Flower power

Wildflowers are in bloom again, proving that summer is on the way. I found these pretty specimens on our walk up the hill behind our house this weekend. I didn't figure out how to use the super macro setting on my new camera until part way through the walk, hence the distant first few pictures.

Bulbiferous prairie star

Nuttall's rockcress

leaves of lupine (flowers don't bloom until June)

Sagebrush buttercup

Yellow bell

Leafy bluebells

Few-flowered shooting star

Few-flowered shooting star

Prairie smoke

Small, Medium, and Large

The youngest Clines all had their doctor's check-ups last week in the midst of flood clean-up.

Parker was first. He has continued on the average path for size: 27lbs. (65th%), 32.5" for height (57th%), and 50cm head circumference (95th%). So the kid has a big head but it's an awfully cute big head! His vocabulary is pretty sophisticated, even if we're the only ones who understand him. It helps that his big sis is incredibly verbal. Because he is still a pretty picky eater the pediatrician suggested that I stick to what works and incorporate smoothies into every day since he'll slurp them down with gusto. Added protein powder and flax seed make it a nutritious and delicious afternoon snack.

Madeleine's appointment was next. She hasn't slowed down when it comes to growing. She's 40.5" tall (98th%) and 35lbs. (83rd%). They stop measuring head circumference after age 2 but I'm guessing she's got a good sized melon on her shoulders too. Her socialization skills have improved drastically and she's become much more comfortable around strangers, making it easier to go to church, the park, friends' houses, etc. She is still reluctant to sleep in her toddler bed and as I'm testing today doesn't seem ready to sleep without a diaper on. It's really hard to know when to push her and when to let her decide when she's ready for different maturing opportunities. Her independent 3-year old spirit often butts heads with my agenda but we're learning how to negotiate this new territory.

Drake's check-up was the most enlightening one of the week. Apparently I hadn't picked him up before getting him weighed at the vet. He was only 48lbs. (Maggie was always around 43lbs. and was considered trim). The vet guessed that he had been neglected for some time or had been out on his own for a while resulting in the low body weight. She advised us to feed him puppy chow and get him lots of exercise to build up muscles around his shoulders, spine, ribs, and hips. Too bad I can't just give him some of my excess fluff! Actually, I think we'll have a mutually beneficial relationship: I work off pounds running and walking him and he builds muscle. She wants to weigh him again in a month to make sure he's gaining weight. We're hoping to get him closer to 60lbs. as fall approaches. For now it's fine he's smaller; it makes it easier to control him when he sees a squirrel or cat while we're out for walks.

Madeleine's refusing to cooperate for nap today so I'm off to do some negotiating. Wish me luck.

Good news

It was the repair man's fault (he even confessed and subsequently apologized) which means we shouldn't have to pay the deductible. Hooray! Unfortunately it also means there may be more things slowing the construction process down as multiple insurance companies are involved but it won't prevent us from moving forward. The carpets are almost dry and once that's done and the adjuster makes his/her visit we should be able to proceed towards getting some new padding (which needed to be pulled up after all) and hardwood floors. We're hoping that it will all be completed by June. I got my washing machine fixed correctly this afternoon...the repairman ran it three times to make sure it worked properly...but it's too bloody hot and humid in the basement to be down there so I'll wait until the restoration company checks things tomorrow to hopefully tell us the carpets are dry and the heaters/blowers can be turned off. Then I can start to work on our mountain of laundry.

Spring

It snowed on Tuesday. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70. Spring in Montana requires down jackets and Chacos to be kept out by the front door.

My starters for the garden were not impressed by the snow.

Because of our often cloudy and gray spring days these starters have been very grateful for the skylight Justin installed on Easter Sunday in the bathroom. It provides tons of light and snuggled by the heater in ziplock bags makes it a virtual greenhouse for these little guys. So far I've only started some herbs and peppers but with the beautiful forecast for tomorrow I think the tomatoes may get a turn to spout.

And I had to share this moment. My favorite memory of Madeleine and Maggie is when she'd pick out books and read them to her. I'm glad to see the tradition will continue, even if it is bittersweet.

Clean up, clean up, everybody do your part...

Two words: Dayspring Restoration. They are my new favorite people in the world. They made the clean-up process amazingly painless. They arrived at 5:30am and worked continuously until 3pm. Justin and I barely had to lift a finger as they facilitated the moving and rearranging of all of our personal belongings and furniture. The padding for our carpet and the hardwood floors couldn't be saved but they think everything else will be salvageable. We currently have 20 fans on high trying to dry everything out. It is as humid as Miami in July down there...more humid than you'll ever experience living in MT.

In the midst of the chaos Drake has proven his worth. He was incredibly well behaved with all of hustle and bustle. He didn't try to escape out of the house or yard (as compared to earlier this week when he jumped a fence under my watch and ran around the street under Justin's) and continues to show more and more allegiance to us. I'm sure it helps that I keep a handful of treats in my pocket. We have borrowed a crate from our neighbors for the hour here and there that I have to be out of the house at doctor's appts., going to the grocery store, etc. until I know he won't chew everything. Of course the kids thought it was just a new toy for them to play with. If parenting were only this simple!

The restoration company will be back this morning to start pulling up the hardwood floors and I'm hoping to get a repair man from a different company out to tell me why the washing machine flooded. The sooner we get this sorted out the sooner I can get my washing machine fixed because the dirty laundry pile is only getting bigger and bigger.

Morning mess

I got up with Parker at 4am to hear the washing machine still running in our basement after starting it at 10pm. I went downstairs to find 3 inches of standing water! I turned off the machine and called Justin. While we wait to hear back from the insurance company an emergency plumber is on his way to clean the drain in our laundry room to hopefully help get rid of some of this water. This was not part of this week's schedule.

Drake's first day

Despite peeing on one corner of the house in the first 5 minutes he was inside Saturday, everything's going pretty well with Henry, aka Drake. Madeleine isn't sold on the name "Drake" so she's holding onto Henry for now but Justin and I've switched to calling him Drake...confusing but he'll catch on until Madeleine succumbs to the pressure. He's pretty obsessed with Oreo so she's been hiding out in the basement, especially since being chased through the kitchen. I think he's harmless but it still wouldn't be any fun to be harassed by a creature 8 times my size. Drake is very curious about counters so I'm on my A-game with keeping the dishes done and the place generally cleaned up (does anyone else hear Justin singing "hallelujah"?) It's tough with the kids but they'd rather play with Drake's toys anyway except when Parker's in the mood to drive his cars over all of us. And another random kid moment. Parker found Justin's glasses while he was taking a nap yesterday. He and Madeleine love to wear them and pretend to be Daddy.

Pulling the trigger

We did it; we have a new dog. Justin and Madeleine went to the shelter this morning and met Henry. Parker and I came by to secure the deal and 90 minutes later we brought him home. Henry (his shelter name and possible permanent name) is a 1.5 year old lab mix. He's great with the kids, likes other dogs and cats (although we don't know if he likes Oreo yet...we'll introduce them later today), and is playful yet gentle. What more could we ask for?

Timing

While I was laying Parker down for nap...

Spring in Montana (truly dedicated to playing in the sandbox)

Easter treats

We visited the Humane Society on Saturday and fell in love with a huge 10-month old puppy named Hank. His disposition was exactly what we're looking for in a new dog: gentle, energetic, playful, and sweet. The kids loved him and we were eagerly waiting until yesterday when he'd finally be available for adoption. Having already filled out the paperwork we figured all we had to do was call to make it "official." I called the second they opened only to find out that another family had shown up in person at the same exact time and was already in the process of adopting Hank. I wonder what would have happened if I had packed up the kids and shown up at the same time. Would they have made us duke it out? A family tug-of-war over a dog? I can only imagine. It was a good lesson for us on understanding how the adoption process works. For now we're going to keep our paperwork at the various shelters up-to-date, check their websites regularly, and move like lightening the next time we find a winner. What really matters is that great dogs like Hank find great families to live with. I guess ours isn't the only great family in town :)

2010 NCAA B-ball

Madeleine just watched Duke win the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament for the first time in her lifetime (it's the only time I've ever let her stay up this late). I grew up a Duke fan because my mom is an alum. Madeleine eagerly cheered on both teams as Carol's husband is a professor at Butler so we would have been delighted to see them win as well. It was a fabulous game and both Madeleine and Parker were doing their "happy dance" during the first half any time either team scored. I'm expecting Mimi to find some kid-sized 2010 championship t-shirts for the kids to sport for the 2011 season :)

Confusion of the best kind

Anytime I mention to Madeleine that we're going to a brewery she always refers to it as the library. I have to remind her that we read books at the library but Momma and Daddy drink beer at the brewery. And if I say "library," she of course calls it a brewery. Either way it's one of my favorite Madeleineisms.