Return to the City

While back in Utah last week we made a quick trip up to one of our very favorite places: The City of Rocks. We even talked FunEllen into coming with us, so it was like old times. J and FunEllen climbed while the kids and I played, basked in the sun, watched chipmunks, floated sticks, found and buried treasure and took pretend baths in rock pools. It was great to get back there. I miss the City.

Playing in hollowed-out "bath tubs" on a boulder.

The elusive Doodle Owl in its native habitat. Roo with FunEllen.

Doodle doodling. Lichen - the kids and I counted 13 different ones on this rock.

FunEllen being Fun.

Kung Hay Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Here's wishing you a joyful Year of the Rabbit!

Today I find myself reminiscing about good friends and celebrations from years past, and hoping for a year of fun and new friendships to come. Here's wishing you all that and more.

Roo loves birds

He looks outside first thing in the morning, searching the sky. He looks at me, signs, looks outside again. He's searching for birds. He loves birds.

Our friend Liv recently posted a photo of a jay on her blog. Roo saw it, and for the next day kept pointing at the computer and signing bird. I told Liv this, and requested more birds on Roo's behalf. She replied with a bird photo post. Roo loved it. Here's his reaction, complete with hooting sound which he now uses for all animals:

Thanks, Liv!

Jake!

Just before Thanksgiving our good friend Jake came and stayed with us for a couple of days. We hung out, drank beer, watched birds in our yard, sang a nerdy plant song (which I will post soon, I hope), played with ketchup birds and went bouldering. We were all glad to spend time with him. Doodle was thrilled to have one of her favorite grown-ups from Utah here to play with her, and barely left his side the entire time.

It was really great to see him and catch up. Thanks for coming to visit, Jake! Next time: another growler and a pollination song!

J bouldering

J went out bouldering with some friends on Saturday. Our friend Eric Heiden took some video footage and edited it into this video. Check it out:

PA GRIT from Eric Heiden on Vimeo.

Missing Utah

A note found in one of our many boxes. It's on our fridge where I look at it daily.

Some days are great. We go to a playgroup, hang out at the library, or stop by the farmers market and chat with "the Pork Man" (Doodle's name for him). State College feels comfortable, familiar.

Other days just feel off. I don't know where to go in town for kid shoes, a cast iron pan, how to find a babysitter, a dentist, a fillintheblank. I long for the familiar. I miss dropping by a friends' house and hanging out for hours or just a few minutes, having that already established relationship. I miss feeling comfortable in my own skin, feeling confident when I go to dance because I know the moves and I know my fellow dancers. I miss my small friends who I could invite over to entertain Doodle and who I could chat with, play with, and win over with homemade fruit leather. I miss their parents, and our conversations that ran the range from deep and philosophical to silly or strange. I miss people knowing me through academia, and not just because I'm Doodle-n-Roo's Mom. I miss talking science. I miss many things.

I know it'll get easier here, as we make more friends, more connections. It's just hard to start over in a new place, knowing the awesome wonderful people we miss so much are so far away.

I miss you too, Utah.

Box Labels

Having friends pack and label your stuff means sometimes you end up with strangely-labeled boxes (and not just because the Stranges labeled it). So far we have found the following:
-Fragilish (ish?)
-Get Baked! (baking supplies)
-Vibrators
Dildos
Hamsters
Hangers
(only one of the items listed was actually in the box)

I love finding these. Makes the box monotony not so bad. Thanks friends!

Little climber

As promised, here are the pics of Doodle climbing at the gym with her friend S.

Climbing.

Being lowered.

Bouldering babe, on her way...

...to the top!

Obligatory self portrait.

Climbin' buddies.

Running around the bouldering area, crashing on crash pads.

Oneida Narrows

Sunday we teamed up with friend B and headed up to the Oneida Narrows of the Bear River in Idaho. J and B wanted to get their kayaking legs back, and decided to start with this mellow stretch of river to get the hang of things again. We drove up through a big storm, downpouring with thunder and lightning. But the water looked nice, and the rain was letting up, so they went ahead and got on the river.

Doodle and I were shuttle crew, dropping them off and then leapfrogging with J and B as they proceeded down the river. We'd stop, wave and yell, watch them pass, then pile in the car and drive a little further. Doodle had fun watching her Papa boating and yelling hi to him. The weather got progressively better and was clear and warmish by the time they reached the takeout. Doodle even got to sit in the boat with J at the takeout for a couple minutes. If I get the chance, I'll take video of her interpretation of paddling a kayak - it's hilarious.

After the river run, we proceeded a few miles up Oneida Narrows Road to our favorite hotspring - Maple Grove. B had never been there so we were happy to take her on her inaugural visit to our not-too-far-away getaway. It was a wonderful day.

Scenery shot, looking upriver from a bridge. J and B are just barely visible rounding the bend.

There's J, happy as can be.

Doodle and Papa at the takeout. The water was about a foot deep here.

Doodle taking charge of paddling.

Skiing!!!

Okay, so remember my whining about how I haven't been skiing since 2003, and aren't I pitiful?

No longer!

I went skiing yesterday. It was great.

Saturday we were at a friend's 8th birthday party. J and I were chatting with the parents, and he asked them if they would be skiing on Sunday. They said yes. J asked if I could go with them. They said yes.

I said "what? But... but..."

J said "you want to go. You should go. You're going."

And so I went.

It was great. Nice and sunny and clear, and not too cold. The snow was nicely groomed and not icy. I did maybe 10+ runs... I lost count. That's how much fun I was having.

Oh, AND I'm actually an okay skier. I really didn't know how I would do, since it had been so long. But I did really well. No falling. Went fairly fast. Even tried a couple black diamonds, and *had fun* on them. I think maturity and a better sense of my own body has really helped my technique. Which is nice.

So I did it! I went skiing! Now I definitely won't wait so long to go skiing again. Thanks, friends!

BDay celebrations

We had a great, fun-filled Doodle's Second Birthday today.

We awoke to snow, and lots of it. We are chicken-sitting for J's advisor up at The Cabin north of town and kinda in the boonies. It's peaceful, quiet, and gorgeous. Oh, and it gets a lot more snow than down further in the valley. So we played inside this morning, enjoying Doodle's new tea set and play food. Then we packed up and rolled into town where we did some mad-dash cleaning and decorating before The Party. Streamers and balloons were deployed, and the house was looking downright birthdayish (it's important with a December birthday to make sure this special day doesn't get lost in the pre-Xmas stuff. Daktari, the holder of the SoIL December Birthdays Suck party taught me this.).

Friends big and small arrived bearing gifts of music, books and eggnog (homemade!). I have a new-found appreciation for eggnog. Mmmm, fatty goodness! We ate burgers and cake, played with balloons and tea sets, and chatted. We ate too much, drank too much eggnog, and partied until the toddlers were exhausted. It was great.

Post-party we piled up the dishes, grabbed fresh clothes, and hit the road back out to The Cabin. The storm was letting up but we wanted to hit the snowy roads in daylight in case we needed to chain up to get to The Cabin. Main Street was icy and very slow, and Doodle was asleep before we even made it out of town - guess we really wore her out with The Party. Some sliding at a couple of stoplights plus a slower-than-usual drive, but we made it out to the cabin just fine. The snow was deep on the driveway but Elmo the Jeep just plugged along and made it up with no problems. Later one of the Advisor's neighbors came by to plow the driveway with his tractor. Very nice.

Now Doodle is playing with her new Playdoh, cookie cutters and rolling pin on the floor while J and I relax. We'll probably read a bunch of books, play tea party and go to bed early. Definitely a great way to celebrate the two year anniversary of Doodle's birth.

Tomorrow: sledding on the hill behind The Cabin, the first use of skis and snowshoes this season, and maybe an epic snowman. We shall see.