The Oregon Gardens

W refusing to sit down had my mama laughing so hard

Grandpa trying to convince B to go through the Hobbit hole. What a trooper.

B still not convinced

Life is back to our little routine now that my parents are gone. I am pretty sad it was so nice having family around, and the extra help with the boys and the house was worth gold! We didn't do a whole lot this visit  but we did manage to enjoy the weather one day and head out to the Oregon Gardens. Boy was it worth it! It is beautiful and the boys loved it. 

We spent the majority of our time in the children's garden while B played in the sand pit, refused to go through the Hobbit house. And of coarse was amazed at the model train area.  We walked around a little after that and ate a quick lunch before heading home to put the boys down for their naps. Perfect timing!

Like I mentioned it was really great having family around, I sometimes block out how much I actually miss them (it's easier that way) but these pictures remind me of just how lucky my kids are to have two amazing sets of grandparents in their lives. They are so loved by them all and I am so lucky to be able to capture these little memories. Now I can't wait until July when my in laws come! Even more memories to share... (and confession, I am looking forward to the help too) :)

A.C Gilbert Children's Musuem

We went out on a little adventure yesterday. As it seems that toddlers get as stir crazy as mamma's do staying in all week. My in laws gifted us an annual pass to the kids museum and yesterday was just the day to put it to good use. We went through the toddler play area but I think B was more excited to get some fresh air, so we spent most of our time in the play area outside. His favorite part was the xylophone section. I mean you basically have permission to bang and hit things with a stick. That sounds pretty amazing.

In case you wonder where W is on most of our outings and adventures. He is usually quite content in his Ergo.  Have a great weekend.

puddle jumping and Keen shoes

pictures of shoes after being outside

So I mentioned yesterday that it was a stay inside kind of a day. We changed our minds and decided to test out these new shoes in the backyard. B had a blast jumping in puddles and collecting rocks to stack. Despite the fact that I was freezing we had a great time.

So now the verdict on the Keen Coronado High Top. I loved them. Here are some important factors for me.

They had to look cute. I am a sucker for Chuck Taylor Converse but they make no sense in the Pacific Northwest unless you plan on your kids having cold wet feet all the time. I think these shoes translate pretty similarly as far as being fashionable and don't look totally outdoorsy.

They had to be comfy. So far B has been wearing around the house and outside with no complaints. I like the removable insert that seems to have some extra cushion.

They had to work in rain. What better place to test that out than in Oregon. Although we did go out with full intent to puddle jump these are obviously NOT rain boots and some water did seep in though the "tongue" of his right shoe but honestly not bad. And a better option than a rain boot for us as the ones we have tried seem pretty heavy and B really couldn't move well in them. His feet besides the top of his right foot were still dry and warm.

They had to clean nicely. We really like getting our moneys worth with shoes so we would rather have a few pairs of good quality shoes that B will wear until he grows out of them. So these really needed to clean well to be able to wear for all occasions. When we first got back in the house I was really scared that I may have overestimated the "waterproof-ness" and they were doomed to be dirty looking from here on out, but I wiped them down with a damp rag and they cleaned up great. With exception to the the inside of the straps being that the inside of the shoe is canvas.

All in all I am super pleased with these shoes and seem to fit exactly what we were looking for in and indoor, outdoor toddler shoe. I would definitely recommend them. Time to get your kids outside :)

*this is NOT a sponsored post. Just my personal review*