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Cowboy Small and His Narrator

 

While we were on our road trip to North Dakota this past summer we stopped in Livingston, Montana on our way out of town from soaking in hot wada at Chico. The small cowboy town was big enough for our traveling caravan to split up, but we all ended up in the same book store.  Go figure, we’re a family of readers so it makes total sense.

Sue bought Lois Lenski’s Cowboy Small for Maggie and when she handed it to her, Mags sat right down in the doorway of the bookstore and flipped through the nugget of a book. A girl after my own heart….reading a book about cowboys! The book has since become a favorite and we brought it with us on our road trip to Carmel along with some other favorites.

The thing about Cowboy Small is that Barry has a really awful voice that he reads in what he claims is “Cowboy Small’s narrator’s voice.” Forgive me for what I’m about to write but to me it sounds like Cowboy Small’s narrator needs to go poo-poo. Often when I’m writing or editing photos Maggie and Barry will come and read books on the couch while I finish up. The other night I couldn’t help myself and turned on the computer video camera to capture Barry reading Cowboy Small to Maggie.

Please note my arm and the desk jiggle because I start laughing…..and now I present to you Cowboy Small read by Barry.

 

 

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Howdy, Cowpokes!

It bothers me knowing that I’ve got a slew of pictures and anecdotes that I haven’t had a chance to sit down and process. Life has gone on and I’m just going to have to let some of those moments go because we’ve got new moments happening right before our eyes. We finally got a chance to meet up with Thomas and Lara to visit, we’ve missed them both so much so it was really nice to finally be able to see each other in person. Lara and I dressed the kiddos up in their respective cowboy costumes and let them wander around outside.

It was quite hilarious because they both wandered around without any obvious plan, but they were interested in each other just enough to stay in close proximity. Tons of babbling and demanding yells from both little cowpokes…and both nearly got distracted by the swing, but that was sure to create chaos with their cowboy hats.  I taught Thomas how to bellow “Yeeee-HAW!” and I’m sure that Marc and Lara are both glad for that. What else are friends for??

Back home on the ranch, at HBHQ, the Merks stopped by to see our new rock wall and give Syd a few pets. Cameron was especially proud to understand what HBHQ means, it was really cute. Beyond that, he was a great friend to Maggie because she’s got an infatuation with walking on the wall in a dangerous way….but we’ve been through that before, remember? He chatted, she listened and Charlyn, Connor and I watched.

Holiday Cheer @ HBHQ

We invested in some lights and have been working to set them up at our house, first testing them out on a tree out side. Side note: we’re not afraid of setting up lights in the dark…..but doing it in the daylight is easier. Plus, we’ve started sipping on hot chocolate almost daily. I haven’t abandoned my tea, but we treat hot chocolate like a new BFF every year and right now we’re in the getting-to-know-you stage. Last weekend we went down to the Edmonds waterfront and used a Groupon at a little coffee shop. Maggie really, really enjoyed my marshmallow flavored hot chocolate. Sounds gross, I know, but it was good.

 

We’re headed to Camp Janet to eat some turkey and that has meant that we’re busy making our contribution to the yummy meal….and washing dishes……naked.

Strike that.

I’m baking, but MAGGIE is busy washing dishes naked, with her apron on.  She has really been into serving us ‘tea’ from her tea kettle and taking big, fake gulps herself. The girl has a sense of humor and a huge imagination, I love it. I’m working with her to wear clothes on a more regular basis….

That’s all folks!

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Sweet Dreams

 

 

 

The Little Miss wasn’t interested in sleeping last night, but she was oh-so-tired. Instead she wanted to sing to her babies, hug them, kiss them, and hold them tight. I totally understood every single move because I want to hug, kiss and hold Maggie tight most nights.

After seeing her tuck her babies in for the millionth time, while I fake slept next to her, I suggested to Maggie that maybe we get up and go find Papa. Two seconds later, the girl was sprinting down the hall towards her dad, leaving her babies safely tucked in bed.

It was a reunion like no other, with hugs and smooches all around, as if they hadn’t said night-night 30 minutes before. So they sat and cuddled and Maggie put on her very best show of acting like she wasn’t exhausted.

Within mere minutes, she was leaned back in Barry’s arms and trying not to let her eyes close. But alas they did close. And stay closed.

I can think of nothing sweeter than that. My girl and her papa….