Movie, Dinner, and Dessert...

is how we spent our Sunday afternoon.  This week is #KinfofestPDX - a mini German Filmfestival here in Portland - which also included a children's movie "Tom Sawyer" {in German with English subtitles}.  We obviously just had to go, because how often do we get to see German movies in the theater here in PDX?!  

The movie started late in the afternoon, and yes Mia Rose was still a little young for it. Alena loved the movie, while Mia Rose declared that she never, ever wants to see that movie again....

After the movie...

Mia Rose after the movie...

It was already late by the time the movie was done, so we decided {as we do after the Kids Symphony} to have dinner at Pastini's.  On our walk over we saw a frozen yoghurt shop.  Guess what?  Yup,  they had vegan sorbet.  Yay - it was a desert kind of day...You know, I am always so excited when we can find dessert for the girlies.  It is just something we always have to spend extra energy to look for.  Of course, one can  make the argument that since everything in the store is milk but the frozen sorbet that it could be inherently contaminated with milk.  Well,  yes it certainly could contain milk traces but so do many food items; but what happens?  It is not that the girls - at least not ours - would have an immediate, life threatening reaction. So I think we need to keep it in balance.  Yes, it could very well be that there is a risk of cross contamination, but the fun, and enjoyment our kids get from eating frozen vegan yoghurt by far outweighs the potential minute adverse effect...Just look how much fun they had...

Do you know who is in the background?

Right?!  Of course you do not need to agree with me/us but this is how we parent our children.  This is how we empower them and they do have fantastic job!  

The last couple 2012 summer days...

we spent just lazily at home, and in Portland. On Thursday we took a long walk around our neighborhood, met the new teachers for the girlies {it will be great}, and - of course - spent a lot of time on the playground.

Ron and Mia Rose

Ron and I made dinner together {whoo-hoo - that does not happen very often and it was so much fun}; Summer Linguine with fresh corn, fresh tomatoes, and garlic - it was simple, but so good :)  We really need to do that more often, right?!

The 31st of August was our - tadahhh - 15 year anniversary.  The girls were so curious about it and wanted us to tell them the story about how we met over, and over again.  It was quite cute.  You know, the big question for them was "How did you meet if you did not grow up in the same country?"; "Mama did you always know English?"; "If you did not know each other, how did you talk with each other?".  It was really, really cute...OK, for us it was probably not for most of you :)  So we told them, and I will tell all of you as well.

We met in Chicago shortly after both of us moved to the city.  Ron from Wisconsin and me, well a little farther, from Germany. Our first date was at the Chicago Blues Fest, and from there on out we were inseparable {little did we know that we also share the same recessive gene for Classic Galactosemia - it was just meant to be :) } .  Yup, that is right :)  We got married outside on Labor Day weekend at the Cheney Mansion in Oaks Park, on a beautiful hot, late summer day.  It was a fun luncheon reception, and let's just say that both of us had a fantastic time.  We stayed in Chicago for a few more years, and then in 2002 moved to Portland, Oregon. This is where we are now - 15 great years later, two beautiful girls....

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That is us...

Oh, and just in case you are wondering we all went out to dinner last night.  It was Lardo - a food cart turned into a simple, rustic restaurant.  The parental units had desert from the adjacent food cart "Sugar Cube" while for the girlies we stopped at "Swirl" where both made their own desserts.  Dairy free Lemon-Strawberry sorbet topped with - Alena and Mia Rosie made it - Skittles, Nerds, and Marshmallows....

City Hike at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge to Oaks Park Amusement Park...

You may know by now that this family likes to be outdoors.  We very much - well, okay three of us - love to hike; so a hike to the amusement park was perfect to keep everyone happy.  Mia Rose had been asking all week to go to Oaks Park so finally yesterday was the day.

We parked the car at the trail head to the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge in SE Portland - Oaks Bottom another amazing gem in the middle of the city.  Walk down the trail and there is only nature around - it is one of our favorites.

Ron and I have come here since we first moved to Portland ten years ago.  I actually remember our first hike talking about what a great incentive it will be for our future children to hike Oaks Bottom with the incentive of a carrousel ride :)  Well, time flies and yes we have hiked with the girls before but this is the first time I actively remembered our very first hike...


The hike there was so much fun - Ron and the girls were looking for snakes while I happily walked ahead...

Look at those trails. It is so hard believe that this is in the middle of a large city, is it not?

Once we got there - there was all kids of fun to be had.

The girls hydrated with a Sprite for the hike along the Springwater Corridor via Oaks Bottom back to the car

And there was also a treat of ice "cream" at Staccatto Gelato in Sellwood with five different "safe" sorbet's to choose from :)