Fun in the sun

We've been in Bellingham for the last the past week, visiting the parents. Gryphon had a good time at the beach on Saturday, and at Fairhaven park today.

Missoula

Cheri's family took us to Missoula where we're staying one more night before catching a plane to Bellingham.

Gryphon was satisfied with his breakfast at Finnegan's.

We were surprised to find that the reservation I had made was for July, not June. It was easy to make a new reservation (for even less), but the old one was non-refundable. As Cheri took a nap, Gryphon and I walked around the riverfront. He fell asleep in the stroller and his head kept flopping forward, so I strapped it upright with the baby carrier belt. He slept like this for almost two hours as I browsed the bookstores.

After dinner we visited an elaborate play area that Gryphon and I had spied earlier. It's called "Dragon Hollow" and resembles our future yard.

Next door we discovered a carousel with wooden horses, and couldn't pass it by.

Walking in Butte

While Cheri's parents and grandparents discussed genealogy with a relative, us children walked around the neighborhood and found a playground.

We found the area to be somewhat dead. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday, or maybe it was because the population has shrunk to 30% of what it once was. Cheri suggested a tour of Butte's underground, which took us through a jail and a speakeasy, among other places.

Our last stop was a scenic viewpoint of Berkeley Pit, a former pit mine turned environmental catastrophe.

In the evening, Jared and I worked on our speed down the water slide at the hot springs. Baby Gryphon got in the action too; he's getting to be a skilled water slider.

Lounging around

Gryphon slept well, but was very lethargic this morning. When we went downstairs he threw up the 8 ounces of breakfast he had in him. A bath and nap followed, and he began feeling better during lunch.


He napped for about three hours afterward, and is in good spirits now.

Traveling

Now that school is out, the family reunions can begin. We flew to Missoula today where we met Cheri's parents and brother, who took us the rest of the way to Fairmont Hot Springs Resort near Butte, MT. We knew we were getting close when the GPS told us to turn onto Crackerville Road. Gryphon was a good traveler today, and didn't cry at all on the plane rides. Here he is in Seattle, making his way to the gate:

We had a barbeque (RIBS!) with descendants of Gryphon's Great great great grandparents, the Ericksons, who owned a dairy farm here back in the day. Then we went for a swim in the warm spring water pool, put Gryphon to bed for the night, got locked out of our room with Gryphon inside, were let back into our room by the cheerful and accomodating hotel staff, and turned-in ourselves. On the agenda for tomorrow: Butte, the old homestead, then karaoke!

Best pizza in Portland

For Alyson's birthday we took Jared and her to DeNicola's, the purported home of Portland's best pizza. We did not find this to be the case, but the pasta was good - just ask Gryphon.

The attack

Warning: This post may not be suitable for those who are eating.

This afternoon Gryphon and I browsed the hardware at A-Boy's liquidation sale (we have done this several times over the last few weeks), then met the Cunninghams at a farmers' market. We listened to music and ate strawberries, most of which ended up mashed into Gryphon's clothing. Soon it was time to head home for a bath.

As the tub filled, I noticed that Bijou had made a deposit at the base of the toilet - unusual, since she had been outside shortly before. (This is what some may term "foreshadowing.")

Gryphon and I had not been in the bath long before he unleashed his arsenal. A six-inch missile had already deployed before I noticed what was happening. I leapt out of the tub during the second launch, and held Gryphon over the water as he continued the attack. He had concocted a triple-action formula: as the first missile sank into the depths, the second split into components that either floated or dissolved rapidly. Great brown plumes billowed through the bathwater, quickly engulfing the unsuspecting rubber ducks and other bath toys. I was still holding Gryphon, powerless to save them. Meanwhile, the floaters dispersed around the surface and clung to the walls of the bathtub.

After towelling off the baby, I focused on draining the tub. The stopper was not visible in the murkiness; I needed an object to probe for it. As I reached for Cheri's toothbrush, I recalled the negative response I received after scrubbing an old Chinese statue several years ago, and instead grabbed a discarded toothbrush from under the sink. The bristles would not catch on the stopper, and I was forced to invert the brush, wincing. This was when I remembered how slowly our drain had been flowing lately - as though it were nearly clogged. Gryphon's missile somehow propelled itself down into the pipe, and the water immediately ceased draining.

I was reminded of the time I returned home to find the bathroom sink clogged and full of vomit during Cheri's pregnancy: it is not often that I find myself simultaneously disgusted and completely confused. I hoped I would not have to repeat the plunger-ing fiasco that had ensued before. Luckily, Gryphon had suggested we buy some drain-clearing products at A-Boy earlier, and the problem was soon solved. He acts as though nothing happened.

Dinner for two

Gryphon and I had a barbecue on the deck this evening.

Storm

A thunderstorm suddenly appeared over Portland today.

Playing in the yard