Weezie Blog

Post Christmas

2011-12-27T22:26:00.001-05:00

Man, the day after Christmas is almost better than Christmas Day. Louise had all day to try out all of her new toys and gear. When we went for a hike, she threw on her new boots and gloves from Santa. Santa did well, this year, by the way. Louise digs everything Santa brought. Score!

Poser

All tied up

December Hike

2011-12-18T17:04:00.002-05:00

We went for hike in the woods behind out neighborhood today. Louise wore a girly little backpack and was on the hunt for woodland treasure to bring home in her pack. She found several worthy items: pine needles, mica, bark strips, moss clumps, special rocks, and twisted grass caught her eye.

I wanted to leave these by the trail rather than bring them home. Louise said that would be fine, as long as we took a photo to remember them by.

Louise wanted to lead the way.

Along the trail we saw many lovely things. We got a little exercise. And, we talked a little bit about life. Louise asked me, "Am I real?" When I asked her what she meant she said, "Like are we small in a TV and are there giants who watch us?"

The Finger and some Play Lodge photos

2011-12-08T20:49:00.002-05:00

OK so it's been a while since the last post. I have good reason, of course in that I recently hacked off the tip of my left index finger. Now two weeks after surgery, I'm back in action. Things are healing well. I'm tempted to post photos but they are a little gruesome for the blog. Instead, here are a handful of my fave pix from my work's holiday party for the kiddos:

Camille and Dustin

Aaysa the cutie

My boss's kid, Tommy - totally willing to ham it up for me

I don't remember this kid's name, but he was adorable

Anna, hesitant to approach Santa

Tru and Louise, instant pals. I think I might know what Tru wants this Christmas

Climbing the Walls

2011-11-19T10:58:00.002-05:00

For Louise's 5th birthday, we hit the climbing gym to let the little monkeys climb the walls

Beckett gets a helping hand from Sean

Bella Jane ready to go upside down

Louise never took off her helmet, even for cupcake time

Larkin couldn't resist the golden Ginkgo leaves outside the gym

Grammy and Papa helped make it a birthday to remember

World Champs

2011-11-05T16:50:00.003-04:00

The soccer season has come to an end. The kids who stuck with it learned a lot and had a lot of fun. Louise learned about teamwork, attitude, sportsmanship, and picked up a few physical soccer skills too. At the end of today's game, Mike told the kids that they had earned a world championship and that they were all world champs now. We could see by their faces that they totally bought into it. Here's Coach Mike handing out the medals to our rag-tag soccer kids.

And our lil' champ, as proud as can be

Happy Howl-O-Ween

2011-10-31T21:23:00.002-04:00

Louise was a wolf. Here's our practice run with the costume. Cutest wolf I ever saw.

Halloween night with the kids. That's Spongebob Squarepants in the back.

Looks like Alexis borrowed some of Brayden's dress up clothes.

Brayden's grandmother makes a sassy pirate lady.

The host family: Lisa, Damon, and Noah.

Mermaid Lily

The tail

The scene in Weaverville

Candy!

My favorite pumpkin of the night - Happy Halloween, y'all!

The training wheels are OFF

2011-10-25T07:26:00.001-04:00

It was Sunday afternoon and Louise and Mike were watching football when I left to go to the grocery store. When I came back, my little girl had learned to ride a bike with no training wheels!

Afterward, she found a tree stump for a podium and received her awards Tour De France style.

Mehlens in the House

2011-10-24T07:50:00.003-04:00

My Dad and step-mom came for a visit from San Antonio by way of Winston-Salem, bringing with them my Uncle Ron. We had a great visit and great weather. Above, Uncle Ron and Dad go for a walk with us on a sunny Sunday.

Lucy, Louise, Dad, and Ron: ready for brunch at Pomodoros. As always, we pigged out and loved every bite.

Louise and Lucy having a laugh. Love that hat, right?! Louise does. And while it looks like it might have come from San Antonio being a cowgirl hat and all, it was an Ashevegas purchase. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!

Hickory Nut Gap Farm

2011-10-14T13:58:00.002-04:00

Louise I ditched school and work today to go Hockory Nut Gap Farm. It's a working farm with yummy meats and apples for sale. They also had lots of fun things for kids to see and do. For instance, they were totally cool with us petting and holding these chicks.

I hit it off with this calf right away. Super cute and super soft

Oh man, what a gorgeous day, place, and time of year

Louise's pumpkin

Looking up from inside the corn maze

Party at the Fire Station

2011-10-02T14:55:00.002-04:00

When your dad is a firefighter, there are special perks, like birthday parties at the fire station.

Sean, the fire-fighting Daddy, and Beckett, the birthday boy

Sean shows off for the kids by jumping rope in full gear

Louise tries the oxygen mask

Sean gives the full tour

The mamas enjoy the show

Soccer Team

2011-10-02T14:35:00.002-04:00

Adolfo, Jonathon, Louise, and Brayden after their game

Dusslers Wild

2011-09-26T07:18:00.003-04:00

Turns out, the Dusslers live just a few miles from the bike race. So, we got to visit my good old pal Anna and her adorable chillun.

They have a new bee hive set-up. Very impressive. The electric fence is to keep the bears out of the hives.

Crafty Anna made Gus' Bee-Man sign

Baby greens

Gus, the Bee-Man

Handsome hubby

Silly Tillie

We have a winner

2011-09-25T20:00:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gents, we have a winner...
Mike came in 3rd in his division in the Chain Buster 6 Hour Endurance Race at the Jackrabbit Trail System in North Georgia!

Distance: 60 miles

Time: 5hours, 31 minutes

On the podium with the other wining Clydesdales

Paying homage to Tommie Smith

Also in attendance, future champion of some thrill seeking sporting challenge, Tillie Dussler

And the ever present Louise

Our winner with Louise and cutie pie, Gus Dussler

MIKE, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!

State Fair

2011-09-23T05:50:00.002-04:00

We had a great time at the fair this weekend. We went with buddies Brayden, Caden, Dylan, and Lily. The kids got their thrills on the carnival rides, Louise tasted cotton candy for the first time (thanks Alexis!), and we saw farm animals large and small. Oh, and people watching... carnies plus WNC's finest on display... never a dull moment.

Ms Katie

2011-09-20T21:29:00.001-04:00

At Louise's new school, the teachers do home visits at the beginning of the school year to help get to know each family better and to bridge the gap between home and school. And so, we were blessed with Ms Katie's company on a recent Tuesday evening. To Louise, it was like having a rockstar over for dinner. Katie got to meet the animals, see Louise's room, and enjoy some of Mike's home cooking.

Soccer!

2011-09-18T15:08:00.002-04:00

Check out our little soccer star. I think she may be cheating here- it looks like she's pushing this kid out of the way. Well, on her first day of soccer she did show an aptitude for getting the ball and dribbling it to the net. The morning was not without a brief meltdown, but she rallied and ended up really enjoying her first soccer game. She scored a bunch of times. Next week we are working on not stealing from our own teammates, and not steamrolling other players to get the ball. We had a powwow at the end of this game and I think she's starting to get the whole team thing. Coach Mike was awesome. Brayden had a pretty good time but them decided it wasn't for her. I hope she'll give it another chance next week.

The Mountaineers

2011-09-18T14:46:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we went to Boone to see the ASU Mountaineers whoop up on NC A&T . It was perfect football weather.

We met up with the Boulter family. Louise loved sitting beside Rachel Boulter.

After the game, the kids headed to the field, and Rachel showed off her gymnastics skills.

After the game we ate dinner at the Black Cat in downtown Boone. We stopped for a photo op with a statue of Doc Watson.

Get a load of this

2011-09-08T10:01:00.001-04:00

Louise starts soccer in 2 weeks. She's never played before. Mike will coach. Brayden will be on her team. Mike picked up the uniforms today. Louise may not know a thing about soccer, but she is smitten with the gear. She got shin pads (calls them chin pads) on Saturday and wore them all weekend with her new sneakers. She tried on the shirt and shorts tonight, stopping for this quick pose for me between laps between the kitchen and living room. She is pumped up for some soccer action.

Double Trouble

2011-09-06T20:38:00.002-04:00

The little gals are getting older and still love to pal around. Double trouble, these two. Gotta keep an eye on them.

The Pollinators

2011-08-30T22:35:00.002-04:00

Snapped these in the yard over the weekend. Most of our plants are dead due to the heat ... and, um, our neglect. But, the ones that are still kicking are a hit with the pollinating crowd.

Willow's Bistro

2011-08-27T18:02:00.005-04:00

Well whattaya know, Willow's Bistro is right across the street from the Children's Museum. So, we HAD to stop by for lunch with Uncle Will.

Papa was there too!

Louise tried on Grammy's reading glasses.

A table full: Grammy, Louise, Ma, Sarah, Ryan, Papa, Will, Bill, Carolyn, Katherine, and Leon. And a table full of good food, too. I had the grilled chicken wrap, no wrap. Yum

Winston-Salem

2011-08-27T17:56:00.007-04:00

T is for turtle

Goldilocks peeps into the Three Bear's House

Climbing Jack's magic beanstalk - the best!!

Grammy rocks in the Giant's chair

A special visitor after story-time. Who can it be?

A real pig!

Ballard in town

2011-08-27T17:43:00.001-04:00

Mike's old roommate Ballard came to town so we gathered downtown with the kids for some splashy fun. Matt, Catherine, Mike, and Ballard above in beautiful downtown Asheville

Matt and Catherine hammed it up for me

Catherine demonstrated her mastery of the deadpan stare

Louise took a splash right in the face

Writing Words

2011-08-18T21:11:00.002-04:00

The little gal has graduated to writing words now. You write it on one piece of paper, she copies it onto another. And she's gotten really girly with her art. She used to paint dark stormy clouds and now she draws rainbows (and hearts, and flowers).

Backyard Bear

2011-08-14T15:27:00.013-04:00

**Double click on the photo to enlarge it - you can see the bear's face better**

A few days ago I put Louise to bed early and went back outside to tidy up the patio. I had just put away the kiddie pool and was heading back inside when something told me to just be still. There were a couple of birds making noises at each other to my left, and I watched them for a few minutes. Then I heard another sound to my right. I looked into the hemlocks not 20 feet away and saw four great big bear legs walking along the edge of our yard.

I couldn't tell if the bear was on our side of the fence or on Carolyn's side, so I got off the patio and into the house in a hurry. I grabbed my camera and tiptoed back out through the carport. I guess I wasn't very quiet because I heard my neighbor Carolyn call over. I yelled back "It's a bear!" She hollered back that she knew that, and that the bear was trapped in her fenced in backyard. I wandered over less afraid knowing that there was a fence between us and Ursa Major.

Carolyn filled me in: the bear had wandered into her yard and had been just hanging out for most of the evening. I grabbed a quick snapshot of the bear through the safety of the fence. Then we opened the gate and ran back into our houses. I have a healthy fear of bears and this one was a big one, too.

After a while we wandered out and watched as the bear slowly worked his way to a neighbor's carport. There the bear helped himself to a buffet of garbage in the neighbor's pick-up truck. More neighbors joined us as we watched in awe as the bear moved slowly in and out of the truck, stopping to have a sip of water from their kiddie pool now and again. At one point he banged on something loudly. I couldn't see what it was because it was starting to get dark, but it was loud. The folks inside the house eventually figured out there was a bear in their carport. Maybe it was the loud bang that tipped them off or maybe it was the small group of neighbors staring, pointing, and snapping photos in their direction. They scared off the bear, which slowly lumbered across the street and up the road. What a creature.

For the Love of Todd

2011-08-14T14:02:00.006-04:00

Went back to Todd, NC again last weekend - this time with friends - and without hubbies and kiddies. It was great! Above is an unmarked stone grave in a little mountain cemetery in Todd. I've visited this little cemetery for years and years with my family. It's an easy walk from Ma's cabin. It used to be overgrown and weedy, and my cousin Meredith and I used to say that when we grew up we would take care of it and eventually be buried here.

The view from Ma's deck. I saw a fox run across the grass right here. It was a red fox with a white tipped tail. It came from the right and dashed across the yard just below the fence and made it safely into the woods on the other side before I saw a little dog come through the woods chasing after it.

Pals Elena and Melissa, on said deck. We spent a lot of time here. The weather couldn't have been better. We even got a little Sunday morning drizzle.

A quaint barn on the way to Todd - near the Linville, I think. The quilt square was painted by a woman whose studio is just down the road from this barn. You can see a Christmas tree farm in the background - it's one of many in the area.

Story session

2011-08-03T21:40:00.003-04:00

Begins wistfully

Something exciting happens

Suddenly spooky, perhaps shocking

Happy ending

Many hands make light work

2011-08-03T21:36:00.002-04:00

Louise loves house work. I put her to work cleaning mirrors and windows, watering plants, dusting, holding the dust pan for me... and she's a real mean Swiffer.

Bath time

2011-08-03T21:33:00.001-04:00

Bath time, summer-style

Nice duds

2011-08-03T21:32:00.001-04:00

Wow! Check out the duds that Louise would have worn to her recital if she attended it. Long story, but let's just say she's a dance class drop-out and we are her enablers.

P&G

2011-08-03T21:29:00.001-04:00

Backyard bubbles with PaPa

Grammy

Dabs

2011-08-03T21:26:00.001-04:00

We haven't featured this gal in a while. You can stick your tongue out at her if you want. She thinks it's funny.

Changes

2011-08-03T21:04:00.004-04:00

Photos from L's last day at her old school. They were riding bikes on the black-top behind the school. That's Jackson up top, then Riann in the middle, then last but not least Dani. I wanted to get more but the camera battery died. L switched schools this week, her first day was Monday. Loving the new school, missing the folks at the old school, too. Weezie is taking it like a champ. She was shy her first day but yesterday was performing a solo song and dance to a small crowd on the playground.

Super Something

2011-07-13T18:33:00.002-04:00

Superheroes don't need clothes in the summertime

Not So Wild Cats

2011-07-10T10:05:00.001-04:00

Pablo the hunter

Hector looking fierce... but he's just meowing

Chasing his own tail

Coming in for a cuddle

Todd, NC

2011-07-04T20:43:00.002-04:00

Ah, it's good to be back at Ma's cabin

Second generation playing Critter in the Candy (the cousins' fave game from the 70's)

Louise reels in a fish- she's totally freaked out by it and wants to run away

It's a small one, but terrifying to Louise, who hides behind Daddy

I get a cuddle with my busted-up Weezie girl (she fell on her face at the picnic area)

My adorable hubby

Love/hate relationship with fireworks

Yeah, they just don't write books like this for kids anymore...

Alpaca Farm

2011-06-26T13:30:00.005-04:00

Why do Alpacas hum?

Because they don't know the words to the song!

(a little joke Louise picked up yesterday at a nearby alpaca farm)

Wineberries

2011-06-25T12:51:00.001-04:00

And from our very own yard, wineberries are coming into ripeness. They are so tasty!

Picking breakfast

More than a mouthful of ripe ones

The silly girl in half pajamas

Summer begins

2011-06-25T12:47:00.000-04:00

Our neighbor's hydrangea has the most beautifiul purple flowers

I could stare at them all day

I also found this in her yard - lucky

Anderson Ladies

2011-06-22T20:28:00.002-04:00

We were honored to host the Ladies Anderson from the land of Michigan last weekend.

Mike and his mom, aka Busia

Mike and the little ladies watching otters at the nature center

One of the otters loved Louise's doll and tried to chased it through the glass partition

Charlie and Weezie cool their tootsies in the wading pool

Fun fountain

Charlie shares with Busia

Mike and the ladies lounge in the park

Charlie takes the orange rhino by the horn

Louise gets a beautiful butterfly mask

Cove Creek

2011-06-21T22:03:00.004-04:00

Had a great time at Cove Creek recently. Camped with a group of about 15 families. Props to the Hylands for organizing the whole thing. Thanks to the Demory family for coming up from Charleston, SC.

Louise and Lily

How big is that rockslide? THIS big!

Louise, McLean, and Nate check out crawdads

Anna and Brad look for critters under rocks in the creek

Nate, Lily, Louise, McLean's dad, and McLean howl over some hilarious MadLibs

Louise and Samson enjoy a camping pot-luck feast together

View of the home quarters

Black Widow

2011-06-08T22:27:00.003-04:00

One of our resident black widows. This one was HUGE. Her abdomen was almost the size of a dime. Mike sprayed her with poison. May she rest in peace.

Happy Campers

2011-06-08T20:31:00.001-04:00

Camping buddies Beckett, Adele, Larkin, Conner, Alea, and Paddock after rock-hopping in the river

The crew enjoying the falls

My favorite camper

Cookout

2011-05-30T20:30:00.001-04:00

Jill Ingram, Mike, and Louise

Hank Ingram, bubble master

Brayden Wilson and Weezie

JUst a Saturday afternoon, cookin' out with the Ingrams and Wilsons. The Wilsons brought a puppy they adopted earlier that day. With four kiddies and two puppies, the back yard was chock full of cuteness.

Yodel-ay-hee-hoo!

2011-05-30T20:25:00.003-04:00

Our neighbor Jackson handed down his Jesse doll to Louise. She's a household favorite now. I love it when she yodels, I really do.

While Mike was in Tsali, KP and Chip came to town from Pittsboro, NC. They treated Weezie and me to a fantastic meal at a favorite downtown eatery. Yum! In case ya don't know- KP is one of my favorite pals from highschool. Chip is her hubby and one of my favorite blogger/photographers. Yes- I just used the word favorite 4 times in 6 sentences. It just felt right. Check out Chip's blog - I'm going to have some of his photos on my wall someday soon! Maybe you can, too.

Twelve Hours of Tsali

2011-05-30T20:24:00.001-04:00

Mike and friends raced in the Twelve Hours of Tsali again this year- doing even better than last year. 7th or 8th place finish in their category, I think. Above is Mike on race day. Below are teammates and friends Rich Boutler and Steve Linton the day after the race on a joy ride in Tsali. That's Lake Fontana. Gorgeous. I'm thinking the last photo is a self portrait by my hubby.

Ready to play!

2011-05-30T20:14:00.002-04:00

Mov-ver's Day

2011-05-22T20:15:00.001-04:00

You cal it Mother's Day. Louise calls it Mov-ver's Day.

Anyway, here's a good portion of the Park family representin' at my brother Will's restaurant, Willow's Bistro in Winston-Salem, NC.

Eggscellent

2011-05-01T20:32:00.005-04:00

Dabby-dog sniffs the dye as Louise pours it over the eggs. It smells a bit like cabbage and vinegar. Hmmm...

We made our own dye this year. This pretty pink dye is made from purple cabbage. The dye is pink but it colors the eggs a beautiful blue. We also used onion skins (for orange), turmeric (for yellow), and blueberries (for purple). It was a lot of fun and the eggs turned out lovely, too.

Here's a not-so great photo of a couple of our lovelies right after we took them out of the dye bath.

This one was Louise's favorite. She ate it for lunch.

What was left Easter morning.

Cousin time on the graveyard shift

2011-05-01T20:20:00.007-04:00

Louise scrubs a gravestone at Old Salem with Elijah and Brownyn.

I think this one is PaPa Butner's gravestone.

Luise and Bronwyn paint eggs with watercolors.

Posing with Ma

Posing with Mama after the egg hunt

Dollar Signs

2011-04-18T21:06:00.003-04:00

For the past few months Louise has been saving up cash that folks have given her. She counted out almost ten bucks and then we hit the toy store. She chose a spooky rolling eye ball that lights up, a squishy squid yo-yo, and one other little novelty thing which I can't recall. She carried in her purse and we counted out the money for her purchase. She was pretty stoked. As of this week, she's earning an allowance and we'll be giving her the "did you bring your money?" spiel whenever we're out and about and she wants something. We almost chose 25 cents a week but then decided on 50 cents a week instead. Lucky kid.

Spring Things

2011-04-13T23:33:00.007-04:00

In order of appearance: Hector in the violets, morning dew, Bloodroot, Tulip

Fox Family

2011-04-08T19:09:00.003-04:00

The Foxes came over and the entertained themselves (and us) by painting their own faces and arms. They got Melissa and me, too. Afterwards, Nate serenaded us with John Prine tunes while Lily and Louise accompanied him with harmonica and concertina. The next day, Louise recalled the evening and speaking of Lily asked "What's my best friends' name again?"

How she rolls

2011-04-04T12:51:00.005-04:00

This is how Louise dressed to go to the grocery store on a recent early Saturday morning.

Happy first week of Spring

2011-03-23T22:23:00.001-04:00

Family Protrait

2011-03-23T08:41:00.001-04:00

Guess who's who

A Poem for Coyote

2011-03-19T14:11:00.009-04:00

This poem came to me at 4:30AM after taking the pup outside to do her biz-ness. I was the second night in a row the coyotes were making a ruckus nearby. Against better judgement, I always let the cats out then so that they don't bother me at 5:30 when I'm trying to get just a little bit more shut eye before starting the day. Anyway, here's what I remember of the poem.

You are out there

And I know it

You are wild

And I am glad

To be wild is to be hungry

To win is to survive is to kill

Your pack is a team

Of worthy hunters

Your calls thrill and chill me

I root for you

Except when it is me in the yard

In the night with a handful of treats to lure my pup

In the morning I wake and count two cats at the door

I am relieved

You did not score at my house last night

Backyard Beauties

2011-03-19T14:06:00.002-04:00

Little Mermaid

2011-03-19T13:54:00.001-04:00

This was Louise at her first swim lesson at the YMCA, last week. She actually was too intimidated at first to get in with the rest of the class. This is how she looked after she got the confidence to join the group.

This week was a whole different story. She was exuberant from the get-go and wore a grin this big the entire time. And um, she also became the class trouble maker. Happy to be splashing and kicking constantly, she also jumped at any opportunity to be the first at anything new. Plus she wandered out of her boundaries a a few times and literally got in over her head. Maybe next week no chocolate milk before class.

Neighbors

2011-03-14T17:01:00.004-04:00

Poor Louise. Now she has to share her blog with this cute face.

Louise and our neighbor Jackson. She and Jackson had so much fun running around that she said she was too tired to walk back to the house. Jackson was quick to offer a piggyback ride.

Dabby has a neighbor friend, too. Her name is Nike and they love to play together. Here they are checking out Pablo, who is not afraid to jump the fence and join in the neighborly fun.

Meet Dabby

2011-02-19T19:15:00.004-05:00

Look what we brought home today! She's a pound puppy. Best guess is boxer/yellow lab mix. Louise named her Dabby. Seems to work. She's a beautiful puppy with a sweet disposition.

Pablo and Dabby get acquainted.

Puppy love at first sight.

Louise does the new puppy dance.

Be Mine

2011-02-14T08:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!

Christmas Do-Over

2011-01-23T10:18:00.003-05:00

We missed Christmas with the Park family because of snow so yesterday we went to Winston-Salem for a do-over. Not everyone could make it, but it was still fun. Louise and Ma were just plain silly together.

Bronwyn shared her glockenspiel

Uncle Bill and Elijah bonded over flying war craft

Kat, Bill, and Carolyn obliged me with a pose

Snow Ramble

2011-01-11T14:28:00.000-05:00

It was much warmer today and instead of sledding Louise and I went for a a little ramble in the backyard bramble. Beautiful and fun!
As with all of Louise's snow adventures, it ended with wallowing in the snow and mumurs of "I'm so tired Mommy."

Snowy South

2011-01-09T16:40:00.000-05:00

Ooops, we missed posting about Christmas. It was a nice Christmas. We were blessed with good food, health, family, goodies from Santa, and snow. That's the little lady at about 9am, already ready for a nap after all of the Santa and gifts hullabaloo.

Our backyard after some of the Christmas snow

Louise in her snow den

I guess we'll be doing this again tomorrow. They're calling for 4-8 more inches.
You can't even tell what the color of my car is anymore. It's just the color of road salt now.
The grocery stores are all mad houses. Not a sled or snow shovel in town to be found for purchase.
Tomorrow we will be snowed in, I reckon. That means we'll have extra time for breakfast & cuddles.
It's a little late for this but Happy New Year to you! I hope your home is as warm and cozy as ours is.

Snow

2010-12-12T21:42:00.001-05:00

It finally stuck. The snow, I mean. It wasn't the first snow of the year, but the first snow that stuck to ground long enough for us to play in it. It was actually pretty warm out today, which meant the snow was wet and sticky. Perfect for a snowman but a little slow for sledding. My awesome hubby shoveled our driveway and the neighbor's. We warmed up over hot cocoa afterwards. The good kind with real sugar, chocolate, and milk with all of the fat in it.
It's wintry outside, the tree is up, the stockings hung with care, and someone believes that Santa will soon be here...

Birthday Princess

2010-11-22T19:17:00.001-05:00

The princess, crowned

On the Friday before Louise's birthday, Grammy and I visited Louise's school and painted "cheek art" on all of her classmates. It was a hit.

We also had a little party at home. Check out the rest of the photos here.

Boo!

2010-11-17T18:37:00.001-05:00

Louise is ready for trick or treating. Brayden is ready to pose for the camera.

Caden, Dylan, and Louise crack up at Lily.

These lil trick or treaters just want to frolic in the leaves.

Corny Maze

2010-11-04T18:54:00.003-04:00

Making our way through the corn maze with my cousin Mere and her hubby Paul. Somewhere in the maze Louise stopped and declared, "This corn maze is a-MAZE-ing!" Her first pun? Maybe. I just wish I had been quick enough to say back, "Louise, that is so corny!"

Mere, Weeze, Brayden, and Travis on the horse and buggy ride.

Weeze and Brayden on the cow themed tractor train.

Farmer Mere

Todd, NC

2010-10-28T19:15:00.001-04:00

Louise and Bronwyn by the pond at Ma's cabin in Todd, NC

Ma, the Queen for a day

Bronwyn, Louise, and Elijah working on their pumpkins

A side note: on this little day trip to Todd, my brother Will taught Louise to cast a fishing rod. I'll try to post a short clip of it soon.

Catamounts

2010-10-17T20:35:00.002-04:00

We recently visited my pal Jill in Cullowhee, NC. Jill and I were college buddies, roommates twice, and we also took a month-long trip with pal Chrislyn to Ecuador in 1992. Jill took us to the Western Carolina football game and we got to play with son Hank. He's a sweetie. The Catamounts kind of stunk it up, though.

And while we were there I got to see another college pal, Melissa Rose, and her family. Her daughter Sylvia is a little bit younger than Louise.

Sylvia and Louise eventually warmed up to each other.

To the Rescue!

2010-10-13T20:45:00.003-04:00

This is Louise being Batman. She wore the cape all day. To the grocery, all over the neighborhood, during meals, and maybe even nap. I think I made her take it off for nap. At the grocery store I noticed that she pulled the hat so that it went around her ears, letting her ears stick out. When I tried to fix it for her she didn't let me, saying she wanted it look like that. She looked more like and elf at that point, but it was pretty priceless. She got a lot of good comments at the store, which is what she was going for anyway.

Did I mention that I was Robin to her Batman? All day long. But it was worth it; she was the sweetest Batman you ever saw. I don't know how many times she said, "I love you, Robin."

She's really into superheroes right now, and super-helpers in general. Her most recent obsession is with firefighters. She is the fire chief at school, leading the other children to crawl out of the smoky playhouse. "Drop, stop, and roll," she says. She also wants to be a doctor, so that she help me get healthy again when I am old and I have to go to the hospital. She idolizes her dentist, and we also pretend play dentist most nights when it's teeth brushing time. It's a little weird now that her dentist is pregnant, because now when Louise plays dentist she sticks out her belly and says "feel my baby kicking." All of the talk about helping others is making an impact on her, I think. Today when I picked Louise up from school, another mother made a point to tell me how much she appreciated Louise's friendship with her son who has special needs. She said that Louise is a mighty fine helper to him, making me a very proud mama.

Hockey Rink

2010-10-03T21:21:00.004-04:00

Bronwyn and Louise snuggle up on a chilly Saturday morning to watch Elijah's hockey game.

Elijah and his BFF Ryan humor me by posing for the camera post game.

Flamenco Style

2010-10-03T21:11:00.003-04:00

Louise was so thrilled when she heard that Rory and Nora were coming to town... and even more thrilled to find out Nora would be bringing her flamenco outfit. She's always adored these two, but this time she really latched on to Nora. She followed Nora around with adoration on her eyes. Chrislyn braided Louise's hair to match Nora's. She's pretty much been in braids ever since.

Even I want braids like Nora's.

Rory didn't need a fancy outfit to show off his mad flamenco skills.

Aw shucks. Three good kiddos.

Saturday Night at Brayden's

2010-10-03T20:30:00.003-04:00

Brayden: half tiger, half butterfly

Two stinkers up to no good

Sate Fair and the Pixies

2010-09-26T14:57:00.003-04:00

Mountain State Fair

The Pixies at Thomas Wolf

Texas- fourth installment

2010-09-11T15:56:00.005-04:00

Here we are at the San Antonio Zoo. We were all really impressed with it. It's huge with lots of attractions and it's cheap, too. We saw a little bit of everything, including hippos underwater and elephants doing tricks.

This lory found Mike irresistible.

KP, this snake's for you.

Texas- third installment

2010-09-07T21:43:00.009-04:00

We made the short trek from San Antonio to Bandera, Texas for their Labor Day weekend celebration and parade. Bandera is a town in Texas hill country that likes to be known as the Cowboy Capital of the World. And, yes we saw lots of cowboys, cowgirls, horses and steer.

We were advised over the loudspeaker not to pop any balloons while the steer were on the loose, lest a major fiaso break loose. All was well and the parade was a treat. Somehow we scored great seats in the shade and it was only in the mid-eighties that day. Louise made a friend and scored some candy.

And we all scored a great meal on the way out of town at Jakes at Pipe Creek. At Jake's you can eat a porkchop sandwich as big as your face, become addicted to shrimp tacos, nibble on fried pickles, and indulge (if that's your thing) on some garlicky snails. The owner also schooled us on the existence of belt-sander races. Yeah, for real.

Texas- second installment

2010-09-07T21:38:00.010-04:00

After the Children's Museum, we hit the Riverwalk and had lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. There the ceilings are covered in vines and there are life sized animatronic jungle animals everywhere. Every 10 minutes the animals come to life and freak out all of the small children. Every 30 minutes there is a thunderstorm/lightning show, which really freaks out the kids. You can see the apprehension in Louise's eyes in the photo below as she grips Mike while eying a grunting gorilla. Louise tried to act tough but she never would allow me to touch one of the animals for fear I would be eaten.

After the museum and the adventurous lunch, we dragged a sleepy Louise to the Alamo so that Mike could satisfy his history fix. Downtown San Antonio is pretty sweet that way, where everything is within walking distance. The Alamo is right in the middle of it all. The Alamo is pretty cool.

I had to carry Weezie back to the car. It was lights out before we got out of downtown.

Texas- first installment

2010-09-07T21:30:00.008-04:00

Louise was all smiles as she ran full tilt at the San Antonio Children's Museum. We were visiting with my dad and step-mom. Each of the photos here are courtesy of Grandma Lucy, aka Granny, who wields a mighty fine camera.

Baby Smell

2010-08-28T13:41:00.003-04:00

I love the way a baby's top of the head smells. It's not just baby shampoo- it's something more subtle. Anyway, I recently got my baby-smell fix when Louise and I visited with baby Aaysa Fredrick. Congrats Elena and Aaron! She was so sweet but darn it, she slept through our whole visit. Maybe next time I'll see her eyes open.

Babies have been in my thoughts lately and not just because Louise asks/demands a brother or sister every day (sorry kiddo, it's not going to happen.) Two friends from high school have just welcomed new babies into their lives. Congrats to Andrew and Thao for baby Sophie, and to Brent and Mollie (and Etta!) for baby James.

We've all got our baby blogs to share photos and stories. Somehow we manage to stay in touch despite the distance and time apart. And then look what happens. The babies turn into kids and the baby blogs aren't just baby blogs anymore. Their family blogs, time markers, growth charts, and post cards.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this... I'll just stop while I'm ahead and be thankful for these healthy babies that grow into healthy happy little people. Good luck everyone. Keep those babies and baby blogs coming.

Friday Night Lights

2010-08-28T13:38:00.006-04:00

We recently took Weezie to her first football game. A nearby highschool had a home game. She was totally enthralled by the noise, the lights, the excitement, and being out past dark. Wrapped up in the action, she said, "I want to be IN the game."

During half-time, Roy Williams was inducted into the school's hall of fame. Apparently he coached there some years back.

Spider Girl

2010-08-28T13:25:00.001-04:00

I was cooking dinner the other day and I heard Louise squealing and giggling on the patio. I mean she was LOUD and she was having such a great time- so I went to see what was going on. She was letting a daddy-longlegs crawl all over her and it tickled. She showed it to me and tried to convince me that it needed to come inside and live with us forever.

Late Summer

2010-08-28T13:12:00.003-04:00

Ahhhh.... the best way to spend an afternoon in late summer.

Wiggy

2010-08-25T09:00:00.003-04:00

Louise discovered that I, too, have a dress-up stash. This wig has been worn by Mike and me on past Halloweens, back when we got to stay out past dark and go to grown up parties.

Bailarina de Flamenco

2010-08-24T14:01:00.006-04:00

Special thank you to our globe trotting pals Chrislyn, Rory, Nora, and Brandon for this special gift from Spain. Chrislyn is travelling around the world with her 2 kids Rory and Nora while Dad, Brandon, is stationed in Iraq. Check out their travels here: http://onetogrowon.wordpress.com/.

Louise adores their whole family and really really digs this outfit.

Drum Circle

2010-08-14T20:26:00.003-04:00

Beautiful Bronwyn and Louise at the drum circle in downtown Asheville.

Just doing our part to keep Asheville weird.

Little Mama

2010-08-08T17:02:00.001-04:00

Domesticated already...

Dirty Girl

2010-08-08T16:59:00.003-04:00

Yep, mine's the one who did a face-plant in the dirt

Yard-longs

2010-08-08T16:50:00.002-04:00

Louise and Brayden have fun eating their yard-long beans (from the CSA, of course). Naturally we pretended they were snakes and worms.

Brayden's lil' sis looks on until she joins in the fun.

Summer Lovin'

2010-08-08T16:30:00.002-04:00

We joined a CSA in early spring and we are loving our veggies and flowers. It's absolutely luxurious to have all of this fresh and delicious produce without having to seed, weed, water, or feed anything. If there's a good farm near you and you've been on the fence about joining a CSA --- sign up the next chance you get.

Lake Party

2010-07-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

Old pals Emmye and Andrew came back for a visit from Seattle and gave us a reason to have a lake-side celebration. Here are some of the kids, post-swim and just about ready for bed.

Playing House

2010-07-23T08:57:00.002-04:00

Aiden serves up a fine meal and a cup of tea for Louise

Snuggling Carrots

2010-07-23T08:53:00.001-04:00

Oh look! A baby carrot is snuggling with it's mama...

Larkin's Birthday Basheroo

2010-07-19T20:19:00.008-04:00

Louise poses beside the creepiest pinata ever.

Sean explains how to play Kick the Can to a bunch of eager young'ns. I never played as a kid but it is FUN!

And then the young'ns have at it- ripping the life-size, blonde pinata to shreds.

And now for something completely different

2010-07-19T20:17:00.003-04:00

Drowning Lovers

2010-07-19T20:08:00.002-04:00

I recently popped over to Chapel Hill for a quick visit with my cousin Meredith and her new hubby Paul. Here they are playing at the Open Eye Cafe in Carrboro, NC. From left to right that's: Paul Snow, John Gillespie, & my cousin Meredith. They are the Drowning Lovers. Give them a listen on their website or go see a show when you're in town. Meredith blew me away with her voice and you will be blown away by their lyrics. Syrupy sweet retro sounds with macabre lyrics. They're not called the Drowning Lovers for nothing.

Polish Good Times

2010-07-05T20:48:00.001-04:00

For the Fourth of July we rolled out the barrel and joined in the Brooks lake boat parade. Our theme: Polish Good Times. I still have polka music stuck in my head. But good times they were.

Charlie

2010-07-05T20:47:00.003-04:00

Cousin Charlie- the best natured teething baby I've ever seen

Cute as a button

And HUGE! Here's Louise trying to hold Charlie, who is not even a year old and weighs only 4 pounds less than Louise

Michigan

2010-07-05T20:44:00.001-04:00

Louise with Uncle Brian and Cousin Charlie at Mike's folks' lakeside cabin in Newaygo, MI

Everyone, including Grandpa Tom, makes a mess eating smores

Cousin Charlie and Aunt Melissa play on the deck

Busia and Louise catch some rays by the dock