Adventures in Michigan

Kate and I are finally back from our adventure "up north". After three flights and a two hour drive, we arrived at my parents' house at 11:30 pm last Tuesday. It literally takes 12 hours to get to my folks, which makes for a long day for a 23-month old, not to mention for a 524-month old!

We had a great time in the U.P. We got to visit with my Auntie Sara who is 90 years young and still motoring about. Other relatives we were fortunate enough to see are cousins Suzy, Cindy, Wende and her husband Bill, as well as my Aunt Fern. Mom, Katie and I also visited my Mom's friend Marion. Imagine having a friend for over 60 years. That is how long they have known each other. The time, like always, went quickly. Below are some pictures of the trip.

Here is Katie posing on the steps to the back deck.

Here is Katie picking wildflowers in the backyard. Actually, she pointed out which flowers she wanted and Grandma had to pick them.

Here is Grandpa, Grandma and Katie at Eagle River on Lake Superior. Kate was so excited to see "waa-waa", but was apprehensive about the lapping of waves on the shore. It was funny to watch her run from the water as it reached the shore. However, she did have a great time throwing rocks in the water.

Here is Katie and I on the shore of Lake Superior. As you can see she is pulling away from me because she had places to go, rocks to throw.
I love this picture. We had an early birthday party for Katie. In this picture, Katie and Grandpa are eyeing the cake and can't seem to wait for the cutting to begin.

Mommy and Me Vacation

Tuesday, Katie and I will leave on our annual Mommy and Me summer vacation. Last year we flew into Grand Rapids, Michigan, and drove over to Lansing. We spent a few days with our friends Dana and Gina. Then we drove the ten hours to my parents' home in Laurium. Now that Katie is almost two years, driving alone with her for ten hours would be asking too much of Katie and even more of me. Therefore, we are flying into Marquette and driving two hours to my folks. The cost of gas also factored into the decision to skip the down state visit.

So for you blog readers, I won't be adding anything new to the blog until we get back. Matter of fact I will be disconnected from the Internet world for a whole week and frankly I am looking forward to it.

Katie's Rorschach Test For Mama

Katie loves her crayons. I love her crayons because they are non-toxic and washable. To help her understand that coloring on the wall is not an option, she has several coloring books and I save scrap paper so she can create to her heart's content. The other day the little artist used a piece of brown paper bag. I found it on the bedroom floor and had to do a double take.

I don't know if you see it, but I see the word "Max." Now it probably would not have jumped off of the page at me if "Max" wasn't the name of our other White German Shepherd, Eric's brother, whom we had to put to sleep two years ago. It rather freaked me out for a minute. I know, I know. Too much time on my hands and a too active imagination.

In any case, here is a picture of Maximilian Von Schmidt VII. Actually this is one of my favorite pictures of Max. It was taken shortly after Rick gave me my Canon Rebel XT. During those early days of fancy digital camera ownership, poor Max and Eric were constantly being chased by me with camera in hand.

New Obsession

Yesterday I discovered fire ants in the front yard. Up to this point, we have not had to deal with the little buggers. I found a hill after I stepped on it and was bit on the foot twice. It hurt like heck. So my new obsession is doing ant reconnaissance armed with ant spray and a stick. Poor Doodlebug. Between the rattlesnakes and ants, she cannot play in the yard.

Crisp and Clean

Here's Doodlebug after her bath and in her Lambie robe that Grandmom and Grandpop Kirschner got for her. They actuallly bought the robe months before she was born.

Katie News

Everyday Katie shows off her ever expanding vocabulary. The two new words that she uses correctly and often are cookie and Coke. (Figures they would be food items!)

She also has a new sentence which is "I need." She'll point to something and exclaim over and over, "I need. I need." It's interesting that everything is a need and not a want. In the past I tried to explain to her the difference between need and want. Apparently she was too young for that concept and I will have to reintroduce it to her.

Today she was in the master bathroom with me as I was getting ready. I was in her way and she told me, "Beep, beep." It made me laugh because I tend to say that to Eric, the dog, when I want him to move. Like I previously posted, when you think she's not paying attention or even when the conversation is not aimed at her, she is soaking it all in.

Other items of interest:

• When she wakes up in the morning or from a nap, you'll hear her on the baby monitor saying, "Hi.......Hi......Hellooooo!"
• Whenever she sees an airplane in a book, in person or on TV she shouts, "Dada! Hi! Dada! Hi!" then she waves. Because Rick travels so much, she has been going to the airport to pick him up or drop him off since she was a two weeks old. Therefore, all airplanes equal Dada.
• She has learned to bark like a dog, which can be embarrassing when done in Wal-Mart.
  
• All large four legged animals are cows. Medium-size, four legged animals are dogs. Small four legged animals are cats. Hence, horses are cows, which was a little embarrassing at the rodeo.
  
• She knows where the following body parts are: eyes, nose, ears, hairdo, mouth, teeth, cheeks, belly-button, elbow, knee, toes, feet and butt. She also can say all of those words, as well as point at those items on other people and on animals, which can be embarrassing when done to strangers.
  
• She is getting ready to potty-train. Whenever she pees or poops in her diaper, she tells me, "Poo-poo", but unfortunately never BEFORE she does it. She also points out when Eric poops outside and proceeds to yell repeatedly, "Poo-poo!!", which can be embarrassing when company is over.
  

Well enough of the bragging, but I just love that little Doodlebug.

The Great Snake Hunter--Sort Of

I killed my first snake. However, I didn't shoot it with the 410 shotgun that Rick got me for Mother's Day, but ran it over with the van. Also, it turned out not to be a rattlesnake, but a bull snake, which are "good" snakes. Oh well, better luck next time.

Uneventful

The sun is setting on an uneventful day, which was the type of day that I needed. Weather was beautiful. The "herd" is still standing and Katie is snuggled in her bed.

Groovin' On A Thursday Afternoon

Here's Katie chillin' at her patio set. Yes, she has her own set. (Thanks Grandpop and Grandmom Kirschner!)

SMILE!!

I included this picture of Eric because it looks like a senior class picture. You know the one were the graduate is looking over his shoulder while his sports equipment is nearby.

I took this picture to memorialize a sad moment. Katie had said, "Bye-bye" and scooted off down the sidewalk to explore the world on her own. It made me realize that the years will fly by and someday I'll wave as she disappears down the driveway to truly explore all this world has to offer a bright, beautiful soul called Kate Alexandra.

Wanted: Thicker Skin and Faster Comebacks

I generally like living in West Texas, but there is one thing that disappoints me. I have encountered more male chauvinism than I did when I lived in Michigan.

For example, a year ago I was stopped by a Texas State Cop while driving Katie to her doctor's appointment in Abilene. I had no idea why he was pulling me over. I wasn't speeding or weaving; the lights all worked; my seat belt was on and Katie was properly strapped in her car seat. I must have had a frightened look on my face. No, I know I did. For me, getting pulled over is scary. Anyway, the cop walked up to my window and I greeted him. He responded likewise and then the next thing out of his mouth was, "Are you afraid I am going to attack you or something?" I was too stunned to answer. (As a side note, he pulled me over because I did not have a front plate on the vehicle.)

You may ask, "What triggered this post?" Well, today, I encountered that attitude again. I called the camera repair shop in Abilene. One of my Sigma lenses for my Canon Rebel XT no longer auto-focuses. When I inquired whether they fixed Sigma lenses, the owner of the shop proceeded to tell me that Sigma lenses were junk and cheap and not worth fixing. His condescending attitude continued and he even asked, "Are you sure it's not the camera?" I wanted to responded with, "Hey Mr. Camera Shop Repair Man, I did not ask for a review of my lens. I wanted to know if you could fix it. Sorry that I am a female and apparently uncomfortably too smart for you. I'll take my business elsewhere." Instead, I said, "Thank You" and hung up.

Perhaps I am being hypersensitive and perhaps it will go away when I get thicker skin and faster comebacks.

Mini-Me

The picture on the left is a picture of Katie from today. She is 22 months old. The picture on the right is me at 22 months. This photographic evidence confirms that I have a mini-me.

The Herd Is Down!

Shortly after we moved back to Texas and after a day of errands Rick and I pulled into the parking area at our homestead. He excitedly exclaimed, "Oh no. One of the herd is down." I was confused, so naturally I said, "What?!" "One of the herd is down." he repeated. When I looked in the front yard, I noticed one of our wood cows was on its side.

Since that time, whenever the wind kicks up, which is quite often here in West Texas, at least one in the "herd" goes down. I can tell how windy it is by how many cows get knocked over. Yes, a rather trivial post, but I needed to explain so in the future when I describe the strength of the wind as a one-cow or a two-cow, you'll know what I am talking about. This afternoon was a two-cow wind.

Fall Protector--Patent Pending

Katie is an intelligent and inventive little girl. For example, she was quite young when she figured out how to access the forbidden, highly-placed items by stacking toys, pillows and boxes to create staircases. Today she made a fall protector. She took the pad off of her diaper changing table and attached it to her backside using the pad's straps. She was quite proud of her latest invention and showcased it by elegantly parading around the house.

TCR--Part Deux

Last night was another excursion to the Texas Cowboy Reunion Rodeo and a stab at cooking like a Texan. To start I attempted to make a Texas Barbeque Brisket. Now, here in Texas, barbeque is a noun, not a verb. A true Texas barbeque is a slow cooked brisket done over hickory or mesquite. I cheated and used the slow cooker and a smoky marinade. It turned out okay, but not like Marion's, whom you may recall is one of our friends who tries to make Texans out of us.

Since James' family, Marion and Grant, were out of town for the holiday weekend, Rick invited James over for my brisket. Yup, that's right, Rick invited a person who regularly eats delicious Texas barbeque to my first excursion into brisket territory. You see, up North, the only brisket I ever encountered was corn beef and that is a no-brainer to prepare. Anyway, the brisket was good, but not like Marion's. Becoming a Texan is a slow process, but I optimistically expect it to happen any day now.

On to the rodeo. James had free tickets to the Rodeo and we were lucky enough to be the recipients of his generosity. (Thanks James!) The four of us headed to the Rodeo early so Katie could get a cowboy hat. We found a pink hat. Rick had them attach a leather chin tie to it. Rick, always looking for photo ops, put Katie on the mechanical bull. Hence the picture on top. She doesn't look that happy. I think the bull was hot from the sun.

Here is a picture of James and Katie. She was bored with Mom and Dad, but found contentment sitting in James' lap.

This is a picture of a bronc rider. I brought my 200mm lens this time and the pictures are better than the ones from Thursday night.

This one is of a barrel racer. As the horse rounds the barrel, its angle is amazing.Katie once again stayed up for the whole event, which didn't end until 11 pm. Because it was the last night, the place was packed. The contestants, as always, were a thrill to watch. Thank you to all of the cowboys and cowgirls for a great evening.

I Want My Babeeeee Teeeee Veeeee!!

I am forever in amazement at Katie's expanding knowledge. Some of her knowledge is self-taught or learned through experience. For example, her sippy cups are solid colored, but clear on the bottom. A few months ago I noticed that whenever I give her a sippy cup, she first turns it over to see what it is before drinking it. Through experience she has learned to walk slowly across the kitchen if she encounters water on the floor. If she doesn't, she'll slip and fall. (Note: I usually don't let water puddle around on the floor, but Eric tends to dribble water after taking a drink from his bowl.) Which brings me to yesterday and when we drew outside with the sidewalk chalk. Katie wanted to keep the bucket of chalk with her, so I asked her to bring me a blue chalk. I'll be darned if she didn't dig out a blue piece and bring it to me.

Now, we are always talking to Katie and we try to point out objects including their color, such as white clouds, blue sky, red apple, but I didn't think she could identify colors by herself. When I told Rick the story about the blue chalk, he informed me that he saw her watching a Baby First TV program about colors. They would show a color then say it's name. Katie was repeating each name of the color. My point in all of this is that I am so glad that we subscribed to Baby First TV when Katie was a few months old. Baby First TV is geared toward infants and toddlers. She watches about one hour in the morning and another in the evening. She is considered advanced for her age, which is 22 months, and I believe that Baby First TV has aided in that. Another plus, Baby First TV is commercial free and the individual segments are relatively short to match the attention span and comprehension of young children.

She loves her Baby First TV and will point to the TV and demand rather loudly, "Babeeeee teeeee veeeee!" It rather reminds me of the Dire Straits Song "Money For Nothing" where the background is "I want my MTV."

Fun With Sidewalk Chalk

One of the best things about having a child is that I get to be a child too. Katie and I played with the sidewalk chalk today. Below is her first sidewalk chalk drawing. I believe it is a drawing of fireworks in honor of Fourth of July.


Katie taking a break from sidewalk art with Eric, who like usual, won't share his toys. Not sure why Katie's hands are on her hips.

Popeye The Sailor Man

The other day I realized that Kate says, "Aye" instead of "Yes." Today I told her to get her sippy cup that had juice in it. She said, "Aye" and ran to get her cup. Don't know from where she learned that, but she sounds like a little sailor.

Texas Cowboy Reunion Rode--July 3

Last night Rick, Katie and I went to the Rodeo. I packed a few snacks, but we still ended up visiting the concession stands. It's not a rodeo without funnel cake. Katie being the compassionate person that she is enjoyed feeding Rick, which amounted to her stuffing one piece of funnel cake after another into his mouth. Katie really got into the clapping part and instinctively knew when to clap. She has turned into a good little rodeo fan. A few points of interest: The Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, was there last night, and the Texas Cowboy Reunion Rodeo is the largest amateur rodeo in the world.

The picture below is of the Grand Entrance. "Horses, horses everywhere."



This one is of a Bronc rider. "Oh my aching back."










This one is of a barrel racer. Their speed is amazing.










This one is of the gate and pen area.

Texas Cowboy Reunion Parade

Today Rick, Kate and I went to the Texas Cowboy Reunion Grand Parade in Stamford. The parade kicks off the Texas Cowboy Reunion/Rodeo. The rodeo has been around since 1930 as a tribute to the Texas Cowboy. It's not a professional rodeo, but one that honors working cowhands. But I digress....

The Parade only lasted about 1/2 hour. The best parts are the Hardin-Simmons Cowboy band and wave after wave of cowboys and cowgirls on horses. Our friend Marion advised us to bring something for which to put the candy Katie would collect. I felt a little foolish with a Disney Princess Halloween bucket at the parade, but gosh darn if we didn't quickly fill it with the tossed candy. I should know better than to second guess Marion. The Siedenbergers are our go-to friends on all things West Texas and they have never steered us wrong as they attempt to make Texans out of us.

The above picture is looking down one of the streets that form the town square in Stamford. As far as the eye could see, it was horse and rider. My sister Linda would have enjoyed that sight. Unfortunately I just got the backside of the horses!

This picture is of Katie digging through her Parade Candy Bucket and Rick checking his Blackberry. Katie was a little patriot in red, white and blue, and this year we were smart and brought the portable chairs.


We will go to at least one night of the rodeo and I'll gush about that in a later post. I must say, this time of year with the Parade, Rodeo and Fourth of July, it's a good time to be living in West Texas.

Buttercup the Scholar

If you leave Katie alone for a minute, she commandeers something that she knows she is not supposed to touch. In this picture, she crawled on top our bed, took Rick's reading glasses and his books and proceeded to "read" the books. I guess since Rick wears glasses to read, she has deduced that one must have glasses on to look at books. I tell you, nothing gets by her. When you think she is not paying attention, she is. That fact alone makes me walk the straight and narrow.

Not An Itsy-Bitsy

The other day I found this guy crawling across the house. Fortunately it was on the outside. This is the third tarantula that I have seen since moving to Texas. Yesterday I saw another one in the driveway. They are HUGE, but for some reason they don't bother me. I think it is because they are easy to spot. However, don't get me started on rattlesnakes, scorpions, brown recluse spiders................I know there is more to the list, but I haven't encountered them yet. You gotta love Texas, otherwise you'll be run out of town.