Fish Dissection

 We love to take classes at the Columbia Springs Fish Hatchery, and today Joel got to take Seleia to dissect a brown trout! They started by feeding some of the fish in one of the lakes (Columbia Springs is 100 acres and gorgeous. Very fun to hike there, too!) before heading to the laboratory classroom. Seleia was one of not many girls in the group, and the only girl at her table. (Apparently cutting open a dead fish is gross. But our science girl was not to be deterred!) She got to ask a few questions, answer a few questions, and do most of the actual dissecting. (When it came time to do the eyeball the boys shied away, and as she cut into it, it exploded. I'm told blood shooting through the air makes boys run away at lightning speed.) She drew a diagram in class of her trout....kissing a girl trout.  She and Daddy had a blast!!

Six Months Old!!!

 

I am SO IN LOVE with this little man.  I can hardly believe that he is six months old today ~ this baby who doctors said wasn't likely to survive until his own birth ~ and he is such a ray of sunshine in our lives!! I read the phrase "happiest baby in all the land" and I can certainly say that applies to little Dash. We can't get enough of him! Every second is a blessing. When this guy laughs and smiles at you so big it looks like his face might crack open........well, life is good and nothing else seems to matter. We love you, Dashiell!

Little Red Pictures...As Promised!

I. Am. So. Proud. Seleia and Elora both had such a wonderful time and did so beautifully in their performance of The True Story of Little Red at Northwest Children's Theater last week. Seleia, as  "Deer", was sooo expressive and had the opening line in the play! Elora, as  "Squirrel", didn't miss a line and was completely adorable with her little "squirrel hands". In the play, the Wolf set the record straight as to what really happened at Grandma's house that fateful day, and how the animals had all decided to teach that bratty, lying Red a lesson about her ways. Bear was played by their good friend Danie and Rabbit was Elora's "boy friend", Aiden. It was adorable. Afterward we celebrated with a barbecue for all of our wonderful friends and family who came to support the girls.  All around, a lovely day!( I can't wait for the dvd of the play to arrive............)

Photos by Sarah Silliman

Almost Showtime

While we all waited eagerly for the theater to open so we could watch Seleia and Elora in The True Story of Little Red, the lovely Sarah made good use of her camera. Say "cheese"!

Beautiful Butterfly

We have our first butterfly! There was big excitement as our first caterpillar emerged from it's CA-coon during lunch today. Amarra has named it Lily, as she tends to name everything (pets, bugs, stuffed animals, dolls...) until she comes up with a permanent name.  Now, as the girls pore over the butterfly book while waiting for her to take flight, I'm off to make some nectar!  The next few days will be quite exciting as our butterflies continue to emerge!

Leprechaun Lunch

Okay, so I went all out. Seleia was startled that the "leprechaun juice" tasted like milk, but recovered from her disappointment quickly. They thought it was so much fun to have an all-green lunch that they ate the peas and green beans without even blinking. Amarra, halfway through lunch, stated, "This is gross. But it doesn't taste gross!" And started cracking up and kept on eating. I laughed and agreed that it was, indeed, gross and then the girls started conspiring about what green things we could make for dinner....we shall see.....

Happy St Patrick's Day!

We started this morning with a little celebratory breakfast. ("I'm eating the pot of gold!"  I'm eating indigo and violet, too!" The plate didn't last very long!!) What have you done to make today special? I may go as far as green milk and green rice krispy treats because, well.....I'm the mom now and it's my turn to torture the next generation, right?  Happy St. Patricks Day!

Out With Amarra

One of the really fun things about Seleia and Elora taking their acting class has been our time out & about with Miss Amarra. She gets to pick the morning's outing...Some favorites being the Library, World Market, Trader Joe's and the park, or Starbucks and the park. We love to walk around Northwest Portland and check out the stores and the architecture. And, okay, the moss on the sidewalk (only in the Northwest do the sidewalks get this green!). Sometimes Dash sleeps the morning away, tucked under warm blankets to keep out the cold, and sometimes he chats our ears off, just happy to be along for the ride.  Amarra, too shy to get on stage with her sisters, loves to point out a beautiful building or sculpture and have her picture taken. And, so help me, I love to take it! (My phone is getting very full!)