On the Road Again

WATER WORLD: Another weekend, another road trip. This time, it was a trip down to Clackamas, Ore. (which is where you'll see a not-so-angry Angry Bird and pig resting comfortably above). Clackamas is not your typical tourist destination but since Grandma R was going to be hanging out at a hospital for a few days there, we wanted to be in the vicinity. So we packed up and headed out.

We hadn't planned on leaving until later in the day Sunday, but for whatever reason, on Sunday a.m. I remembered that Clackamas is home to the North Clackamas Aquatic Park - which is a pretty darn nice indoor water attraction. There's a big wave pool, three big slides, a fountain, a diving board and more. It's not exactly Great Wolf Lodge, but at only $5 or so apiece for the kids, it's a screaming deal (as opposed to GWL, which is a couple hundred bucks for the family to get in on the action there). 

The kids enjoyed about three hours of action there before we checked into our hotel and enjoyed the pool there, as well. :)

WAITING ROOM: We logged a good number of hours in hospital waiting rooms on Monday. Fortunately, the spaces were comfortable, if not downright inviting. In the second waiting room we hung out in, there was a nice selection of board games. First the kids played Candy Land with Uncle Jim. (CJ won handily.) 

Next up was Monopoly. I'd forgotten what a great game that is for teaching math (all that adding and subtracting involved with buying properties, paying taxes and fines, calculating rents and such). We didn't have time to finish the game today. We're hoping it's still sitting right where and how we left it when we return to the hospital in the a.m.

YEAR OF THE DRAGON: On Saturday afternoon on a whim, we decided to attend the Tet festival at the Seattle Center. I saw some photos SC had posted on its Facebook page of a morning Dragon dance complete with a gazillion firecrackers and just knew the kids would totally dig it, so we headed town there for the 4:00 p.m. Lion dance and firecrackers.

It was frigid, with ice and snow still covering the ground. Fortunately, though, it wasn't raining or snowing. There were a couple hundred people in attendance, the vast majority of Asian heritage. A little after four the drum beat began and a couple of lions and a colorfully masked man began dancing around.

Just a couple minutes into their dance, the string of thousands upon thousands of firecrackers was lit and it was a nearly deafening, explosive display. CJ was jumping up and down with glee. :) If you look at this photo, you can see all the spent red shells.

While standing at the plaza where the celebration took place, I spied the Space Needle from a vantage point I'd not before seen it. It amazes me, every time we go to Seattle Center, I see the Space Needle in a new way.