Aria Visits Sparkle

We visited Sparkle on Oct. 11 when she was just about five weeks old. Her hair has grown quite a bit since we last visited and she is much more active.

We are all getting very excited and getting ready to bring her home the first week in November.

Here is a video of Aria enjoying snuggling with Sparkle. At one point one of Sparkle's sisters is also walking on Aria's lap.

And some photos from the visit too.

Sparkle and her litter mates. Sparkle is the darker puppy on the far left middle 

Sparkle's doggy Mom, Mae, giving her kids a watchful eye.

Aria is Getting a Puppy!

Aria has been asking for a dog for several years now. She has been patient (well, pretty patient) in waiting as we all become ready to get a dog. Just last month we made a firm agreement as a family to get a dog and began the search in earnest. Karen did a huge amount of research into possibilities and we all agreed that we liked miniature-sized poodles and poodle mixtures (Ted grew up with a wonderful poodle named Licorice). After checking out various choices we found that a cocker spaniel - poodle mix (cockapoo) litter was about to be born at a local breeders. Karen checked with the breeder who told her that we were one of 73 people on the waiting list. The morning that the puppies were born (Sept. 9) the breeder sent photos to everyone on the waiting list and said first-come first-served. Karen quickly responded and, lo and behold, we were one of the lucky ones to get a puppy. Aria was overjoyed and has been thinking of a name. She is pretty set on "Sparkle." We get to bring the puppy home once she is eight weeks old on Nov. 4.

Here is a compilation of videos of the puppy taken over the past two weeks. Note that at one time the breeder is speaking and she says that there are two Lindas. She actually means two Karens. Also, all of the puppies had their tails "docked" except for ours, which we asked to remain natural.

Here are some photos of the new puppy along with her mom, dad, and litter-mates. You can click on any photo to see it full-screen and then use the arrow keys to move through the photos.

Sparkle on the day she was born - Sept. 9, 2015

Sparkle at 11 days old

Sparkle at 11 days old

Sparkle and her litter-mates at 11 days old - She is the one in the upper left corner

Sparkle's Mom, Mae, a cocker spaniel

Sparkle's Dad, Bear, a miniature poodle

Aria performs in Green Eggs and Ham

Aria performed in a play called "Green Eggs and Ham" based on the classic Dr. Seuss story. Aria had one of the leading roles as Betty Lou. As you will hear, she gets to say "I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I Am!"

Here is the video and some photos of the play. You can click on the first photo to see it enlarged and then use the arrow keys to move through all of the photos.  Video and photos taken on July 24, 2015.

Billy Bob and Betty Lou looking at the menu

Breakfast Betsy and Sam I am wondering what to do

"I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I Am!"

Will eat them in a car?

Will you eat them in a bus?

I don not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I am!



We DO LIKE green eggs and ham. We DO LIKE them Sam I Am. They are quite delicious!

Aria and Her Best Friends

Even during the summer months when school is out and even when close friends move to new places, Aria maintains strong bonds with her friends. Here are photos of Aria with four of her very good friends.

Aria and Shiloh have been best friends since they started preschool together at Montessori at Samish Woods over four years ago. Even though Shiloh is now at a different school, they maintain very strong ties and love getting together for play dates. They are both fish and love playing together in the water.

Aria and Rylan have been good friends since preschool and continue to enjoy time together especially during recess and on play dates exploring nature.

Annalisa is a friend from the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. As you can see, Annalisa really likes Aria. They have enjoyed spending time together on Sunday mornings and during Wednesday night choir rehearsals (her dad was the director of the adult choir and her mom was the director of the youth choir). Annalisa's whole family is now on their way to Thailand to spend the next two years. Hopefully, Aria and Annalisa can stay connected through that time. 

Aria and Grace became friends last year when they both attended a summer outdoor program. After that, we found out that Grace's grandma lives very close to us and her family also attends the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.  Grace and Aria like to get together to play and to swim. 

A Trip to Orcas Island in the Month of May

We had a great little trip to Orcas Island this past weekend. The weather was fantastic and we had a great time visiting our cabin, house, and friends. Here are some photos and videos from the trip. Photos and video May 1-3, 2015.

Here is a short video. The first part is while we were waiting for the ferry to go to Orcas Island. The second is playing in the woods on the mossy knoll by our house on Orcas, and the third is in a park we visit frequently on our way home from Orcas.

You can click on the first photo below to view it full screen then use the arrow keys to cycle through all of the other photos.

Having fun as we wait to load the ferry bound for Orcas Island

Our Orcas house in the afternoon sun. Karen is working on painting the red and green trim

Karen loves to make progress on the house by painting. This was the first weekend since last fall that was warm enough to paint. Here she is working on the second story trim

Aria enjoys riding her bike on the driveway

A new toy that both Aria and Mom enjoy is the perplexus. Aria is trying to get the marble to move through a whole series of steps. It is quite challenging and fun

Aria spend a long time examining the moss and the mushrooms growing on the mossy knoll.

Enjoying climbing around a big old douglas fir tree

Aria and Mom examining the sap coming from a tree stump

And Aria using the stump for its other purpose - a place to jump from 

Close up of the sticks and fir cones in our backyard

We slept in the house for the first time on this trip (we normally sleep in the cabin). We slept in Aria's new bedroom. Aria slept on the top loft, where Aria and Mom are in this photo, and Mom and Dad slept on the the level below.

We had to carry all of the beds and bedding from the cabin to the house and back again. Here Aria is carrying her inflatable mattress down the stairs  

And to make it easier to go back and forth we carried the mattress on the top of the car

Aria did quite a bit of swinging and playing in parks. Here she is swinging outside one of our favorite restaurants in the village of Eastsound

Here we are playing a one of Aria's favorite playgrounds on Orcas. This was the first time that she completely hung upside down

And, of course, Mom had to do it too

At the Orcas Island ferry dock on the way back home. That's our ferry in the background

Aria was the captain on the ferry trip home ... sharp turn to the right

On the climbing wall in a favorite park on the way home

Aria succeeded at making it all of the way up the climbing wall 

Getting to the top of the climbing wall

Relaxing as we enjoy ice cream and wait for the ferry home