Tucson Folk Festival

Went to the Tucson Folk Festival today and had so much fun! (I really loved their poster this year.)



Not much is better than freshly popped kettle corn (yum) and grilled hot dogs (sauerkraut on Mom's, thank you) in the sun. The music was great too as was the company, because our pal Bill Ogroski surprised us and met us there. The kid's folk music was so-so but still fun.


Michael and Bill


Anti-camera Miranda


Michael and Bill playing around


Finally got a smile out of her...


The kids at the end of some neat architecture

Spring Training!

Went to a Diamondbacks/Dodgers spring training game here this month and had a ball. The Dodgers played with a split squad that day, and it turned out Manny played in the other game up in Phoenix. Bummer. However, this is the Diamondback's last season for spring training here, and there are lots of Dodger fans in Arizona so the game was sold out and the people watching was great. The kids made it through 5 innings, which wouldn't have happened if they didn't have the promise of jumping castles for good behavior. Whatever works!

Latest Looks

Miss M is big on dress-up lately and it's just about the only time I can get her to smile for the camera. The kids have been very anti-camera lately, much to my dismay!

We also buzzed Michael's hair recently, he wanted to match Daddy.

Before


After

Kid Pics Again!

The M&M's cousin left his camera here the last time he visited, and we took a bunch of surprise pictures for Rulon to find when we sent the camera back. Sadly he deleted everything on the camera so he could record himself singing (he's 4, he thinks the singing is great and I suspect his mom disagrees) but luckily I copied them to our computer before I sent the camera back to the Land of Enchantment. Here's a sampling!


Michael on Christmas Day

Mom & Dad on Christmas Day

Smiley Girl


Miranda up on top of the bunk bed

Never a normal smile for Mom, always something goofy.

Fishy Portraits

Little Pip (who's no longer with us)


Big Pip (also no longer with us)


Sushi, currently enjoying the tank on his own

Butterfly Magic

Right before 2009 ended, we went to the Tucson Botanical Gardens for their Butterfly Magic exhibit. Their indoor greenhouse is a butterfly haven during the cooler Tucson months. This was our second visit and it was just as awesome as the first time we went last year!


M&M's with a fun terracotta man in front of the gardens

The docents bring out the "newborn" butterflies all day, and they let visitors help take them out of the transport box.

Michael's first butterfly liked his face better than his finger!


Miranda kept giggling about the legs being tickly.


Michael's second butterfly was very calm. I love how if Michael is pointing one finger, he has to point his finger on the other hand too. :)

We met up with Isaac, Leah, Andre, Corissa, and Corissa's sister Shante, Teena and Jonas just as the M&M's were ready to be done with butterflies, so we hung out near the little train village and the zen garden while they did their butterfly thing.


This is next to the "Sound Garden" where they have a copper fountain with lots of drippy water to listen to.


Watching the train go by!


There it goes!


Michael is tucked in the bushes in the back here.


Sitting with Jonas, my little babysitting guy

Michael did a butterfly play for me here, where he wriggled in the dirt pretending to be a caterpillar, then he lay like a lump in the dirt for a while being in his chrysalis, and then he ran behind the butterfly wings and pretended to stretch out into a beautiful butterfly! He was very serious about it and was quite proud of himself.

First Day for Miranda!

Today is Miranda's first day of preschool at St. Mark's Preschool in the older 3's room, the Wild Things! She's been very excited, marching around the house for weeks with her snack bag and asking every day in December if *today* was the day she was going to start school. She had her whole outfit picked out last night, and was up bright and early today to get going!

Our standard first day of school shot on the front porch. Imagine what this will look like 15 years from now when she's starting her senior year of high school!




Michael patiently waiting by the car for Mommy to be done with her silly sentimental stuff...


When we get to school, first we take Michael to his kindergarten to drop off his snack (notice his new, hand knit vest from Mommy!)...


...and then we drop Miranda off at her class for a day of Wild Things!

Fall In Arizona

We've had lots going on! In November we were in Green Valley for the day, golfing with Dan's Grandpa Moore and taking the requisite neighborhood ride in his golf cart after the round. This is perhaps Michael's favorite part of visiting down there.

Also, Michael lost his first tooth in November! The tooth fairy was not prepared, because just 24 hours after it started getting wobbly, he had it out.

Cute shot of the kids all ready for bed.

Action shot of Michael in his Ducks jersey!

Miranda's new sparkly holiday shoes.

Fall-ing Behind!

We haven't updated the blog much lately...gotta get back on that. Here is a quick catch-up from Fall.

For Halloween, Michael wanted to be a bat and Miranda wanted to be a black cat. Easy-peasy.


We went to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese and even though it's a c-r-a-z-y place that drives Dan and me a little over the edge, we all had a lot of fun. Not so sure Miranda has figured out skee ball though...

(Maybe she's going to be a fast-pitch softball player?)

Michael and Daddy playing air hockey.




Miranda has been taking Ballet/Creative Dance at the rec center and she loves it. She runs a constant narrative for us about tea cup hands and ballet jumps and all the little things she's learning. This January she's starting Ballet For Beginners and I think she's going to enjoy herself. This picture is from their final class last session, where they got to dress up in tutus.

Dinner Out

Out at dinner at the Texas Road House ~ too much food but we had lots of fun!


Daddy and Miranda


Mommy and Michael (look at the camera, Michael!)