WARNING BABY BIRDS ARE NOT CUTE

On the back patio, supremely sheltered from the weather

Is a nest, and in that nest is a bird

I would love to get a peek at this mama's little eggs. We are pretty certain she is a Robin and they have the prettiest little eggs!

But she is a very protective mom, even an air horn wouldn't send her from her nest! Maybe we will get lucky and get to meet her babies when they hatch?

We got lucky - They hatched Saturday night (well, all but one) and the Mama is leaving her nest often BUT it is really hard to get the camera up there to get pictures - and I am terrified that she is going to fly in and peck at my head while I am on the ladder....

Glad no one thought to take a picture of me taking a picture of the babies because that would have been a site about as pretty as that baby.

Belly Aches, Nutcrackers and Sunshine

Hailey, Hailey, Hailey...Poor little thing. She hasn't been feeling well since Friday. Hailey does not succumb to being sick very easily. She plugs right along as if all were fine until she hits a wall (usually when her fever gets high) - this little bug she has thrown her for a loop though. She continues to want to play and have fun but she keeps getting pains in her tum tum and occasionally complains that her eye hurts (the left one). Her symptoms are really just fever and congestion...but if she keeps complaining about these other two ailments we will have to see the Dr. tomorrow. She is sleeping well so I am sure she is fine! Yesterday while complaining of eye pain Lauren says "I wonder what is wrong with her eye? She doesn't have a black eye and I don't know what pink eye looks like but..." to which Hailey replies - "I don't have pink eye my eyes are blue" - I thought that was very cute!!!

Lauren got to try on one of her Nutcracker Costumes yesterday (and dance in it briefly) Of course this Mother of the year did not have her camera with her - thank goodness for my Blackberry! Poor Lauren though...she just can't ever get kids out of her space...she had up to 3 girls at any given moment trying to help her get her costume on after we got home she says "Chloe tried to help me get my pants on, my pants mom" "I told her I could do it but..." I don't know what it is about Lauren but kids just can't stay out of her space!


Six little Bon Bons and 1 costume lady!


Hmm...this looks interesting


Chloe lends a hand?


Looks good from the rear, Lauren turn around please!


Thank you! I wanted a front picture!

SO, maybe I need to wear my camera around my neck like a tourist and show up to each practice armed with a device that will actually capture a decent photo of my daughter gearing up for the nutcracker!! I don't know...maybe at dress rehearsals!

Anyway, when I went to remove these very blurry photos from the phone I stumbled upon some photos from our last trip to Beaver Creek that I forgot I took. The first two feature a little baby deer...cute!





And finally...I love this scenic shot...makes you wonder though...why when taking pictures with the phone do the ones of the good things like the deer and of course my daughter have to turn out so grainy and gross and yet this one is ready for a frame? Couldn't be operator error could it? Nahhhh.



Have a wonderful Sunday! Ours will be full of football, Basement organizing, Laundry and Spelling homework (oh and probably tummy aches and fevers too)

School, Dance and more

School has started and seems to be going well. Hailey is still a bit sad when we drop her and off and on during her short day but she is doing well and seems like her new teacher and class mates. When playing around the house she plays "school" a bit...taking attendance etc. It is cute.

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This photo was taken while getting ready for the first day of school...

Lauren's new teacher is going to be fine/great. Mrs. Finke has taught at Beacon for a couple years and elsewhere for several years before that. She did not have long to learn the 4th grade curriculum but she is a very dedicated and motivated teacher so I have no doubt we are in for a good year.

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This was Lauren getting ready for the first day of school

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And they both got dressed but neither cooperated that well for the photo!

This past weekend was Nutcracker Auditions at the dance studios. Lauren went ahead and tried out for the Nutcracker at both studios (The International Ballet School and The Academy of Colorado Ballet) as a parent....I was more impressed with the audition at IBS than at ACB - as a student Lauren really wants to be in the Colorado Ballet's performance. They have not announced the parts yet at that studio so I don't know what we will do. She was awarded two parts at IBS (mouse and bon bon) and rehearsals begin on Saturday. We should hear from ACB by Wednesday and will have to decide at that time which show she wants to do because I really don't think we can do both.

Last week both girls tried a gymnastics class...and today we are going back to try again...I am not willing to register them for the classes yet because I can't tell if they really want to do them...Lauren tried a class because Hailey did...Hailey tried a class because she had been asking for months and I finally caved. Lauren enjoyed her class, Hailey left hers early because it was boring (too many kids) so....today's class for Hailey only has 5 or 6 little ones in it and we are going to try again....keep you posted. For Lauren...she is going to have to let go of something if she wants to keep going to gymnastics after today - Tap is probably going to have to go - she can not have "something" every night of the week...it is just too much.

Anything else??? Hmmmm...I don't think so. Oh...we had some Hawks come to visit on the weekend. There were two on the back fence. By the time I got my camera only one was left. Paige sent the photo to a friend that works for the Raptor Education Society and found out they were Juvenile Red Tailed Hawks. They didn't look very juvenile to me...but I certainly know NOTHING about Hawks etc...

From Hawk

From Hawk

The Bear...I can't believe I forgot to blog the bear

The bear? Was it one or two? We often see wildlife up here. We wait for it, glance out the window at any opportunity hoping to see something. The best was the wild turkey last winter! We see elk, deer, fox, marmot, either a wolf or a coyote that looked a lot like a wolf...and BEARS. Bears that tear through Hot Tub Covers and crack the tub in the process, bears that take baths in the Beaver Pond out back and most recently a Bear Cub that wanted to come into the garage and say "hi" to Grandpa Mac.

Grandma, myself and the girls had just pulled out of the garage to head to City Market when VOILA Baby Bear enters from around the front sidewalk heading for the Garage. Grandma started honking the horn rapidly because Grandpa was in the garage with his back to the door.

The cub did run away, he/she went across the street and proceeded to lumber up each set of front steps to several front doors and move on to the next as he found them all closed...

Did we get a picture - not then...Didn't think fast enough. We headed off to the store and on the way home saw the bear...well we thought it was the bear - but turns out it was the MAMA Bear! Did we get a picture -- Yes! See below (camera phone) got one of it stopping to use the restroom then one as it ran away -

Turns out the bear family has been on the street all week - stealing lunches from the construction site seems to be a popular hobby for them! Reminds me of Yogi Bear. Tonight one came through the back yard but ODDLY was scared off by a 25lb barking dog chasing it through the yard - no pictures thanks to the wimpy bear and the yippy dog...

Enjoy:






UPDATE: There were two news stories about a momma bear and her cubs in Beaver Creek this week, One last night on 7News and one in the Vail Daily on Wednesday - click on the links if you want to read them.