Dickens in Dundee

Our town does a cute Charles Dickens themed holiday festival that lasts two days.  There are "living windows" where businesses in the downtown area have people acting out different holiday activities/themes, a tree lighting, Santa, free hot chocolate, cookies, and treats, a reading of  "A Christmas Carol", a parade, a petting zoo, crafts, a living nativity, a festival of trees decorated by various children's organizations, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few other things.  It's a lot of fun, and we really did it up this year.

 First up on Friday night was the living windows.  The kids had an early time slot, so this was the first things they did.  This was through their school, and the theme this year was "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."  They acted out the main points of the movie; first, they decorated the tree...

 Then the residents of Whoville sang a danced.

The kids were instructed to wear their pajamas, and their Christmas pjs from last year were in the best shape for public wearing.  Unfortunately, they are now much too short.  I have one pair for this year cut out, but none are made yet.

 Then the residents of Whoville went to sleep.  I think Dorothy giggled the entire time she was supposed to be sleeping.

 While they slept, the Grinch came and took away all of their decorations.  Malcolm got to play the Grinch because he was the tallest one in his group.  He was not amused, and somewhat embarrassed to be featured.

The final bow, after the Grinch's heart grew three sizes.

It was super cute and a bit more elaborate than what they have done in previous years.

We walked around and the other windows were really cute too, with most of the major holiday movies represented, and a few non-movie themes.

From there, it was time to head into the village hall to warm up, eat snacks, have hot chocolate, and see Santa!

 Dorothy was eager to have her picture taken with Santa, but apprehensive about telling him what she wants for Christmas because she can't seem to nail down a solid list.  She's fickle and likes just about everything, so I think they settled on "a fun surprise."

 They didn't want to take a picture together, but come on, how cute are they in their coordinated pjs? 

Malcolm always has lots to say to Santa.  At least this year he didn't ask for a very specific Lego set that has never, ever, been sold.  I think all of his requests are actual items that can be purchased, and not things he has made up on his own.

After Santa, it was time to head home, but not before taking a picture with a friend in front of the town tree.

 The next morning, we were back, and ready to march in the parade with the vets of Dundee Animal Hospital.  The kids threw candy, Kevin carried the banner, and Rory and I walked.  We weren't sure how the puppy would do, but he loved every minute of it.  I had visions of him either laying down in the middle of the parade, and refusing to move, or that he wasn't going to be able to handle the excitement and I'd have to take him home early. 

I really could not be more pleased with his behavior.  He was excited to meet other dogs, loved all the people, and was pretty easy to keep off of the candy dropped in the street along the parade route.  He walked along like he knew what he was doing instead of trying to wander off.  We are already looking forward to having him participate again.

 Ready to step off.  Malcolm and Dorothy decided to take opposite sides of the street for candy duty.  That was probably for the best.

 Rory got so much love.  We didn't stop for pets until at the very end, where the crows had thinned out. 

 Poor Dorothy was freezing.  After the parade, we put her in the wagon with Ellie.  She didn't even want to stay at the park and do crafts or drink hot cider.  Kevin took her home and she warmed up there.

Rory, Malcolm, Ellie, Dr. Anne, and I stayed at the park and played for a bit.  Malcolm spent a long time in the craft tent, but Rory and I didn't go in.  It was best for us to be outside.

There was a little petting zoo with goats and sheep that Rory loved.  I wouldn't let him get closer than he is in the photo above, but I think he was very interested in herding the animals.  The people running we laughing at their animals reaction to him.  We were over on the side, and several of the sheep came right up to where Rory was, very interested in him.  As we walked around, they followed him.  I think that if he ever had the opportunity to herd livestock, he would love it.  He enjoys his big ball at home, but it just isn't the same as a herd of live animals.

We are all exhausted, but had a wonderful time.  I'm glad that Rory was done with his vaccinations in time to be able to come along with us.  It was a great experience for him, as well as the kids.  It was good for me too.  I talked to a lot more people than I would have without the dog.  I met a nice couple who told me all about their Cardigan Corgi they had had, who lived to be 18 years old (very old, for that breed).  The man even asked if he could take a picture of Rory, they were so happy to see him.

Holiday Photos: Round 2

Well, we all rested up and tried again for the "perfect" holiday photo.  I think the second try went better overall, but possibly just being outside helped.  However, I still managed a wide range of unfortunate and hilarious expressions from both children and the dog.

We swung by the depot, in the hopes of them having some decorations out.  They had one large tree, but the sun was really bright, and Malcolm had a hard time holding the dog's leash and not letting Rory tangle up with Dorothy.

One of the local shops had some decorations out front, so we had the kids sit in the rocking chair.  Too bad it didn't work out for any cute photos.  I couldn't get them to look at me, and the dog kept wanting to be with them.

This one is actually fairly cute, but doesn't show their faces.

 We headed down to the river and tried a couple of poses.  I like this one, except for the lighting (and expression) on Dorothy.  Rory was being so good and waiting for his turkey bits...

...until he just couldn't wait any more.

Great photo of the kids, but notice the little fuzzy photo-bomber in the corner.

I had the "great" idea to distract Rory with a giant peppermint stick.  Unfortunately, it was broken, so instead of one big stick, each kid got a small section to hold.  I had envisioned the dog holding it in his mouth, like when he carries sticks around.  Instead, I got lots, and lots of pictures of him licking.  So. Much. Tongue. 

 He didn't confine his licking to the peppermint stick.

 Lean your heads in together.  No, not like that!

 Not like that either!

 Now, they are all just silly, and passed their attention spans for photography.

Cute shot of the kids, but the dog has left, with Dorothy's section of the peppermint stick.


I'll play around with some card layouts, but I think I might have gotten enough "close enough" photos to have something to work with.  Fingers crossed that we don't have try for a third time!

Holiday Photos: Round 1

It's that time of year again, where I attempt to take a picture of the kids that is decent enough for a holiday card.  It's always a challenge, and I follow the philosophy of "take hundreds of pictures, and hope that at least one is accidentally good."  I guess the kids weren't enough of a challenge, because this year, we added a puppy to the mix.  What was I thinking?  We are going to give it another try later today, once everyone is fed and has rested a bit.  This is what happened, so far:

 I had the kids sit on the stairs to test how it looked.  I had dreams of taking photos on our nice, new front porch we are having built, but it is still not finished, and is a construction disaster area.  However, I was hopeful that the inside stairs would be good enough, and the kids started off looking pretty decent.

 Then, Rory came in to see what we were doing...

...and the kids looked a bit worried about the whole idea.

 Guess where Kevin is standing, with turkey goodies from Thursday's Thanksgiving feast?

 Sometimes, the dog looked great, but then the kids weren't looking at the camera.  Unfortunately you can't see it, but Rory is wearing a little plaid bow tie.  It's too small and disappears into his fluff, which is too bad, because it is adorable.

 Sometimes, the dog looked goofy.  Malcolm looks good though.

 Sometimes, Rory got impatient for turkey bits, and went right to the source.

 Sometimes, all three looked goofy.

 This would be so cute if Malcolm wasn't all hunched over.  We asked him to lean in, but he couldn't figure out how to do that and sit up straight at the same time.

We moved outside for a change of scenery, but the lighting wasn't good at that time of day.  We are going to try again later and hope things go a bit better.

I have to say that the kids were much better this year than in previous years.  It helps that they are a bit older and can take a bit of direction.  So far, no one has cried, so we are ahead of the game.

Meet Rory, the Corgi

We finally took the plunge and have added a dog to our family.  It's been something we have talked about on and off for a few years now, but it never seemed like the right time.  Now that our kids are no longer really little, and our other pets have passed on, adding a new level of crazy seemed like a good idea.  After much deliberating over what would be the "right" kind of dog for our family, we settled on getting a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.  What's not to like?  Sturdy, good temperament, too short to counter surf, and no tail to knock things off low tables.  OK, so they shed like crazy, bark, and herd things.  We will have to do a lot of brushing and training to keep those under control.

Anyway, here is our newest addition:

 Meet Rory.  This was taken right after we got home from the breeder's; he hadn't even been in the house yet. 

We didn't name him right away.  I had originally thought we would name a red male Corgi Rory.  If he had been a tri-colored one, Ianto.  Then I wasn't sure if Rory really "fit," so we tried out a bunch of other names, like Toby and Cisco.  Rory seemed to fit the best, so that's what we went with, even though both kids seem to have trouble pronouncing it.  Unfortunately, I keep slipping up and calling him Fiyero, the name of our rabbit who passed away earlier this month.  I'll break the habit and get it right soon.  Then I'll probably start mixing up the kids' and dog's names.

 He's very handsome and regal.  We don't know yet if he will be sable or red and white in color.  In the sun, he looks really red, but it's too soon to know.  It will be interesting to see his adult coat come in.

 This is us at the breeder's, before taking him home. 

 Kevin and the kids got to play outside with Rory and two of his sisters while I went over the paperwork inside.  They all (human and canine) had a great time.  It was a real treat to get to play with three puppies at once.

 That face!  Rory has a lot to learn, but it's hard to be upset with him.  He's doing well on his potty training.  Luckily, he isn't interested in chasing down critters in the yard; yet.  Kevin took him out early one morning, and they encountered the neighborhood skunk.  The skunk was disinterested in them, so all was well.  He didn't flinch at the squirrels or the rabbit we scared up when I took him out either. 

 Rory loves toys!  The kids really get a kick out of watching him play with the toys they picked out for him.  I took them to the pet store before he came home, and they each picked out a few things for the puppy to play with.  They are a little wary of his nipping, but we are working with him on chewing on toys, not people.  He's very smart and picking up on things quickly.  Dorothy can't seem to help herself with squealing and pulling her hand back, which just makes him more excited.  She can help with the more calm moments, but prefers to watch from behind the baby gate during the energy expending play times.

Right now, he mostly hands out in the kitchen.  It's easy to gate off the rest of the house, and since the kitchen is ridiculously large, there's plenty of room to run.  As he learns the house rules, he'll get to explore more.

He had a great time at the vet on Monday, and had a wonderful check-up.  All the workers loved on him, and he came home very tired out. 

He's a lot of work, but very fun and silly.  Here's to a long and happy time with our family, Rory!

First Day of School

Today is the kids' first day of school, and the first time in several years that they are at the same school.  I get two years of them being on the same schedule, then it won't happen again until they are a freshman and senior in high school.  I had better enjoy it now, while I have the chance.

Both kids were excited and ready to be with friends their own age again.  We just got back from a family vacation, and they have had about all the sibling togetherness they can stand.

 Malcolm is starting forth grade, and was a little nervous, but mostly excited to go to school today.  This is the first year he will be changing classrooms and having different teachers for different subjects.  I think he will enjoy it once he knows what to do, but we didn't get any information ahead of time.  He will find out everything on day one.

He is friends with just about everyone in his grade, so he likes that he will get to see lots of friends in different classes and not just the 20 or so kids in his home room.

 Dorothy is going into first grade and seems an equal mix of excited and anxious.  She was very relieved to find out the the only two kids she knows in her grade (the little girl next door, and a boy from the kindergarten class) are in the same class with her.  I think just knowing two friends would be with her helped her nerves a lot.  She can make friends with anyone, so I suspect that by the end of the week, she will know everyone in her class pretty well.


 I just wanted a nice photo of the two of them together.  Instead, this is what I got:

 My kids are weirdos.

Dorothy was so excited that she ran nearly the entire way to school this morning.  I will try to remember this when I'm dragging her along this winter when it is freezing cold and she is poking along.

 Lined up and waiting for it to be time to go in.

 Malcolm was eager to find out who would be in his homeroom class.  The only kids we had talked to prior were in different classes.

 Walking out with her class for the bell ringing ceremony.  The little boy behind her who is waving was in her kindergarten class at the Montessori school last year.

Listening to the principal give a few words of welcome before starting the school year.  Dorothy happened to be right in the front.  I didn't get any photos of Malcolm because he is way in the back, somewhere.

I think they are both going to have amazing years at school.