The Dry Hike

Unlike the snowstorms our relatives back East have experienced, we have not had adequate snow this year in our region. Last Saturday dawned sunny and beautiful. The outdoor temperature on our Oregon Scientific thermometer registered a warm 9°C (shouldn’t we all use metric?). When Kevin proposed we do something fun, April begged to go on a “real” hike (which does not mean walk up Old Main Hill and back). Kevin suggested we try the Wind Cave Trail because, and we quote him directly, “it is on the south-facing slope so it will be dry.” After eating lunch, we quickly packed some dried fruit, water, and jackets and were off.

We were careful to avoid the patch of mud at the beginning, and Kevin assured us that the trail on the hillside would be dry. He pointed out there was no snow left on the ground.

As we progressed, it became increasingly difficult to avoid the mud. Soon we were on the slope, and our feet sank deeper into the squishy trail. As we trudged upward, our feet became covered with gobs of gooey mud and made sucking sounds with every step. "Don't slip, Daddy," cautioned Erin from the backpack (early signs of a backseat driver?). "Dad, if this is a dry trail, we'd like to know what your definition of a wet trail is," taunted Megan and Ian.

In spite of the mud, Ian enthusiastically led the way and wouldn't allow anyone to pass. Megan stopped to enjoy the view of the China Wall across Logan Canyon. By the final stretch, Ian and Megan were wondering about the cold white substance coating the trail (surely not snow on this dry hike).

When we arrived at the cave (it's actually a series of big arches), Erin awoke from a short nap and was excited to run around. For Megan and Ian, however, the destination was a bit disappointing--they were frightened by the sharp drop-off at one end of the cave, even though we kept safely away from it. They managed to pose and smile for a few photos, but were anxious to leave.

At the end, April was satisfied that we had completed a real hike. Kevin realized that he should no longer comment on trail conditions prior to seeing them. Megan concluded she enjoyed 95% of the experience, and Ian said he only liked 5% (we wish we could have his level of enthusiasm for something apparently so miserable).

Ian's 5% of fun involved finding a geocache on the way down. The cache was named "Library" and had books to trade. We had not planned for this, but saw that there were a few non-book items. We ended up trading some hand warmers for a 2-inch pocket dictionary for Megan and a small penlight for Ian. All in all it was another adventure for us, and the "dryness" of the hike made it even more memorable. In fact, days later we are still remembering it as we continue to clean mud from the car and house.

Birthday Celebrations

Three family members have birthdays in February: Grandma Tsukamoto, Aunt Karrie, and Ian. Aunt Karrie’s birthday is Valentine’s Day, but she lives far away in Massachusetts so we didn’t attend her party. However, we held a double celebration for Grandma and Ian last week since grandparents were in town for the Monster Concert (see previous post). Here is a group photo with Grandpa and Grandma Young and Grandma Tsukamoto where Ian is trying his hardest to not look excited.

We made lots of cake—chocolate for Ian and lemon poppy seed for Grandma. (We lack the exquisite cake decorating talents of Aunt Andrea, but we do what we can.)

On 15 February, Ian’s actual birthday, he didn’t have to practice piano or eat any carrots. What more could a 7-year-old ask for? In the morning we looked at his baby scrapbook and reminisced a bit. Erin picked out some nice birthday balloons for him, one of which she decided was hers.

In the afternoon some friends came over for a little party--here are Luke, Andrew, Ian, and Soren. They watched Over the Hedge, ate homemade pepperoni pizza, cupcakes, and ice cream, then played for several hours. Ian had a good time and says, “THANKS!” to everyone for the nice presents and the fun parties.

Monster Goes to Hollywood

Megan and Ian performed in the annual USU Youth Conservatory Monster Concert on Saturday, 10 February. The Monster Concert is so named because there are 12 pianos (6 grand and 6 upright) on the stage with as many as 24 performers at one time, plus a monster always makes an appearance. This year’s theme was “Monster Goes to Hollywood” and included 19 familiar movie themes and show tunes, with "Furious George" (cousin of the famous Curious George) as the star. He looked like a big pink gorilla, but Erin called him the “Pink Monkey.” Ian’s group performed the theme from The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini, and Megan’s group played The Entertainer, by Scott Joplin. We did not get good photos of the event, but for those with fast connections, here is a short video (approximately 4.5 minutes) of Ian and Megan's performances.

Who Needs the Tooth Fairy?

Ian has his first loose tooth! Last week during his dentist appointment, the hygienist told him to wiggle it more so that the Tooth Fairy would visit him sooner. He just smiled at her. As we were leaving the office, Ian said, "I didn't want to tell her that I make more money selling mice than the Tooth Fairy would leave me." These squirmy baby mice are indeed worth more than a lost tooth (at least from the frugal fairy who visits our house).




For the past 4 months, Megan and Ian have been selling feeder mice to snake owners. They have been busy caring for the mice--cleaning cages, checking the food supply, cleaning cages, checking the water supply, and cleaning cages. So far it has been a successful business, but we are having some difficulty with balancing supply and demand. One week we were out of fuzzies, and currently we are overrun with approximately 60 pinkies and fuzzies who will be hoppers within a couple more weeks. Here is a photo showing the eventual fate of the mice. Don't get too distressed--it's all part of the circle of life.

We close with a tip from Erin. Whether you are playing with snakes, playing with mice, or watching as the snakes eat the mice, you should learn to enjoy every phase of life! Here Erin is enjoying playtime with Charcoal, our California kingsnake.

Swordsmanship 101

While visiting the Logan Library, our attention was drawn to a flyer advertising a free Swordsmanship Class held on Thursday nights at Utah State University. Since we have been learning about knights in the Middle Ages, we thought this might be interesting to observe. April contacted the instructor, Swordsman Lucas Taylor, and made arrangements for the family to visit. Ian and Kevin participated in the session and learned four basic moves.

The practice swords are made of 4 pieces of split bamboo held together with leather and are called Shinais. They are traditionally used in Kendo karate, but serve well for broadsword training. They have no sharp edges, but during the sparring session Kevin learned that they can deliver a painful blow to the ankles (Ian's favorite target).

After the class, Lucas showed us some of his broadswords. Here Ian is holding a Scottish Claymore. This sword is sharp and had to be handled very carefully (no swinging it at ankles!).

It's almost Ian's birthday--but we have already told him "no" to a broadsword or a crossbow (his favorite Medieval weapon). We have, however, agreed to help him build a tabletop model of a trebuchet, but that is a subject for a different day.

Adventures in Blogging

Welcome family and friends! Having enjoyed other's blogs, we finally decided to enter the blogging world in order to easily keep you updated on our lives. Or perhaps it is simply our excuse to post cute photos of the children. We hope you enjoy this site and check back frequently (assuming we end up posting frequently).

Some highlights from January include a frozen rubber chicken, sled dogs, and the start of our Medieval studies. The rubber chicken (well, actually it's a goose) was the prize for which Megan traded at a geocache we found along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon.

We also had the opportunity to observe the start of the K9 Challenge, a qualifying race for the 2008 Iditarod. Beforehand, we were able to meet some of the participants and learn about their dogs and what some of the training involves. We realized that this is another hobby that can consume all of one's time and resources. The dogs were very cute and hyper. Apparently the race is an annual event, so we plan to participate again as spectators next year.

Megan and Ian chose to start off the new year with a Middle Ages Unit and we have been reading, writing, drawing, discussing, watching, and building all things Medieval. Here is a photo of one of their first creations (more to follow in future postings): a cardboard castle complete with movable portcullis and drawbridge. The peasant huts are off to the side on the green grass.

And we end this post with an account of "Erin's Adventures in Potty Training." This time Dad got her set up with a little notepad and pencil so she could draw while waiting for something to happen. This was the picture perfect moment he was greeted with upon checking in a couple of minutes later--note discarded notepad on floor, but she is still holding the pencil. Erin helps remind us how to create excitement out of the ordinary things in life.