I Dare You

After a particularly hard rain there were a lot of worms roaming the cement patio outside. Katie had just had the snack "worms in dirt" the day before and had been telling everyone what she ate, trying to gross them all out. Well Daddy had a dare. Would she take it?

He said I dare you to eat one Katie. Uncle Mike was there, and grossing us all out when he told us he ate one once. So Daddy showed Katie what she had to do. But she wouldn't touch the thing.

Daddy even offered to help. Open wide Katie!!! Gulp, was all I could think. Don't drop that worm Rick!!! By the way, do you see the excitement on her face. She would do it if Daddy dropped it.

In the end not even the dog would eat one. All a bunch of non-worm eating chickens. That's what Uncle Mike was thinking. Me, I was glad. I knew that if Katie ate a worm, she would most definitely go spread that around school. It would either start a worm eating frenzy in the 3's class, or I would get some very strange looks from parents when they found out. After all I am their child's teacher.

Suprise Visitor

Last weekend we were on our way to see Uncle Mike, Rick's brother, when we got a call from his wife, Leahna, that he was coming to us. Katie and I were so excited. We were going to make it a surprise for Daddy. Katie knew Uncle Mike was coming and I would ask her "are we going to tell Daddy?" "Yes" she would tell me. "NO" I would tell her. It's a secret surprise. "oh, ok" she would say. We went over and over this, as we cleaned the house like mad women. Ok I cleaned the house, Katie tried to look busy, but her toys overtook her. Well I was vacuuming, and I heard the door shut downstairs. Before I could stop Katie, even get the vacuum turned off Katie had run up from her office and said, "Shhh, daddy, I'm not supposed to tell you, Uncle Mike is coming." 3 year olds. You just can't trust them.

But we had a great visit. Katie taught him to play all kinds of sports, and she was overjoyed to have her uncle visiting her. Not us, just her. Each time we would be talking to Mike, she would say "Mommy, I am talking to Uncle Mike now." Each morning, as it is with any guests, she would wake him up at some ungodly hour. She goes screaming into the room "WAKE UP UNCLE MIKE!!!!!" He jumps up, she laughs, hugs him, and tells us the story of how she woke him up for the next hour.

She loved the fact that he had to share her bathroom with him. If he was brushing his teeth so was she. She pretty much gave him no privacy. Poor Uncle Mike, can't even brush his teeth by himself.

We took Mike to Utah to see the gorge. While we were at the dam the rangers told us a tour was starting. So we went to the bottom of the dam where you can feed the fish. Although this looks like a long way down, we asked and it still isn't as far down as Rick went down under ground at the mine. CREEPY!!!

Katie loved feeding the fish. They are huge fish, that just wait there for the tours to come down and feed them. When you feed them they swim all over themselves to catch the pellets. It is fun to watch, but creepy to think about swimming among!

We all enjoyed feeding them. Look at those two. I bet their dreaming about which one would be best to eat!

Just look at them. Those are some big fish!

Then we took Mike to the Red Canyon Lodge area and found lots of deer. No bucks though. But this Mama, and baby were pretty cute.

When we got home, and ready for bed that night, Katie was excited for dessert. "Uncle Mike will you have popcorn with me?" How can he refuse. She couldn't wait. Literally. She was eating out of her bowl before he even got his. She loves her popcorn.

Katie loves to have snacks with Uncle Mike, she likes to steal snack from anyone. But this time she had her own bowl. This shot of them eating their popcorn took me back about two years.

Katie was about 1 1/2 and Uncle Mike was taking a lunch break from hunting I'm sure up at the ranch. Katie saw him eating, and toddled over to him to "share."
The next day Katie taught Uncle Mike to play wiffle ball. She is getting pretty good, and thought he might like to learn. She took a few hits first to show him how it's done.
Then it was Uncle Mike's turn. "Like this?" he asked her. "No, Uncle Mike!" she answered giggling.
"Hold the bat like this, and turn like this." She is a very good teacher!

She pitched him a few fast balls, and then let Daddy take over.
She stands over here to have a good hiding spot, in case he hits one. The barbecue is her hiding spot.

We really enjoyed our Uncle Mike visit. We can't wait for him to come back and to bring his family along.

She cooks and cleans

It's great to have a 3 year old around the house. On Saturday mornings we wake up and she is ready to get breakfast on. She happens to LOVE pancakes. I think it's because she can make them. I can't complain when this kid is willing to do all the work. She measures and mixes the batter for me, and then I cook it. She sets the table with forks, and napkins, and will put the plates on for us. She likes to open my napkin for me all the way. If I tell her to keep in folded she tells me, "but mommy, you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit." I can't argue with that.

After breakfast she even cleans up. She is an animal with the wisp broom and dust pan. Don't get me started on the vacuum. As a parent I have to use this to my advantage. Someday doing chores, and making breakfast will be laborious for her, not fun. She will sigh heavily, drag her feet, and complain loudly. Not that it will change anything, but she'll do it. For now though I have a 3 foot 6 inch housekeeper. I just have to get that footstool and laundry will be hers to do as well. Off to the hardware store...

How to Play Wiffle Ball

Katie is totally digging this new sport, and she is getting pretty good. Look at her hands how she holds the bat. She doesn't even need help getting her grip correct any more. Here's the wind-up...

...and the pitch. She takes a step and swings. Home run!!!!! Katie is connecting with the ball more than she misses as of late. But after she's done hitting for the day, she has to finish off...

...with a booty smack. Sometimes I wonder where I got this weird kid. She sure knows how to bring on the laughs.

From snow to sun in three days

Thursday began with a dumping of snow, like I have never seen. Fat wet flakes fell for 15 hours straight (it started the night before). The streets never got iced over, but the snow fell all day.

I would wager we got about 8 inches of snow that day. Then around 3pm the snow stopped and began a quick melt. It was completely gone by the afternoon Friday. For all of you that live in snow it is probably nothing out of the ordinary. But for Katie and I it was great. The snow made great snowballs which Katie got a real kick out of throwing at me.By Sunday, the snow was a thing of the past. The weather had warmed up to at least 65 degrees, and we were taking full advantage. Katie got a couple of sunflower seeds at the home and garden show and she was anxious to plant them. Daddy showed her how to get the seeds in the pot, and she repeated.

She picked out the pot, and watering can earlier that day. She is a very good gardener. Although she tends to over water. That should continue though until the novelty of the watering can wears off. Although I don't think that will be for a few years.

This is the first watering the plant received that day. It got about 3 more before dinner, and two or three the next day.

After watering the plant Rick and Katie watched for it to grow. So far, nothing. Check back later.

Sleeping in

Rick and I are typically early risers. We have been that way for most, if not our entire lives. We don't mind getting up early, even on the weekend. At least we didn't mind. Before. The kid. Katie has taken to waking up around 6 or 6:30 daily. It will certainly come in handy next year when we have to leave for me to get to work early. But Saturday's are sleep in days. I don't mean until 10 or 11. I mean 7am. Weekends are the day when we wake up to our "natural" alarm clock. So here I am at 7am writing this post, sucking down a cup of coffee, and sleepy. Katie, meanwhile is down watching a show, eating her 2nd snack of the day, wide awake. But just wait. This waking up early stuff doesn't come without a price. Sometime today she will crash. Hard.

She will be watching a show, or we will be driving somewhere and she will pass out. She is wearing her pirate patch on her forehead in this picture. She can't have it over one eye while she watches a show. It left a heck of a mark. When she passes out today I will NOT I disturb her, not on your life. I hope it will be at home. I will sit down, watch a sappy lifetime movie, munch on a bad for you snack, and say "ahhhhh." But right now I think I will sneak back up to my room for a little snooze. Until she catches me, and demands that I wake up.

Easter

This Easter was fun for all. Auntie Dee came to visit us, and we all had a blast. Katie is still moping around the house saying; "I miss Auntie Dee."

We finally got a family portrait I can live with for awhile. We took many, but this one gets both Rick's and my vote. What do you think?

We did the usual Easter events. Last year Katie got a little crazy with the egg dying and was throwing the eggs in the cups. This year we had the situation a little more controlled. I know she isn't wearing a shirt, and normally I don't care if she gets something on her clothes. But usually I can get whatever she gets on her shirt out with Shout. Egg dye doesn't come out, hence a shirtless Katie. She did much better this year. We only cracked 2 eggs during the dyeing process.

The rest of the weekend was spent learning lots of new sports. We have to get Katie's wiffle ball game up and running. Uncle Mike, Aunt Leahna, and Kayla don't have an advantage of a third person anymore. Although come to think of it... we can play 4 on 2 now girls against guys. Those two wouldn't stand a chance.

We went to the rec center and ice skated as well. None of us are particularly good at ice skating, I am the worst of all. I was content to skate behind, clutching the wall, hoping I didn't knock some poor little kid down, while Katie skated with Auntie Dee, and Auntie Carrie. I don't know how they did it. Katie just moved her feet, going down each time, and they held her up. Thankfully no one fell that day.

Katie and Auntie Dee performed their "hoopty hoop" routine for us. The Amazing Katie can jump through a ring of fire, a pit of snakes, even a tank of sharks. She is AMAZING!!
It was a really fun weekend. We were sad to see Auntie Dee go home. We love visitors and can't wait for our next ones.

Hunting Partners

Rick and Mike have gone for years being one another's hunting partners. They always enjoy hunting together. They have hunting stories that could go on for hours. I mean HOURS. They never tire, and the details are still as fresh today as the hunt was 20 years ago. They can look at a "rack" (deer antlers) and they will know who killed it, when, and the story behind it. I swear don't cross these two, they'll remember, for years.

But Rick and Mike have both brought a couple of new hunting partners into the world. These two are going to be even more amazing a hunter then their daddy's. They have it in their blood. I hope that they get to hunt together, all four, and someday when the daddy's retire they can continue the tradition together.

This one is Katie in her first set of camo. Look at that face. She's ready for action at just two weeks old.

Then there's Emma. She just exudes the fun of the hunt. She is ready for a good time. Now we just need to get them a good pair of hunting boots, a rifle, and their off. Don't mess with these two in the hunting arena, they will be trained by the best. Magazine's will come calling for interviews of the famous Copsey hunting girls. To the next generation of Copsey hunters, we can't wait to see you in action!!

Some snow, snow, and more snow

Well the sunny, warm, days of spring teased us a couple of weeks ago. When we got back from Laramie the storms blew in, and we have been pelted with snow ever since. Everyone who lives here is bummed by the snow. They are ready for warm weather. We, on the other hand are enjoying the snow. Now if it would just stay awhile so we can play in it then that would be all the better. But as fast as it starts snowing, it melts. We have yet to sled, or build a decent snowman. The snow is still a novelty to us, and we can't wait to really get to play in it, although Katie has made some excellent snow angels, and she oh so loves to hit me in the tush with a snowball. But the snow here is "dry" snow which is pretty difficult to mold into a good snowball, unless it turns to hard ice, which makes painful snowballs.

Today it snowed some really fat flakes, and we had to go out and taste them.

Rick and Katie tried to get some snow. Rick showed her how to follow one snow flake and have it land in her mouth.

Katie tried but the darn snow got in her eyes too. Maybe she needs a hat. Yum all that delicious fresh snow.

Aack, cough, choke. That wasn't a snowflake!! The risks Dad's take for their children.

Happy April everyone, from sometimes snowy Wyoming!