An Idle Day

Desperate moms seem not to mind their wallets being rifled through and cell phones being abused by chubby fingered power-pressing. This was one such day. Mom was tired. Child was doing just fine!

Emma eating (part 2)

Even if it says "Image Not Available", try clicking play anyway.....
If 14 seconds of child eating was not enough, here you go:

Emma eating (part 1)

If it says "Image Not Available", try clicking play anyway.
Okay, this may only be fun for me, and Sid. But, it was fun to watch her "take charge" of her meal.

Emma takes on puddles

It is Spring in Montana...Actually it dumped snow last night. But, we are ignoring that.....It seems it is an official toddler spring activity to step in puddles. Her New Balance sneakers are taking a beating. We are on the lookout for some good ole galoshes for dear Emma!

Emma's first trip to Bozeman's 4-Star Rated Playground

We were going to go out to the Missouri Breaks (where the Gallatin, Jefferson and Madison Rivers meets to form the "Mighty Mo"). Time got away from us, however, so we wound up at the 4-Star Bozeman Burbs Playground. It really is a sweet playground! Go Rob Hertzborn!

Here are some pictures from the day.
Oops. That isn't the playground. :-) Above is a photograph of the first batch of Sid's 2009 stout homebrew. We had a Guiness:Sid-stout taste-off. Sid's gave the old stout standard a run for its money.

Winter has rejoined us

After weeks of gray skies, balmy temperatures and a much needed ice melt, winter has decided to revisit Montana.
Emma is once again in Phoebe's "damsel" hat. It really is Phoebe's. They just happened to do a switcheroo the other day.
Here is Phoebe doing her best Bart Simpson-baby-sister-sucks-on-her-pacifier impression.

It started on Thursday of last week. The girls were just fine with it. After some mental readjusting, I am as well. It helped that today I went out and finally got a "kinder shuttle". It is a sled for towing along the "wee (or not so wee) one" while you ski or snow shoe.
Today was our first outing. I couldn't quite figure out the poles and human sled dog system, so I just pulled Emma along with the short end. So, no skiing for me, just walking. The fresh snow was just too beautiful not to go, regardless. Emma, after some wild arm waving at me and nervous "uh uh uhs", hit her stride and enjoyed the ride.
She really did have fun. This is at the end. She would like out at this point and would rather not have me taking pictures.

Emma- child genius: an update

Emma has been broadening her horizons lately.
To the "other" cabinets in the kitchen.
In the picture above, Emma lays out two mysterious objects from therein. In parallel; to better evaluate them.
For a while, she considers the two objects in partnership.Quickly, she determines the meat baster has nothing to do with the "still to be identified" wooden object. The baster is discarded.
Determining that the object spread open is a major breakthough.
Shortly thereafter, Emma bursts out: "Mother! I've figure it out. It is a recycling plastic bag drying rack. Of course." "Bags are washed", she informs me, "then hung on the prongs of the rack to dry and then be re-used again." She smiles at me in delighted understanding. I nod full of love and awe and say, "Yes dear, of course you've figured it out. Once again."
We are all VERY proud of Emma; as is she of herself. Of her well above average, dare I say near genius problem-solving skills. Who needs Baby Einstein CDs when you have wooden drying racks?

BTW: We LOVE Baby Einstein.

Belated Valentine's Day Outing

Today Sid and I headed to Paradise Valley to soak at Chico Hot Springs. It was a much needed, belated Valentine Day. A"just the two of us" day.
After crossing the pass as we headed to Livingston, we got caught in a pretty substantial snow storm. It snowed hard the entire way and continued once we arrived.
I love days like this at Chico. The snow creates a mysterious and hidden world of water and steam.
Plus it was mid-week, so almost no one was there.
BTW: Emma's day was wonderful as well, she got to play away at Phoebe's house and hang with power French nanny Francoise. She was in good hands.

Our friends had a baby!

Lucia Davidson was born earlier this month. Emma and I went to visit the new four-some family last weekend. It was a glorious winter day in Kelly Canyon, outside of Bozeman.
Gray, Deb, and Lucia (she is hiding in the baby pack).
Deb, Lucinda, Makena, and Emma.
We had a great walk. Emma looked like a little purple highlander lass. I've gotten very into jumper dresses lately.
Emma was very intrigued with the new baby.
And the basket itself.

Emma also discovered that she really likes popcorn. By the time we were ready to leave the bowl in the for-ground had been completely consumed; by Emma.

Emma's mom gets a haircut

Don't know why. Maybe on account of my pending job termination, but I needed a change. So, I ripped out a page from the Bazaar magazine that is in our office bathroom. And went and got my hair cut. The picture was of Renee Zellweger (she looked very cute of course).

Here's the new do:

I would have liked her to angle it more around my face. But, I like it!

Emma and Phoebe: reading time

This is a fun video I took the other day while watching both Phoebe and Emma at our house. Emma, as usual is really good at "tuning out" her mother. Which, as I said before, is a bit disconcerting!

Emma "ohms" on a Sunday January afternoon

Reading with Dad

Emma is barely able to sit still these days; too many things to do, explore and get into! However, earlier this evening before bed, she sat quietly with Sid as he read her "Elk Tracking" out loud. She had her own book as well. It was quite cute.

Emma and her Christmas trike

Christmas Day (part III): The return of the dead-pan

For awhile, when she was 6 months or so, Emma refused to smile for the camera. Later on Christmas Day, despite all of her wonderful new presents, that same Emma seemed to return....
We call this "DPE"...

The Christmas Sled

We got Emma a sled for Christmas. It is perfectly Emma-sized. It was a nice afternoon for a sled ride, in the balmy mid-20s!


We were amazed at how long Emma was willing to ride in the sled. It has a hold-down strap, but she is a good fusser. To make sure the trip was absorbed into baby-memory as a fun one, we made sure to get out and explore.

Though, getting out didn't alway wind up as pleasure.
Pete's Hill, where we were sledding was bustling with walkers, sledder and dogs. Emma LIKES dogs.
There is so much snow in Bozeman right now....It snowed another 12" on Christmas Day, that we may be sledding to Rockford from now on to get *our* morning coffee!
Onward!