...with a husband and 5 sons, I am truly outnumbered....stories and thoughts on life from a mom in a houseful of little men!

Friday, December 22, 2006

This makes for an interesting topic...

It's been quite a week. On Christmas vacation, we have so far:
1. Spent a day doing crafts
2. Spent a day shopping 'til we (literally) dropped (Spunky fell asleep on the Christian bookstore floor)
3. Spent a day baking
4. Spent above day's afternoon observing toddler for drunkenness

WHAT??! Yes, Spunky got hold of the mint baking extract. I called Poison Control immediately. After doing the calculations for his bodyweight, the nurse explained that the amount he'd possibly ingested was enough to intoxicate him. After hanging on the line while I fed him a cookie with juice, she gave me further instructions to keep him with me at all times, and observe for signs of drunkenness--staggering, slurring of speech, stumbling. OK, so how exactly does one observe for signs that normally encompass a toddler's life anyway?! The child does not speak a word, and he wipes out for fun on a regular basis. As it turned out, I did not notice anything different with his demeanor. Apparently, he didn't ingest much, if any, after all...though he smelled like a little after-dinner mint for the rest of the day.

Mothers beware!

Thursday, October 26, 2006

So it begins.

Today was the day--we woke up to our first official snowfall. Like a good friend (You know who you are!) recently did, we mostly blew off school and went out to play. It was a very happy birthday surprise for Eaglet, who turned 4 today! Like his older bros, Spunky Cub was right at home in the white stuff. It's a good thing--we're looking at about six months.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Something's Missing!

The first tooth came out today! After much scrounging, chair-moving, carpet-feeling, etc., it is safely tucked inside the little helicopter. Miss Stephanie, our hygienist, gave this to Bobcat last Spring. Finally, he got to pull it out and use it today.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

A Memorable Ride For A Certain 3-Year-Old


Eaglet went off to Grandmom and Grandpa's last evening for his "special time." (The boys take turns going over for an evening of serious grandparental spoiling each week--lucky boys!) Grandpa took Eaglet for a ride on the Rubicon down to the river. The moment they returned from the ride, Li'l E wanted to know if there was time to draw. He ran into the house and produced this artwork. Notice the BIG smiles on both the faces. We are still hearing about his memorable ride...

Jodi's Challenge

Here it is--my version of Jodi's "Have You Ever" list. Laugh, enjoy, and don't forget to check out the add-ons.
01.
Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain Many! It’s great to live in AK!
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards) Yah, but the worst “crush” had to have been Billy Graham in the Metrodome
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars

20. Changed a baby’s diaper Way too many, thank you!
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment Mr. Scott’s history class…oooo did I get in trouble.
27. Had a food fight

28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster Six Flags Texas—woohoo!

35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking Always. Oh, and I do remember one instance which included both pregnancy and “walkin’ like an Egyptian”
02. 37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales This has to be one of my favorite things—ever.
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip The Al-Can!
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow Well I am from Wisconsin!
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke Those who were present are still traumatized…
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage

85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children - still raising!
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane For like, 2 seconds….does that count?!
109. Touched a stingray Come on Jodi…you did too, didn’t you? SeaWorld band trip?
110. Broken someone’s heart

111. Helped an animal give birth Well I’ve assisted many puppy c-sections…I guess that’s helping to give birth, though not in the pure sense…
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours A few months ago with Strep Throat. 123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents I wish.
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi It wasn’t too bad, but I can do without it.
128. Had your picture in the newspaper

129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read Working on The Well-Educated Mind

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating no thanks; I’ll just eat it.
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life - I used to be a lifeguard.

And, here's a few Alaskan add-ons:
151. Had a close encounter with a Grizzly Bear
152. Drove a dogsled
153. Got drug behind a dogsled
154. Pet a moose
155. Administered shots to a Reindeer herd
156. Endured 40-below-zero for several days in a row
157. Touched the Alaska Pipeline
158. Panned for gold
159. Lived for a week in a remote cabin with no running water or electricity (Outhouses don't smell so bad after you've used one for several days--the nose goes numb.)
160. Seen/heard a tidewater glacier calve
161. Eaten just hours-old Alaskan King Crab legs (mmm mmm mmm.)
And just for fun...an add-on from Wisconsin:
162. Been chased by a Woodchuck. (He must've been at least 10 pounds--haaaaa!)



Silent Flight

I had a cool experience last night. I went for a 2-miler at dusk, and was captivated by the idyllic, Fall evening--crisp air, breeze in my face, leaves dancing across the dirt road ahead of me. On my last 1/2 mile, I heard a whoosh! just to my right. As I looked, I saw a huge shape gliding gracefully and silently beside me, and then cut across diagonally and upward in front of me--a Great Horned Owl! It landed high in a Spruce just a few yards ahead of me. I slowed my pace, and ran up to the base of the tree. We sat there, just staring into each others' eyes for a long moment (about a full minute.) Then with one whoosh! it took off silently through the trees and into the night. What an amazing sight. Interestingly, the boys and I had had another encounter with such a raptor earlier in the day. We'd gone to our local library's "StoryTime", and the subject today was "Owls." Instead of a story, Ms. Peggy had invited a volunteer for the Alaska Raptor Center to visit us. It was amazing to see one of these gorgeous creatures so up-close-and-personal. We learned a couple of interesting facts: Owls are the only birds who fly silently, and, they are very quiet all year long until Fall, when they begin hooting. They are very plentiful, and so, I encourage each of you to step outside some evening this Fall and listen carefully!

Monday, September 25, 2006

12 YEARS!

We celebrated 12 years this past weekend. Taking an overnight trip (just the two of us--ahhh the freedom!) down Kenai Peninsula to Soldotna, it was fabulous to have the time and freedom to do what we pleased. We went jogging, visited the Kenai National Wildlife Reserve Center, hiked the Keen-Eye, Centennial, and Bear Mountain trails, and popped into Portage Glacier Center on the way home. There is much to say about the weekend, way too much to blog at the moment. Overall, though, we just really loved the uninterrupted time together to reconnect. The setting was incredible, as the leaves were at "peak color" and the silence indescribable. Wildlife Report: Not much for big critters this time around (I'm not complaining after seeing that Brown Bear up so close a few years back!), though we did see a Moose cow with her calf on the way to KNWR. The most noteworthy siting--we were blessed to obseve over 30 Trumpeter Swans. They must have been congregating and preparing to migrate. What fascinating and gorgeous creatures. Our God is very creative.

First Day of soccer


Saturday, 8 a.m. It was a BIG day for the Dassow's, particularly for Daddy. He took our eldest to his 1st organized sports practice (and the rest of us "tagged along." Previously, I was not aware of what a milestone this really was. I'm not sure what was more fun--watching Bobcat run around with his li'l shin guards on, or watching Daddy all swelled up with emotion as he declared, "His first windsprints!" At any rate, it was very fun, and the coach is fantastic--totally into just making it a fun experience for these 6-year-olds, while helping them to learn the basics.

Too bad the quality of this photo is so poor. Perhaps I will need to shell out for a digital of some decent quality.

Friday, September 01, 2006

2nd Place?!


Well, I completed my 3rd and final 5k for 2006. I somehow managed to run 2nd place for my (*ahem*) age category, with the time of 25:37. I'm very happy with that. Never mind that a 39-year-old beat the pants off me. Oh well; I'll get her next May at The Curtis Menard--ha! Sorry I don't have a race picture to include. My very enthusiastic cheering squad (3 short little men and one full-grown) took some shots along the course, but alas, they didn't turn out (boo hoo.)

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

First Day for Our First Grader and Pre-Schooler!








Back to work in our little one-room schoolhouse! We began yesterday, and once again, we're so thankful to be able to homeschool. The boys really love being back into the routine, and it's amazing what they've learned in only 2 days. As expected, the biggest challenge is keeping Spunky Cub, AKA "Toddler in All His Glory", busy. He was a little put-out at his older bros being so busy...and did try a few...ahem...antics...to gain our attention. Never fear--I pulled out the ol' Bean Pit.

If any of you fellow homeschoolers are looking for a way to keep your busy toddlers engaged in constructive play during school, this is it. A friend of ours gave us her extra one, and it is a gem. As you can see, Spunky made himself right at home in this indoor "sand box." Just find a large rubbermaid, fill it with dry beans, add a few sand toys and--wallah! Instant fun. So what's on the agenda for our little scholars this year? First Grader Eaglet is continuing with his Reading, Handwriting, and Math. The little stinker is reading at 4th grade level and LOVES books. We've added in Grammar and Spelling, and we'll be focusing on ancient world history this year. His favorite subject, by far, is Science. He works very hard to finish his other work so he can get to his Science, and he's VERY excited about the human body unit coming up.



Eaglet has begun "official pre-school"! What a big boy he has become. He loves having his own desk and school supplies. He's working on letters and phonics, "pre-writing", and "beginning math reasoning" skills. He loves reading books, particularly anything to do with TRUCKS. If it has nothing to do with trucks, he'll make up a truck-related storyline to go along with it. These boys are a joy; it's an absolute privilege to be their teacher (not to mention their mommy!)

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Spunky Boy Meets "Mr. Boy"


We regularly keep Laska, along with our other four dogs, in our backyard pen.
However, a recent, serious injury may have put an abrupt end to Mr. Boy's "kennel days." Laska, aka "Mr. Boy" thoroughly loved the time and attention and love lavished upon him last night. Particularly, he loves his boys. Here, Spunky demonstrates the fine art of grooming his dog. He slept in Bobcat and Eaglet's room last night, and has had no trouble making himself at home indoors. He has a feline pal in here, who is thrilled to have his company. Really, she loves him. So what happened to get us in this predicament?
Thursday evening, Laska was running and playing happily with one of his dog pals, when he stopped suddenly in pain. From that moment on, he used only three legs. The vet tech in me said immediately as it happened, "There goes his cruciate." We decided to give him a day or two and just see if it may have been a soft tissue injury. When he was still not bearing any weight by Monday morning, I took him in to see my good friend and former boss at All Creatures Vet Clinic. What I knew to be true, but had hoped was not, was confirmed. Laska ruptured his ACL. We are in the process of laying out our options for our dear, 12 1/2 year-old, faithful family member. This guy has been with us through a lot, and for a long time. He was our "baby" when we were a newlywed couple. I'll never forget the day we proudly adopted him from my veterinary technology school. We drove him 1/2 way to my parent's home, where the new "grandparents" picked him up and took him back with them to Wisconsin until we could get moved into our new rental home, which would allow a dog. Yes, we moved across the city so we could accomodate this guy. And, I'll add, we are so glad we did. He has taught us much about life, about trust and faith, about exuberance and perseverence, about love. What can we do to help him now? Ideal treatment is a very spendy, TPLO surgery done by a specialist. Even a couple years ago, we would not have hesitated. But at 12 1/2 years, we have to admit that our sweet dog's life expectancy is in it's twighlight. Do we put out the $3000, which incidentally, we don't have? For now, we have him on pain medication and anti-inflammatories. It is also possible, that a combination of these and a couple other medications, along with a bit of...ahem...weight loss :) could make him comfortable enough that he'd have a good quality of life for the remainder of his years. We're also looking into an orthopedic brace. For those of you who may not be "dog people" this post probably seems a bit crazy. That's ok. For those of you who are "dog people", please pray for our sweet dog and also for wisdom for us in what to do for him.

Husky Boys

Ahh! Summertime! The boys had a blast helping me shuck corn in the sunshine (Although this was a few weeks ago--unfortunately, we haven't had many days like this this year.) It was quite nostalgic for me as I remember doing this all summer long in the sunny Wisconsin countryside. Do any of you remember that old, 80's song that used to play over and over on the radio, "Chaka Con"? I'm not even sure if I'm spelling that right, and furthermore, I have no idea what it means so hopefully it is nothing offensive! Anyway, for some reason I had that in my head (?) as we were working on our corn. So, I made up appropriate words. "Shuck corn, Everybody, Everybody shuck corn. Shuck corn that's all I wanna do--shuck corn Everybody Everybody shuck corn." And then of course, in a very high, annoying pitch: "I feel for you! I think I loooooove you!" Yes it is confirmed. I can be a little crazy. The boys never see corn on the cob now that they don't burst into song.


Thursday, June 29, 2006

Homeschooling Families--Any Advice For Me?


Help! I had this little area set up in a corner of our living room for the past year. It worked really well to have a spot for Bobcat to work while I managed the 2 little ones, worked in the kitchen, etc. However, I have reached maximum as far as room for books and things. My bookshelf is overflowing and the hall closet is to over-brimming. We recently bought Eaglet a "big boy" bed and put it up in Bobcat's room. It's going well with having them share a room. So, we now have a bedroom freed-up downstairs. My inclination is to make it into a home-base for homeschooling. There is a closet (which I intend to have my husband install more shelving into, to house science kits, word games, etc.) and a floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookshelf, which I intend to use for reference books and books/curriculums that we use on a daily-basis. My question for any of you is, do you have any suggestions as far as how to set up the room? What kind of furniture? Ideas for the walls? Should I use the pictured child's desk or go for a table set-up. How to arrange them? I also need a spot for Eaglet, who will be beginning pre-school, and an area for Spunky Cub to go wild in. I would like a place to sit down and work on lesson plans, have "school supplies" handy, etc. And, I should mention, that it is not my intention to sit down in this room all day, every day and "do school". Yes, we'll work down there at times, but I'm sure we'll, just as often, take reading onto the couch, or math up to the kitchen table. And, of course, those fun science experiments will be done in the kitchen. I truly would appreciate anyone's advice, and/or sharing of how your rooms look like and are set up. Pictures are good! I challenge you to post 'em! Thanks a million!

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

It's Tough to be One??!

Rough life, isn't it? Spunky enjoyed his afternoon, kicked back with a popsicle.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Running Right Along...

My 2nd 5k of the summer, Race for Technology...and we were off! This race, www.mta-telco.com/community/summer.html, was to benefit the borough libraries
and was a balmy 42 degrees at the start. I am pleased to note that my time was 29:30! Again, not very impressive, but considering I shaved 3 1/2 minutes off from the Curtis Menard, I am happy. I have come to the conclusion that I love Palmer races. Palmer is the community where historically, the midwesterners transplanted with government funding to begin farming in Alaska www.palmerchamber.org/. Hence, it is farmland--FLAT farmland. Very good encouragement for someone like me who is newly into the local running scene. My other encouragement, as always, were my sweet husband/"coach" and little gaggle of boys whom greeted me enthusiastically at race-end. "Mommy! I've been missing you so much!" squealed Eaglet, as he ran excitedly into my arms at the finish. "Did I take that long?" I thought to myself as I scooped my little sweetie up and was smothered with love and kisses. Bliss.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Back in my shoes again! Becoming a "running family"...


The weekend before last I ran the Curtis Menard 5k www.menardrun.com. Though my time was not too impressive (32:58) it wasn't too bad considering I had not been training (!) Anyway, it felt great to stretch these old legs and get back into the running community. I am inspired to actually get on a regular "training schedule." The prospect of being in good physical condition after 6 years of being pregnant or nursing a baby is enticing. My "coach" husband, started me on a regimen this past week. I am planning to run MTA's Race for Technology this upcoming Saturday. With flat terrain in Palmer, it shouldn't be difficult to improve my time. Anyway, as you notice, the boys are also wearing racing bibs! They each participated in the children's fun run--one lap around the indoor turf. Each received a participation medal...and were thrilled to "run a race like Daddy." Speaking of which, was this past weekend! We are so proud of him--he finished his first marathon www.mayorsmarathon.com and did so in 4 hours, 13 minutes. He reached his 2 goals, which he stated, were: #1: to finish. #2: to not die. Haha! See his running blog; it really is a good story: www.runalaska.blogspot.com

Friday, June 02, 2006

I Still Remember My Roots...Helllloooo Wisconsin!

I couldn't resist a couple shots of our little Badgers fan. All 3 of the boys wore this little outfit as babies, and all 3 were extremely "snuggleble" in it. What is cuter than a pint-size little boy body in "big boy" basketball attire?And just WHERE did he get all those little curls?!? I'm not sure, but I know one thing--they will not be cut anytime soon. Spunky has such a masculine little face that he can get away with it anyway!

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

So What's the Exciting News?!


Wise Bobcat was baptized on Easter! Excuse the picture of pictures...I stll haven't figured out this scanner yet. Anyway, it was a very joyous occasion, and we were so proud of our little guy as he made a stand for what he believes in. It is a very cool story as to how he came to the decision (and it WAS his decision, through and through.) A couple weeks before Easter, he had chosen a book at the library, The Easter Story. Upon reading it during his rest break one afternoon, he was brimming with questions, with much emphasis on "baptism." He had read about when Jesus said, "All who believe in me and are baptized shall be saved," and was very troubled by the word "and." Bobcat knows all about salvation and last Easter (2005) did in fact decide to ask Jesus for forgiveness of his sins and for Him to live in his heart forever. He knows that that is it--there are no strings attached. So you can see why, in the mind of a 5-year-old, the "and" would cause confusion. We talked a lot about it and about why people choose to be baptized with water. Several days later, in his Sunday School class, his take-home worksheet talked about baptism. Bobcat was so excited about it! He grabbed his Bible and a pencil and wanted to work on that worksheet the moment we got home. I mentioned to him that our church would be having a baptism service on Easter..so if he'd like to go and see how it worked, I'd be happy to take him. Later that evening, he brought up the baptism service. I asked him, "Why? Would you like me to take you to that so you can see how it works?" "No," he replied, "I've decided I think I want to be baptized." I told him we could talk to Pastor about that. I must admit that my immediate thought was that he was too young. Then I quickly realized that it was between Bobcat and God...and I could obviously see how God had been pursuing him and working in his heart. When God speaks, we need to listen! I was thinking on that when, a few moments later, Bobcat came to Tony and I and told us, "The reason I've decided I want to be baptized, is because if it was important to Jesus--when he was here on Earth--than it's important to me." There you have it. Who can argue with that?! So, at the Easter evening baptism service, we witnessed our little boy make his testimony in front of a room full of others. The water was freezing (note Pastor Larry's waders--he never wears those, but made an exception this time) and Bobcat was not keen on being dunked under water. Still, his desire to be baptized outweighed these details. He felt strongly enough about it that he was willing to withstand the discomforts. There were about 10 people baptized that evening, ranging from Bobcat's age to gray-haired. What was really special to us, was that Pastor spoke at the beginning of the service about the faith of children and how that is to be respected. We had a little cake party afterward, and that too was very special. I'm just so thankful for the privilage to raise my boys. I'm so thankful that the Creator of our universe loves each of them even way more than Tony and I do. I'm so thankful that He is pursuing each of them...and working out a perfect, prosperous plan for each of their lives. What a relief...a release...to know that they are in His care. There truly is no greater joy.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Can it Be?? I'm Back! Do I still have any viewers??!

Oh my. Where to begin? Sorry for the extended hiatus. Sometime around mid-April things became so crazy I just sort of fell out of blog-land. (Do I still have any viewers??!) So many blog-worthy events happened about that time...but with no time and no pictures, I avoided the blog entirely. Logical? Hmm. Anyway. Here is a picture to prove that summer really has finally come to Alaska. We weren't sure if it would make it this year or not, but alas--it is here! We have spent the last 4 days (Tony had off work!) enjoying some great, summer family time--waterfights (Wise Bobcat is ruthless!), kiddie pool, going out to breakfast, gardening, b-ball, and yes--bug catching (see photo.) It's been fantastic. Unfortunately, hand-in-hand with Alaska's summer is fire season. Thankfully, we've been protected from the wildfires that have been raging nearby. One last week, was just a mile from our home. Scary as it was, it was quite exciting watching all those fire-fighting planes and copters as they swept down to dump water and retardant. We are blessed in this state to have such brave and skilled men and women to respond to the numerous fires we've been having. The firefighters had this particular fire under control within a day, and only one home was lost. The other fire we've been keeping our eye on, is about 5 miles away. That one has been much more difficult to get under control. It is currently burning over 700 acres. Amazingly, only 2 structures have been lost. So just what, you may ask, was so exciting and time-consuming over the last month that I had no time to blog? Too much to recap; however, I will take a moment to share one VERY EXCITING piece of news...but I will share it tomorrow!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Bobcat Tells the Story...



This morning, Bobcat was re-enacting his Grandpa's recent hunting trip. As he sat in his cockpit (a chair), he spoke into his headset (a blanket shaped just-so.) "....Yes? Oh. I'm going to hunt a caribou...... What? Oh. Yes, I am flying over a volcano now.... Yes. I need to fly south...."
So here are a couple photos from the actual event. Dad is pictured at right with his caribou. I assure you, we've been eating well!













Here's the actual active volcano that they flew past! Notice the smoke coming out on the right side of the peak.





Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Finally Spring...Can You Really Tell, Though?





Spunky tries to figure out what those big brothers are doing! The boys broke out the air rocket today...here Bobcat assists Eaglet in a launch.









Thursday, March 23, 2006

3-Year-Old Dreams

"I'm a fireman!" Mischievous Eaglet has been quite consistent in informing us that this is what he'd like to be when he grows up. After a brief stint (yesterday) of having his sights set on being a garbage man, today he was back to the original dream.


The full get-up...

















"This is my gas mask." (Thanks Ken! You thought you just gave us a train set!)














"My rubber boots preetect my feet...from smoke, smoke relarms, and fire extinguishers." (Excellent idea. And here I thought they were just nice winter boots for Mommy!) I better post this and go see where that siren noise is coming from...

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Just an Aside...

Look familiar to any of you? This is what happened while I was posting my blog this morning!