A Morning at the Movies

Every summer, Regal Cinemas hosts what's called Summer Movie Express. For nine weeks, during the summer, Regal cinemas have family friendly movies that only cost $1 per person. These movies are shown at 10am on Wednesdays and are so family friendly, that your kids can talk, walk around, and be themselves in a theater setting.
Last summer, I took Liam to his very first theater movie. We saw The Smurfs (the movies tend to be a bit older, definitely not newly in theaters). This was the perfect setting to try out a toddler's first theater experience. There was no worry of whether or not he would stay still, be quiet enough, or that we might have to leave in the middle of the movie. These movies are also prefect for little ones because they are offered so early in the day. I was able to take Liam and still get him home in time have lunch and take an afternoon nap.
Liam did a wonderful job, but there were a couple of times that he asked questions, asked to sit in my lap, and said things like, "It's too loud.", so I'm very glad that his first trip was in this setting. No one commented on his movements, no one complained that he was talking, in fact several other kids were doing the same thing. This took the pressure off of me, to make sure my son was "perfectly quiet and still". It was a fantastic experience, and we'll be doing it again this summer!

Liam's first trip to a movie theater

Silver Falls State Park, near Silverton Oregon

It's been quite some time since I wrote about our adventures, but both of my boys are sleeping soundly, so I thought I would try to write about one of them. To celebrate my husband and my wedding anniversary this year, we took Liam and our dog, Maizy to Silver Falls State Park which is located just a couple of miles from the vineyard where we were married. We all had a wonderful time!

The park is a great place to go, no matter what you are in the mood for. It has miles of forested trails and several waterfalls. We were not able to walk any of these trails on this trip because they do not allow dogs on the trails for safety reasons. There are many places where the trails are narrow and back to a cliff, and the park rangers explained to us that there have been times when two dogs have met, got a bit out of hand, and someone has ended up falling off the trail.

Since we were unable to take advantage of the wonderful trails, we decided to have a picnic and go swimming in the river that runs through the park. There is one particular area of the park where the water pools and is shallow enough to be safe for little ones (with supervision of course). We spent the day laying in the sun, snacking on our favorite foods, and wading in and out of the river. Joe and Maizy played fetch several times, and Liam and I went to the playground that was just steps away from our picnic table.

The park also has many covered meeting areas, in fact we used one of them for our rehersal bbq. The covered areas are easy to rent and come with several picnic tables and at least one bbq grill. Silver Falls State Park is a wonderful place that is family friendly and packed with fun things to do. Unfortunately for Maizy, next time we plan to leave her at home and hike through some of the beautiful trails.

Newberg Old Fashioned Festival

The last full weekend in July, my home town of Newberg as the Old Fashioned Festival. It is a fun way to spend a four day weekend. With two parades, rows and rows of booths and vendors, a carnival, live music, fireworks, and yummy (not healthy) treats, you will not be bored for a second. The kick off to the festival is the children's parade which takes place Thursday evening. This is parade that anyone young, or old can be in a parade. It's even fun for the spectators! Liam and I decided to sit this one out and just watch, and boy were we glad we did! We left with fistfuls of candy and we saw Lightning McQueen and Mater!

Because the festival is held at a park, there is always the playground to keep the little ones occupied. There are several slides, swings (the regular kind), bars to climb and an old fashioned stage coach to "ride" in. There was also a boy scout section where they had a really cool swing and a rock wall to climb. Liam was a bit small to go on the swing alone, but he climbed the rock wall like a spider...with help, of course. I think Liam is going to love boy scouts!

Saturday morning we always go to the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast offered by a local club with my grandparents. Then we stake out the best spot for the big parade and visit until it begins. It's an early morning, but it is so worth it! I may be biased, but I think it's the best one that I've ever seen! There are several bands, dance teams, floats, old cars and trucks, and police officers and firefighters. Once again, we left with a bag full of candy and with one tired boy.

The carnival is geared toward the teenage crowd, with a handful of rides, some games, and a live band. Liam wanted to go on the rides, but he was a bit too small and they were far too spendy, but we decided to play a couple of games instead. He won a stuffed tiger when he went fishing and caught a big one!

All of these parts of the festival are wonderful, but the very best part is the fireworks show Saturday night! They usually last about a half an hour and it's non-stop! They do a great job of having a couple of false endings where the fireworks just go and go, then they stop and a couple of seconds later, their back! It makes for one exciting night. On Sunday there is a car show and more music at the main stage, but if you ask me, Saturday is the best day to visit.

Memorial Park Wilsonville, Or

Liam, Alyssa, and I took this trip back in July, but I have to share it since this is such a great place to take kids on a hot day. Memorial Park in Wilsonville is located across the street from the library. It is a wonderful place to go any season, since it hosts fields for running and games, a huge playground with things for toddlers to big kids, and has several water fountains to play in during the summer months. There are also walking trails, a dog park, a track, baseball field, and soccer fields. You and your kids will never get bored here!

On this particular day, it was hot! We brought some lunch, ate in the shade of the trees, and then spent the rest of our day in the water splashing and playing. The fountain area was absolutely packed. There were kids of all ages running wild, and Liam loved every minute of it. The fountains range from geysers that are perfect for the tiny ones, to waterfalls that fill small pools for the older ones. Liam was especially excited about the waterfalls.

If you are looking for a great place to cool off, I would say that Memorial Park in Wilsonville is a great local option. If you're looking for a place to take a walk, run in a field, play some ball, take your puppy pal, or just relax will your little on plays on an age appropriate play structure, Memorial Park is still a fantastic option!

St. Paul Rodeo/Fireworks Show

 For the fourth of July there is only one place to go, the St. Paul rodeo! It's about 15 minutes from Newberg and has a wonderful rodeo, carnival, and some of the best fireworks around. This year, that's exactly where we went. The one downside to St. Paul on the fourth is that it is an extremely small town and it becomes packed with people.


We have been lucky enough to find an, off the beaten path place, to watch the fireworks without the crowds, with a great view, and plenty of parking. About four blocks from the rodeo is an old slaughter house (I know, sounds lovely), but the parking lot is huge and we set up a blanket and hang out until the show.


This year, we brought snacks, tiny flags, games to play, and some fireworks of our own. This kept us busy until the real thing began. Liam had a great time, and we got to see the whole show without the hassle of crowds of people. If you do decide to go next year, I should let you know that they don't start the fireworks until the rodeo is over. This year, that wasn't until about 10:45. It was a late night!

If you like a great firework show, you should check out St. Paul!

Seaside Trip

Hello all! I'm so sorry that it has been so long since I have updated you on our summer field trips. We have had such a fun and busy summer that I haven't been able to find a lot of time to sit down and write about our adventures. This trip was a weekend mini-vacation to Seaside, Or. taken the first weekend in July, to celebrate my nephew's birthday.

Our adventure began with the short walk from my sister's home to the historic Gilbert District (also known as the main strip). Once there, we met the party-goers at Fultano's pizza. This pizzeria is very large and holds many tables. Our large group had no problem finding space, even during the lunch rush. Many Oregon natives know Fultano's for their amazing pizza, but this location is extra special, as it is connected to a wonderful arcade filled with games and fun.

There were people of every age at the party, all of which were happy and entertained by all there was to do for hours on end. The pizza was delicious, and the games were inexpensive and ranged from adult themed or difficult, to toddler themed and quite easy.

Liam and his cousins, loved the change-powered cars and train. We lost many a-quarter in that part of the building. Funland also comes equipped with a prize counter similar to the ones at Chuck E Cheese and like establishments. But for the price, Funland seemed to have all those similar places beat!


After exhausting ourselves at the arcade and filling our bellies with yummy pizza, Liam, Joe, Alyssa, and I decided to take a walk to the beach, which is located less than two blocks from the restaurant. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and Liam had a wonderful time chasing the seagulls and throwing sand at his daddy. Alyssa and I enjoyed relaxing on the beach, people watching and soaking up the sun. By the time we left the beach, Liam was out cold.


Seaside is a wonderful family-friendly community that has many fun and exciting things to do. Almost everything is within walking distance of the downtown area, so travel and transportation won't be much of an issue if you decide to visit. Plan a trip if you enjoy the coast and don't want to be bored for a second!

Seaside on Dwellable

Pine Street Park, Sherwood

Yesterday we tried to beat the heat by heading to Sherwood's newest park. It's located on Pine street, right next to the library. It is a wonderful place for smaller children to play in water. There are waterfalls and fountains that go off and on at what seem to be random times. Liam loved to put his face near the fountains and be surprised when it came back on, splashing his face.

The park is not a big one, which is also nice for parents of small children. You can sit in the shade of the awnings while your little one runs wild in the water. Even when the water is on full force, the pool only gets a couple of inches deep. It's very family friendly and kids safe.

We had a wonderful time!

Willamette Valley on Dwellable