Sunday, January 31, 2010

Meet Dora and Pictoral Update

Life in the Adventure household just keeps ticking along. I can't believe that tomorrow is the beginning of February, or that AdventureBaby is approaching 4 months old, or that AdventureGirl is approaching 3 years old. I have a feeling of awe when I compare the two, which really emphasizes how much a kid changes in the first few years of life, and how much there is for a little one to learn. It is wonderful to watch AdventureGirl grow into her role of big sister. Although she still suffers bouts of severe jealousy, in general she really seems to delight in her little sister, and it melts my heart every time she makes up a little song, or brings her a toy.
On to the new member of the family. Theoretically named after Isadora Duncan, although rapidly truncated to Dora by our intrepid soon-to-be-3-year-old, she is a mostly white husky/border collie cross that we acquired at the local pound. For those who have the ability to compare, she stands just an inch or two shorter than Casper, and weighs about 20 lbs less (although when she weighs what she should, she will be about 12 lbs less). She was a stray that they could tell us little about, and we mostly just adopted her because I liked her (and AdventureDad approved), and at the end of her second day here, it's "so far so good". She is an angel with M, and seems to seek her out for excitement. She's interested in the cats, but has been put in her place fairly quickly, and Casper is tolerating her for the moment. There of course have been a few little scuffles as the two AdventureDogs figure out their places in the pack, but nothing serious, and when I get them outside they have shown signs of becoming the playmates/friends we are hoping for. It appears that we also struck the jackpot and adopted an already house-trained dog, and she is so quick to learn that she already comes when called and sits on command. She is very light on her feet and attentive thanks to the herding dog in her, and very fuzzy thanks to the husky, and is quickly weaseling her way into our hearts. Now if AdventureDad's allergies adjust, we'll have it made.
The rest of the pics in the show are just cute. O's blue suit is a set of wicking underwear she got for Christmas. Yes, baby wicking underwear courtesy of her Nana. You may laugh, but a happier more comfortable baby you never saw, especially when we're out playing in the snow. The only down side is that she's also slippery!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Best of Christmas

There is so much that I could post about Christmas and New Year's that I am a bit overwhelmed, so I'm keeping it short and sweet. We had a quiet Duncan family Christmas in WA with just AdventureDad, myself, and the two girls, as well as "Grandma Honey". It was wonderful and cozy. A few days later we drove to MT to visit my parents and to celebrate my mom's birthday with her on New Year's Eve. We also stopped to see AdventureDad's sister and her family, as well as some extended family on the way home. During our stay we got in some snowshoeing and skiing with the kids in tow (literally!) and had a grand time. We are looking forward to 2010 as AdventureDad's final year in his program, and the year when we find out where we will be heading next. Happy New Year to all, and may it be a year of peace and happiness!