February Findings

February has found us somewhat furious with schedules full of functions.   Flying from here to there and everywhere!  But within the vacuum of madness, there were brief places of pause.

Cosette making friends at the park.

Cosette in the bath put bubbles on her chin and said, "Mama, look, Papa!"  She was inferring she had a beard like Grandpa.

Cosette insisting Ammon wear the Minnie Mouse ears. He complied.

Bairy Bee Compton was born and is a big healthy girl!

My aunt Sharon, (my mother's sister) is seventy-four. This picture was taken right before she went in for open-heart surgery.  Not an easy one to recover from, I've been told.

Her youngest daughter, Loretta

My cousin and I look like each other. Don't you think? 

From left to right is Michael, Aunt Sharon, me, Loretta and Margaret holding Cosette. It was like a mini family reunion on my mom's side. I haven't seen my cousins in many, many years!  We gathered for lunch before my aunt Sharon went in for surgery.

Margaret's ginger cookies.  Apparently, they are the most amazing cookies! I would have tried them, but I am hopelessly gluten-free!

Calvin's science experiment. We started simply this year. No volcanoes yet!

  

We went to Black Butte Ranch for the weekend with the Thompsons to get some time in the snow!  It is near Bend and is beautiful! No crowds, just lots of snow-covered pines and rolling mountains that beckoned us to ski and sled!  J-P, me and Scott got to go night skiing on Mt. Hoodoo.  It was cold, but so fun.

This is Oliver's happy face as he came down his sled run!

Boys shooting their BB guns at Grandpa's ranch

A raccoon we saw coming back from Grandpa's that was just hanging out on the side of the road in broad daylight.  We all concluded......it was sick with hydrophobia!  Do you think we watch too much "Old Yeller?"

My poor Aunt recovering after her surgery. She had to stay in ICU for a week with a breathing tube in her mouth that went all the way down into her lungs.  They tied her hands down because they were afraid she would pull the tube out.  Sharon told me that the ICU is right near the Life Flight launch pad and she could hear the helicopter every time it came in or out. 

The nurses later discovered after a week of Sharon being like this that her lungs were full of water and that was the reason her breathing was restricted. Once they drained the fluid, they took out the breathing tube, she climbed out of bed and walked over to a chair.  Two days later she was transferred to this nursing home (pictured above) that was only five minutes from our house.  We saw her almost every day of the three weeks she was there.

Cosette making herself comfortable on Sharon's bed.

I went to an art class at the library and created this sun to make her room a little brighter.

We went to Peach Wave for yogurt after the kids finished swim lessons.

J-P was snuggled up in the covers after a long days work and I thought he looked like Gustav's Klimt's piece with the flowers around his face. 

Ok. Not the same, but this is what I saw in my mind's eyes.:)

Jaunuary Update

We spent some time at the beach over New Years with the Thompsons and it was a delight. We actually had clear weather. 

This was our view from the balcony of the beach house.  Elk!  Calvin was so intrigued, he wanted to get as close as possible.  And we came with in about twenty feet.  I have never seen elk so calm and to be able to get close without them spooking.  Elk at the beach, go figure.

Cosette trying to dress herself. This girl is Miss Independent! She insists on doing everything herself.  In some ways I like it, but in others, it can be very frustrating.

This outfit was given to her by her Aunty Kimberly. So cute!

Oliver in the sea grass.

 Pine Wood derby!  We were at it again.....unofficially.

We seem to like a patriotic theme, two years in a row now. Our cars are the ones in the middle, the hummer being Calvin's and then the cars on either side.

 The fierce line up.

They didn't place, but by the time they make it to scouts, maybe we will have all the kinks worked out.

Calvin is in basketball and is liking it. He is not quite sure how to play the game yet, he likes to guard his opponent when he is playing offense. lol

Oliver is shooting some hoops at school for Dad's day.

It's not a very clear picture, but everything is covered in snow. It was beautiful while it lasted which was not even a night. When we woke up it was all gone.

We acquired a piano!  It's a player piano, that needs some miner tuning. Calvin is going to start lessons soon.

The Salazars came to visit us from California!  We had fun going to the beach, the gorge and out on the town one night.

Toddlers and Parking Lots

Toddlers and Parking lots

  What is it, with a fast running, short-legged tot that finds parking lots fascinating?  Just today we walked out of the gym and headed into the great valley of cars.  Cosette will not allow me to hold her hand to carefully navigate her to the car, nor will she let me carry her to safety either.  If I do the latter, which I prefer to do, there is a tremendous amount of kicking, which sends boots flying and Cosette escalates to screaming. 

What's worse is a host of people staring and wondering if I have done something to violate the child's rights. So what I am left to do is, herd her in the general direction of our car.  At that second, she steps off the curb and darts into the thick of moving cars! Cars leaving, cars coming and cars backing up. That instant, I'm running after her with lockjaw on the outside and on the inside, I'm cursing and murmuring to myself that if those cars don't kill her, I will!  But Cosette is laughing, squealing with her arms spread wide and having the time of her life. As if she is Maria from the "Sound of Music" running and singing in the hills, "The hills are alivvvveee with the sound of music, ahhhhhh!" 

After the treachery ended, a miracle happened. We reached reprieve of the car untouched, unharmed and safe. I let out a big sigh and thanked my guardian angels. I thought maybe I should get one of those sheepdogs that bites the heels of his herd to keep them in line.  But maybe that's going a bit too far? A leash then, maybe?