Snack Time and Tall Ships

So after many many years of working a varied and colorful life in Alaska we have moved to the beach.  Where we get to watch the ocean waves, play in the sand and enjoy a slower paced life with my little ones!  So this transition hasn't been as easy as I thought it would for all of us and we have decided we would love to share our adventures with more.  More outings, play mates, friends and families....

This is a typical after school snack, fresh D'anjou pears, and mini home made corn dogs with dips.  I serve a lot of water, milk with main meals (alt milk for those who need it like my daughter) and juice and sugary drinks are usually avoided.  As a former child care nutrition program manager I take what goes in on and around children's bodies very carefully.  I use natural cleaners,NYR Organic soaps, lotions and body care items. Ingredients, local sourced, non-GMO foods are very important and do not always include kale as my children like to make fun of me about.  But we do have a penchant for green smoothies and more to come it's going to be a great summer.  Full of new adventures!

Home Made Mini-Corn Dogs and Pears 

We got to tour the tall ships in Newport, the Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington made port calls in Newport yesterday from Grey's Harbor, WA.  We looked for pirates and swashbucklers and mermaids galore.  It's been a big theme with the kids this year and all M could think about was...

Once Upon a Time

Which happens to also be F's birthday theme in a few weeks, so it fit right in!  We are also working on costumes for the Yachats Midsummer's Masquerade Ball, which should be a total blast and for a great cause.  We really like the vibe of Yachats, it is defiantly on our level of community, be it a much smaller scale than we are used to, we are happy to be just a few miles away!

 Do you make seal and seal lion noises?  We do....  Especially since we see the Alsea River seal rookery every low tide snoozed out on the sandbars when we cross the bridge.  Did you know they are piscivorous predators?  Well good to add a new word to the kids marine mammal vocabulary.

I've always loved a great ship's plaque!  Blanchard family trait there I can surmise.

 Captain Freyja at the helm, without a doubt!  She's a precarious one that keeps me very busy and definitely a second born... For some reason she get's a lot of safety gear for her birthday...  Might need to add a lot of duct tape to that list and more office supplies, she loves playing postmaster, but I'll be hiding my keys from her in no time!

Special bonus points for looking for Mermaids and Pirates!  We didn't happen to find them to their disappointment. It was a great adventure with the kids and happy to have the opportunity to go aboard and learn a little more seafaring history.