Urban Mamas

No one told me that when the kids reach school-age, I could spend all of my spare time coordinating and supervising playdates. Sure, it wouldn't be bad if it were just one. But all three of my boys ask for them, on a daily-non-stop basis. The littlest one is 3, and he asks for them because his brothers ask for them. He's had one, and on that one opportune occasion, he got lice :-)

If you can't tell from the tone of this post, I am not fond of playdates. Whatever happened to the spontaneous kids dropping by to see if your kids are home to play? I like the drop by since the expectation is that I am not responsible for coordinating, text, emailing, and calling other parents. We do get those, and more frequently in the warmer months.

What about you? Do you subsribe to the playdate circuit? Do you lay down limits?

Yesterday, I felt that we enjoyed a rare moment at the playground, a moments when each member of the family was actually out there playing.  Parents and kids alike, we were all monkeying on the bars and going down the slide.  It was great, great fun.

To be honest, it is not a frequent occurrence, to find us adults out there playing.  Many times, a stop at the park is time for the kids to get their wiggles out before dinner, to kill time between activities, to meet up with others so mamas/papas can visit while kids play, to buy a little time of distraction so working mamas/papas can check their email or return calls.  Gosh - did it feel great to play!

Really, though, is the playground more just for kids in your experience?  Do you use it as a way to find a distraction for them so you can do something else?  Or, do you find yourself out on the playground with them, goofing off and playing all together?

By next Monday we'll all be ready to get out of the house - and hopefully without skiing!  Though snowshoeing to Freddie's for cookie ingredients will surely be a highlight of 2008 in our house.

We loved bringing a bunch of mamas together to support the Children's Relief Nursery a few weeks back, so we want to do it again. But this time it's all about dipes, wipes & formula - necessities they always need. 

So if you're around and looking for some fun with the kids mixed in with a great cause at a great spot, we hope you'll join us.

Where?  Airplay Cafe @ 701 E. Burnside
When?  Monday, 12.29 from 10 am till noon-ish
You bring: Yourself, the kids, and...

• Diapers (they really need larger sizes),
• Baby wipes, and
• Baby formula (preferably powdered since canned liquid formula is loaded with bisphenol-A)

Hope to see you there!  If you're familiar with Air Play then you know they often have great activities (check the AirPlay calendar), and this time is no exception.  There'll be a free storytime at 10 am for ages 5 and under.  Love that.

We recently received an email from Abby, who's looking for other Vancouver mamas in da house.  How about meeting up at an accessible spot in Vancouver for a weekend playdate?  Who's in?  Please suggest a time & place!

Let's hear it for the foreign speaking playgroups!  First there was Spanish, now how about about Dutch?  Barbara writes:

A bunch of us in the local Dutch community (yes, there is such a thing!) have decided we'd like to have regular gatherings (perhaps a couple of different ones, split by ages) where our kids can speak Dutch together, read Dutch children's books, sing songs, etc. We are thinking of a semi formal arrangement where folks would commit to coming twice a month, pay a fee, etc. We are even thinking of hiring a "teacher". For this purpose we are looking for an affordable, kid-friendly space we could use/rent twice a month, preferably on Saturday mornings, possibly on Fridays. Ideally we would like to be able to leave some things there (a small library, CDs, DVDs), but that is not absolutely necessary. Since we come from all over the Portland area and beyond, we are looking for a fairly centrally located space. For now we are thinking that the group size would be around 15 kids or fewer and a few adults for each gathering. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Oh, and if you are a Dutch mama or papa and are interested in joining us, also feel free to contact me!

Diana is looking for or hoping to start a Spanish playgroup.  Do you know of one or are you interested?

Hi there, I hoping to find some Spanish bilingual families that would like to start a weekly playgroup.  I have 2 kiddos 3 and 1.5 and we are doing our best to raise them with both languages.  It would be wonderful if we could meet other families with children speaking Spanish as well.  We could start a group at each others houses where they can play and the parents could interact as well. Or we could even hire a bilingual nanny to come to the homes so the parents could get some quiet parent time.  We live in NE close in, and we'd love to meet neighborhood families, but any families who are interested with young kiddos would be welcome!  We'll figure something out!  Muchas Gracias!

It can be really difficult to meet new people.  It's even more difficult when you're busy tending to your child(ren).  Conversations are difficult to hold and a child somehow senses when you are trying to talk, and usually (inadvertently) thwarts your efforts to keep your attention on said conversation.  Gaia is looking to get past the first awkward (and distracted) hellos at the park and find a mama's group nearby:

I am a young mother and hardly know any other moms in the area.  I live in SE on mt tabor with my daughter who is 7 months.  We love taking walks and spending time outdoors in the nice spring weather.  Also a nice cup of tea is always good on a rainy day! I'd love to learn about a mom's group in my neighborhood or somewhere in the SE area.

uMamas, do you know of an ongoing playgroup for Maria? Would you like to be part of one? There are new urbanMamas in the NE wanting to connect!

I am a new urbanMama and a new mama in the lookout for a play group /date for my 8 month old baby boy Santiago. We live in NE and would like to meet other mamas and bebes around our area, and we are both free every afternoon! I would like to meet other mamas who speak Spanish or who are interested in teaching /speaking Spanish to thier babies. Thanks for posting this and for hepling me find other mamas who are also sick of the rain but ready to play!

Meg is seeking other parents in a similar situation:

Hi everyone!  After months of testing, we now know that our 10 month old son is hard of hearing and will require the use of hearing aides.  He has moderate hearing loss and should develop normal communication skills with the use of the aides and early intervention services.  We know there must be other urbanMamas and papas out there who also have a child with hearing aides (whether profoundly deaf or mildly hard of hearing) who would benefit from networking with other parents. Maybe these groups already exist, but we have struggled to find other parents in this situation.  We hope to have a group that would meet regularly to play, discuss childcare, practice sign language, discuss the IFSP process, and have a good time. 

Open Arms Play Group seeks to create and nurture a loving and inclusive community celebrating every person with Down syndrome.  The group works to increase local famiy networking, provide current resources, offer useful personal experience and encourage individuals to open their arms, hearts, and minds to children with Down.  Open Arms is a parent-driven play group of the Northwest Down Syndrome Association, a support organization for families and children with Down syndrome ages birth through five with

Bethlehem Lutheran Church
1244 NE 39th Ave
Portland, OR 97232

Third Friday of Each Month
10 AM to 11:30 AM

Looking for a playgroup in your neighborhood?  I had heard about these playgroups in passing, but we've recently gotten the low-down.  urbanPapa Eric is part of the organizers:

We've got 3 playgroups here in Sellwood/Moreland/Brooklyn, mine for kids born ~'04, Kirstin's for kids born ~'05, and Mary's for those born '06.  We each have different activities, based on the different ages we have, but we also have different styles and approaches to the whole thing.  If you're interested, take a look at my blog which I use to post weekly calendar of activities. I try to stay local and develop community interests.

Please note Eric's comment below -- please contact him at chasingmoose@gmail.com if you would like more information on the playgroups!

Looking for a playgroup in the SE?  Kirstin writes:

Any families living in Sellwood, Eastmoreland or Westmoreland looking to connect with other parents and kids are welcome to join one of the playgroups in the Sellwood Playgroup Association--free and pretty informal. Right now we have three groups--one for kids born in 2006, one for kids born in 2005 (about 50 families right now), and another that is mainly 2004 kiddos with a few 2003s (also about 50 families). We'll probably start looking for someone to start a 2007 group around summertime.  Each group has a website and mailing list with weekly playgroups and gatherings.

Websites:
2004 group:  http://www.sellwoodplaygroupschedule.blogspot.com/
2005 group:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sellwood05/
2006 group:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sellwood06playgroup/

Anyone with questions or who wants to be directed to a particular group can contact me:
Kirstin McAuley
Sellwood Playgroup Association Co-Founder
Coordinator for Sellwood 2005 Playgroupmom to Ellery, Olivia and Clara
ktmcauley@gmail.com

Back by popular demand, Friday Knights is scheduled for Friday, February 23rd.  We went last time, and our girls had a super-duper time.  They came home with fun stuff, like journals and pens, and they spent the evening making huge life-size drawings, playing card games, and playing the night away.  The best part was that we adults could steal away for a couple of hours of grown-up time and grown-up drinks.

Mark your calendars and RSVP now!  Sydney's is modifying it's format, pricing, and timing, so here are details:

Friday Knights at Sydney's
Friday, February 23, 2007
6:30 to 8:30 PM (feel free to drop off at 6:15 to help kids get situated)
Kids ages 5 and up (Kids as young as 3 are welcome when accompanied by an older sibling)
$15 per child, $10 for first sibling, and $5 for each sibling thereafter

Advance registration required: sydneyscommunity@gmail.com or 503 241 4313.

Now meeting every other Saturday at the Friendly House. 

Moms with babies 1 year and younger are welcome to come to meet other  moms and babies to share experiences and ideas, ask questions, or simply make new friends. This is a great opportunity for first-time moms to find advice and learn from other moms. A topic or theme (Is my baby
having stranger anxiety and what do I do?, Any good sleeping tips?  etc.) will be discussed during each session but there will also be an opportunity for moms to ask specific questions. This group will meet every other Saturday (2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month, except for March) to accommodate working moms or moms that just can't make it to  the usual groups that meet on weekdays. The first group meeting will be on January 13, 2007 at 9:30 am. at The Friendly House.  No registration required and members can join at anytime.  For more information, contact Nannette Sato at redcedars@comcast.net.

- update -
looks like some mamas in N/NE are looking to meet up (see comment below):

Tuesday, December 9, 10 AM at SohBet.

Originally posted by urbanmamas on November 18, 2006.
Are there North Portland mamas looking to connect? Sharon writes:

I am a new mama of a 2 1/2 month old little boy. We live in N. Portland in the St. Johns area and would love to find some Mama's with young infants that would like to get together. I don't go back to work until December 11th. After that I will be available Tuesdays, Wednesday afternoons, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. We could meet at an indoor park (maybe the St. Johns Community Center or another North Portland center?), Anna Bananas or any where kid-friendly.

We mamas know we have a great thing going here with urbanMamas.  While we aren't an exclusive all-mama community, we are admittedly biased toward all things mama.  (Shout-outs go to our most regular urbanPapa participant, Tony at Milagros!).  How does an urbanPapa find his support and community?  Anyone know of ongoing groups or websites?  Kate asks:

I have posted a couple times on the site and find it to be a really wonderful tool.  I am in my second trimester of pregnancy and it has now started to feel real.  My husband is excited and nervous and would love to find a dad's group to meet with soon-to-be dad's to talk about his upcoming role.  He is coming up empty on the web, as am I.  Any suggestions about where he might look for support?

We all know how important it is for us to connect with like-minded urbanMamas. We exchange tips, dramas, challenges, and triumphs. We need a mama community. Ally writes:

I am a first-time mom looking for other mothers who be interested in forming a play group for 7-8 month olds. None of my friends have any kids so it would be nice to meet up with new moms to bounce ideas off etc. I live in inner SE.

Now that the colder, wetter weather is on its way, perhaps its time for us to resume some semi-regular coffee playdates?

Thanks to those who expressed interesting in a playgroup for grandparents and their grandbabies. Kim has organized the first gathering:

I am setting up an initial meeting of the moms, babies, and grannies who expressed interest in having a granny/baby playgroup. We're hoping to meet Saturday, Oct. 7th at around 8:30 or 9am at Sip & Kranz in the Pearl. We'd love to have any additional folks out there who may be interested.

It's grey and drizzly this morning and mama needs coffee. Hence, the little dude and I are heading over to Sip & Kranz , um, right now! We'll be there from about 9 am until about 11 or 11:30, or whenever he starts getting tired. If anyone is out and about and wants to stop by, please do! I'll be the very tired-looking one in the pink sweater typing loudly on my laptop drowning in a half-caf mocha...hope to see you there! If not, have a great Thursday, mamas!

Many of us can relate to being new parents in a new place, and the desire to meet like-minded families. Interested in helping start a Beaverton playgroup? Please contact Lisa, who writes:

My husband and I are Bay Area and SoCal transplants. We just moved here at the end of August with our just turned 1-year old daughter and all of us are looking forward to meeting people and getting settled. We live in Beaverton and would be more than happy to host some moms at my place to jumpstart our less than active social lives. : ) Here is some background info on us... We are mid 30s (me) and mid 40s (hubby). He was a middle school math teacher and I owned my own consulting business for about 5 years until we got married and had Jo. We have a yellow lab named Charlie, and had another chocolate lab named Tonka who passed away a couple of months ago. Our little girl loves meeting people, especially when they are closer to her size!

I was lucky enough to be raised, significantly, by my grandparents - my maternal grandparents and my paternal grandmother. Boy, oh, boy, I would have loved this idea!

My name is Kim. I live in NE Portland and I'm the first-time mom of a 10-month-old baby girl. I work 4 days a week and I'm lucky enough to have my mom take care of my daughter while I'm at work. I know there must be other grandparents out there who take care of their grandbabies while the parents are at work. I am looking to put together a play group of babies/toddlers and their grandparents so that my mom can meet other grandparent/caregivers and my daughter can be around other children. I'd love to hear from anyone that might be interested.

Part of the beauty of the urbanMamas community is when other urbanMamas email us with great tips and resources.  Thanks Meg for your email!:

I’ve been reading the postings at Urbanmamas since before my son was born.  I just wanted everyone (especially the moms and dads of new babies) to know about a weekly group that meets from 10 am to 11 am on Wednesdays at the Concordia New Seasons.  It’s led by a doula named Erica and it’s free.  It started as a breastfeeding support group and is now a general parenting group.  Right now, the numbers are low because a lot of the babies were getting older and the parents were going back to work.  Today, it was just me!  This was great because it was a free hour with the doula, but it’s great when more babies are there.  If that’s not enough of an incentive, usually there is a beautiful tray of organic fruit.  I hope to see some urbanmamas there next week.

So, now that the busy weekend is over, how about a coffee playdate?  JJ mentions that she and Blair will be meeting up at Sip and Kranz, then heading over to Jamison.  Let's say...  9:30 AM?  See you there!  Look for a couple of mamas with their li'l babies and their bigger kids, too!

Transition is can be hard on a family. We moved to Portland almost 3 years ago, when Philly was just about 3. The transition was fine for her, starting a new preschool in a new city. Tati was born just after we moved. I know I missed my old friends, for sure. I myself wondered if I'd make new ones. As we started working the playdate scene, I thought our 3 yr old Philly was on the older side of most new families we were meeting. Despite age differences, we've managed to become close with families whose kids are younger than Philly (now almost 6), which seems fine because she likes to preside over the others as if she was queen. Cindy writes:

My family and I have just moved to Portland from Northern California a few short weeks ago. ... This transition is a big change for us and what I really need is some 4-ish to 6-ish year old friends for my oldest son. He is a loving and sensitive child and very eager to make new friends. We have been to some parks and a couple of events but have mostly found kids that are either quite a bit younger, quite a bit older, or already involved in great and strong friendships.

We also have a 2 1/2 year old little boy although the cousin they now see frequently is his age so I am less concerned with making friends for him. I would love to meet up with someone or some families that also have 4-6 year old-ISH children to chat and play. Although we will live very near Gresham I am willing to travel nearly anywhere.

Any families with children ages 4-6 want to meet up for a playdate?

Our little ones are 11 month old Jack and 2 and half year old Ella.  We are looking to connect with some uM's in the Beaverton area for maybe a once a week play date... maybe at the park by the library?, maybe before/after the library's story time?? http://www.beavertonlibrary.org/kids/storytimes.html, maybe Ava's Roasteria then to the park??, maybe the zoo?  I dunno. 

We have met some GREAT uM's & uK's over the past year, but darn it if it isn't hard for us to get to NE & N PDX what with naps and such...

Let me know if there is any interest.

Every Friday, from about 11 a.m. to about 3 p.m., my husband and I open the wading pool at Kenilworth Park, around 34th and SE Holgate. It's a lovely wading pool and I really hope you all can stop by. I'll post later on how you can volunteer for your own pool but I've got to get there before my Friday escapes me!

Everett is a media-saturated kid, despite all my good intentions during pregnancy. We love Dora, Backyardigans, and movies that may or may not be kid-friendly but Everett loves: Chronicles of Narnia, Princess Bride, and naturally the entire Disney/Pixar oeuvre. He's at the age where imaginative play is not just developing, more like seeping into every nook and cranny of his world. He sees bad guys and princesses (in need of rescue) and superheroes everywhere.

Lately, he's been involving other kids (largely girls, age 4 or 5) in his play. He'll draft them as superhero helpers to save the princess and beat the bad guys (even if they, themselves, are princesses -- that doesn't seem to slow him down any). The girls will call him "my superhero" and will assist him in gigantic karate kicks and sword play and the occasional shooting (from any weapon, he's using his stethiscope from his doctor kit as a laser-type "shooting thing") to beat the bad guys and rescue the many princesses waiting in the trees, under the bench, on the roof, in the closet.

Yesterday, both Everett and his princess/superhero friend got in trouble for finding huge sticks to use for swords. Everett couldn't stop talking about his friend (her daddy calls her his princess!) and wishing to play with her more. But as they both got in trouble, she left the park hurriedly and Jonathan never had a chance to exchange phone numbers with her daddy.

Sometimes I worry that Everett's rather good-vs-evil, violent play will keep other parents from wanting their kids to play with him -- and wondered if that hadn't been the reason the princess friend had gone home so quickly. But it's just the way he takes dominion over his world and I don't want to quash it. In fact, I've been encouraging it, playing along with him when I have time and engaging in his stories. We're even planning to throw a save-the-princess birthday party (princesses can save other princesses, naturally! we're all feminists here :).

Do you let your kids engage in the imaginations of other children? And how much latitude do you give them with the beating of badguys and the swordplay (assuming safety of all involved, naturally)? I've noticed that parents of kids over 4, or so, throw up their hands and accept that "killing" bad things is just a rite of passage, and have stopped disciplining their kids for saying the "d" word. As have I. What's your policy with imaginary death and killing? Am I being too permissive?

Liz would like to organize a Saturday morning playdate for June 24th.  Any mamas interested?  Suggestions for venues?  Please comment and RSVP below.

We receive many questions regarding finding out more information about play dates and meeting other mamas, especially from those new to the area.  Diane writes:

I am new to the Portland area, and I have a 7-month old daughter.  I am interested in learning about new moms' groups/playgroups so that I can meet other new moms and my daughter can interact with other children.  I live in NW Portland and while I can definitely travel to other parts of the city, I would be most interested in learning about groups near me.  Thoughts or suggestions?

Catherine writes:

I very much want to meet other moms and arrange some play dates for my 1 1/2 yr old son Dylan. I'm not sure how to post a note on your site to see when moms are meeting at Urban Grind or whether there are other moms groups around Lloyd Center.

Then there is the case of new-found mamahood, and the need to connect with other mamas.  This was my situation a few years ago.  I was in desparate need of companionship and support.  I spent time searching for on-line groups to join being that I was a "work-outside-of-the-home-mama".  I joined a couple of Yahoo groups, an MSN group, and even Moms Meetup in my quest for some friends.  I talked to just about every parent at the local parks and Book Babies.  I would exchange numbers with new mamas, but mostly never followed up.  I felt like I was dating again, having a hard time connecting.  Maybe I was trying too hard.  I know it sounds like complete overkill! But eventually it did happen.  On one of the Yahoo groups, Sarah shared her link to their family Web site, and then another, and the rest is history.  Some of us urbanMamas do post about gatherings, but these are not standing play dates.  There are others that have sent us notices about their groups and regular gatherings.  We want to continuing being a conduit to help other mamas meet up. Can you share your success stories?  Do you have a playgroup that you'd like to post about?  Can you offer any of your experiences?

Beaverton in the house?  Writes Robin:

I am a working mom and do not have a lot of time on my hands.  I work in the evenings and on Saturdays so I do not have my daughter in any daycare.  I feel disconnected from other moms and am not sure where to go.  I have a 16 month old who is very active and would love to find people to connect with in the Beaverton area.  I am interested in the west side if you know of any playgroups.  It would be so wonderful to find a playgroup as I love to be social but have yet to find a group of mothers to talk with.

Any tips, mamas?  Feel free to post comments here or email Robin directly!

Thanks Jackie for the heads-up on a FUN event:

The Bike Gallery on SE Woodstock (at SE 43rd) hosts a cycling playgroup on the last Friday morning of each month throughout the summer for moms, dads and tots.  Bring your little one, bicycle, and trailer or extra seat to take a short bike ride to the park and for coffee.  Meet at 10 AM.

Are you a new mama living in NE Portland?  Wanna meet other mamas?  Looks like Sarah's starting a playgroup in her 'hood:

I am starting up a new mama group! I am the only one with a babe in my friend group and need to build a mama community. Having been entirely unsuccessful at finding a group to join that I didn't have to pay for (totally lame!) I have decided I can make my own. I'm hoping to find mamas with similar-ish age babies (0 - 1yr) to chat, vent, learn from one another and have some fun too. The first meeting will be at Extracto (that new coffee shop on Killingsworth at 30th, they seem quite friendly) on the first tuesday of June at 2:30, bring your babies (of course). We can figure out then where, when, and how often to meet. If you want to be part, but can't make that time, feel free to e-mail me (sarah@steelheadrealty.com).

Wanted to invite uM's and their ukid's to the Zoo tomorrow...  We will meet on the concert lawn (look for the 2.5 year old with the bright red hair) at 9-9:30.  Should be a beautiful day!  Hope to see you there.

Thank you, Betty, for forwarding the info from www.OutdoorDads.org.  Family hikes are every fourth Saturday of the month, which means that this month's family hike is this Saturday, March 25th:

Greetings OutdoorDads and friends,

Happy spring, everyone!  Wowzer, has this been a soggy winter, or what?  Ready for some sunshine?  Me too.  Well, no promises for this coming weekend, but keep your fingers crossed.  We’re going on a hike this coming fourth Saturday of the month (March 25), and you and your favorite little person(s) are invited.  We'll stroll the trails of Tryon Creek State Park, in SW Portland near Lewis and Clark College.  While we’re primarily a dad’s group, moms are also welcome on this outing.

This easy hike features about 2-3 miles and about 400 feet of elevation gain, along meandering trails and a forested creek.  The main attraction is the sense of calmness and seclusion that’s hard to come by in the midst of a major urban area.  The plush trailhead amenities include a visitor’s center, bathrooms and picnic tables.  Driving time is about 15 minutes from Portland city center – the closest hike we do.  Plan on bringing shoes and clothes that can stand a bit of mud.

For complete hike details, driving directions to the trailhead and more, please see the outings page on the OutdoorDads web site.

If you’d like to go on this hike, all you need to do is show up on Saturday morning at the trailhead and be ready to hike at 11:00 sharp.  There’s no need to sign up in advance, RSVP, or any of that stuff.  (As leaving the house with a kid always takes more time then you think, please plan for this on Saturday morning.)

Please feel free to pass this email along to any outdoorsy-minded friends with kids that you think might be interested.  If you can make it this Saturday, we’d love to see you.

First time mama seeking other first time mamas:

I'm looking for a group of mom's with six month olds. I'm a first time mom to daughter Eloise, born September 13 and none of my friends have babes in this age range. Most are in their two's and three's and they are heavily focused on the terrible two's and three's. So I thought maybe I would see if there were some mom's that could get together for coffee and bounce some ideas off one another. I live in northeast. Thanks. Kate A.

P.S.  urbanMama suggestion - If there are enough mamas commenting who are interested, you could probably start your own group.  All it takes is a couple of mamas to start a group.

Hi mamas,
Jackson and I are heading to Syndey's (1800 NW 16th) this morning.  We didn't have a chance to check it out last week and are looking for something fun to do on this sunny Friday morning.  We'll be there between 9:30 and 10.  Hope to see some of you there! 

Friday's are made to be good days. Join us on Friday at 10 AM at Sydney's, a new urbanMama haunt for sure. We're also going to screen Portland At Play DVD on the big flat panel.  Here's what Robyn, creator of Portland at Play, has to say about her project:

Before I moved here with hubby, two kids and Australian terrier in tow, I searched everywhere for as much info as I could find about kid stuff in Portland and found the info scattered and sometimes difficult to find. My hubby and I were looking for a visual guide (when I read there were 240 parks in the Portland area alone... where to begin?? I wanted to SEE some of them, SEE the play-structures, SEE the splashing fountains (Keller Fountain and Jamison Square are both terrific but SO different)...

Anyway, long story a bit less long, we decided to produce our own visual guide - on DVD. We began researching, distributing questionnaires to long-time portlanders and new residents, taking our girls to every place that was recommended... and 18 months later... "Portland at Play" was officially born last month.

The DVD offers a visual tour of many of the kid-friendly activities and attractions available in and around Portland and is loaded with ideas for fun things to do any day of the year, rain or shine. We cover outdoor spots like parks and playgrounds, U-pick farms and splashing fountains as well as activities like hiking, biking, skateboarding, boating and snow play. We cover indoor activities like museums, theater, climbing gyms, indoor pools, etc. We also cover the basics -- the lowdown on finding your way around the city as well as info on downtown -- and day trips. With seasonal info and age-specific recommendations, we're hoping the guide will be a really useful resource for Portland families -- especially newbies who haven't figured out their way around yet.  We give web addresses of the places we mention and when we introduce an activity, we always try to let people know its just to get them started and then we point them where to go to learn more... The whole thing is completely unsponsored -- no one paid to be in the DVD -- so hopefully parents will trust it as being info presented to parents from parents.

Hope to see y'all there, mamas!  Just talked to Tim, the owner, who promises to have plenty of special pastries and other goodies just for us!

Thanks to Sarah for creating the urbanMamas Flickr group. I just added a few photos there today, so feel free to check them out. I must confess, I am addicted to too many things already on the great 'Net and have been enjoying the private solitude my photos can find on KodakGallery (formerly Ofoto), but Flickr is pretty cool. After all, it is Flickr that allows me to keep track of my friends Becca and Brian's year-long adventure traveling around the world. (Click here to view their photos if you want to take a mental vacation during your day to an exotic land...a different place every few days!). 

Hope to see many of you at the Friday playdate at Sydney's this week (if you haven't been then you must--you, too, will fall madly in love with this place!).

Hot bloggity!  Reason #51 why Portland rocks - the coffee shops, specifically Sydney's.  Sydney's is brand spanking new, kid-friendly and urbanCool.  It also has Wi-Fi.  Put it on you calendar for this Friday, February 17.  We'll be there at around 10 am.  It's on 15th and NW Thurman across from Childpeace Montessori School.  Let us know if you can join us.

P.S. Parking is available in the lot next to the cafe.  It was plentiful for a Sunday, not sure how it is during the weekdays.

P.S.S Don't forget that Karen and Tori, and other urbanMamas are gathering on V-Day at Urban Grind!

Photos courtesy 5-yr old Philly.

I'm heading to Urban Grind this morning for some coffee and catching up with some off-line moms.  Any chance you're in the neighborhood, please pop in!  I'll be there from 9:30 am to Noon.  Perhaps I will see you there.

When I'm home with my two boys, I pour myself a cup of coffee in the morning.  Just as I'm about to sit down and have a sip, the toddler will bother me with a request for "something to eat" and insists I sit "right there" to play trains.  So, I put the cup down and tend to his needs.  Ready to sit down for another sip, the infant will start fussing.  A dirty diaper?  Morning nursing?  It's always something.  Between the two of them, I do this dance of picking up the coffee cup to take a swig, but before I do, I'm pulled away.  Duty is always calling.  Needless to say, I tend to nuke the coffee it two or three times during the day without being able to enjoy it while it's hot, sometimes sadly it remains without being drunk.  Does this happen to you?  This Friday, I'm making sure that I get my morning caffeine.  Any mamas interested in meeting up at Urban Grind?  It's an urbanMama favorite meeting place - good coffee, large space with couches and toys for the kidlets.  I'm thinking about heading over there this Friday, Dec. 16 at around 10 am with my two boys.  Perhaps I will see you there!

Urban Grind Coffeehouse and Roasters

2214 NE Oregon St
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 546-0649