Klamath Falls

We took a trip to Klamath Falls last Friday to visit Doug and Virginia, aka Grandma and Grandpa/Great Grandma and Great Grandpa. It is always so good to see them. It is getting harder for them to keep up with the little ones but they love seeing them. They have the same cookie jar they had when we were kids. Its fun to take Ila to find it and get a cookie. She worked hard to build a fairy house in the flower bed. Grandpa always amazes me as I listen to him tell Ian fishing and hunting stories. He always tells one I have never heard before. Knowing Grandpa they are probably lies ;) but they are vivid and full of details. Opal kept reaching for Grandpa. She really wanted the glasses that were in his shirt pocket. She is so heavy and wiggly I don't think it was easy for him to hold her but he kept doing it. Could you resist that face?

Date Night

Carrie was sweet and offered to watch the girls so that Ian and I could go out on a date. Poor Vinny ended up with a fever so we took the girls with us on our date to Standing Stone. We always have a great time there. The girls were fantastic and it was a really fun night. Of course we ended at Mix and Opal loved her first taste of pineapple gelato...just a tiny bit.

Last Soccer Game

Ila had a great first soccer season. She made it to every practice and game and had a blast. She definitely wants to play again. Her coach was great...really patient which is a must with this age. The kids seemed to be taking it more seriously by this last game. That's what I thought until Ila told us after the game that she and Bodhi were singing yo ho ho and a bottle of rum out on the field the whole game. Oh well...

Fun Birthday Party

Last Saturday Ila went to her friend Marcelo's birthday party at the Talent Public Library. They started outside with a parachute and clay and juggling and frisbees. They were invited to bring pj's to change into for a movie at the end of the evening. Soon after Ian and I arrived to pick her up a pillow fight broke out. Word on the street a couple of days later was that Ila won the pillow fight. The close-up is of her and her friend Isa from school. He is really sweet. I'm so thankful that we have had the Butterfly House. She has made some really good friends there and has learned so much about problem solving and patience.

It's May!

On Mother's Day I went for my Sunday morning trail run with friends in Ashland and came home to this masterpiece. Ila knows just what I like. The best part of the day was when her and I went for a walk together...just the two of us. We don't do anything "just the two of us" anymore. When she went to bed that night she said, "I wish every day was Mother's Day so we could go for a walk together." I told her we could do it every weekend. She is such a sweet girl who is growing up way too fast. On a lighter note, the other night Ian offered her a bite of his polenta and she said, "No, thanks. I don't like placenta."

Ila and the neighbor, Lilly, having a shoe sale.

Opal's crawling/scooting skills aren't great yet. She didn't know how to get out from under the plant. She got pretty mad at Ian for wasting time taking this picture instead of rescuing her.

8 Months Old

Opal is now 8 months old. Luckily, she is still a very sweet and happy baby with lots of spunk. Just tonight she crawled for the first time. She has been on her knees trying for awhile and tonight she had both hands and knees moving forward. She had Ila and Africa really excited. I see life changing in our house now. Ila loves her tiny treasures and we're not used to having them put away all the time.

She doesn't have any teeth yet, but they are sure to be coming. She is constantly soaked with drool. She is loving food, as you can tell by looking at her. She still eats lots of pureed stuff but she ate half of a pancake the other day and loves to share my toast with me every morning. She thinks she's really cool when she is eating the same food as us. She cheers and claps for herself and insists that we pay attention to her. Of course none of us mind.

She takes great naps and loves going to bed in her crib at night...until about 10:00. That is when the tossing and turning and up and down starts. I always end up sleeping on the futon with her, which is fine with me. At least I sleep some. I see another 3 years or so of this and then SLEEP! We just can't let her cry...she's way too sweet and it's so sad. We are all so soft in this house.

We think her favorite song is Shakira's Waka Waka. Ila likes to watch the video on YouTube and Opal screeches and bounces as it plays. She seems to love loud music and action.

Her cheeks and thighs are still extremely popular among strangers when we are out in public. She turns heads and always has a smile for anyone. Ian and I are very proud of our girls.

The Red Truck

This is the first poppy of the year in our front yard and Ila is so excited about it she made me take a picture. She knows she gets to pick the second one that opens.

Judy was here last week to watch the girls and managed to give our little plot of land a once-over. When the neighbors see the red truck parked in front of the house they know there is some serious yard work going on. I think everyone sees it coming and they all say, "Here we go! Time to dust off the wheelbarrow and the hoe." Yard work is contagious in this neighborhood. We thank Judy for taking such good care of everything while she was here...from the kids to the weeds. Rio is still pouting because she's gone.

Making curly q's. I remember spending hours making these as a kid.

Eating curly q's.