Kate's First Date

My friend, Anna and I took the kids to play at Monkey Mountain. Her Knox and my Kate are about the same age and like to play together. Monkey Mountain is a fun indoor playground geared to the preschool age. It is clean and secure and well kept. Anna and I got time to visit and the kids had a ball.

Knox and Kate up high!

Knox having a treat! He is a pleasure to be around and Kate has asks all the time if he can play. Too bad we live so far away from each other.

A Valentine Day

Today, we started to prepare for Valentine's day. We dug out the crafts and made our Valentines. We used a stencil and Kate sponge painted a bunch of cards.

All sponge-painted and drying.
While they dried, we made cookies. All different kinds for Valentine's.

YUMMY!!!

Then, back to our Valentines. I wrote on them with glue and Kate sprinkled glitter on each card and shook them off. Needless to say, we had a sparkly dining table despite our newspaper coverage.

Finishing up the Valentines.

All done and now just waiting for them to dry!

I love day where we do art. Kate loves it as do I. I love to talk to Kate and hear her thought when we are at the table with busy hands! I love you Baby!

Breakfast Tea Party!

kate and I had a breakfast tea party today! We had Orange Juice and Chocolate milk. We had apples and pound cake. It was lots of fun!

Our tea party set up in the family room on the coffee table.
Kate having "tea" (Orange Juice).

And now our "crumpits" (Pound cake).

I love having a little girl!

Nanny and Pops Painting the Sky Pink!

I miss my Dad and my Nanny everyday and these beautiful sunsets keep them in my heart and mind. Thanks for the pink sunsets!

Ice Castles

Midway Ice Castles. These are amazing. No words are necessary except that the guy that builds them is great and friendly. He is the one pulling mom and Kate's sleigh around the park. Come see if you can. I suspect they will be gone by March!

Safe Kate, Safe Abby! (Well, Almost!)

Today, when I put Kate in the car seat, she was concerned that Abby was not safe and needed to be int he carseat with her. Luckily, we were just going down the street. Kate and Abby love being together! What a great Mama Kate is to make sure her baby is safe!!

King Kate

This week we are learning about K and the sound it makes. That thrilled Kate since her name starts with it. She thinks the K is just for her. She even got to be a special leader. She got a King's Crown for the day too. She wears it proudly!

She is getting so big! Not a King but a Princess in my book!

Job Day

Today, Kate had to go to school dressed as her parent going to work. So she wore her scrubs and I made her her own badge to look like mine, She looked so cute. She told everyone that she was a baby nurse.

My Princess following in my footsteps at 3 years old :)
Off to School.

The Call From Ali

Ok. So Ali calls me on the phone. She is on her way from Salt Lake to my house. "Grab a box and get it ready. I am bringing home an animal." Ok... so that can mean a variety of things as I should know since we have had a many a visitor at our house. I am thinking... rodent, small bird, kitten, puppy even possibly a baby fox (Her most recent saving).

So small box is lined with brown 'saving animal' towel and is ready and waiting. Five or so minutes go by and in flies Ali with a blanket. She runs down hollaring over her shoulder "Come with me". We go to the sewing room, with the box, shew the cats and dog out and Ali lays the blanket on the ground.

Slowly she opens the blanket and there is the most magnificent bird I have ever been this close to. A Great Horned Owl is laying on the floor in our basement. (Would have never fit in my box.) Unfortunately, he had not survived being hit by a car on the Interstate but wow was he incredible.

We took some time and took pictures and let Kate see him. She even petted his gorgeous wing feathers. We called around to see about having him taxidermied. Everywhere we called, said, "Put it in a plastic bag and throw it in a dumpster". Well, anyone that knows my baby sister knows that this was not an option. This bird deserved repect. After all... it was a Great Horned Owl. An amazing bird of prey.

I decided to call the Fish and Wildlife department. I explained Ali first. Then, I explained that I had a Great Horned Owl in my basement. They explained that they had fifteen people on the mountian looking for that specific bird as they had multiple calls about him. (Those people had been up there a while as "Our Friend" had been in my basement over an hour and a half by this point.) The nice lady explained that It is illegal to have this protected bird and that it is subject to a $10,000 fine and a five year visit to the federal penitentiary. Great! Now we are going to jail! She was very understanding and soon someone was at the house to pick the bird up. They explained that as long as there is no damage to the outside of the bird, he will be stuffed for a museum or a school. We were thrilled. Here are pictures of this terrific bird of prey!

He was humongous. Check out his HUGE talons and that wingspan. The feathers were beautiful!

Kate's First Taco

Kate eating her first taco. She loved it. YUMMY!

From Snowman to Snowgirl!

After tonight's snowfall, our snowman had a gender change and became a snowgirl with a dress on or he could be a cross dresser. Still... love his/her hat now!

Cottonball Snowman

Snowman art day started out with a paper plate snowman. Face was glued on but once she glued on the snowballs (cotton balls), the face disappeared and we made another face on top of the snowballs. Kate gluing on the snowballs.

Snowballs are on and in place.
Now the details.
Trying to decide on what to do....

Final snowman after a little help from mom. So cute.

Kate and her snowman. We then hung it on our front door.