Author: becandkyle

I play tennis now. Getting the feel for things on the backboard:

See if any of you tennis experts out there can identify what went wrong here:

We went to the Midtown Yacht Club food truck pod for a belated Father’s Day dinner out (Thanks, Nan and Pop!):

Afterwards, we went to Bonta for Gelato:

It has been hot in Bend. Really hot. We went to the coast for a few days to escape the heat. We stayed along the North Umpqua River on the way to the coast. It was hot there too, but we stayed cool in the river all afternoon.

I got to bike along the river to get to our swimming spot:

The next morning we headed to the beach. We had a beautiful beach all to ourselves at Yoakam Point:

I dug in the sand and ran in and out of the waves for hours. It took me a little while to warm up to the waves:

We camped near the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area:

Our campsite had a great climbing tree:

The Dunes were amazing:

I’m the little speck in the middle of this photo (the Bigs were hanging back to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet):

Jumping down the dunes was the best:

The next day started off a little foggy and windy, so we went to Sea Lion Caves, a tourist trap that the Bigs have always driven by, because they were too cheap to go in. It was awesome! (The Bigs agreed with that assessment.)

Check out what I’m wearing. It was 110 degrees in Bend when this photo was taken:

Next, we went for a five-mile walk along a beautiful beach.

The beach ended at a cliff.

And, tide pools!

After the walk, it was construction time. I built a sand/rock/driftwood house:

To top off another great day at the beach: roasted marshmallows!

When we headed home the next day, I was just a little tired:

Thursdays are bike-class days:

On Saturday, I got to ride with Isaac again:

Sunday, was the Fourth of July. After a paddle board on the river, Nan and Pop showed up!

Monday was Flag Day. Happy Flag Day!

Turns out, Flag Day is also Pop’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Pop!

A month in the life of our hops (video):

This week, we went to Katie and Brad’s for dinner. I put on my going-out clothes:

They have a four-story townhouse downtown with a ridiculous rooftop deck:

Even better than their deck is their dog, Poppy:

I love Poppy!

It’s popsicle season:

Strawberries for dessert:

Still missing teeth:

Father’s Day Sunshine Muffins:

Going paddle-boarding:

Father’s Day dinner – farro bowl with mushrooms, spinach, and tofu:

And, coconut custard pie:

The first strawberries of the season arrived this week:

I have another loose tooth. Right next to the missing tooth:

I discovered this week that I have outgrown my fish shirt, a realization that made me irrationally angry.

Making chocolate-chip beer bread:

Delicious. And messy:

I helped the Bigs install the last two privacy panels/blackberry trellises this weekend. Now we just need to get some blackberries:

In addition to the first strawberries of the season, we went for our first paddle board as well:

I still get towed upstream:

but on the way back, it’s all me:

By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, I was exhausted, so I relaxed with some story podcasts while the Bigs did yard work:

Some of our food from the week. Pasta della California:

“Butter” “chicken” with Indian rice:

Spicy miso portobello burgers with carrot slaw, cucumber salad, and asian guacamole with truffle salt cabbage salad:

Now that I am a big swimmer, I need to work on my lats.

Every year around this time, we ride up Mackenzie Pass to the Castle of Dragons. I chose this riding attire.

It was not as sunny and warm as we thought it would be and I quickly bundled up.

By the time we got to the castle, we were cold and wet and in no mood to look for the dragon – unless he wanted to warm our frozen digits with his fiery breath.

If you look closely you can see moisture on my glasses. Wet. Very cold, pretty wet, but I didn’t complain at all. I just kept riding.

And I made it back to the car after…

riding 15 miles!

My day was not done, though. I had planting to do. I put some gerbera daisies

and petunias in for some color.

On Sunday, I met Issac for a ride on ELV and some gnome counting.

We stopped by the ‘flying chicken’ too.

Part I of Phase 3 of the Great Wall got installed this week. Soon there will be blackberries growing up the ‘cattle panel’ (metal mesh).

This week we tried grilled portabello burgers topped with grilled pineapple and sweet and spicy Brussels sprouts. This meal was ‘not my favorite’ as I like to say.

Strangely, I did love our other Brussels sprouts dish this week: Brussels sprout and apple salad.

Sometimes you have a week where the good things just don’t stop. First, I got a tennis racket from Pop. Awesome!

Then, I got some super fast new sneakers and they were free, thanks to a gift certificate from Nan! Hmmm…I think I can beat Dad now.

Next it was nice enough for a picnic, so I treated The Bigs to takeout from my favorite restaurant, Monkless. They mumbled something about if I was taking Mom out for our belated Mother’s Day dinner she should get to choose the restaurant. Silly Bigs, how would I get poutine then?

Then I lost my tooth!

And then Papa came!

I showed him some of my new mountain biking skills. I am getting much braver and I make Mom ride the stuff with me, so she is too.

Vegetable lo mein:

Phase II of the Great Wall started this week. First twelve bamboo trees arrived.

Along with fancy shnancy bamboo containment planters.

The trees were 8 ft + but they shipped them wrapped in ‘hearts’

It was in the 50s and rainy on Saturday. Perfect for planting – bamboo and little boys.

56 bags of potting soil and two sore Bigs later.

Neighbors? What neighbors?

It wasn’t all work and no play. We still had time for breakfast coffee on the porch. The Bigs are sure I do espresso shots when they aren’t looking.

I also had swim lessons and a very chilly mountain bike class.

This week The Bigs made Israeli couscous with pistachios and apricots with roasted cauliflower with mint and toast almonds.

We also had Hummingbird cake. Mom saw a recipe in the New York Times (theirs was more attractive – two layers and covered in edible flowers). She thought if she made it the hummies should start visiting our feeder – plus who doesn’t want a cake full of bananas, pineapple, and pecans!

Mom did not take many pictures this week. I mean, we went skiing, and she didn’t take a SINGLE picture on a beautiful 60 degree day of spring skiing. At some point she felt guilty and took a photo of us eating lunch, but come on. Maybe she’s sick or lazy, but be warned, this week’s post is going to be lame.

I had my second day of mountain bike class. I’m learning some cool stuff.

I did some extra swim work with Dad on Friday morning to make sure I was not slowing down the other kids in my swim lesson.

I also rode ELV with Issac.

And prepared to fight aliens on Mars.

The more observant of you will notice the neighbors’ house behind me in the stick fighting pic. Now look.

Dad built a decorative screen to give us a little privacy.

We only made one new recipe this week. Cold udon bibimbap

See, I told you. Lame.

May the Fourth be with you.

Yes, we made yoda out of an apple. Why not? And, yes, I ate him. The Bigs are still waiting for displays of yoda-like wisdom as a result. Long wait you have, Bigs.

I’m not sure what a check is or why it has to be signed, but Nan and Pop said sign this and use it to take Mom out for lunch, so I’ll do it. Mom is being difficult and demanding to go to a food truck when it is sunny, so we have not gone yet.

First day of spring mountain bike class.

I didn’t really want to go because they were going to make me ride ‘the skinny (thin log you ride along)’, but I did end up riding it and it was fun.

On Saturday morning I decided to try and find some of the neighborhood deer. I tripped over an uneven sidewalk and fell flat on my face.

There was really no time to nurse my wounds, as I had to plant tomatoes:

and meet Issac for a ride.

One day of mountain biking class and I’m riding skinnies and rocks.

Sunday we went for a ride and run. I rode my bike, dad ran, and mom brought up the rear, running slooooowly. Because it was Mother’s Day we’d circle back to make sure she was OK. That’s the kind of guys we are.

I had a gift card from Grandma Marie that I had been saving for something special. Here it is. A fancy new sport coat. I wanted to look presidential. Thank you, Grandma Marie!

Ice cream sundae week this week. I made a strange mixture of macerated cherries and whipped cream:

I put it on some strawberry ice cream with some more whipped cream and topped it with a cherry:

I’m getting ready for swim lessons to start in a couple of weeks. Thanks, Nana, for the new trunks.

I rode my bike a lot this weekend. On Saturday, I met up with Isaac from school at Phil’s. We rode to the Flaming Chicken, then hit the pump track:

And played with some sticks:

Muscles:

Stir-fried tofu and cauliflower curry:

What am I up to? Making some ‘dirt’ out of old cookies,

and planting some ‘seedlings’

to make Earth Day cupcakes.

Dirt is yummy!

The other day I asked The Bigs to go for a walk after dinner and then I made them run ladders. On Saturday I biked 7 miles while they tried to keep up

and then I practiced swimming.

On Sunday, when The Bigs were supposed to be convalescing after their second vaccine shot, I had Hadley over in the morning and Issac and Lex in the afternoon. I NEVER get tired. The Bigs, they do, and today, they were really tired.

We did eat stuff besides cupcakes. Spinach linguine with basil-cilantro pesto and artichokes:

almond cookies,

tamarind lentils,

spinach linguine with white wine sauce,

and a little creation of mine – toasted bagel with peanut butter and dried apples.