Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Portland, OR

Three boys, seven years, and who-knows-how-many messes since I first became a parent, and I am in a constant state of learning. If only I could chat with my 2001 self, my, would I have a few things to tell her about what to focus on; and what to ignore. I made a list of what does, and doesn't, matter now. First, what I'd leave behind:

1. What my parents, in-laws, and their generation think (this one is still in process). I'm not advocating cutting ties with mom & dad, but I would advocate taking a deep breath before and after discussions of parenting styles with your own parents. What worked in their generation, may not work now, and it doesn't do to get yourself worked up over it.
2. Being prepared (with stuff). I only wish I'd spent less of my time worrying about which stroller and bouncy chair to buy, and more on evaluating my thoughts about discipline, co-sleeping, and juggling career and baby.
3. Keeping up appearances at work. I've spent too many years worrying that my colleagues and bosses would perceive me as somehow lessened because I'm a parent. Actually? I'm far happier only worrying about what my little sloppy bosses think of me.
4. Maintaining the rock star self. Do I really need to prove that I can still party like a 25-year-old? I have a few earth-shatteringly awful hangovers to say that it's not worth it when you have a decidedly shriller audience to impress (and if your babe is up at the crack of dawn, oh, honey).
5. The all-important closet. Honestly, what was I thinking buying those stunning suits when my first was an infant? Now I pick clothing that I can sleep in and still look relatively presentable in the morning (you know, in a pinch).

1. Mama friends. Without other parents to commisserate with and occasionally share parenting duties, a glass (or two) of wine, or a good internet banter, I'd be sunk.
2. Being present. Seeing what my kids do. Looking them in the eye. Picking them up when they reach up their hands. Peering at the world through their eyes. It's magical.
3. Cooking. When I make our meals myself, everything changes. Even though cooking three meals from scratch a day (I count leftovers) is a huge investment, it has an enormous payoff.
4. Rhythms. I'm still getting this right. But predictability makes parenting a young child so much easier. And maintaining family rhythms is a beautiful thing.
5. Enjoy the moment, read, pray, photograph, write, teach, remember. I couldn't put the rest into one, so it's all of these things: I want to capture all I'm experiencing because it's my retirement fund, my treasure store. I want to pass on the riches from my own childhood, I am never more happy than when I am teaching my children how to save seeds, knead bread, say a prayer, be a good friend. It's both hard and simple at once.