The Nursing Honeymoon

Published by Juno magazine on August 5, 2019

A month before my due date, I awoke to a strange sensation in my abdomen. Moments later a line of blood-tinged liquid trickled down the inside of my right thigh.

Having miscarried three years earlier, a spasm of fear shot through me. I took several deep breaths and began praying. Then I dialed the hospital, and an advice nurse told me to make my way to the hospital because I might be in labor.

Read the rest of the article here.

Let Them See You Read: Fostering a Love for Books in Children

"I don't like school and I hate to read!" My second grader sobbed as I sat at the kitchen table, watching helplessly as giant tears dropped on her folded hands.

"But reading is wonderful! Why don't you like it?" I pressed.

"Because the words are hard and the stories I have to read are boring. And you're always telling me to read faster!"

Read the rest of this post at the Portland Moms Blog.

Finding Your Balance in Motherhood: Hang on to your Hobbies

Motherhood is synonymous with sacrifice. From the moment of conception, we sacrifice our bodies. As our bellies grow, so do the stretch marks. Moms sacrifice sleep, hot meals, and sanity. Oh, sweet sanity!

Read the rest of this post on the Portland Moms Blog. 

Bonneville Dam, Fish Hatchery, and Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls is one of the top three "must show" areas that I usually share with out-of-town guests. Cannon Beach and wine country are the other two. But two years ago, I discovered that Bonneville Lock and Dam and the adjoining Bonneville Fish Hatchery were great additions for a day trip to the Gorge. Forty miles east of Portland, this spot is worthwhile aesthetically and educationally.  

My friend and I decided to tackle these spots with four kids in tow on a Tuesday in July. After bolstering ourselves with caffeine (a necessity for any trip with four children under the age of seven) and an hour's drive across I-84 (roughly 54 miles from Portland's west side), we arrived at Bonneville Dam around 11:00 A.M. We were greeted by a friendly federal officer at the dam's entrance who inquired whether we were carrying any firearms before waving us through. Because Bonneville Lock and Dam is operated by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, firearms are not permitted on the premises.

Just past the parking lot, visitors can enjoy the views of the dam and surrounding scenery. The sheer power of the dam's crashing waters, as well as its magnificent size, are quite impressive.

Three guided tours per day of Powerhouse 1 are available to visitors at 11 A.M., 1 P.M., and 3 P.M. We just missed the guided tour, but still enjoyed wandering the Bradford Island Visitor Center. Entrance to the center is free-of-charge. The entry-level floor of the center provides a small gift shop, as well as exhibits describing the history of the dam which was started in 1934 and completed in 1937.

The real fun began as we rode the elevator to the underground level to watch migrating sturgeon, salmon, bass, lamprey and other fish from our first row seats as they migrated through underwater fishways. I'm not gonna lie -- the lampreys were more than a little creepy as they attached themselves in clusters via their suction cup mouths to the windows, bodies swaying in time to the movement of the current. My friend aptly described the scene as similar to Medusa's underwater hair.

I felt a little like the human trapped in a fish bowl while gazing at the fish swim upstream on the other side of the glass. But then I discovered the window that allows visitors to watch the employee who got stuck with the least exciting job on the planet: counting and recording fish as they work their way up the ladders. I wish I'd thought to take a picture of the poor soul. But here's a little video of what she sees from her side of the fish bowl.

After a while, we strolled outside to enjoy the surrounding views, as well as ladders for fish to "climb" as they journey up the Columbia. The kids enjoyed glimpses of the salmon struggling against the fast-paced waters.

Next we made our way to the neighboring attraction: the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, also free-of-charge.

Built in 1909, the hatchery "raises 6.6 million fall chinook, 900,000 spring chinook, 750,000 coho, 250,000 summer steelhead and 60,000 winter steelhead. Adult salmon begin arriving at the hatchery in September and are then sorted through before spawning begins" according to the Oregon Deparment of Fish and Wildlife. Visitors are free to wander among the hatchery pools covered by netting which provides the tiny salmon protection from potential predators. The grounds also offer peaceful display ponds full of rainbow trout. Dispensaries of fish food are available for 25 cents per handful. The fish feeding frenzy kept our children entertained for a long time before we finally dragged them away.

The highlight of the visit was, hands down, Herman the Sturgeon's fish tank. Interpretive displays describe Herman as at least 10 feet long, around 70 years old, and over 400 lbs. I know a few fishermen who would be ecstatic upon finding Herman at the end of their fishing poles. But, alas, Herman is only for display, not for dinner. Here's a little footage of Herman in action. I especially appreciated Captain Obvious (you'll hear his voice in the background) reiterating for me that "It's not a shark. Fish don't have teeth." Thanks, Peanut Gallery.

The grounds at the fish hatchery are lovely, especially during summertime when the flowers are in bloom. I regretted not planning a picnic lunch to enjoy onsite.

Speaking of lunch, by the time we completed our dam and hatchery visit, our crew was famished. So, we decided to hit Multnomah Falls on our way back to Portland to see the sights and grab some grub. I opted out of eating lunch at the Multnomah Falls Lodge because of the pricey menu items, but later kicked myself after ordering lunch at the outdoor cafe which included a hot dog, two slices of barely warmed pizza, three bags of chips, and three fountain drinks totaling $25.00!

Next time I'm definitely packing that picnic lunch.

Despite the less-than-impressive meal, the awe inspiring waterfall made the stop worthwhile. Multnomah Falls attracts visitors year round, but tourists swarm during summer months, making the short hike up to the bridge a little tedious, particularly with four rugrats in tow. Nonetheless, we made it in time to watch a nervous, but excited, young man with a Swiss accent propose to his girlfriend in front of the falls and amid throngs of well-wishers. Thankfully, she said yes.

The kids had a great time for a bit, pretending they were going to hurl themselves over the bridge and into the freezing pool below. We took a few photos, but couldn't completely enjoy the experience because it was just too darn crowded. Instead, we made our way back down the path and past the entrance to enjoy the meandering creek below the falls. The kids searched for fish in the clear water while balancing on rocks while we moms took a moment to rest and enjoy the serene views.





Arriving back in Portland around 4 P.M., everyone was pooped, but happy. Except for the $25.00 lunch and fuel, our three stops were completely free and well-worth the trip.

Bauman Farm and Gardens

Spontaneous trips are the greatest. Whether a weekend road trip up the coast or a day trip somewhere outside of Portland, I find the unknown to be most exciting.

Of course, with two kids in tow, I can only be so spontaneous these days. Yet it's still a thrill to pack Frick and Frack into the back seat of the car, not offering any clue as to where where we're going or what we're doing until we've almost reached our destination. That's exactly what I did last Friday morning.

At 8 a.m., I stared at my day's to-do list, which included mopping the kitchen floor and cleaning bathrooms. Suddenly, spending quality time with my beloved children seemed a grand idea! So, I decided a trip to Bauman Farm and Gardens was in order.

The things I will do to get out of scrubbing toilets...

Bauman has received rave reviews by many of my friends and acquaintances. It's a well-known spot for pumpkin hunting in the fall, but also attracts huge crowds during that time. Instead, I wanted to experience the farm and gardens minus the throngs of people.

First, I looked up directions to our destination and checked the hours of operation. Then, I showered, got the kids dressed, packed sandwiches, fruit, water, chips and chocolate (always helpful for bribery if needed). We jumped into the car at 10:00 a.m., bopped to tunes on the radio, and arrived at our destination in almost exactly one hour.

The kids are used to these "adventures" as I refer to them. The 2 year old thinks they're great; the dubious 7 1/2 year old, not so much, This is another reason I wait until we've reached our destination before revealing where we're headed. I don't have to listen to "Moooom, farms are smelly." Or "Gardens? That sounds boring. Can't we go to Out of this World Pizza instead?" So, as we approached the Woodburn exit, I finally revealed the name of our destination.

Silence. A promising response.

Friday morning turned out to be an excellent day and time to visit with plenty of parking and no throngs.

First, we visited the farm store which, compared to a lot of farm stores I've visited, is clean, spacious, and provides a nice variety of knick knacks, home decor, baked goods, produce, ice cream, and hard cider brewed right there on the farm.

Of course, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to try samples of the cider and chat with one of the Bauman cider experts, Steve Westling. Steve explained that hard cider is a new venture for Bauman which began selling hard cider at the farms earlier this year. The fruit comes directly from the farm, and in cases where that's not possible, only locally sourced Oregon products are used.

Growlers are available for purchase and for refill. Or if you're immediately thirsty, free tastings and the purchase of pints to be enjoyed on site are also available.

Just past the farm store, you'll find Bauman's nursery filled with an extensive variety of plants, trees, and enormous hanging baskets bursting with color. The endless rows of hanging baskets are breathtaking. My oldest had a fabulous time collecting the flowers and petals that had fallen to the ground to create her souvenir bouquet.

Although, I could have lingered there for hours, Frick and Frack had other plans as soon as they'd spied the petting zoo past the nursery. We had a blast feeding, petting, and talking to the goats, chickens, bunnies, sheep and a lone, poorly-mannered llama who was only interested  in communicating if we provided him with pellets to eat. Otherwise, he would only show us his backside.

As if the petting zoo wasn't enough fun for kids, we discovered the gem that truly made our southbound adventure worthwhile: the play yard.

The play area is set up in four unique sections. The first reminded me of a medieval fort with tunnels for chasing and huge pipes propped up by mountains of hay for sliding.

The next is a covered string of connected wooden boxes with a variety of windy, bumpy and smooth slides out of which children are "pooped," according to my 7 year old.

I nearly lost my 2 year old to the buckets and construction vehicles in the covered sand pit. Seriously. I had to climb in and manually remove him from the pit after 45 minutes of play. He would have gladly slept there overnight if given the chance.

Meanwhile, the 7 year old burned energy on adjoining climbing wall and "tire garden."

Eventually, I was able to coax the children away from the play area to eat our picnic lunch amid rows of lush hanging baskets. Not a bad setting to enjoy our PB&J's!

Ice cream cones and fudge from the farm store brought us to the denouement of a successful day trip. It also bought a few minutes of quiet for this tired mom as we fought the I-5 afternoon traffic heading back to Portland.

On the way home, in a quiet voice, the 7 year old conceded "that really was a fun place."

VICTORY.

PuddleJumping

My mother recently shared with me a memory of her late mother remarking when she'd see people outside in the rain: "Don't they know enough to go inside when it's raining?!" So, after my mother got to know my father she thought he was more than a little crazy because he actually preferred to go for walks in the rain. 

Oregonians would live as hermits inside our houses if we let the rain keep us indoors. That's why I say "when life gives you rain, jump in the puddles!" And we do! 

Stained Little Fingers

I originally hail from the deserts of the southwest, but I grew up vacationing in Oregon with my family. I remember seeing pictures of myself at three years old during a strawberry picking excursion with my aunt who lived near Eugene. My mom says I ate as many strawberries as she managed to place in her bucket.

Now, thirteen years later, I'm an Oregon local, yet I still haven't gotten used to the reality of wild berries growing abundantly throughout this state! Most locals consider wild blackberry and raspberry bushes a nuisance, but even after living in Oregon 13 years, I  feel as if I've hit the jack pot when I score handfuls of these juicy gems on walks through my neighborhood.

Nearly as mind blowing is the abundance of berry farms around the Portland metro area that offer U-Pick options at an impressively lower cost than your local farmer's market or grocery store.

Living in the suburbs of west Portland, I'm only 10 minutes away -- in good traffic (as if Portland ever has "good traffic") -- to an abundance of U-Pick farms offering the gamut of berries: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, tayberries, marionberries, loganberries...the list goes on. In fact, Smith Berry Farms off Scholls Ferry Road in Hillsboro boasts 20 varieties of berries!

Last month, my kids and I picked strawberries at Hoffman Farms in Beaverton. The weather was perfect in the low 70's with a slight cloud cover. We arrived around 9:30 a.m. (the earlier the better to avoid side stepping fellow gatherers). Before heading to the fields, I let the kids play in the sand box, as well as the unique play structure complete with a tractor out of which children can launch themselves down a slide.

  After a bit of play, we each grabbed a lined bucket available outside the store.* Then we grabbed wagon courtesy of the farm and headed to the fields.





Unlike many other types of berries, strawberries require a good deal of crouching, squatting, and plain ol' sitting on your butt in the dust or mud. The nice thing about Hoffman Farms is that the Hay Fairy lays down hay between the rows of plants allowing you stay a little cleaner. Hay also offers a bit of cushion for sitting or kneeling.

Thank you, Hay Fairy!

The berries were juicy and delicious as was evidenced by my little guy who ate his weight in these tasty morsels.

It took us less than an hour to fill two buckets of strawberries and a bucket of raspberries. The price of an hour's worth of picking made the work worthwhile...as if the promise of pie, jam and syrup wasn't enough!

$1.75/lb. for fresh berries straight from the source!

Rarely, now, will I buy berries at a grocery store or farmer's market. Why bother when I have dirt-cheap options practically right in my back yard?

The shop offers pies made on site, pre-picked berries,
jams, syrups, local  honey and more

A nice lunchtime spot or if you just can't wait to dive into
your berries before heading for home

July's U-Pick season is underway and includes blueberries, blackberries, marionberries, cherries and more. PickYourOwn.org offers a detailed guide for berry picking in Multnomah and eastern neighboring counties, and also designates farms that use minimal chemicals and pesticides, that use natural growing practices, or are certified organic. The same website also provides a calendar of berries available for picking each month.

West Union Gardens also offers some recipes and handy tips for berry care if you're not planning to eat them immediately. 

If you're looking for us, you can find us in the fields!

* Each farm's policy varies regarding whether you can use your own buckets or those provided by the farm. Check with employees before you get started.