The McDougal Family

Those comic fans

2011-12-03T12:33:00.001-08:00

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My Muppets

2011-11-24T14:07:00.001-08:00

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Making Joseph Laugh

2011-11-23T10:03:00.001-08:00

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Bedtime story

2011-10-09T20:23:00.001-07:00

Rory is getting Joseph ready for bed by reading him a good book.

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Handsome boy

2011-10-09T18:21:00.001-07:00

Check out the dimple

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More pics from my kitchen table

2011-09-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

This one above, I lost the daylight and was using the wrong lens and I'm so sad about it! Making it black and white salvages it a little bit, but still what a loss.

When Real Life Strikes, I'll Just Look at These...

2011-09-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

...and I won't think about the blood, sweat and tears that went into acquiring them.

My Boy

2011-09-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

Joseph David McDougal

2011-09-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Born August 17, 2011 at 8:39pm. 6 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long.

Alex and Rory absolutely adore him.

Joseph isn't even a day old yet in the hospital and this is the first time the girls have seen him. Below, Alex is begging her daddy to please let her hold him again.

She's one happy big sister.

The girls really make a great team.

This is the very first time Alex held Joseph

...and this is the very first time Rory held him.

For the entire first week of Joseph's life, Rory would not put him down. She never tired of him and I had to beg her to let me have a turn! Good thing I was nursing him or I might have never had the chance to hold him at all!

Compositions

2011-06-30T11:21:00.001-07:00

Rory likes making up stories. She did this by herself and you can see the 'c' is backwards in "back". She wrote: "Back at the man's house, he died." we're working on her using only lower case letters. :)
And to the right is a picture of the monster (his mouth is open) that killed the poor man.

Below is Alex' composition from an earlier chapter of "The Jungle Book". She went back later and colored the whole page so it's hard to see the writing. :)

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The Smolder

2011-06-20T13:16:00.001-07:00

Rory: "Mommy! That boy gave me a smolder look!"

Me: "what's a smolder look?"

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Test

2011-06-20T10:57:00.001-07:00

...

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Swim lessons

2011-06-20T10:53:00.001-07:00

The girls' swim lessons started this morning. They're every day for two weeks, and another two weeks in July. They were so enthralled and excited the whole lesson. At one point Rory's teacher had to ask her to quiet down and listen... Rory was so happy she didn't mind. Rory is the one wearing a pink swim cap with a big white flower on it.

I couldn't get a pic of Alex with her class- maybe it will work out next time.

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My Decision to Home School

2011-06-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a long road traveled getting to this point, but I would like to share with my family and friends why I've decided to home school my children. Some parts of my story are very personal and very spiritual to me, and I contemplated including them here on my blog. But I feel that my decision to home school won't be very clear unless I include some of these personal experiences.

Why

I've always tutored the girls in reading, math, art, fun with science, etc., but now we are official homeschoolers. Alex went to kindergarten at a wonderful school last year, Freedom Academy, and had many positive experiences. Even so, I was troubled by the Spirit. Though Alex wasn't struggling in any way, something just didn't feel right- something was, or many things were, missing. However, making the decision to home school was a scary thought. I won't lie, it was a really hard decision to make. What if I couldn't measure up to the job? What if I couldn't do it like my mother did it? What if circumstances of pregnancies and newborn babies made it impossible? I wouldn't even be able to get Alex back into Freedom Academy because students are admitted by lottery and she will have lost her spot. That was a major sticking point for Dave too. But as I let these negative what-if thoughts come, I felt an absence of the Spirit. I was restless, anxious, unsettled and unhappy. I wanted to have the answer jump up at me and float in the air with a golden halo around it-- or to at least not have to make the decision completely on my own. I waited and waited hoping that somehow my decision would be made a bit easier and more obvious. But I finally realized I would have to take steps on my own first. I trusted that the Lord wouldn't let me go too far down a wrong path. I had, and was continuing to do, years of research and study into home school methods, the best curricula, and more. With the "work" being done, and with many a prayer, I took what for me still felt like a giant leap into a dark abyss. But as soon as I leapt I found instead, to my relief and astonishment, solid ground, clear skies and green meadows. The continual Spiritual confirmations overwhelmed me. The feelings of peace, calm, direction and joy are still with me and every day of school with my little girls is a day that they are best friends, obedient and kind daughters, happy playmates, and for me a day of surprising energy, good health, and happiness. We started the school year the beginning of June so that we will have a little leeway when the baby comes in August.

What (curriculum)

When Alex started her Kindergarten year at Freedom Academy, I delved into curricula research more than ever. I wanted to see how the curriculum she was learning compared to everything else out there. Freedom uses Saxon math, which I hold to be an excellent preparatory University-level math. However, I wondered if it is just as beneficial in the elementary levels. Alex tested for the 1st grade Saxon math last year at her school. I compared that to several other math programs, A-Beka math always staying ahead as the main competitor. I did A-Beka during my elementary school years. It is an advanced math program that is also very aesthetically pleasing. I LOVED math as a child. A-Beka gave me great confidence in my abilities and instilled in me a great love for math that continued through BYU and continues still. Around 5th or 6th grade I started taking Saxon math, which prepared me for the college math courses I started taking at 15 years old. My straight A's were not due to any brilliance on my part, but on the preparation my mother had given me through excellent curriculum via home school. There were many aspects of this elementary level Saxon that impressed me, but the main test was how Alex responded to it. She started disliking math and losing confidence in her own ability. As I compared Saxon and A-Beka 1st grade math, I found that A-Beka isn't just more fun, it's more advanced. I have chosen A-Beka math and Alex has completed several weeks of grade 2 so far. By the second week of A-Beka math, she was learning new concepts (because elementary Saxon doesn't excel as far as A-Beka) and even with brand new concepts, she exclaims in surprise, "I LOOOOVE math! Oh this is so much fun!".

For history, we are using Susan Wise-Bauer's "Story of the World: History and Geography". We have started with ancient times and are studying along with scripture. Reading and writing assignments and projects that accompany this history and geography are quite extensive.

One of my favorite and most-used resources for planning out our home school is Susan Wise-Bauer's (and Jessie Wise's), "The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home". For anyone who is still curious about how one might set up a successful home school, I couldn't recommend any source or book higher. Or for those who might be interested in how I home school, my philosophy can be summed up very nicely in these authors' words.

I finally narrowed down and chose "The Phonics Road to Spelling and Reading", which is a comprehensive language arts program that teaches accurate speaking, spelling, writing, reading, grammar, composition through quality children's literature, and an introduction to Latin. I love that this program includes diagramming... why ever that was allowed to fall between the cracks in most schools I'll never know. Both Alex and Rory are starting with Level One. Alex will complete it in less than a couple months (then on to Level Two and so on) and it will probably last Rory the entire school year.

For Science over the Summer, we are going on fun Nature walks where we observe, collect, draw, and journal. We are also doing a little Backyard Scientist: Earthworms for some fun scientific experiments. But I have been contemplating REAL Science Odyssey for our core Science curriculum starting in the Fall. Whatever we do, it follows along with our History in what was being discovered in the world at that time. So this year we will be studying Life (Human body, animal kingdom, and plant kingdom). Next we will probably study Earth and Space (weather, seasons, the earth, minerals, rocks, solar system, and space). And eventually we'll study chemistry (atoms, molecules, periodic table, states of matter, acids and bases, and chemical reactions). Of course there will be lots of hands-on activities, field trips, and labs to accompany everything we learn.

We always have reading time. Alex and Rory read on their own all the time, but there is something special about all of us reading a book together as part of school in addition to family scripture study. It was something my mother did with us, and we loved it so much that years after we had become quite independent (or snotty in our teenage years) in school, we never balked at gathering on the couch to listen to our mother read to us, but we remained eager for the experience. I want to continue that tradition in our own home school. Recently we have read "The Witches" by Roald Dahl (one of the girls' absolute favorites), "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling, Eugene Field's collection of poems (beautiful!), and currently we are reading Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book". The girls can draw a picture while I'm reading to them if they like, and afterwards, depending on how much writing they've already done that day, I may have them write about it. Sometimes Alex needs a little help figuring out what to write, which I feel is to be expected for her age, and she can write it all perfectly without any of my help. Rory, while she can't write it completely on her own (at least not without it taking longer than her patience affords), has a real talent for eloquently and orderly summarizing what we've just read. Rory insists on writing some of it herself, and when I sense her patience beginning to run short, I write while she continues to narrate.

Extra-Curricular activities include piano lessons for Alex given by her daddy, who is an excellent teacher! He has a treasure box of prizes to give her after each lesson IF he can tell she's practiced hard and consistently during the week, and if she is attentive during his lesson. I'm the heavy on making her practice every day, but Dave is the fun, nice sugar daddy whose lessons she looks forward to every week! Both girls are in Ballet at a wonderful academy. Alex is going in to her fourth year at the academy, and Rory is going in to her third year. Piano and Ballet, I hope, will always be their core extra-curricular, but if they want to branch out, I'm willing to let them do something else IN ADDITION. The girls are thrilled with their swimming classes which started a couple days ago. Alex learned how to ride her bike without training wheels a few weeks ago. Riding bikes is a daily adventure now for both girls. I'd also love the girls to learn how to play all the group jump rope games. I've made it a priority to afford the girls with many opportunities and avenues for remaining very active.

We also study music appreciation (we learn operas, classical pieces, etc. and take the girls to operas as a reward), art, and poetry. We adhere to the Utah state laws which means that we conduct school for a certain number of days and hours each year and teach the subjects prescribed by law... of course, we're actually doing much more than that. However, we do have the freedom to choose our school year schedule and vacations which makes continuing our educational travels very easy. We are very structured and disciplined in our day, but we still enjoy the freedom of spontaneously adding a field trip here, further studying a subject of interest there, or simply taking an extra recess break as needed.

When I saw what Amanda's (my older sister and exemplar) home school co-op charter school was like in California, I started to search for something like that here in Utah. Once a week, Amanda and her children meet with their large home school group at a beautiful church house, with accompanying buildings and beautiful grounds, where they teach group classes of history, science, art, or pretty much anything you can think of. You get to choose which classes you'd like your children to take and enroll them. While the kids are in classes, the mothers visit together (or teach a class like Amanda does). Because it's a charter school, you actually get to use part of your own educational tax money! As it turns out we do have one here that is very similar (we would meet one day a week only). Only problem is that we might not get in. It's a lottery system for admittance and there's a pretty high demand to get in (not sure how all these other home schoolers found them!). Class choices include violin, dance, history, math, creative writing, sports, etc. etc. but we would get to choose whatever we want! Plus, there is a little educational reimbursement fund- we can turn in receipts for educational supplies, curricula, etc. and be reimbursed! And it would be nice to be a part of a home school support group. I'm so hoping that we get in to this one! Update (7-17-11) We found out a few days ago that we got in! I went through their course catalogue and signed Alex up for the extra-curricular classes she'll be taking there once a week. She will be taking: 1) Lego building and robotics, 2) Penny Counting (math games class), 3) Fun with Fitness, 4) Literature-Based Art, 5) "I Love America", and 6) Story Telling. Next year I'll probably sign her up for a violin class, sign language, and some kind of fun art like sculpting.

Is it hard? Very. But it almost seems ungrateful to admit that. I am not doing this alone. The Lord showers us with blessings every day: I have energy, the girls are eager and inquisitive, before we know it school is done and the girls are asking for more because all three of us are having so much fun! The girls play more sweetly and cooperatively together, and they are repeatedly bursting out with, "Thank you Mommy! I LOVE school!!" and "You are the best Mommy!". The unsolicited and unexpected thank you's are never-ending. Of course we have the occasional hard day when everything is just the opposite. But those are pretty rare as long as I make sure the girls are getting the sleep and diet they need (and above all that we stay close to the Spirit through scripture and prayer).

How

A little over a month ago I started transforming our basement into our schoolhouse. This has been especially exciting for Alex. She exclaims, "This is SO much better than my old school!". She also loves the freedom of being able to go on meaningful field trips, do our school work in exciting places other than school (on hikes, at the library- our second home, beautiful parks under trees "like Alice in Wonderland!", etc).

Here is the reading pavilion. If I need a couple minutes to prepare something, I give the girls some free reading time.

Here's a larger view from the theatre. I didn't take pictures of the theater, but we do our group reading time (history, etc.) on the comfortable couch and lovesac in the theater. We will, of course, watch any and all educational movies there as well. In the hot, hot summer, being able to do school in a nice, cool basement is something for which we are very grateful!

This is Alex' desk where she does much of her school work, though she has the freedom to work in any place within our school house. Behind her is our history timeline, starting about 5000 B.C. We are studying history in conjunction with scripture and it is very exciting.

Here Alex is sitting at my desk. Our world maps, globes, and US maps are all there. The girls have shown great interest and aptitude in geography ever since Dave started traveling the world for his job last year. We continue to study and learn geography along with our history and scripture study.

Sometimes the girls prefer to sit together rather than at their own desks. This also serves as our arts and crafts station.

Charts can be so useful and fun. This simple numbers 1-100 chart can be used in so many mathematical appliances.

Our Basic Routine

We start the school day off with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a song (mostly primary songs), and a scripture or Article of Faith recitation, after which we go to the calendar and weather charts. The girls love the routine.

Next we study math. I like to start math with a few visuals, games, manipulatives (especially for Rory), or anything else applicable and helpful for concepts they're currently working on. Then both girls work independently on their math texts at their desks. Alex can read all the instructions so she is extremely independent. I check everything, or help when she asks for it. Rory is also very independent, but I watch her closely to make sure she's forming her numbers correctly, keeps proper posture, and is not forming any bad habits.

Next we work on phonics, grammar, spelling, writing composition, etc. etc.

Then a recess break, where the girls play in the backyard or inside with the "school toys" we keep in the school closet. During this time I polish up the history lesson (and/or science depending on the day of the week) and make sure everything's ready for our art project (or science experiment). When the girls come back in, I read the history lesson to them, quiz them, have them write a very brief summary (and draw pictures too if they like). Then we read the scriptures that most closely coincide with our history timeline. The timelines you can buy from the Distribution Center are very helpful, as is the beautiful and large, comprehensive timeline I hung on our wall that combines Book of Mormon, Bible and world history events). We mark the events on the timeline we are making ourselves, so that the girls can very easily see what we've learned. Throughout the week we take many trips to the library for books to accompany what we're learning in history and science, as well as field trips.

I've got a much more detailed weekly/daily school schedule but this is the rough gist of it.

Alex riding her bike

2011-06-06T13:42:00.001-07:00

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She's a pro!

2011-06-04T20:22:00.001-07:00

Alex has been begging us for two years to teach her how to ride a bike without training wheels. This summer Dave took her training wheels off finally and with just a couple tries look at er go! She's so happy she can barely stand it. Now I just need to find a beautiful park with lots of sidewalk for her to practice more.

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Alexandria's Ballet Performance

2011-05-25T21:40:00.000-07:00

Alex really did a great job in her first choreographed dance. The beginning of this video is all part of what she does in class practice. It's a lot of technique and Dave and I are so proud of her. Rory loved watching her big sis dance. She cuddled up against Dave for most of it, or tried to dance and sing along.

Here's the Ham. She was pretty excited about watching Alex.

Crazy girl

The boy you see in the dance is Miss Jennie's oldest son (11), who is actually in level 6. She bribed him royally to step in for the only boy class member who left for a trip with his family. This is my first video made through iMovie. It's about 8 minutes long.

Before Alex' Ballet Recital

2011-05-25T17:27:00.001-07:00

Alex just completed her third year at Classical Ballet Academy. Today was her End-of-year program. Here are Alex and Rory outside the studio

Below Alex is with her favorite friend from class, Nora... And of course her adoring best friend Sis, Rory.

Strike a pose

This Kung Fu pose comes more naturally for Rory.

Beautiful Alex Girl. She did such a great job. They do so much technique at this studio, a whole hour can be hard to stay focused. But having a sweet and very talented instructor helps.

I'll post the video of her dance and some of their exercises later.

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Rory's Mother's Day song

2011-05-22T11:36:00.001-07:00

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Our Boy

2011-05-20T14:39:00.001-07:00

27 weeks and one day along. He kept his hands over his face almost the whole time. This isn't a proper profile pic (it's warped from what he really looks like because his hand and arm are in the way) but it gives a little idea of what he looks like.

It looks like he might have Alex' pixie nose.

This is what he was doing 99% of the time: covering his face. I think he's sucking on his hand here. Check out his arm muscles! I'm not surprised though- my insides can attest to his strength.

I also know he has a wake/sleep cycle and has had for a while. He is always active while awake and that's how I can tell. As soon as I move or speak in the morning, he wakes up and starts moving immediately.

Makin' the most of Build-a-Bear

2011-05-16T15:25:00.001-07:00

Alex and Rory love Build-a-Bear. Great prices on the stuffed animals, outrageous rip-off on all the clothes and accessories. Pretty smart business plan considering you don't want a house full of stuffed animals, but accessories are fun to collect. We own maybe three outfits total between the three of us. Today I decided we could get one more outfit. Then I asked for their free bows (in a color to match) and also asked if we could have two wardrobes even though we were only buying one outfit. To my surprise, that was no problem. She would have given me more too, but I didn't want to be too greedy. So we brought our goods home and the girls and I had the funnest afternoon dressing up the bears and bunny, and coloring our magnificent free wardrobes. We ended up getting a steal of a bargain.

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Gardening

2011-05-14T19:29:00.001-07:00

This morning we were delighted to find the warm yet overcast weather. We've been planning on putting in all our plants today. We put three beef master tomato plants in one bed because last year they were so huge. We got a sweet smaller tomato plant for another bed, two cantaloupes, two cucumbers, asparagus, lots of Basil, jalapeño, banana pepper, our strawberry plants have multiplied significantly since last year, and two big raspberry plants against the side of our house.

Strawberries

One of the raspberry vines.

Monster hats

2011-05-14T14:21:00.001-07:00

The little guy will have a red monster hat (without eyelashes and flower).

Lion hats next!

Sidewalks!

2011-05-03T10:04:00.001-07:00

This year our landscaping effort is being put into cement for the front yard (sidewalk and stairs).

We've had to wait until we had a long enough stretch of dry weather before grading, laying down the forms, and finally pouring the cement.

I remembered how fun the skating rink in our backyard was growing up. So we made this sidewalk 6 feet wide and circular (it winds a bit but it's like a track).

This is the landing at the top of the stairs. We will put a little
fountain and a planter in the middle.

We put our hand prints in... And a "hidden Mickey".

I'm too immature for my 4-year old

2011-05-02T07:50:00.001-07:00

So as I dramatically lip synced to the Phantom, Rory asked me very politely, "Mommy? Can you not do that cuz it makes me laugh and I really want to listen to this."

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Rory LOVES music

2011-05-02T07:46:00.001-07:00

We spent a few weeks on Les Mis, then The Secret Garden. The girls can't believe I didn't introduce them to musicals earlier. Now we are listening to The Phantom of the Opera and the girls can't get enough. Rory sits and listens like this for hours, entranced.

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The girls also love opera. Beverly Sills, Kathleen Battle, and Lesley Garrett are among our favorites. They want to learn to sing like them. We've already taken them to one opera, Die Zauberflote, and they were so sad when it was over.

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Biding time

2011-05-01T12:57:00.001-07:00

It seems like I still have such a long time before our boy comes, so the girls and I make the most out of it by making fun hats and beautiful baby blankets, then modeling them.

The girls are wearing my own cap design and pattern, and I added the bear ears from someone else' pattern because I liked it more than my own.

The jewels in the middle of the flowers are actually buttons. This way I can have several different flower colors and change them to match outfits.

Above the girls are showing off the little matching bear hat their baby brother can wear when he gets here.

It took me a few weeks to make this baby afghan because I chose a soft, light-weight yarn instead of medium-weight. Because of this, the stitches are much smaller and more delicate (almost filet). I had to alter the pattern to make it large enough for a baby blanket. And below is the matching blue baby "news boy" cap.

Next I'll be making lion hats and monster hats for the girls and their baby brother. The girls are excited to be lionesses, but I had to convince them they would be cute monsters too and that I would give their monster eyeball eyelashes to make them feminine and pretty monsters. Ha ha.

Baa Baa Black Sheep

2011-04-28T13:24:00.001-07:00

Alex had fun playing with the little black lambs who came to school today.

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Alex' ballet dance preview

2011-04-27T19:03:00.001-07:00

Alex is the tall one in the back, next to the girl in a black leotard. She has the "solo" with her leg up in the air.

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April Fool's party

2011-04-19T16:28:00.001-07:00

The neighbors had a silly party on April Fool's Day.

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Cute beginning practice

2011-04-18T22:34:00.001-07:00

I'm going to post another video of Alex' polished talk but I thought her practice was so cute I thought you might also get a kick out of it.

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Our Provo Beach Resort

2011-04-18T22:23:00.001-07:00

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Fun place to eat.

Arcades and games

Ropes course.

Miniature croquet.

Bowling (kiddie bowling too)
4-story jungle gym/play mansion

They have indoor surfing too.

Darling carousel.

Happy girls after a fun family date at the "beach resort". They worked hard to be eligible for it.

Sweet girl

2011-04-14T09:53:00.001-07:00

Alex finished her scarf and made a present of it to Rory, who was thrilled to receive it.

Now Rory is making her scarf for Alex...

...yeah, Rory's interest in knitting isn't as intense as Alex' yet, so Alex is 'helping' her out :)

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Caught the yarn bug

2011-04-13T17:59:00.001-07:00

I have so many homemade flower hats, fluffy booties, frilly blankets and more for girls. In the past I've tried to find patterns I could make for my nephews and the pickins always seemed so slim. I did make a bear hat. Anyway, I'm on the hunt for crochet boy patterns that rival the outrageously cute ones that can be found for girls. I've made a few gold finds already (with extensive searching).
The crocheting has begun. It's so relaxing. Rory asked if this was for the baby. Yes. Then she put it on my tummy and asked if I would put it there at night while sleeping, to keep him warm.

And the girls kept asking me about what I was doing. They are fascinated. So I made sure they had their own crafts too (tracing, coloring, cutting, painting window art, etc. All these and more have been taped to the walls of our house. And now they have demanded that it's high time I teach them to crochet. I remembered that my activity day girls (9-11 years) had struggled greatly with the knitting loom and only one could manage it on her own (and she did quite well). So i didnt think this would work for my young kids but I thought I could at least give Alex a try.

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And to my amazement she can do it 100% by herself!

Then of course Rory really wanted to be a part of it. I wrap the loom for her and she can do the rest. It's probably the best fine motor skill developmental practice I've ever seen.

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I'm so lucky to have such darling little buddies for my daughters! I never would have believed pregnancy could be so fun. We just spent a full hour knitting and crocheting together.

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Rory loves learning

2011-03-30T14:10:00.001-07:00

Today as Rory sounded out the title to a book she was attempting to read (and she read the four-word title by herself) she decided to count all the letters in the title. I was reading something of my own when she squealed out in delight, "Mommy! I know that 10+10=20! Because I counted all these letters and there are ten! When I count them twice it's twenty! That's how I know ten plus ten is twenty!"

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Giga ball

2011-03-24T16:54:00.001-07:00

Miller and De Leo cousins with Alex and Rory. In this video the kids are rolling Emma around.

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Dancing with the stars

2011-03-23T20:41:00.001-07:00

This is what it's like to watch the show with my little pixies, complete with "boxing in".

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Ballet disappointments

2011-03-13T09:02:00.001-07:00

I took the girls to see a ballet production last night (put on by what could be their dance company some day if they choose to stick with it) and of course they loved it (they were excited to see their dance ta's in every piece). But in one of the pieces, all the dancers wore very immodest costumes (bare midriffs, bikini bottoms, etc.). I could not keep them quiet; they repeatedly and loudly exclaimed in horror: "Why aren't they wearing any clothes???!!!! Why are they dressed immodest??!!! Why is Miss T wearing that??". They were so upset. I was sad myself but I told them some dancers think it's ok to wear that and lots of people pressure them hard to wear it, etc. At the end of the piece, Alex looked like she would cry and refused to clap at all (otherwise an enthusiastic and consistent enjoyment for her).

I told the girls that they would have to make choices some day about modesty but I believe they will want to stay beautiful and modest.

The following piece, the ballerinas came running out with long sleeves and almost ankle-length flowing tutus. I heard both girls gasp and murmur to each other how they looked like princesses. Alex was especially overjoyed at seeing them like that.

It was quite a lesson in modesty. Without my having to do a thing, the girls witnessed for themselves the degradation and crudity of immodesty back-to-back with the beauty, grace and dignity that fine modesty models. I hope they never forget their own observations and feelings from last night.

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Playing Hooky

2011-03-02T17:39:00.001-08:00

I decided not to take Alex to school today. We played hooky instead and made the most out of it. First we stopped at the library to get a new audio book. We miss Delaney's "Last Apprentice" series and the audio for those books is excellent-- but Alex was having nightmares so we put the series on hold for a bit. We picked Gregor Ollivander on audio. Worst audio and narrator ever! It's some flamboyant gay guy from the Bronx who pauses in-between every blasted word. And the sound quality really is horrendous.

We drove up to the Gateway in SLC. We had a great time but I certainly realized that SL is not the most ideal hangout to be sure. Professional homeless stand at every single corner, even in the Gateway mall complex. It's just a crummy atmosphere. But the girls and I made the most out of it. We first went to the Clark Planetarium and I had so much fun following my ecstatic girls around. They were thrilled.

We got some hot choc at the Choc Factory and then went to the Discovery children's museum. The girls loved it and it was good to see once but I can't imagine it being worth a second trip. They had a house complete with kitchen, dining and living room. The grocery store was neat.

Rory's fav was the farm; specifically this horse.

Construction was cool

The horse was Alex' favorite too.

We ate lunch together and walked around Gateway till we could barely move anymore. We are finally home and I'm so glad to be in my soft couch. I think we could all go to sleep now.

Update

2011-02-25T13:12:00.001-08:00

Here is a baby at 15 weeks, same as my baby. My baby is probably 4 inches long now. There is a lot of speculation about when baby's movements can be felt by mother, but as I'm finding with most medical conclusions, they know just enough to confidently misdiagnose everything, so I don't give much weight, if any, to most of their opinions. The Spirit has time and again told me what I really need to know.

I know a lot about my baby already. Just you wait to meet a super sweet cuddler. I also felt the baby move for the first time the night before last. I was quietly lying down at the time. It was a very exciting and spiritual moment and there was no denying that it was my baby.

This is not what my baby looks like- this is just about the developmental stage my baby is in.

Today Dave stayed home from work because I have a really sore throat and I'm sick with some virus. The girls were so excited he was staying home! They've been having a lot of fun. We also got about ten inches of snow last night and it hasn't let up so driving would have been very dangerous today anyway. I'm at that stage (I hope it's just a passing stage) where I'm famished all the time but can't eat because nothing sounds good. I'm eating things like veggies and porridge but it doesn't fill me up. Poor Dave is trying so hard I hope I don't drive him insane with my repeated refusals of food. But a few days ago I forced myself to eat some chicken to get something with more calories, and it tasted like rotting olives and bird poop (don't ask me how I know what those taste like but it did!). Needless to say the couple
Forced mouthfuls did not stay down.

Despite the food issue, I have been feeling great. Not right now cuz I have a sore throat, but I've had energy and level, happy moods. The girls have been so happy. I can let them play in the backyard and listen to them squeal the whole time they're out there. I read to them a lot (The Hobbit and Witches- depending on their mood) and other children's books. We LOVE Eugene Field.

Some exciting things are happening with Dave's work. It's like a whirl wind of possibilities, but it can be hard for me to think about now. I find it overwhelming, to say the least. But it has to do with this new technology that Dave's friend and another good associate dreamed up together and created together: a way to control midi sound in real time. So theatres can conduct the soundtrack that Dave makes in real time. Everyone thought this was absolutely impossible. It was a dream everyone in the theatre world had but never thought could be possible and Dave's friends have successfully created it and are bringing Dave in as their partner to create all the soundtracks. In one of their meetings, I recorded Mike conducting a midi soundtrack. You might think he's following the music, but he's not. I got to try it too. You can hold the music at any time (as if the musicians were really holding out the note- and it sounds just as real), and completely control tempo, even volume. What's more, the system can control lighting and special
effects too.

Our kitties are so much nicer since getting spayed. Rory said to me the other day, "my kitty loves me cuz she got spayed" as she smothered her kitty with a bear hug. I love that our sweet kitties are back. If your pet seems to have lost his/her darling personality, get it fixed!

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Have a peek at our little Sweetie

2011-02-21T19:58:00.001-08:00

Today Dave met the girls and I at the doctor's office for an ultrasound. Because of irregularities, the dr wanted to get a more accurate due date. We all thought I was about ten weeks along, but after the tech did several measurements, she said that we actually have a healthy baby at 14 weeks and two days. That explains a lot, like when I knew I was pregnant and my stupid old doctors office insisted I wasn't. I knew they were wrong and insisted on a blood test. After a few phone calls from them rudely stating that I was not pregnant, I finally believed them and was devastated because I knew I had been pregnant, which meant I had also miscarried. So now we have photos of my baby, proving that they were wrong and the little sweetie was so active and arms were moving everywhere, and hands and arms often caressing the face. We saw the heart beating and when we got to listen to the heart beat, it was so exciting! The girls were thrilled and I could tell they tucked away every detail into their memories. Early this morning Rory was squealing in excitement, "Today is an exciting day! We get to see our baby!!!"

You might be wondering how I could be so far off on my due date. Well, when there are such drastic irregularities and you've been sick for a very long time AND you've had a doctor tell you condescendingly that you are NOT pregnant with proof of urine AND blood tests (I personally think they are so incompetent that they gave me someone else's test results), it's very understandable that my due date was an entire month off.

Here's our little darling. You can't see the limbs very well. But legs are folded up close to body. The arms are long enough that the forearm could caress the side of the face with ease (and did several times). The other hand lingered at the mouth quite a bit.

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Magelby's breakfast

2011-02-19T09:05:00.001-08:00

Now this is the way to start a Saturday.

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Alex' Valentine Hair

2011-02-11T07:20:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Rory was so excited about her party and couldn't wait to give her Valentines away. When Dave got her to school, as soon as they were thru the doors she bolted for her classroom and he had to run to keep up. He said she sang, "I'm heeeere!" and ripped her bag open and started running around and handing them out. Her teacher was laughing and gently convinced her they would pass them out later. After I picked Rory up, the rest of the day she marveled over what her classmates had given to her and kept exclaiming, "that was just so NICE of them to give all these to me!!!!"

Today Alex gets her party at school and I hope she has as much fun. Her hair is done and her backpack is full of valentines.

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Valentine Hair

2011-02-10T22:17:00.001-08:00

Rory's hair for her Valentine's party at her preschool

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Hammering away

2011-02-06T14:53:00.001-08:00

Rory was very capable with the hammer. I was impressed with her control, aim, and strength. Alex was also very good. After she listened to a few tips I gave her, she could hammer the nails down pretty swiftly, though she remained cautious. These two sisters are so fun to watch; they are so different from each other and so unique. It's just fun to watch it in every situation no matter how little.

YouTube Video

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Home Depot kids' Workshop

2011-02-06T14:43:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I took the girls to the kids' workshop that Home Depot offers every first Saturday of the month. It's such a nice thing to do. They gave the girls their own cute home depot aprons, a kit of what they were going to build, and all the tools and supplies needed- all for free. And at the end they gave the girls each a cute pin for completing the project.

I was pleased at how low-key they kept things. We had our own table and I showed the girls myself what they needed to do. It was very fun.

The girls each built a spice rack, but I told them they could make it whatever they wanted. So Alex' is a display shelf for some of her ponies and mini dolls, and Rory's is a book shelf (I'd like to build more book shelves like this but much larger and tiered- such a darling way to exhibit beautiful children's books).

YouTube Video

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The Stables

2011-02-04T11:14:00.001-08:00

The cats like these horse stables almost as much as the girls do. The girls LOVE sharing the stable with their kitties. It's so funny, though, that even when the girls aren't there, this has become all the cats' favorite place.

In this video you can see how sweet Calinda is when she's not being a crazy wild thing.

YouTube Video

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American Girl play date

2011-02-02T22:08:00.001-08:00

Alex and Rory are playing with their sweet friend, Caitlyn. The three of them love their American Girl dolls. You know when AG dolls are involved, three is never a crowd. And it helps that all three of these little cuties are so sweet.

YouTube Video

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Exercise on the elliptical

2011-01-16T10:29:00.001-08:00

They are very motivating :)

YouTube Video

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Tubing at Soldier Hollow

2011-01-16T10:19:00.001-08:00

Rory with Aunt Nessa. We all had so much fun.

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Test

2011-01-16T10:11:00.001-08:00

Test

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Oh so cunning...

2010-11-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Today after church, Rory brought me an empty Halloween candy wrapper and asked me to read it to her. So I did (something like sour patch kids). But this appeared to be disconcerting to her and she pressed further, "It doesn't say: 'Not for little sisters, just big sisters.' ?"

Aaaaaaaleeeeeeeexx!!!!!!

side note:

She was standing behind the door listening in and appeared looking very guilty and ashamed. She tried, "I was just kidding..." (though she still ate it all without sharing... and it was Rory's treat... I can't believe Rory fell for that can you? But still.)

Enter long lecture on integrity #92

Dave's Travels

2010-11-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've consistently blogged, but those of you who read my blog pretty much know everything anyway. I'm mostly writing some of it down at this point to serve as a basic journal for the time-being and to entertain you with a few photos.

For this Church project, Dave has now traveled to Guatemala, South Korea, England and as of this morning, Brazil. He will be gone for about two weeks. We are ok and all feeling happy, though we miss him. After his second two-week trip, however, we weren't feeling so chipper. In fact, my little girls (and ahem, me) were really starting to feel down because we missed him so much. Both Alex and Rory are so perceptive, wise, and sensitive beyond their years that this separation affected them both pretty uniquely. Rory, for instance, channeled her intense emotions into a fury- 100% full-blast in my direction. Alex, on the other hand, was extra sweet to me and everyone around her, but she is more of an internalizer, and felt pain and insecurity in social settings (which is uncommon for her). After Dave's first trip and before his second, he got Alex and Rory both a beautiful little silver locket, with their names engraved on one side, and on the other, "Daddy loves you, Princess". The girls wore their lockets and looked at the pictures inside (one side a picture of her with Daddy and the other side a picture of Dave and I) all the time. I included the picture of Dave and I together because when Dave first left, the girls had a really hard time understanding why. At one point the girls finally voiced, "Why doesn't Daddy live with us anymore?" It was a very hard concept to help them understand that traveling for a job is so very different from not living with us anymore.

Before Dave's trip to England (his third trip), I had plans to take the girls in our little car to California to be with my family. The girls and I would still miss Dave, but at least we would be surrounded with loving, and extremely fun, family. You literally cannot be bored one second when you're with them. I knew that would help take my girls' minds off missing their Daddy so much... I needed the support, as well. But wouldn't you know it, right before Dave left, I sprained my right ankle pretty badly and couldn't drive.

But my sweet parents worked it out and my mom flew up here, stayed with us a couple days, then drove us back to California in our car. I was banking on being able to drive when the time came to go back home.

My mom is such an incredibly fun person. I look to her for guidance and seek counsel from her; she is one of the wisest, most intelligent and spiritual persons I've ever known.. can you imagine how delightful it is to find there also still exists a naughty, mischievous side from her childhood? My little pixies relish the kindred friendship they share with her.

These two photos below show my girls exploring makeup for the first time as we drive to California. Oh Rory got much more.... creative... than this as time went on.
Alex was pretty neat about the whole ordeal.

The girls took solace in their grandparents, numerous aunts and uncles and numerous cousins during our stay. Here they are at a church activity with some of their cousins. Lila (6) and Emma (8) were angels. So were David (10) and Caden (3). When Rory's mommy-directed fury was too intense to allow her to accept any (greatly needed) affection from me, her sister and cousins were there to fill in. This made me feel horrible as a mother, but also as a mother so incredibly grateful to my loving nieces for comforting my little fury.

This was shortly after Rory shunned me... but every part of my mother feelings screamed how desperate Rory was for comfort and affection... why wouldn't she take it from me? All I know is that she blamed me and was angry at me... maybe she didn't understand it either. Sometimes it just about broke me and all I wanted to do was throw a tantrum, stamp my feet and sob. But then this happened. Lila was there for Rory. It was like a dose of critical medicine. After this lengthy cuddle session with Lila, Rory's rage softened and she started seeking me for affection again. I think Lila cured something enough that Rory was able to come to me when she couldn't before. But I can't explain well enough how that was the turning point and everything was (and could be worked out and cuddled out or whatever it needed) after that.

Mandy is the most incredible teacher. Once a week, she takes her children to a homeschooling charter school. Mandy teaches the funnest history class! She uses Susan Bauer's

The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, Revised Edition

Above: How often would you find a situation like this? These children are enamored with their history lesson! Mandy brought visual aids as well, and I must say I was enthralled as well. All the children are making a timeline and writing about what they are learning and so much more. Mandy also teaches a science class.

Are these three ladies kindred spirits or what?

Oh, excuse me SheDaisy: four ladies.

My dad gives voice lessons to the four DeLeo children. It was so exciting to be there during lessons! It brought back so many wonderful memories from my childhood. My girls caught the contagious excitement and wanted lessons too! Alex was a little shy at first, but loved it. And Rory... Rory was completely obsessed. When Grandpa played a chord at the piano, children from every corner of the house (and backyard) FLEW to his side. They began with scales (to Rory's wonder and delighted fascination), and from there commenced to practice a few choice songs. I always sing my girls a song of their choice at bedtime. I couldn't even give away a twinkle in my eye (or my little fury would chastise me for "yaffing at her") when Rory earnestly requested "Will you please sing me scales!" And she continued to request it every night for weeks. Now she's branching out a little bit, but Grandpa's scales will always hold a dear and tender place in her heart. He copied and made a book for me of his arranged scales so that we can practice at home. We love it!

Alex loved singing... unless she saw me recording (or even watching) her. Then she became self-conscious. At one point while the cousins were practicing a song intended for Emma's upcoming baptism (a song they had been practicing for quite a while), Alex turned to Grandpa in exasperation, "Grandpa. I don't KNOW this song!"

Lila helping Rory follow along

One of my girls' favorite past-times, especially if we're out shopping, is to take my iphone and take pictures. I don't ever know when they're doing it, but later when I'm looking thru my pictures I find a million photos like this...

and this

Rory took all of these. There's also a picture of some stranger little girl Rory was quite obviously stocking... I decided for her sake not to include her picture here :)

Alex lost her front tooth during our stay. I'm grateful she let me give her lots of cuddles, affection, and comfort. I'm grateful too that Lila's cuddles helped heal Rory and then I was able to cuddle and comfort her too.

I know I was pretty moody with my family during this visit, but I'm so extremely grateful to them for taking care of us. We loved being with them and it made us all feel so much happier. After our ten-day visit, my ankle was 100% capable of driving (I had been practicing) and I drove my little pixies and self back home where we reunited with Dave and MAN ALIVE! were we happy to be with him again.

Alex in her Benjamin bear coat

2010-11-04T18:37:00.001-07:00

She's all ready for ballet.

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Benjamin Bear coat

2010-11-03T09:44:00.001-07:00

I just had to post this because I think this is the Cutest coat ever and it's on sale for half off right now at old navy. The sale ends Friday I believe. It's only $24.99 right now! I had to get one for both Alex and Rory.

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Disneyland

2010-10-26T20:44:00.001-07:00

We Are here again at Disneyland in October. Best time of year to come. We are loving our family time together. The girls call it a family play date.

Alex is the Little Mermaid and Rory is the Red Queen. She figured out that a queen is better than a princess and she likes the idea of beheading anyone who displeases her. Alex is thrilled that everyone recognizes and calls her. Rory gets mistaken for a princess and nearly blows her top off. She is, unfortunately, very capable of showing these unfortunate, but mistaken, people how she feels about not being recognized correctly.

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She insisted on riding the carousel side-saddle.

Notice her red cowgirl boots. She loves wearing them. As an awesome side-benefit, we found that they make her two inches taller, making it possible for her to go on most of the "big people rides". Now our whole family can enjoy the rides together!!

Our favorite ride experience has got to be the ferris wheel in California Adventure land. Last night was our first ride on it. Dave whipped out the camera and tried to film it. Rory thought she was going to die. Alex had been smart and rushed over to my side while she still had the chance, closed her eyes and held on for dear life. I'll post the video next. Please ignore my callused, insane laughter.

These pics were taken today in the daylight.

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Alex' first day of school

2010-08-19T12:48:00.001-07:00

Alex was pretty excited for school to start. Lining up before hand was pretty disappointing to her, but she says she had a great day, made three new friends and that her teacher likes her and calls her sweetie. Lol. Here's a pic of my little kindergartener.

Her backpack was full of the supplies her teacher asked for... She just about fell over backwards. I didn't know I could put them in a separate bag and carry them straight to her classroom for her. Do'h!

I told her teacher I'd like to come and help out a lot in class if she could use me. She told me very strongly that no parents would be coming to class for at least the first two weeks so she could establish authority with the children. So I was surprised when this morning (today was the 2nd day of school) she asked if I could come help her tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes. Dave said that he can take Rory to work with him tomorrow morning and boy is she excited! The girls have never gone to work with their Daddy and stayed there without me before. This will be very special and fun for Dave and Rory.

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Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

2010-08-16T18:48:00.001-07:00

I have the most wonderful Dad. He is caring, selfless, wise, and strong. He is a man of Faith and courage. I'm so grateful I get to be his daughter and now that I have children, I'm so grateful they get to have him as their Grandpa. We love you so much, Dad!!! Happy birthday!

The video shows Rory explaining what her birthday card is. Alex hasn't finished it yet, but I know you have it now.

YouTube Video

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From under the door

2010-08-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

When walking by, they try to attack my feet from under the door. This is always shocking and ridiculously hilarious.

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Have you ever seen a cat with hot pink claws?

2010-08-11T10:04:00.001-07:00

Even Jay Leno made fun of these kitty claw caps, "I'm so sure that the cat is going to sit still for five minutes while you jam these onto their claws and glue them on!". But yet, they did. Even my little feral kitty cooperated for me. Now they cant shred my furniture and they dont accidentally scratch the girls anymore. And perhaps even better, I haven't seen anything so ridiculous in a long time; and it makes me laugh so hard. It's especially funny when they're sticking their paws underneath a door when they want to come out, and they have these gawdy hot pink claws.

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Alex gets to help Rory in Ballet

2010-08-11T09:54:00.001-07:00

I couldn't believe that we were the only ones to show up for Rory's ballet class. Miss Jenni was so nice and had Alex come help her and gave the girls a private lesson. I can't believe the difference one-on-one makes and I felt so lucky that instead of canceling class, the girls got private instruction. Rory caught on to things she hadn't even noticed before. I wish I had my nice video cam because it's hard to see anything with my iPhone cam.
Here they're learning how to point and flex:

YouTube Video

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Below they're learning beautiful arms:

YouTube Video

And this is the fun freeze game they sometimes get to play at the end of class:

YouTube Video

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More backyard fun

2010-07-31T13:26:00.001-07:00

Ok Rory's shirt is way too small (trust me it's going bye bye so she can never find it again), but she's super cute anyway.

YouTube Video

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Statue Maker

2010-07-26T21:32:00.001-07:00

On Pioneer day I taught the girls how to play one of my favorite childhood games: Statue Maker. I changed it a bit for them; when I played it as a kid, the statue maker would spin the other kids thru the air by their arms and then let them fly. However the kid landed is how he/she was supposed to stick and stay that way as a statue. Then a customer would come and the statue maker would try to sell one of his statues. Sometimes the statue had a button that could be pressed and then the statue could perform some function. Of course there were always malfunctions to make the game more interesting. Anyway, instead if throwing my little girls thru the air, I posed them myself. They were very good at holding still. I wish I had taken more pictures but this is the only one I shot. Renae, Grandma & Grandpa McD came to play with us too.
As you can see, Alex was very dedicated in playing her part!

Doesn't she make a gorgeous garden statue??

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How Rory trains her kitty

2010-07-26T18:44:00.001-07:00

YouTube Video

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Stadium of Fire

2010-07-04T20:58:00.001-07:00

YouTube Video

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The three new kittens

2010-06-24T19:13:00.001-07:00

So I rescued that feral kitten who was too little to eat solid food. She is looking much healthier now. She is a real sweetheart but her first few weeks of life with no human contact will definitely take its toll-- still she is very gentle with us and the girls cuddle and maul her too, but her first instinct, I think, will always be to hiss and run away. Once you catch her, her motor is pretty impressive and she lives to cuddle.

And these two sisters were on their way to the pound because no one wanted them and I just couldn't pass them up. :)

Alex has Elphaba:

And they play together for hours cat and mouse games. Alex couldn't be more pleased with her kitty.

And Rory has Glinda, but we might change her name because Rory has a hard time saying it; yesterday she asked if she could just call her Penny. Haha. Rory can get a little rough but these kitties were handled by rough toddlers since they were born and they are like rag dolls in the girls' arms. Glinda adores her little mistress and obeys her orders; she will stay anywhere and for very long periods of time. See how she just sits next to Rory? She is happy to stay there. Just what Rory needs.

These three kittens sleep together in the laundry room at night and Sebastian gets to sleep with Alex or Rory. We are also training the kittens to never go upstairs so that is 100% Sebastian's terrain. So he still gets spoiled and doted on. :)

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Rory and her kitten

2010-06-22T19:12:00.001-07:00

I've been very pleased with Rory's Gentleness with and attentiveness to her kitty "Glinda". Sure there have been times when her kitty has required some rescuing but overall, Rory has quite a way with her. The two of them can often be found cuddling just like this in this chair. Glinda is also very obedient to Rory (much like my cats have been with me). When Rory tells her to stay in the chair while she runs to get a drink or something, she stays put because she knows her little mistress will MAKE her stay if necessary.

This kitty loves Rory and I swear she is cuddling her all the time.

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Little feral kitten

2010-06-13T18:10:00.001-07:00

Dave is so sweet and after I found Rockwell a really nice home where he had another Newfie to play with and a lot more fenced in land to run on, well it was a really nice home for him but I still felt bad about losing him. So Dave told me to go get a couple kittens. While the offer made me feel better, I didn't want to rush into it.

But that very night as I lied in bed, not able to sleep, a teeny yet persistent mewing commenced somewhere outside in the neighborhood. It didn't stop and it started sounding more and more panicked. I went outside in my pj's to see if I could find it. It was a very scared 5 or 6 week-old black &white kitten, and boy could this feral baby bolt! I finally went to bed. For the next two days, it continued to mew desperately and nobody in the neighborhood could catch this wild thing.

Finally the mewing started to grow weaker and less frequent. I went outside one more time to see if I could even spot it. I found it up in a tree. It didn't move as I climbed up and took it by it's scruff. I put it in my bathroom to calm down. Later that night I had kitten's milk to give it and it let me clean it with kitten cleaning wipes- I think it's a girl and she looked up at me with so much gratitude it was amazing. From that point she seemed to warm up to all if us really fast, though she still hisses at us everytime we come into the bathroom as if she's been horribly startled, but then makes up for it by becoming incredibly cuddly.

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YouTube Video

While Sebastian was incredibly annoyed, I think he's enjoying King status. He likes to sleep upstairs almost all day, but whenever he decides to come down, the rule is we put the kitten (whom Alex named 'Calinda'-- I don't know how she thought of that) back in the bathroom and give Sebastian lots of attention. Also, the kitten isn't allowed upstairs and the girls continue taking turns with who gets to sleep with Sebastian at night. So far it's a good system.

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My first bound scrapbook

2010-06-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

I just received my first scrapbook from Shutterfly and it was so exciting to get it. The girls really like to look at it and sometimes I read it to them. I gotta say there's nothing quite as motivating for scrapbooking as receiving your completed book in the mail.

See our little rescue kitten posing on the right?

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All the entertainment I need

2010-06-07T16:56:00.001-07:00

After a long day in the hot sun, sitting in my family room with the a/c on, this is actually pretty entertaining. Who needs a tv with all this drama?

YouTube Video

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Driving home from the wedding

2010-05-31T21:31:00.001-07:00

The girls had such a huge day on
Friday, they fell asleep in the car. Yes, this really is how Alex sleeps in the car:

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How the girls make-believe getting married

2010-05-31T12:39:00.001-07:00

After the girls saw Julia and Kevin come out of the temple for the first time as a married couple, they think this is all there is to getting married and they reinact this scene over and over, taking turns being Julia of course.

YouTube Video

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No crutches

2010-05-14T15:22:00.001-07:00

We couldn't be more relieved or grateful for how well Dave's knee surgery went. The doctor didn't know which way it would go until he was actually doing the surgery. We were hoping that the menusicus was torn on the edge and not further in so staples wouldn't be needed and recovery would be much quicker. That us exactly what happened.

Some of you may think this is gross but I insisted they let me keep this. How awesome is this?! The piece of meniscus cartilage that was shaved away. Now it's smooth again and Dave's knee joints will be able to function properly. He said it already feels so much better.

There will be pain for a while, but Dave walked right after surgery, no problem, no crutches.

He's groggy and in bed now, which is awesome for me-- how often do I get to keep my husband hostage, let alone in the middle of the day!

Dave's Knee Surgery

2010-05-14T11:28:00.001-07:00

So uh, before surgery the doc wrote this on Dave's knee... I wonder how many of his patients underwent surgery for the wrong knee before he got marker-happy.

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Hanalei Bay... again

2010-05-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

From left to right: me, Alex, Julia, Rory, Renae. We're sitting on the end of the pier.

I got a lot of pictures with Alex but Rory simply was not in the mood for any posing :)

But we sure got a lot of great candid pictures of her (and Alex too of course).

Playing in the waves

2010-05-03T01:24:00.001-07:00

Alex loves the waves and likes to come out with me and get wet. Rory is still getting used to the idea.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Finally using the grass

2010-04-21T11:52:00.001-07:00

I turned on the sprinklers yesterday and the girls and Rockwell were in heaven! When I thought to record it, the girls lost interest for a while so unfortunately this doesn't show them playing with the dog.

-- Post From My iPhone

The playhouse

2010-04-17T16:42:00.001-07:00

We're getting there. Slowly but surely.

Anybody know of a really great wood sealant?

And Spring is definitely here.

-- Post From My iPhone

This poor cat is a mighty fine animal

2010-04-17T10:54:00.001-07:00

Most cats would run away but he rarely even tries to get away. He patiently allows the girls to do whatever they like because he really does love them. After a full day of being hugged, squashed, stuffed into his cat carrier, dressed up, and placed in the doll stroller, he still seeks them out to cuddle with them as they sleep at night and to watch over them with a loud, satisfied purr. He has given me the opportunity to teach my girls gentleness, compassion and love and care. He also seems to understand that these children are his care and that it is his responsibility to be patient with them.

If you ever get a cat, I recommend above all others a black and gray tabby like Sebastian. They are highly intelligent and loving. The second thing I recommend is mauling them with affection; this helps prevent the snobbishness from escalating into something nastier. They may pretend to be annoyed with your affection, but they love it, seek it out and are very dependant upon it.

-- Post From My iPhone

Some imagination

2010-04-16T08:07:00.001-07:00

These girls are so hilarious. Their pretend play can get pretty intense. They were so emmersed in their play that they didn't notice me recording them. I was pretending to type so they wouldn't think anything of me.

-- Post From My iPhone

Guess how much he weighs...

2010-04-09T23:51:00.001-07:00

I just took him to the vet where they weighed him. Anyone wanna take a guess at the current weight?

Mom, Dad, let me know if you can't see this picture.

-- Post From My iPhone

One troll and two little goats

2010-04-09T13:23:00.001-07:00

Nothin McDonald's playground can't make better

2010-04-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

Alex had a doctors appt to get the rest of her immunizations and had to get a prick in her finger plus three big shots in her thighs! She was brave but really upset about the injustice of it all. I explained how these shots will keep her from having worse "hurts" later. That, lots of loves, a happy meal and playgym later, she finally forgave me.

-- Post From My iPhone

Rory in ballet

2010-04-08T21:38:00.001-07:00

Rory is the one wearing purple. She is absolutely bursting with pride every time she gets to go to ballet.

-- Post From My iPhone

Egg Hunt

2010-04-04T15:35:00.001-07:00

-- Post From My iPhone

Dentist post

2010-03-30T21:33:00.001-07:00

Hi all! Did you know iPhone has an app that allows you to blog complete with photos and videos! I just posted for the first time in what feels like months! Go to the link listed below.

http://mytwofiestypixies.blogspot.com/

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

First Dentist appt

2010-03-30T21:18:00.001-07:00

It's about time right? I knew that unless I wanted to traumatize Alex for life, I couldn't make her go to the dentist until Rory was old enough to be willing and happy to go herself. It went so well. Some of the attention that is quite painful for Alex was sifted to Rory, allowing Alex to relax and go with the flow and Rory didn't think anything of it. So both girls got x-rays and cleanings and Alex had her 6-yr molers sealed! Rory has a very narrow upper jaw like I did so we will need to do some corrective retainers probably starting at 4 1/2. But both girls have no cavities and very healthy teeth and gums. They got a baggie each of a new princess toothbrush, paste and floss, and they got to choose kitty cats for their balloon shapes. They were pretty happy!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Rory taking Rockwell for a walk

2010-01-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

We've been working really hard on Rockwell's healing, and Rory can now take him for long walks, and he'll head her near to perfectly. This was a really long walk through the neighborhood and I just had to correct Rockwell (tap with my fingers) a couple times once when a cat meandered by and once when a person walked by with two other dogs.

The Most Awesome Home Schooling Family in the World

2010-01-27T08:13:00.000-08:00

During our stay in Cali this last time, we got to join my sister Mandy's family for a school day in their home. I've always been impressed with how smart my nephew and nieces are, but this was something special to be a part of. They started the day off with the Pledge of Allegiance, then we had a prayer and some scripture study. We did the calendar activity and talked about the date, weather, etc... by the way it was an absolute monsoon down there that week! Then we split up into individual study. Mandy's kids started their math, while Alex started her reading and writing (I haven't really started her on math yet, but after seeing how Mandy does things and how fun it can be even at RORY's age, I'm going to start). Mandy set up the little toddler table for Rory and Caden to do some puzzle work during this time.

Then everyone took a recess break. Their dad (Alex and Rory's Uncle John) was home from work because of the intense rain and he took the kids out for races and to learn how to dribble a basketball.

Do you see the purple furry sweater that Alex is wearing? It's her cousin, Lila's, favorite sweater ever and Lila GAVE it to her! Watching these cousins together and seeing their friendships grow and blossom is such a blessing. anyway, I guess the sweater was getting too small for Lila and so Mandy told me she was happy about the gift. Now, it is Alex' (and Rory's even though she never gets to wear it) favorite sweater.

Later we had reading time all together and Mandy read us the first chapter of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. VERY cute! Alex and Rory were both intrigued by that weird little fat lady who was so loved by all the children. I'll be getting it from the library to finish it with them.

Mandy also showed me their history and science curricula, and I never knew those things could be so exciting and fun. She has really picked the best curricula possible.

Thanks, De Leo's, for sharing your school with us! We'll never forget how much fun we had with you!!!

We miss you, "Fit"s

2010-01-27T08:09:00.000-08:00

Camille and I hung out at Main Place Mall one of the days I spent in Cali, and we "invested" in these $7 firetruck strollers. And they were worth every penny. Our kids had a great time together and we had a great time! We took our kids to see Planet 51 in the dollar theatre upstairs, ate lunch, and found some really fun retro hair jewelry pieces. Thanks for the fun time, Camille! I miss you!

Alex' Standard

2010-01-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

"Grandma, you may have made this dress and given it to me three years ago, it may have large holes where it's coming apart at the seams, it may be way too short on me now to be decent, it may be the middle of Winter, and these days my mother may even try to hide it from me, but I will never, no never, ever give it up."

How you get your mom to tell you the truth about Santa

2009-12-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

Alex: I need to think about sumfin for a minute.

Me: [trying not to act too curious and pretending to be preoccupied with something else while I wait]

Alex: [looking deeply into my eyes and with a level of seriousness not befitting her age] Is Santa really real?

Me: [uh oh, wasn't expecting this conversation yet-- so I'll try to stall] oh, isn't Santa wonderful? He's so nice and he brings presents... he wants us to be nice to each other too. [stupid, dumb... run away!]

Alex [silent and thinking for a while... finally]: Is Jesus Real?

In the blink of an eye, I flash back to a memory of when I once asking my dad why he doesn't like Christmas very much. He finally explained that when he was a little boy, his parents pushed the Santa idea so much, that when he asked them the truth, they wouldn't tell him. They were very convincing. When he was older and knew the truth about Santa on his own, he remembered sitting in Sacrament Meeting while others bore their testimonies... the thought came to him, "What if my parents were lying about Jesus, too?"

Like a flock of doves streaming from my mouth and without a moment to think it out first, I told Alex the whole truth... how could I not? I wish I would have talked to my older sister a long time ago about how she had this conversation with her kids when it came up, because her explanation is gold. She tells them that anyone who loves children and wants to be kind can be Santa. Whenever I have this conversation again, I'll tell them that, and also that Santa is another good example of how we should all be toward one another. We should be uplifting and kind, selfless and giving. But instead of giving that very good explanation of Santa, I simply told her that he is not real but something fun we pretend at during Christmastime, and I focused instead on Christ. I bore her my testimony of Him and that I know He is real and that he lives. I told her that we celebrate Christmas to remember His birth, when he came into the world to show us a perfect example and then to atone for our sins and then die for us so that we might return to our Father in Heaven. I told her that through Him, we are able to pray to our Heavenly Father and that He watches over us, guides us, and blesses us. I felt the Spirit very strongly as I testified, and I knew that she could feel it too.

But there was still the little problem that I hadn't handled the Santa topic very well. I had just stripped Santa and that childhood magic completely away from Alex, without giving her a thread of childhood magic to hold onto if she wanted to. I didn't realize the gravity of the situation until I started noticing Alex' scowl everything someone mentioned Santa. "What did you ask Santa for?" "Is Santa coming to your house this year?" or a child excitedly telling her, "I saw Santa! He said he would bring me such'n'such!!!" My little girl's eyes grew darker and darker, I could see that she thought all these people were lying to her, and that her friends were being lied to, and the injustice of it all was almost more than she could take.

So I sat her down so we could talk a little bit more about Santa. I told her that it's okay to believe in Santa... then I said, "It's good to believe in Santa. It's really fun to think of Santa bringing us gifts and loving us so much. Even though you know the truth, you can still CHOOSE to believe in Santa." And those must have been the magic words because whatever it meant to her, her whole face lit up and she started to giggle. Now this was still before I had talked to my sister, Mandy, because if I had, my words would have been much better. But Alex seemed delighted and from that moment on, believed in Santa with a dedication I had to admire.

I started to think that Alex had completely forgotten about our initial Santa talk, because there was not a glitch or a contradiction to be found in her words, actions, or even face expressions.

We had an amazing Christmas this year. Even my parents and little sibs, Nessa and Danny came to spend Christmas with us this year. Christmas morning, Dave's parents and his little sibs, Jameson and Julia came over. It was so wonderful to be together. As far as presents, though, well we had a huge present of a puppy a couple months ago so we only did a few presents for the girls and stocking stuffers (from Santa, as well as one present each). The girls were delighted with all their presents, and when you have both sets of grandparents it's kind of impossible to not have lots of presents on Christmas. But this year, Dave and I just wanted to be with family and didn't do any presents for each other, not even stocking stuffers. I didn't think how that would look to the girls on Christmas morning... wish I would have thought that one through. Sure enough, Christmas morning, the girls were thrilled with what Santa brought them in their stockings, but they both noticed that ours were empty. I told them, "Well, Santa mostly brings gifts for children, and Daddy and I LOVE watching you open everything".

After all the presents were opened and I was back in the kitchen, Alex excitedly said, "Mommy! There's something in your stockings!" she made us come over to see and said, "See! Santa brought you something! You just didn't see it!!!" I reached in and found some figurine toys and some candy from her own stocking. Her eyes glittered as she gasped and said, "What did Santa bring you?"

This is a fun way to get in shape :)

2009-12-31T09:09:00.000-08:00

Dave and I just got Wii Fit and I must admit, I was very skeptical at first. I don't know how they were able to make this board so incredibly sensitive and accurate! When you first get this, you set up your profile (you can use your already existing mii if you have one) and you take an overall fitness test and a bmi test (pretty darned accurate, but you don't have to take that too seriously)... pretty much it's extremely accurate when it comes to improvement and it's a great motivator and a very fun way to exercise, as long as your not intent on cheating but making the most of it for yourself. So I'm taking the initial test so it can tell me about where I am physically, and the what does it tell me? It asks me, "Do you often trip while walking?" I wanted to throw my shoe at the screen, how dare they.

You can even create little accounts for your children 3 and up. They have cute, fun little activities for them to do as well. And they have a pet setting so you can weigh your pets and keep track of that. For Rockwell, this will be incredibly helpful!

Did I mention how hard and effective the work-outs are? It's amazing. This is the first time I've ever done yoga and they explain everything in such detail and also show you what the poses should look like. I had no idea yoga worked your muscles and core like that!

Rockwell update

2009-12-29T19:15:00.000-08:00

Alright, this is my first post with my new private blog settings. Please leave a comment and let me know if this whole system worked with the "faux" blog in your reader and all that. :) Because some of you asked a lot of questions about the Newfie breeders, I'll go a bit more into it. They think of themselves as very responsible and reputable breeders. They're also very anal and controlling. It was so hard to find a good breeder who did all the necessary hip, heart, etc. testing for the dam and sire... these Newfoundlands are so prone to hip dysplasia and it's very genetic, so if the pup's dam or sire has it, the chances of the puppy getting it around 2 years of age is extremely probable. So these breeders do care about their dogs, they only have one sire and one dam (though they're raising one more dam, but that's all)... it was very hard to find non puppy mills, and breeders who did all the necessary testing. Anyway, they seemed like incredibly nice... but then just before it was time to get Rockwell, their vet and other breeder friends told them that Rockwell was the pick of the litter, and show quality. Here's where all the trouble started. They think of themselves as honest people, and we also had a contract that could have gotten them in trouble, but they tried every angle to get out of selling us Rockwell for the price we had agreed on. They made it really hard, but we finally got him, for the original agreed-upon price. anyway, we get him home and find he has little sores developing on his lips... a week later at the vets, we found out he had been horribly sick, and the ulcers on his lips were probably from an allergy reaction to the Eukanuba food the breeders were feeding him. I'm guessing he didn't exhibit symptoms very noticeably there because he still had his mother's milk that helped him stay healthy. As soon as he came home with me, the stress of leaving his pack and his mother's milk, and the fact that we still had him on Eukanuba because you can't switch a puppy's food cold turkey, he became very ill and stopped eating. He lost a lot of weight with us that first week. The vet put him on Rx canned food to put some meat back on his bones, and antibiotics, and also a rx ointment for his open lip sores. I notified the breeder about what had happened, and she freaked out. She started called at least twice a day, and if I didn't answer (like if I was taking care of my little girls or taking trying to house train a puppy) she would leave a nasty, condescending, very rude message on my phone and email. She got so bad, the stress really started to get to me. Finally we told them we'd like them to pay for half the vet bills, and that finally worked and got them off our backs. The phone calls and emails stopped. Then this morning, some breeder friends of theirs emailed me! They gave them my email and blog address and they let me know in a very back-handed way that they're watching me! So crazy. So that's why my blog is now private, why I blocked them all from my email, and why I'm going to put them all behind me now so that I can start to enjoy this gorgeous puppy!

so on to brighter topics: I'm teaching Alex how to walk Rockwell and she's doing very well. Now that Rockwell isn't sick anymore (except for his sores are still there) he's potty training very well. We have to keep him on a leash, however, or he'll go off and potty in teh house. But as long as he's with us, and we give him potty checks, he's very good (vast improvement from the first couple weeks we had him). He doesn't bark at night anymore, but sleeps the whole night through from 9pm until 7:15am. For the first couple weeks, I was getting up with him 4-5 times a night in the zero-degree weather to take him for potty checks. I'm glad that phase is over! Last night, for some reason, he did bark all night, but that was the first time in a long while. I can't figure it out either.

Rory is kinda hard to train regarding Rockwell. She gets so hyper and squeely that Rockwell gets hyper too and wants to play with her like one of his litter mates by nipping and pawing at her. He can really hurt with his sharp teeth and claws, so this is not allowed. It takes constant, vigilant supervision...

Rockwell loves the snow.

Here he is perfectly heeling for Alex

I'm proud of Alex... and Rockwell is a good boy :)

Of course we have teething issues, and we have tons of toys. Oh, last week he gained 6 pounds in that one week so he weighed 26 pounds on Dec. 11th. Two weeks later (last Friday) he weighed in at 36 pounds. Today he weighs 38 lbs. So it looks like his rate of growth is slowing, which is very good... it's healthier for him to grow slower. When he was gaining a pound a day, that was kinda scary. He looks like a giant poof ball, but it's all fur... when you put your fingers into his fur, you can feel way too much bone and rib. So he probably still needs to put on a bit more fat, but that's hard to do with a giant breed who grows so incredibly fast.

Going Private

2009-12-29T15:01:00.000-08:00

Hello family and friends. It has been a very long time since my last post. Life has been a little crazy with a new puppy, but more than that, the breeders turned out to be pretty eccentric and overbearing, to say the least. They have now given both my email and blog address to fellow breeders of theirs, and those breeders are also intrusive. For instance, I have a list of Newf breeders on the left side of this page. I created it a long time ago when I was researching breeders, so I could remember specific points about a few of them. One of these newf breeders is a friend of Rockwell's breeders. Rockwell's breeders for some reason gave them our blog address and email... these other breeders started stalking us too and they didn't like being listed next to some of the other breeders on my blog page so they had the audacity to email me and demand that I rearrange the breeders on my page. I didn't even invite them to my blog! They said a lot more and crazier things than that, but needless to say, I am finally forced to make my blog private. Rockwell was sent to us very sick. While he now eats and is potty training, he still has these sores on his lips that won't go away. The Sierra View Newfoundland breeders were worried that they might be liable for this, which they are, but we weren't asking anything of them. they just went crazy and started harassing us and leaving condescending and rude messages on our phone and email. So finally I told them we'd like them to pay half of Rockwell's vet bills. They backed off real quick then. And I haven't heard anything from them, until now and it's vicariously through breeder friends of theirs. So creepy. Do any of you know how to block certain people from emailing you... so their email returns undeliverable to them?

One more week till we get Rockwell!

2009-11-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here's our Rockwell a few weeks ago, weighing in at 5 pounds 1 oz.

Here's a picture of his papa, Charlie, weighing in at 210 pounds

Sandy and Bill, the amazing breeders, were sweet enough to send more pictures of Rockwell and his littermates. Here's Rockwell at his vet visit yesterday, at 8 weeks old and weighing in at 16 pounds. See how he's looking at the vet? So sweet, submissive and intelligent for an 8-week old! All the puppies in this litter are ADORABLE and all have wonderful personalities, I'm sure of it... but Rockwell already holds a very dear place in our hearts. Does that sound sappy? I can't help it. We love him! Though rest assured, we will be nurturing him with a Calm, assertive pack leader's energy levels... or at least we'll try our hardest!

Because of snow storms in Nevada today (and Utah), I couldn't go pick Rockwell up today. I've been trying not to fall into a miserable state. We get to go get him next Saturday, after Thanksgiving. On the bright side, this means we'll all be able to go as a family and get him together. Which I know is much more beneficial.

Yellowstone Day 2, Part 1

2009-11-14T21:12:00.001-08:00

The Mud Pots were by far and wide the girls' most favorite part of Yellowstone. The steam comes out of these caves in puffs. First you hear a low rumbling and then a hiss as it all comes out like this. the girls said that this is where the dragon lives. We had to come back three times, they were so enthralled with it.

I opened our RV door to take this as he sauntered on by.

The girls are hard at work completing their Junior Ranger booklets.

In one of the stores, the kind older gentleman told Rory to hop on and take this bear cub for a ride. She was happy to oblige.

Can you imagine the surprise of Yellowstone's early explorers to see this canyon full of waterfalls and rivers? In our booklet about the Canyon's Edge it tells a story from 1869 when some men were exploring the nearby forest on horseback. They didn't even know that the canyon was here. Suddenly their horses stopped. The men looked out to find that they stood at the canyon's edge. One of the men wrote that five minutes passed before anyone could speak. I wonder what they said... "uuuuh... is this supposed to be here?"

Yellowstone Day 2, Part 2

2009-11-14T20:51:00.001-08:00

Isn't this a cool post office?

Mammoth Hot Springs was one of my personal favorites

In the Winter time, Elk, deer and other wildlife can be found lying on these travertine terraces.

It's always changing, always growing higher

Rory is having the time of her life with her daddy.

Isn't this an awesome natural structure behind us? It used to be so hot, and the pressure built up that it made a mud volcano/fountain. Now it's 'dormant' and it left this.

The girls fell asleep so during their nap, Dave and I took turns going on this 3-mile hike. It was such a peaceful, beautiful, awe-inspiring experience.

can you see the mud spurting up? It's boiling bubbles down there.

This may not look it, but it's incredibly hot.

Yellowstone Day 2, Part 3: I am an eeeediot

2009-11-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

okay, so we wondered why all the cars were stopped and then I spotted this guy. Dave could only stall the RV for a little while... then he had to drive off without me and try to find a place to turn around and come back for me... and hope I wasn't dumb enough to get myself killed.

Um, why again do they feel the need to warn people not to approach wildlife? It's beyond me.

I'm balancing on fallen trees. As he started to approach me, the camera got a bit shaky as I tried to walk backwards on the trees. Ah, can you see my friendly fellow idiots in the background?

Yellowstone Day 1

2009-11-13T22:14:00.000-08:00

One more picture with these beautiful mountains in the background and Rory with her rock.

This was one of our first stops in Yellowstone.

It was probably the most incredible, eery, romantic, gorgeous place I've ever been.

September is a great time to go. LOVE the overcast weather but it's still warm. Here we are taking pictures of the byson just outside our RV... we had to stop because they started to cross the road.

Alex enjoying the view.

This was a beautiful little hike down to the river.

Every single pamphlet and booklet given to you in this park is riddled with warnings of not ever approaching any wildlife, and staying a safe distance at all times. I exclaimed to Dave, "What kind of idiots would approach these wild bison???" ahem... apparently this idiot. Yours truly just couldn't contain her idiotic excitement. Now I don't feel like I was being unsafe taking this picture, however, as it was still from our RV. I hung out as far as I could from the passenger window and yelled at the bison to get them to look up. The one in the middle here is making a sound at me that's somewhere between a scream and a nightmare growl. I was disappointed I hadn't recorded it instead of just snapping a picture. I've never heard such a noise before.

traffic stopped from both directions because this one bison just can't decide which side he'd like to be on.

me and my Rory girl.

Two cute little pixies.

one with a hint of vixen