UMD Homecoming and New Pants

Berit wasted no time getting in on the boys' game in the end zone 

Watching the Bulldogs score another touchdown

Having pizza and running wild

We even stopped at Uncle Woody's old haunts

Modeling the juju pants

Turned out to be a real hardship for the Bear (awesome shirt courtesy of Anna Zanko!)

Late Autumn Thrills

This month has been unseasonably mild, which is good since over 1/2 the family (Yukon, Lingo, me and Berit) have been recovering or fighting illness.  It is also part of the reason there have been no posts for a month.  It's been a "can we get through today?" period of life.

Yukon had emergency surgery to correct a twisted stomach and spleen.  Very happy to report his staples are out and his belly hair is growing into a nice, new puppy fuzz.  His appetite is voracious and he seems a bit impertinent in his reminders that a) he nearly died; and b) he went without food for nearly three days.

Lingo is on antibiotics twice a day, getting ears cleaned and dropped, also twice a day, while we try to get him some allergy/ear infection relief.  The poor guy has licked himself to blisters!  He hates the ear cleanings but I think the pills encased in lumps of butter make up for it.

I am on the end (?) of a three week cold-sore throat-cough, plus pink-eye.  Sounds like a real bonus pack doesn't it?  I don't recommend it.

Berit got the cold (from me), had one ear infection -- which we think cleared up, but the cold brought on a worse infection in the other ear (10 days of fighting down antibiotics ended last night, thank god), gave me pink eye, has been grinding out molars or other side teeth (up and down they go, not quite piercing the gum) and is just trying to enjoy being a roving toddler.  I don't know if I truly blame her for the pink eye.  She had it a full week earlier, it immediately cleared from the antibiotics.  She was out of day care for a full week and I got it the day I brought her back to day care, where there were four cases, plus an unknown number of parents, and growing.  I think other parents haven't been so honest about truly keeping their kid home until it clears.  So I have adults to thank for that.  I have learned my lesson, I think, which is more washing of hands, never touch eyes, and especially do not do not put make up on in the car following drop off.  Gross.  I am grateful that I was able to work diligently from home while most  contagious.

So, photos, photos, we've been busy having a LOT of fun in between runny noses and itchy eyes.

These are from October 7-23.  The Halloween etc. will be on a future post (hopefully not too far off here.)

Big laughs before momma goes to work

Watching Yukon bite his ankle

Talking on the smartphone while overseeing the wood stackers

First 4-wheeler ride

Grandpa and Bear 

All the leaves from Weekend.I love -- just one week later

Wow

Knee wall progress -- there's been so much MORE done now, a month later...

Papa/Pete hard at work

Sleeping lofts

Berit and her Germans

Clowning around with Papa

That smirky grin

Tank top hot in October

Having fun

Grandma and her girls being silly

A Sunday hike to Rock Knob in Hartley

The pups having a sniff meeting

Bear takes in the view

Having lunch

We don't make Berit use the dog door...

But it is just her size!

Swinging while momma rakes leaves

Lingo cannot believe that the day has finally arrived

Berit winds up (note: tennis ball is already in Lingo's mouth)

And the other one is now in Berit's mouth

Lingo takes a much needed break

A girl and her dog (and a canister of tennis balls)

Leaf pile kid

rest of: Weekend. I love.

Walking back to the cabin on a balmy October afternoon

When we rigged up this makeshift swing I did have an image of it being included in one of those hilarious best parenting of 2011 chain emails.  You know the ones I'm referring to: kid pushing a cart of beer, dad holding a kid upside down to feed a bear, lady riding on the back of motobike with baby strapped to her.  There are usually an equal number of really awful ideas and ideas that I wish I would have thought of doing.  Anyway, this contraption did not swing.  It made a nicely soothing squeak as the two by four tried to rub through the kayak straps, but, alas, there was no excitement and eventually Bear just whined her way out.  No nap for her.

Watching momma stack

After I tired of retrieving Bear from the far reaches of the dooryard (i.e. out of sight) and Lucky dog, we decided to try a change in scenery and give up the woodpile reduction project for a while.  It probably helped that I had filled the trailer with wood (after dozens of wheelbarrow trips) and then couldn't drive the 4-wheeler to unload.  (Who ever heard of an emergency break on a 4-wheeler??)  We needed some advice from papa and a respite from chasing a tired and clumsy girl.

Pete working on knee walls-- second story!!

Our general contractor and all-around cheerleader 

This work site seems a little dangerous...

Keeping a close eye on her laborer

And heading home, down the trail (again, on her own - what's with this independence?!)

Stopping to check the fall foliage; hopefully that isn't the grass the dogs peed on!

Seriously ambling on rough ground: such an impressive walker! 

Like I said, perfect weekend.

Weekend. I love.

This past weekend was just us.  The Johnsons, nuclear.

Saturday morning, sharply at 7 am, Bear and I started the day volunteering at the third annual Hartley Nature Trax.  She was an amazing cheerleader, despite the chilly temps and having to stay in one spot for over two hours!  (Can you imagine?)

After the race, we packed up the fur siblings to meet Pete at the cabin, where the colors are in a glorious display.  

Berit looking chubby in layers

Beautiful afternoon sun - heading up the trail

That's right, Berit thinks she can walk there on her own

Such a happy girl

It is hard to believe how much a kid changes that first year.  From one week old to running up a trail in the woods. Laughing, playing with dogs and endearing herself to just about everyone who crosses her path.

Getting a ride in the ergo

 And here's what we saw when we got to the cabin: a real live cabin!  Considering that Pete works full time, takes care of Bear every week day that he's off, and has continued his involvement in local politics, his progress is incredible.  The Bear and I are lucky and blessed to have such a hard working, capable and motivated man in our lives.

Rafters for one of two sleeping lofts 

Bear stole one of her papa's peanut butter cups, and...

...headed for home

You can see she had good company -- free peanut butter cups can do that

 Fortunately I was able to get her turned around; after all, we brought papa that snack.  Then it was right to work cleaning up the site. 

Berit helped me pick up scraps

She was surprisingly capable and helpful!

That smirky smile is our favorite

Then she learned how to get on her soapbox

The view from our front "window" -- pretty amazing

Berit thinks she's pretty big stuff -- and she is.

Teetering totter on the tree stump

Getting up all by herself

This was a game she came up with on her own. I showed her the log cut and sat her on it, but all she wanted to do was stand on it.  Berit is into pushing the limits: she stands on the seat of her push toy giraffe, she tries to climb her gate/highchair/windowsill, and the log cut was just another example.  Over and over again.  Getting down was trickier, and a helpful hand made it easier.

Our wonderful protectors kept a close watch

Throwing and eating sawdust -- why not?

I'll have more pictures to share later -- there was wood to stack, dogs to wrassle and more walks.  It was one of those perfect fall weekends, the kind that is blissfully perfect because you know it is fleeting and grey November will be upon us soon.  (Of course, the snow that follows is always welcome -- we can't wait for the little Bear to build snowmen and learn to ski.)