DAILY CAFE IN THE PEARL

Boy did we have a good turkey sandwich here. The hummus plate is always satisfying with the salty greek salad and eggplant. What may be best about a place we might not otherwise go because it is just a dollar or two our of comfortable lunch price range is the fact that it is a cafe. Open seating, you order at the counter and pick a table and wait for your food to show up which makes for a comfortable spot to split something that will keep the kids from going crazy from hunger (which is about every 2 hours). Good coffee, good sweets, good food. They don't have a bucket of toys, but you don't need them here.

BALLET CLASSES AND PLAYDOUGH

Although we have already featured Laurelhurst Dance Studio, we failed to mention that with the official open of summer, Portland Parks and Rec are once again staffing the playgrounds with sweet teenagers who lay out games, organize art activities, and generally show the kids a good time. After ballet class Ruthie made purple playdough. Why would the city go to such lengths? Although we have not contacted the proper authorities for the official answer, we suspect several likely reasons. Summer employment for local kids, good healthy play for the kids they teach who might otherwise spend the beautiful weather indoors in front of some the boob tube or whatever iteration of handheld video game is currently the rage. Many of the parks also offer free lunch for any kid who shows up. That bears repeating; free lunch for any kid, ages 1-18 from June 21st-August 16th at locations throughout the east side. No paperwork, no stigma, no food stamps, no sermon, nothing but a good healthy lunch.

MOUNT TABOR RESERVOIR

Mt. Tabor is stunning. There is a playground, hiking trails, roads that go up and up and up the mountain for those looking to bust thighs. We went to join a ladybug walk but were thwarted by a 5K run that cruely sent participants straight up the mountain. We made our own nature walk by deciding to find something blue, a spider, three flowers and bonus treasures. We found a blue flower, plenty of other flowers, the bonus of a duct taped sword abandoned by a live action role playing game, and plenty of imaginary dragons (sadly, no spiders were evident). If you find yourself in a park with a bored kid who just wants to go to the slide, try this: fairy houses. Go to the base of a tree and "build" with the sticks and stones you find around a little village for the local faries. Ruth amended this fairy house that we found already established, giving us hope that others are participating in this very good work to house our fairy population.

SW COMMUNITY CENTER POOL

For father's day we decided to get in the car and take a day trip to Gabriel Park's SW Community Center to check out their fancy pool. Was it ever fancy. A giant slide (much faster and longer than you will be prepared for, so be prepared) is the main attraction but the toddler area itself is genius. A big colorful pipe feature has wheels and levers for the kids to manipulate that directs sprays, buckets and splashes. Jets spray up as well in the adjacent area, which is less than 2 feet deep, making it an extremely comfortable play area for babies and new swimmers. It is pricey, which is why we left the trip for a special occasion. Geo was free, but for two adults and one child it was nearly $15. We don't begrudge, this is a really fun place.

SWEETS, ETC., MULTNOMAH VILLAGE

We have been looking (OK, as much as parents of toddlers really "look" for opportunities of sugar crankiness) for a real old fashioned candy store in Portland just for the occasional shock and awe that they inspire in kids. We finally found one on our day trip to Multnomah Village. Sweets etc. fit the bill. You walk in to stacks and rows and baskets of candy. Not the drug store variety Hershey Bar extravaganza, but real crafted candy of the kind that sends you into false nostalgia for the candies we never really found at our 7-eleven's of yore. Georgia was sleeping, Ruth was in heaven.

OMSI SCIENCE PLAYGROUND

(Ruth as a chipmunk, casually nibbling on an acorn)

When it's hot out, or raining, or you're just tired of taking something sharp out of someone's tightly clenched mitts, it's nice to go somewhere groovy and, well, controllable.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's Science Playground is just your place. Most of OMSI is geared towards older kids -- they have a submarine docked that you can explore and, currently, there's the wildly popular and somewhat gross Body Worlds 3 showing right now -- but they toss parents of toddlers and bebes a bone with the Science Playground.

And it is a juicy bone. The entire enterprise is near-total kid safe without seeming dull for the three-year-old and with tons of stuff to do, even if it's "just" one room. There's the kid-size eagles' nest, a wet salmon run (with smocks to keep 'em dry), and even a "project" room with crafts set up for you and the little ones to work on (we made a bug headdress the day we were there). It can be a little pricey, but memberships are somewhat reasonable and it just might be the perfect meeting place for your next playgroup.

LADYBUG NATURE WALKS

Yet another reason we like living in Portland -- the parks. If they were just tended as is, green and abundant, we would be happy, but the services on top of their mere presence almost embarasses us in their generosity and breadth. Ladybug nature walks, for example are held all year rain or shine in parks across the city. You show up with your toddlers and babies, strap on a ladybug backpack filled with nature tools as varied as paint brushes and magnifying glasses, and explore the dirt, bugs and flowers in the park. The ladybug walk pictured was held at Pennisula Park with it's fully mature formal rose garden that was in full June glory. The guides are sweet and gentle, the kids toddle around in a pack with those fuzzy bugs strapped on their backs, who wouldn't feel better about everything after you spend an hour and a half amidst that? We looked at trees, found spiders, examined colors of leaves and grasses, felt rose petals. For two dollars, it is the best outing deal in town.

LAURELHURST DANCE STUDIO

As many who parent little girls will relate to, we have a ballerina in the house. She wants to play dress up, she wants tea parties, she wants twirl skirts and tiny doll things. She also wants to build tree houses and climb rocks so we don't worry and try our best to accomodate all things pink without gagging. At Laurelhurst Dance Studio she will be introduced to her fantasy, Pre-ballet: Where Dreams Begin. I would sign up just for the name of the class to be honest, especially given the modest $18 fee for five classes. Laurelhurst Park itself is a gem, worth the trip even if you don't strap on slippers.

Stepping Stone Cafe

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Our new hood has no shortage of restaurants, but a recent visit to Stepping Stone Cafe merited a mention of a place to go with kids. Reason no. 1: they had a bucket of toys that had just been put through the dishwasher -- squeaky clean (you may not be this lucky). Reason no. 2: good eats made with clean, local food, lots of organics but plenty of fried treats if you want them. We had the wilted spinach salad and a chicken dinner with mashed potatoes both dishes were good if a bit salty (one of us loves salt). Reason no. 3: they were really very nice, even with our kids vacillating at top speed between pout and party (dinner time sugar level plummet). We will be back for their happy hour specials that coincide perfectly with afternoon snack time (3-6) and feature half price appetisers including black bean chili cheese fries, quesadilla, and homemade hummus. (all under $3.50)

It is funky, old-style black and white with red and chrome, interesting art on the walls and be warned, they sell thong bikinis and stay open till the wee hours serving drinks. But if you are ever in the alphabet blocks and reach Q, stop.

JAMISON BEACH

With the sunshine back, anyone looking for a quiet respite at Jamison Park better keep on stepping four blocks up to the bioswail park (Tanner Springs) where they may quietly contemplate pebbles and flowing grasses. Whenever the sun is shining and the fountain flowing, Jamison "Beach" is anything but serene. Packed with kids and strollers, nannies and grannies screams and cries, it is a literal hot spot in PDX early childhood. Last time we went, the fountain was broken. It still runs, but was no longer filling and emptying in the way that made it such a unique and attractive swimming spot. Apparently, all the babies and toddlers were yanking up the nearby monkey grass and throwing it in the water to watch it float, gumming up the entire works. Ah, youth.