The Beard Whisperers in Concert

Brandon's band had another big show and it was a huge success.  It was super fun and there were so many good friends in the audience that it really felt like a big family home evening.
Once again my professional photography and film skills failed to capture the moment.  All the guys are really awesome, but of course, Brandon was especially cool as the bass player always is.

 You can also see the cookie-fueled enthusiasm that kept the kids mosh pit rockin'.

 Now for a partially related story:  Before the show I spent a bunch of time making cookies for refreshments and in order to provide some variety I made those no-bake cookies with the oatmeal that they used to give at school lunch.  I have this really cute aunt that is always very proper and one time she brought the same cookies and she called them gorilla poops.  We laughed ourselves silly that she would say something so gross so in our family that vulgar name stuck.  I was telling Brandon that I was making gorilla poops, and you can imagine how that went over with Rocky.  I set them all out to cool and she came up and said, "Now can I have one of those poop monkeys."  It seemed so hilarious to me.  I mean, gorilla poops are one thing, but poop monkeys are something completely different.
Later that day we were at Costco and my always chatty Rocky was talking the ear off the cashier.  She told all about how her dad was in a band and that the band was having a show and that we were all going to eat poop monkeys afterward.  The lady was really trying hard to understand what was going on and she replied, "Your dad is in a band called the Poop Monkeys?"
Who wouldn't want to go see the Poop Monkeys in concert?

New Blanket

 Thanks Oma for Daisy's new blanket.  It is a big hit with both girls.

Whenever Rocky is being a dog she insists that we call her Ruffy.  This last week Daisy has started being a dog too and Rocky gave her the dog name of Ruff the Ruff.

Ruffy and Ruff the Ruff, Partners in Crime

Valentine Treats

 This year Valentine's Day was all about the treats.  For family night we made our traditional heart and skull cookies.

Brandon got up at the crack of dawn and made breakfast.

 They were heart shaped cinnamon rolls with a cranberry filling.  They were amazing.  He is the best!

 Two cuties sharing the sisterly love.

 We made treats at Laurie's house and it is always super fun to go over there.  The Rice Krispy Treat hearts were eaten before we could get any good photos.

Cheese

 Brandon went to a special reception at school and apparently there was a huge tray of assorted cheeses left over.  Being the resourceful grad student that he is, he loaded up a Dixie cup full and brought then home so we could have our own cheese tasting.  Pony Ride was front and center once we mentioned cheese, which reminds me that Rocky routinely sings "The Farmer in the Dell" and improvises it to say, "The Pony Ride takes the cheese." instead of the traditional mention of a nameless mouse.

 We felt like we were livin' the fancy life with so many kinds of cheese.  Unfortunately we had no idea what variety of cheese each one was.  Some were definitely tastier than others...and smellier.

 Daisy found a lot of chances to use her favorite word, CHEESE!
These photos are unrelated, but they make me smile.

 Daisy got herself all dressed and ready to go out for a swim.  We're so proud.

 And one more thing before I have to get going with the rest of my day.  Daisy likes to just crouch down on the floor and hide.  Rocky says that she is being a turtle.

 Usually after a while we can coax her out, but it isn't easy. 

Facebook

 I realize that some of you have probably already seen these pictures on facebook, but I wanted them preserved forever also in my blog.  The first few are from Andrea's wedding where my girls did a good job following the photographer around and posing.

 This next one was posted by Jill and shows this year's installment of my Dad's homemade Valentine cards.  Dick's Kustom Kards have chronicled the family news since the Howards became a family.

 These next three were artistic creations made by their adoring uncle Eric were a hit with all my facebook friends. 

 

Rocky's response to the wedding dresses:

"That's me dancing?  When was I married?  Where did we get those dresses?"

This next photo just shows what can happen when Rigby girls get a chance to pose.

Daisy's New Word

While Daisy doesn't say many things, she uses the words she can say all day long.  The newest addition to her vocabulary is a word that most kids aren't supposed to be using.  She uses it in a variety of ways, most commonly for sit, but it also works for shirt, spit, seat, start, and probably for a bunch of other things too.  I'm not always sure what she is saying, but she repeats it about 100 times every day.  Oh, and she can also say ice cream.

While the swearing in the following film is accidental, it may not be suitable for listeners of all ages.