She's trying to fill his shoes:

Beware the baby with the magic wand:

Getting ready to work with Daddy

We got a kitten! Meet Casper:

Casper, meet Gillette. I'm sure they'll be great friends. 

Eventually. 

Maybe. 

Maybe not.

Gill loves Casper. The feeling just doesn't seem to be mutual.

"Cora has suspensers!" -- Ruby

Will her pants stay up or not? The suspense is killing me.

She doesn't really care for the leaves:

Meet Gillette:

We got a puppy! The girls named her Gillette and call her Gill. (That's Jill, but has to be spelled with a G, according to Ruby.) She is cute and getting bigger all the time. She also has a lot of energy.

It's a Parade!

The girls were excited to be in a parade. Eda hasn't been riding without training wheels for long so she was a little shaky at the start (her teachers helped her out), but got it figured out and did great.

What do you see?

Trudy sees a chair.

Halloween

Can you tell what they were?

My backyard

Look what I swept up:

For some reason, unknown to anyone who can talk, Trudy decided the dustpan was a great seat. For several days she carried it around and sat in it.

Chef Trudy

She's good. She can roll two tortillas at once. Bet you can't.

The Tree

Before we left Sheridan we had to make one last trip to our favorite picture spot.

When you have little girls...

your hat gets decorated with flowers.

Enjoying the music

Nap Time

Chowin' down

Big hugs for Grandpa

(Grandma might be jealous.)

Things Trudy Likes: Cats

And pretty much any other animals.

We've Moved!

In case you haven't heard, we have moved. That might explain the lack of blogging recently. If you want more details than that, email me.

And the girls have started school. Yes, already. I don't know why it starts so early, but that is the reason we're already moved. These are first day of school pics while waiting for the bus. Three different views from our temporary home and the bus stop, not a house in sight. The sun still wasn't up in the canyon, you can see it hitting the mountains in the second two pictures.

Crazy things: school starts half an hour earlier here than it did in Sheridan. We live 8-10 miles further from the school here. But the girls get on the bus at the exact same time they did there.

Things Trudy Likes: Bikes

Or trikes. Especially if someone will push her around on one.

Just hanging out

on the kitchen step.

Trudy's friends

Trudy has been assigned to be friends with all her sisters' friends' younger siblings. So far she hasn't objected.

2nd Grade Field Trip

Going to the moon

All astronauts wear chunky peanut butter and snow boots, right? I love their imaginations.

She takes after Ray

She is concentrating. How can I tell? Her tongue. She sticks out her tongue when she's concentrating, just like Ray (and the other three girls). It's a family trait. Ray's entire extended family seems to do it.

The Coolest Swing Ever!!

Seriously!!! I can swing with Trudy. Or I can push both children at the same time. It's awesome!

Things Trudy Likes: Reading

As long as she can hold a book.

Almost walking

Ten Years

We've been married for ten years. Ray asked what I wanted to do for our anniversary and I told him to surprise me. So he asked all his friends on Facebook which would be more romantic: fishing or prairie dog hunting. We went fishing.

Birthday outfits

I was trying to get a picture of Trudy in her cute birthday outfit from Grandma Holly. But she wouldn't cooperate until Eda got involved. Then I realized Eda was also wearing birthday gifts from Grandma. So it's perfect.

Things Trudy Likes: Wagons

Any wagon, any size. She wants to be in it and expects it to move. Luckily, her sisters are usually accommodating.

Royal Visitors

I had some visitors the other day. Perhaps you recognize them?

Things Trudy Likes: Animals

Trudy loves animals. Toys or real ones (as long as they don't touch her). Any kind. She also thinks all animals bark. She barks at any animal she sees. And lately she has been barking at random.

Hear her barking here. (The second video is the best.)

Cora's favorite part of Reptile Gardens:

The funhouse mirrors.

(They were entertaining.)

Got 'em!

I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor

And I don't like it one bit.

We like riding turtles.

Because we're not in a hurry.

The prairie dogs are big in South Dakota:

Guess where we went?

(It's not a trick question.)

After our trip I asked the girls what their favorite part was. Eda replied, "The faces."

She can get in

But it's never as easy to get out.

Just hanging out...

...under the piano. Everyone does that, right?

Showing Trudy the ropes..

or the slides, as the case may be.

Because her hair isn't long enough already...

The Trudy Check

Just making sure the package will survive the postal experience.

Another Comparison

What I am mostly struck by when I put their pictures side-by-side is just how much more hair Trudy has. And I thought Eda had a lot of hair.

They're all going to be pianists

Aspiring Dentist

Dr. Trudy will check your teeth now.

Egg hunts...

Thrilling.