Vancouver, WA

Mighty Mom and Monks adventures continue in the time of holiday cheer and fun times all around.

But this adventure was more a Monks and Darn Cool Dad’s Day, sorry to say that Mighty Mom was hit with the boredom’s secret weapon; the flu. So Monks had to fly with Darn Cool Dad and show him the ropes.

They found themselves flying around the land of Boredom seeking an adventure that would start the holiday season. Well they found it at the Vancouver Hilton at 301 W 6th Street. You can drive there and parking is free when you go to the event. Or you could take C-TRAN #4 4th Plain or #37 Mill Plain, depending on where you are starting. Read the rest of Festival of Trees at the Vancouver Hilton, Vancouver-WA »

The adventures of Might Mom and Monks continue… I’ll tell you something, if you find somewhere that is fun for your kid and a good price, after a while they begin to know you by name. We found a place like that; it is Michael’s Craft Store 16601 SE Mill Plain Blvd. Drive, walk or take the C-TRAN #37 Mill Plain bus to get you there.

Michael’s is becoming our home away from home and they know our name or at least Monk’s true identity; it’s a secret one, to keep evil boredom on its toes.

Michael’s is having “Knack Attack” there on Saturdays from 10AM to 12PM, where the activities are only $5.00. It is fun for the kids to do and the family to share. The kids can do the craft while the parents shop a little, that way you get a little free time and the kids get to have some fun.

Today’s event was a chance for the kids to do any of the crafts that “Knack Attack” had done during the year. Some of the crafts you can do in the store with help, or you could take them home to work on. Read the rest of Craft Day-Choose Your Own/Michael’s-Van, WA »

This event was something I did without my little Monks; Mighty Mom was just flying by herself for this fun thing. My friends and co-workers for the past two years get Season Tickets for the Clark College Productions. Season tickets are $46.00, normally non-dinner shows are $10.00 and the dinner show is $30.00. This is a fun way to get together without husbands, boyfriends or children. We really love doing this.

You will find our little group at Clark College Decker Hall at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, you can drive or take the C-TRAN bus #25 or #30. During the season the plays show at different times and days. We normally choose to go on Saturday for the matinee at 2PM. That way you are still able to get things done before and after the show. While you wait for the show to start you can check out the different works of art created by the students at the school.  Read the rest of Theater Time at Clark College-Vancouver, WA »

Day falls on the sleepy little town of boredom, children cry in boredom, Mom’s weep in frustration. Ok so maybe that is not what the day was like for you but in my house you never know. So we find Mighty Mom and Monks in their lair waiting for today’s adventure.

The adventure leads them to Michael’s Craft Store. Michael’s is located at 16601 SE Mill Plain Blvd. The C-TRAN #37 Mill Plain can get you really close to the store.

Michael’s has craft events on Saturdays for kids. The great thing is that the events cost only $5.00 and are geared towards kids skills. The events normally run from 10:00AM to 12:00Noon. They also have a great classroom where they teach the classes. Read the rest of Craft Day at Michaels’ Craft Store-Vancouver, WA »

It’s the warmest swimming pool I’ve ever experienced, that’s for certain. In fact, when I first stepped in, I wondered if it was too warm for that very hot summer day that we were visiting. But after just a minute or two, I had no complaints, but rather loved it. It’s the only time I can remember not getting cold even after spending a long time in the water.

Yes, it sounds like a long way to go just for a swim, driving all the way to the Warm Springs reservation in Oregon and Kah-nee-ta resort. But if you really plan to spend a full day there, the just-over two-hour drive is not bad at all for a day of sun and a break from our cloud-laden skies. Sure, you could stay in town and swim indoors. But to me that just doesn’t compare to swimming in an outdoor pool, especially a guaranteed warm one.

Please forgive the stock pictures. Knowing we’d be spending hours in the pool, I just wasn’t comfortable bringing my camera in with me and leaving it on a lounge chair. As it turned out, it probably would have been fine, as there were so many families present. But I chose not to take my chances. So on to the fun… Known as the Village Pool, it’s open year-round, with a two-week annual closure for painting (so call ahead to make sure it’s not closed when you are planning to travel there). Fed by natural mineral hot springs, the pool actually has to be cooled off in the summer. Beginning in the fall, they warm it to keep it a consistent 92 degrees. We were told that the influx of fresh water means they don’t have to overload it with as many chemicals as your standard pool. Translation: Our eyes weren’t burning and our kids weren’t complaining.

The pool is also huge: a double-Olympic size that is cordoned off into three sections. The first is quite shallow, perhaps no more than two or three feet deep. Spouting bear statues and a low wall separate this section from the next, which gradually deeps from probably about four feet to deeper than I could touch. The third section is the deepest and is the only area where toys and floats are not permitted. That’s another point: some local pools restrict float use. At Kah-nee-ta, my daughter could sit in a little inflatable hippo to her heart’s content. There is also a wading pool for the little ones.

The big draw for my boys was the waterslides. The tamer of the two winds down 140 feet. The second and newest slide is a 184-foot tube that twists and turns its way down to the water. Read the rest of Year-Round Swimming at Kah-nee-ta in Warm Springs, Oregon »

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 The last time we met our team of Mighty Mom and Monks, they where flying over the land of Boredom hoping to stop evil boredom in it’s tracks. Ok so we didn’t have the caps out of the cleaners yet, but it is after Halloween so we thought why not. Maybe we are still on a sugar high.

We found our selves at the Water Resource Center in Vancouver at 4600 SE Columbia Way near the Waterfront off Highway 14. This time my husband even joined, so it was a family affair.

Every second Saturday of the month there is a craft the kids can do, while crafting they also learn who started the tradition and how it plays a part in history; even learning about the history of the people and how their lives where long ago. Read the rest of Craft Day-Water Resource Center-Vancouver, WA »

I have a tradition I call “practicing for Thanksgiving” which revolves around spending several weekends in October and November baking and, more importantly, eating tasty holiday treats, you know, so that I have them perfected for the holidays.

This weekend I wanted to make a caramel pumpkin pie from scratch—including the pumpkin puree. So I headed out to Bi-Zi Farms in search of a sugar pumpkin. It turned out to be quite the place to be: droves of cars and parking attendants waving traffic through just to get in and park. All I wanted was a pumpkin but I found live music, petting zoo, corn maze, apple pressing, pumpkin launching…hayrides. It was like a fair; an impressive and interactive display of all things harvest. I stood in line for the pumpkin launching until I realized I needed to purchase a ticket. Read the rest of Practicing for Thanksgiving in Vancouver, WA »

It is getting chilly but I’m a diehard beach-goer and there’s nothing a warm jacket and hat can’t fix. October usually boasts sparkling blue days and this particular day a picnic on the beach sounded about as good as it could get. My sister and a friend and I layered up and spent the day at Hug Point. An easy and pleasant drive on I-5 south into Oregon and then onto HWY 26 toward Cannon Beach delivered us to this coastal oasis within 1.5 hours. We left early enough to pick up some picnic items at the grocery store and just as the sun was at its zenith we were on the beach flopping out the blankets and rustling through the grocery bags.

We enjoyed a cozy picnic next to the sandstone cliffs and a freshwater stream cascading down one side. Once we were done eating it was time to explore. Read the rest of Embrace The Day At Hug Point »

We hit jackpot at the Cascade Park Library off Hearthwood Blvd, you can get there per the C-TRAN #37 Mill Plain. This is a smaller library that soon will have a new home near the Firstenburg Center, but until then it is still in it’s cute little home. Halloween is such a fun season and there are so many fun things to do. Well the adventures of Mighty Mom and Monks continue with many chances to have fun.

Monks, her father and I all attended the “Jeepers Creepers” from 6:30PM to 8:30PM at the library. First thing we did was listen to a story by the librarian, it was a cute little story about finding a monster to have fun with all the other monsters the child knew in the book. Read the rest of Jeepers Creepers at Cascade Park Library-Vancouver, WA »