:
"Arabian building. Muslim building. Muslim religious building. Muslim church. Muslim church. Muslim church. Muslim church building."
"Yes. The word is: Mosque."