Go Ducks

We finally got to go to a Ducks game, which turns out to be quite a process when you take the kids. We started the journey out on our bikes with Brandon towing the trailer. Both the girls were screaming so loud that we made quite a scene, even for Eugene. We rode our bikes to campus then walked about a mile across the bridge to the stadium. We could have paid the $5 it costs to take the shuttle that takes off basically from our doorstep, but where would the fun be in that?
By the time we got there and made it through the bag search the student section was already packed. Luckily we found our own family seating.
It was basically behind the student section, kind of close to a port-o-potty up against the fence. It was perfect for us because it had a great view of the mega-tron and some extra space for the chicklets to play.
This is what it looked like inside
.

..and this is what our view looked like on the outside.

When we parked ourselves in this spot we had no idea how many other perks came with it.


It was an ideal spot for a halftime snooze.

There were also a lot of very interesting things to see. We just happened to be right where the police took the troublemakers before they gave them tickets and kicked them out.



I may or may not have strategically posed my child in front of drunken strangers so I could legitimately take a picture of them.

Brandon wanted me to get a picture of the guy in the fireman outfit so he would know what he should wear to the next game.


Daisy shows her disapproval of the guys waiting in what her daddy referred to as the "can line."
Since it was an afternoon game Rocky missed her nap and went a little cat crazy. It seemed like the longer we were there the more fun we were having.





Of course, the "duckies" as Rocky calls the team, won and we all had a lovely time.
The moral of the story is, if you are going to the next game, don't take your kids, but if you do, you'd better get there before we do because we've got dibs on that spot.

Post-game show

Dia de Los Muertos

For Halloween Daisy thought about being Rocky's doll, Baby Jesus, but we decided instead to go for a family costume.
So, instead we went with the most obvious choice...
Goldilocks and the three bears.

We dressed up to run my favorite race of the year, the Monster Mash. Brandon pushed the girls the whole 5K. They were very interested in the variety of costumes. I didn't get many pictures but there was a whole family dressed as grapes, including their dog and a pretty amazing Marie Antoinette. There were several people who notified us that Rocky had lost her hat. I guess I can't blame them for not figuring out that her regular church garb had taken a part time job as a Halloween costume.

It was fun to have my friends waiting for me at the finish line. Laurie and Lindsey are two of my favorite people and that is exactly what you need after a fast run.
By the way, Laurie is dressed like a Halloween Hippie and should not be confused with a real Eugene Hippie. If you are looking for a Eugene Hippie you need to just follow the scent of pot until it mixes with B.O. If you still aren't sure you'll know immediately if she has dread locks and/or is not wearing a bra. They can easily be found outside of Sundance Foods or the downtown library.
I'm down with the real hippies too, but Laurie is much better looking, and a lot faster.



For the various Halloween parties we put Rocky in her tutu so that she could prance around like a fairy.

Which, she did until she collapsed on the couch in a candy-binge stupor.

Daisy played the role of the baby bear with a quiet, sincere dignity, which is rare in a child her age, especially one who is in a ridiculous hat.

To celebrate the Day of the Dead our branch had a fiesta. I went ahead and made an authentic Mexican dish to share at the party and for Brandon to take to his students.

Yep, cupcakes. We really pulled out all the stops.


I can't have a Halloween post with out including the picture of my jack-o-lantern. I love carving pumpkins.

It may look like it has no face, that is because it has no face. I am tempted to claim that it was an artistic expression of existentialism because that is the kind of crap that would make sense in a college town, but the truth is that I completely forgot to finish it. I cleaned it out on Saturday morning and I was planning on brainstorming about the face I would like to carve. I had a whole bunch of other things that I was supposed to do and it completely slipped my mind. I didn't even realize until Sunday evening and by then we were headed out the door and it was too late. I think this is a new low, even for me.

Nothing to Say but Plenty to See

Not My Kids, But Very Funny

Rocky's Babies

Rocky has become very specific when it comes to the names of her babies. The first name she said, Oaklee was stolen from her buddy, McCoy's baby sister. The second was Baby Jesus and the third, Horton came from the Dr. Seuss movie we borrowed from the library. I tried to get her saying them on video but she gets pretty camera shy. My favorite is when she says..."I'm not ready."

So Much to Do So Little Time

We run a tight ship around here. Because of attending various playgroups and keeping up with the chores there is very little leisure time around this house. Rocky and Daisy are very selective with their hobbies.

Rocky of course, always a Daddy's girl tries to catch up on some reading so they will have some important comic-related conversation when he comes home from school. Usually the Eugene library keeps our comic supply ample enough that there are enough for both of them.

Daisy gets in a quick work-out. The last time we visited the doctor she told us to make sure that Daisy had enough time on the floor so that she could build her muscles. She must have taken it to heart because she is suddenly very into yoga. I mean, after all, she is a born native of Eugene.

She especially likes to hold herself in a plank because it works her core, abs, and glutes.

She then usually moves into the Baby Cobra.

This pose is one she made up herself...she calls it the rolling Beluga.

After all that working out she catches a few z's whenever she can.

They like to play, Who Wears it Best? It's the same hat but somehow it makes Rocky look like a flapper and Daisy look like a fortune teller.


Sometimes they go cruising around town to check out the hotspots on a joyride.

Whatever is going on at this house, one thing is guaranteed. It isn't ever boring.

A Craving for Nature

I started to get a claustrophobic feeling this past week and I sensed that I had been neglecting the opportunity to be one with nature. It sounds trite, but even spending a few hours in an Oregon forest seems to cleanse the soul.

The weather was beautiful and we even saw some amazingly cute river otters. The hiking we had planned turned into more of a nature walk which was fine because we found all kinds of things to keep us entertained along the way.