Puddle Jumping, and This Week's Menu

December in Oregon is has nothing to do with the weather itself but rather the attitude of the person in it. Case in point: We've been getting amazing amounts of precipitation this month--magnitudes that I have never seen since we moved here almost ten years ago. There is a lot of lowland flooding, and the Tualatin River is astonishingly high.

Naturally, the rain is cold and wet, which makes certain people pretty miserable. And I admit, flooding makes people miserable. And achy joints makes people miserable. I get it.

But sometimes you've got to turn the drawback into a strength. Rain makes puddles. When was the last time you did some unabashed puddle-jumping? The Husband and I took advantage of some kid-free time last weekend and ventured out into Tryon Creek State Park. We hiked a short-ish loop and I got to field test my birthday present: a pair of (snow?) boots that are great for marching through puddles without caring about my feet turning cold and wet.

We stomped in puddles like a pair of hyper kids. We hid in tree stumps. 

We had fun.

Monday, Monday, back to the grind. I've got a week's worth of dinners planned out, and here they are:

This Week's Menu

Monday: Gyoza and stir-fried veggies with yakisoba noodles

Tuesday: Cajun Chicken Pasta and salad

Wednesday: Beef Roast with veggies and potatoes

Thursday: Indian Spiced Chicken Stew

Friday: Egg Salad Sandwiches

Saturday: The Husband's company Christmas Party!

Have fun out there in the wild weather!

PotD: Portland Winter Wonderland

Portland Winter Wonderland

A photo posted by KungPowHausFrau (@kungpowhausfrau) on Dec 12, 2015 at 11:42am PST

Stella Olsen Park, Sherwood

Lazy Saturdays are my kind of Saturdays, and February is the month of Lazy Saturdays. It's after all of the major holidays and before the call of spring deludes us into thinking we need to plan the perfect family picnic outings (not that these actually ever happen as planned) or spruce up the landscaping.

This Saturday was a Lazy Saturday if there ever was one. And what better to do, when you have nothing to do, but mosey on down to the brand-new neighborhood playground?

This blue and orange beauty is barely three days old and yet has probably had every child in Sherwood climbing all over it.

Including these ones. 

I'm so very grateful to live in a community where not only are we safe but we are able to enjoy the fruits of prosperity. I mean, dang, I would have been happy if they stopped at clean water and indoor plumbing, but look at this feat of engineering!

The kids enjoyed thoroughly exploring the monstrosity, and I marveled at how beautiful the day was and how all of these families had emerged from their winter routines to pretend it was May.

The weather has been freakishly mild and dry here, giving us some kind of false spring. I feel like Maria in "The Sound of Music," bounding on the hilltop while the sunshine warms my face.

I realize how crazy that sounds, but short winter days can do that to a person.

These were the only rain drops to be found today.

Stella Olsen Memorial Park is located at 22256 SW Washington St in Sherwood, across from Horizon Christian Church. There are bathrooms and walking trails on site, and the park is within walking distance to downtown Sherwood amenities, including Sweet Story bakery and Symposium coffee shop.