Enchanting Weekend

We had a nice Labor Day weekend, despite the forecasted rain. Saturday, we spent hanging around home, with a monster grocery trip that took all 3 of us, then Sunday we took Ben to the city pool for the first time. We hit the "parent and child hour" and hardly anyone was there at all! He enjoyed himself for the first 25 minutes, but then seemed pretty indifferent. After a nap, we met up with Andy's brothers at the Deschutes brew-pub in Portland - good food, beer and atmosphere.

On Monday we went to Enchanted Forest - a pint-sized theme park, made just for the kid in all of us. Grandma Jeanne and Papa Doug met us there and we ventured out even though we drove through some serious downpours and there were imminent black clouds on the horizon. Luckily, the weather held and even turned out quite nice and sunny... Ben had a great time exploring the story-book land - he was a bit tentative, but trekked through the rabbit hole that leads underground and comes out in a totally different spot, and he got to take 3 trips down the little old lady and the shoe slide. He even went on a train ride with daddy and enjoyed the first 2 trips around the circle (not so happy on the last lap). He was a trooper and walked a good portion of the park, and kept up his typical great spirit through the entire visit.
The kids start back at school tomorrow, so it's back at it for me. There's something about starting a new year - the excitement, the optimism, the new supplies, the organization (although somewhat temporary), meeting all of my new kids, and getting to know them all... There are not many jobs out there where you get a kind of "fresh start" feel every year. I love teaching.