Christmas Carols, Aleaha Style

She's fascinated by all the songs of the season. Children's songs, "songs about the baby Jesus," and silly songs, like the dogs who bark out Jingle Bells. Par for her age, she likes to hear the same song over and over again, and she must practice singing it Just So. If interrupted, she starts all over again, at the beginning. (A bit of a bore, honestly, when it's the twelfth round of The Twelve Days of Christmas. ) But I indulge her, figuring that she wants to get it right.

Then tonight, I hear this:

"Deeeeeeeck the halls with Christmas Stuuuuuuuuuuffff, fa la la la la, la la la la."

Christmas Prep

Mommy has a few outfits for the girls to wear. It's nearly impossible to get good photos of them, but we try anyway. (And the red-eye fix in Picasa would not work on these, for some reason. So our kids look possessed.)


These are their green vests, which match the ones for their cousins for Christmas. Can't wait to see all the kids together!

Daddy put up house lights this year, for the first time since the 2006 tree-falling-on-our-house incident. Let's hope that doesn't happen again this year! (Notice how particular he is about the exact placement of each bulb....the house looks AMAZING because of this attention to detail.)

Aleaha got in a funk, and Mommy just had to take a picture. Didn't help her mood, you can be sure! But she knows that Santa is watching, so no pouting!

Aleaha has made a few gingerbread houses. These two (which are acutally made of brown sugar) are gifts for Arby and Jake. It's a good thing we snapped the photo when we did, because the next day, the little houses had completely fallen apart. The gel-goo holding them together didn't meet code, apparently. But we're sure the horses will love them just the same.

Horse Gate, Thanksgiving, Etc.

Daddy worked really hard building the coolest thing -- an automatic gate for Jake! The picture is awful, unfortunately. But the gate is so neat, we just have to brag about it some more....Jake goes right inside, we pull a handle to close the gate, then flip a switch. We feed him his Very Special Jake-Only Food, and about 20 minutes later, the timer automatically opens the door and he goes out. IT ROCKS. But not as much as Daddy. :)


Two purple girls on a purple horsie blankie.


A barn goddess in the making. (Glitter skirt optional.)


Miri and Mommy on a Bob-stroll.


On a rare snowy day, we traipsed outside for a little adventure. (Hey, the schools were closed and we were cooped up at home, so we NEEDED a little outside time.)


We fed the birdies a lot of food that day. Miri is not unfamiliar with the scooper, of course.


Downing a little pie after Thanksgiving dinner. She knows where her pie-hole is, eh? And you should see her sign for whipped cream! She moves her hand in a circle, as if she's applying it to a pie, saying "SCHTTTTTTT". She gets the point across.


Aleaha enjoyed the pie so much, she asked for it sans whipped cream. And she even knows it's made from a vegetable!


After a long weekend of Mommy cooking and Daddy doing dishes, we enjoyed a night out at Ixtapa. Gee, is that more whipped cream Miri spied?


Aleaha is quite the ham.

Our girls

Taken in October at school. We have individual shots too, and hope to post those soon. Miri was not having a good time with the photographer (and vice versa, I'm sure!). She didn't really smile much. We decided to do retakes when they were offered a few weeks later (read: Mommy stresses AGAIN to get the dresses clean, find the shoes and tights, fix hair, etc. ). But apparently those turned out worse than the originals, because he printed the ones from the first round. Still, we think she's a cutie-pie. She just knows clearly what she likes and what she doesn't.

A few more pictures

Mommy finally learned how to save photos received in text messages from her Droid to her PC. Then she had to learn where they were being stored on said PC. Sheesh....

Courtesy of Daddy and Holly, the girls are ready for trick-or-treating!

Here they are, eating dinner out (and being silly) with Daddy. Aleaha is looking forward to Mom going on a business trip again, because she loooooooves going out to restaurants! (she still doesn't eat much though - Miri puts away more groceries than Aleaha)

In one of our final projects of the season, Daddy is installing a custom-made automatic gate at the barn. Jake will go into his new Private Dining Area and eat his special feed without Arby nosing him out (here is Daddy, installing the corner feeder). Then, after Jake is done, the gate will magically open to let him out. It means Jake will get lots of special feed, Arby won't (he doesn't need it!), and Mommy and Daddy don't have to make 4 trips to the barn everyday. We call it "equine-eering". (And lest you worry that Jake will get stuck in there all day, have no fear....we can look on our barn-cam to see that the doors opened on time and Jake got out) Yes, Daddy totally rocks. And we love having a geeky farm.

Miri likes projects at the barn, especially if they involve riding on the tractor or 4-wheeler, scooping up lots of pellets, and feeding the horses apples.

Halloween 2010

Mommy had to be on a business trip over Halloween (yeah, does that suck or what?!). But Daddy was the perfect prime parent, and took the girls out trick-or-treating that night. (Will try to get a few of those pics posted.)

The girls got to wear their costumes to their school for a day-long party.


Miss Ladybug Miri



Aleaha with her friend Lucero. Aleaha was a "Battarina". A ballerina meets a bat. Like that's some natural critter from the animal kingdom.


Love this shot.

(Special kudos to Daddy for taking such good care of the girls. He rocks!!)

Mommy Escapes!

Mommy met up with Aunt Jodi, Aunt Kelly, and Gramma Bon for a fabulous short get-away. It was the first ever night away from Miri. And all turned out just fine. (Thank you, Daddy!!)

Didn't get many photos, but here are a few....


Breakfast at Mother's Bistro. How appropriate!



Silly girls in the back seat. Took a few minutes to move the carseats around, and Kelly thought that Miri's bib was a great accessory for anyone dining 'round the town.


All smiles!

A Productive Weekend

We made good use of the great fall weather to get ready for the icky winter we know will come: We stacked the last ton of hay in the barn; filled the freezer with pork; and cut and stacked a bunch of well-seasoned fir for next year's wood. Chores of the season!


Here's Aleaha atop the stack. We have 130 bales in there today (just over 7 ton), which will get us to next summer.


Miri helps Daddy on the 4-wheeler. Here they are getting ready to go check on the goats & llama.


Miri has a good time feeding the horses each day, especially if it involves giving them apples or working in the alfalfa pellets.

And of course, amongst all the chores, there's been a little playing too.....


We brought back Mommy's toybox from Gramma & Grandpa's house. It's fun to play in!



Miri is at that stage of opening the cupboards and working (not playing!) with all the contents. She is allowed to get into most of them, and is learning to be gentle with the glass ones (you'll be glad to know that following this photo and realizing she's barefoot, the glass jars were quickly removed!). Here she whips up a little something special.


The girls go for a short horse ride through the livingroom.


This was a creepy thing. Notice the spider in the web (against the background of the goat feeder at this angle, it's pretty easy to see). Well, Mommy saw this just before Aleaha was about to walk into it. Whew, glad we didn't do that! Then Mommy walked right into one just like it. She freaked out quite a bit.


Halloween is a favorite time of year in our house. Aleaha gets brave and smooshes the pumpkin guts between her fingers in order to get the seeds out.


Final result. Aleaha's (on left) is pretty basic, at her request. Miri's is a moon and stars (also per Aleaha's request), but it's not lookin' so recognizable. Oh well, we don't get any trick-or-treaters anyway!

Overheard

Aleaha: "Mom, remember when GrammaBon took me and my sister on a walk up at the cabin? It was fun. But Grandpa didn't go. Cuz, you know, he's sort of old. And rusty."

Aleaha: "Mom, we were out of toilet paper in my bathroom, so Daddy put on a new scroll."

Apples, Boots, and Such

It's apple time! Miri enjoys the whole process: the gathering, the eating, .....


...the schlepping to the barn....


...and the feeding to the horses. Though she has a little trouble reaching the feeders.

Miri admires her new mud boots (new-to-her). They are much too big still, but gosh, aren't they fun to attempt to walk in??

Hey, astute readers, what's wrong with this picture? (besides the mess all over the floor, the tarp the horse is standing on, etc.) Hmmm, the horse is on the wrong side of the stall wall. This is Jake, who wriggled his way into a tight space, getting into the barn while Mommy was unloading hay. He found the bucket of apples.

The Things Aleaha Says

"Mom, you haven't nursed Miri in a long time. Your boobs don't serve milk anymore, huh?"

Aleaha and Miri go to Happy Canyon

Aleaha and Miri attended their very first Happy Canyon show this year. I was filled with excitement for Aleaha to be there and with fear and trepidation about Miri-Yell. But Miri was fine, really. She was asleep during the first part (yay!!) , then woke up in a good mood and played with the little 13-month-old girl sitting in front of us. When she couldn't sit still and keep quiet anymore, Gramma Bon whisked her off behind the scenes to meet the horses and actors. She loved that part.

Aleaha loved the show. Here are a few excerpts...

During the opening scene, when the Indians are fishing in the pond:
"Mom, look, they're catching fishes!"

During the scene where the Indians carry the deer out.
"Mom, they were not very nice to that deer. They put an arrow into it."

During the scene where the white girl (Aunt Jodi) is taken captive:
"Mom, why did they take Aunt Jodi? What did she do to them?"

When Jodi dives into the water:
"But Mom, she's going to be gotten by the fishes!!!!"

After Jodi exited at a full gallop on the horse:
"Mom, where is Aunt Jodi now?"
My reply, wanting to assure her Aunt Jodi is OK and this is just for pretend,
"Well honey, she's down below, taking a shower."
A few minutes later:
"Why is Jodi taking a shower underground?"

At the end:
"Mom, it's the American Flag Song! I know this one!!"

There were a million more questions, of course. She tried to understand what was happening with the indians and cowboys and land and sickness. She told us some interesting versions of this on the way home, as it all sunk in. It's hard to ensure a 4-year-old can appreciate the cultural sensitivies involved in Happy Canyon. I asked her of her favorite parts, and they were the fireworks and all the horses, especially when they were running really fast. :)

Round-Up!!

The Centential Pendleton Round-Up was a woppin' success. It was basically our annual family vacation - a long road trip there; lots of food of questionable nutritional value; no naps; a great visit with lots of fam & friends; taking in the parade and rodeo and Happy Canyon; and the tiresome trek back home.


Mommy insisted on starting the night before we left with a celebretory dinner out at Ixtapa. Miri discovered the joy of the special whipped-cream-covered, cinnamon-and-jam-coated chips served at the end of the meal. Mas, Mama, mas!!


Miss Miri was fussing a bit on the way to Pendleton, so Mommy encouraged her to play with the tissue box. (She has a very cool trick -- she can blow her nose all by herself!) Ya know, it was a dollar-seventy-nine box of tissue, providing about 8 minutes of pleasure and peace. Totally a worthwhile trade!


Miri went with open arms to Aunt Kelly right away, but then insisted on going back to Mom.


Aleaha was delighted with the throwing of candy from people riding in the parade.


Miri loved the parade and clapped away at seeing all the horses.


The Westward-Ho! parade has become a mini-family reunion, with the chance to see my Aunt Jan's girls and their families. Here is Cousin Elena and her husband Chava -- the world's first daddy to nurse their son, Emery. ;)


Aunt Kelly and Cousin Liliana (with Baby Diego) take in the parade and get in some good sharing time.


A six-up mule and stagecoach ensemble. There were 1500 horses, mules, ponies, draft horses, and draft mules (or, what Aleaha calls "horse-mules") in the parade. But I don't know if they broke the world's record.


The Pendleon Round-Up Mounted Band. Mommy used to ride with this band and play piccolo. Maybe again, someday....


Cousins Tyler, Ella, and Hank were lovin' every minute of it. Tyler graciously gave his sister a boost for a better view.


Cousin Jennifer's boys Sam and Ira were loving the parade too. Here they cheer on the band from Athena-Weston -- Mommy's second favorite band of all. :)


There were 2 really cool entries from the forest service, including this 6-string pack mule line.


Can you imagine climbing through the wilderness on one horse and holding on to a leadrope with 6 pack mules laced together and loaded down? Them's some brave, calm animals!!


Terrible shot from my cell phone camera, but this was the Grand Entry of Old Glory. This moment, at 1:15 each day, with the flag, the Star-Spangled Banner, the fly-over of the F-15s, and the run-in is the best five minutes of the year!!


If you were there, you can tell what this was -- barrel racing! So different to see this compared to barrel racing in other rodeos. Those horses have to run twice as far, and it's really dangerous. Great to watch, though!


Funny bull, taking a little snooze, with his head in his grain bucket.