It's been a while...

 So, we had this big box.  Then we converted it into a play house.  

Now, when we want to watch a movie that isn't Toy Story III, we put Katie in her house,

turn on the wide screen, close the doors and windows, and have no interruptions for 103 minutes.

It's really cute.  It's sheer bliss too.  If only Toy Story III were 14,103 minutes long...

 View from the open "door".  Notice the closed windows in the background.

 View from the back (when we take down the side wall).

 

So, Katie was busy cooking up a meal one evening.  What was it?

"Dinosaur soup!"

She was really excited to give me a bowl and serve it up.  YUM!

(And yes, I'm chubby.  It was right after the "gain 25 lbs, you have acute kidney failure!" thingy.)

We don't think of this as having the TV babysit the kids.

Instead, we think of it as training the kids' ability to sit still for long periods.

Longest record so far?  47 hours.

 

Dressing Kylie is a more fun than dressing a doll...

and a little more challenging!  But Katie is always up for a challenge!

 Plus, Katie's got awesome style, right?

 Pretty cute?  Yup, she gets the chub from dad.

Insight: Having kids is a lot of fun!  Not only are they cute...

but they love you too.  It's awesome.

 On a train ride at the zoo.

"Dad, say 'Cheese'.  Kylie, say 'Aaaaah'."

 Doin' laundry.

Remember how I said Katie has got awesome style?  Yup.

 Barbie:  "I"

Ken: "love"

Barbie: "you!"

Ken: "See!  I said 'love' that time!"

Barbie: "Ah ha hah a!"

Yeah, Katie is starting to use her imagination.

 We went and saw Bluff (it's a little south than Blanding and a little smaller too!)

Katie, Kylie, and Laura all have ancestors that were born, raised, and died there.

Kylie was pretty excited about it.  She told me.

More cute people.

That's how I would have crossed the plains.  Yup.

(p.s. Notice how it's a small wagon.  A small wagon for small people.

They would have allotted that wagon to me because 75% of my family could stand up inside of it,

reach their hands up to the ceiling, and still not touch the fabric covering.) 

 Playing an old pioneer organ.  We had to pump our legs to create air for it to sound.

Thus we got major exercise while playing the piano.  It's like pioneer multitasking!

 I would have been a blacksmith back then.  

 A view of the old fort grounds!

 One of the many ancestors buried there!

 Halloween is near!  Here's Katie.  She's a cat.

 First, she just wanted to say "hi".

 Then, she no longer wanted to be part of the obedient kids.

She wanted to be the center of attention.  Totally typical Katie.

 Then she wasn't done.  She wanted to dance and show off.

She must have got that part from Laura because that's so not Jared!

I couldn't get Katie to sit still and smile pretty for the camera.

We wanted to get a good picture of her in her "princess" (skirt) and 

her jacket.  The jacket really belonged to Laura, when she was small enough to fit into it.

That was like two, no, maybe three years ago.

Here's a movie with the outfit.  Again, Katie won't pose.

But she will dole out kisses to just about anyONE.  Or anyTHING!

"Pony girl, pony girl,

won't you be my pony girl,

Here we go, don't say no, out across the prairie,

Carry me, marry me, ride away with me.

Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, WHOA!

My pony girl!"

Kylie is eating solids!  (Check out how SOLID that food is that we're feeding her!)

By the way, remember how the TV trains the kids?

Kylie learned to eat from the Beast.  Need a reminder?  Click --> here <--.

Katie and Kylie playing together in the crib.  It's fun!