This week we did one of my favorite things ever. We climbed on rocks! Ryan has Tuesdays off, and we spend them exploring the local fun things to do. Our Tuesday destination last week was Toadstool Park. It is cool enough that it’s even found in our big atlas. I perhaps should have been emotionally prepared for 20 miles of gravel road, as the line reaching the park was a faint grey color on the map. Luckily, no popped tires. Helen and Ryan got a good look at a sod house, the kind the homesteaders of 100 years ago made to start their life on these desert plains.

Then we went for a little hike around the rock formations. Helen is a great hiker, inspired by the trailmarkers and rocks that she could climb up “all by herself.”
This week we also went out to the Hudson-Meng Bison bone-bed. Helen tried to abscond with the bison tail that they had on display. Kids are really fun to take in public.
Afterwards we went to a recreated settlers town which was reported to have the best homemade pies around. It was delicious!

How do you say 125 year celebration?

Quasquincentenial. That is what we celebrated this week in Chadron. Please do not be tempted to think that because the star on the map is big, that this is actually larger than any of the other cities on the map.
This weekend Helen, Jane and I got to go to a parade while Ryan stitched everyone up who came into the ER. We sat next to a young set of grandparents who taught Helen all about waving to get candy. They also encouraged her to dart out in the street to get all the candy she could. Everyone had a great time. Helen’s favorite parts of the parade were the necklaces and the little plastic basketball that she kicks like a soccer ball. I have about 4 pounds of tootsie rolls to work through.
Here is a picture of the best tractor/farmer combination we saw. The adopted grandparents were really impressed that Helen knew all about tractors.
I am also including a picture of the representatives of United States Forest Service and Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands. I had never seen a mule wagon in a parade before and thought I would include it for a good time.
Here is Helen with our 1978 Candy Land Bingo game that I picked up at a garage sale. Clearly she loves it.
Jane just seems to be getting chubbier and chubbier. She was at the 90th percentile for weight at her 2 month visit and appears to be continuing just fine along that curve. I am surprised to have such a chunky baby since Helen clings to the 3rd percentile.

Chadron State Park

This week we decided to take a sampling of the ticks found in Chadron State Park. Our methodology was fairly simple - we just went for a hike. We came up with 10 ticks between the four of us in a couple of hours. Ryan discovered a simple way to keep Helen moving on the trail, the ol’ carrot in front of the donkey technique. She would do anything for chocolate animal crackers.
I learned from this hike why Mom was always had reservations about the exciting hikes that Dad liked to take us on. I don’t think that the pictures adequately capture the steep drop off on one or both sides of our trail. Ryan acted as the buffer and we had no incidents.
Helen was oblivious and I was slightly terrified. I knew that Ryan and I could stay on the trail; I have no such assurances about a two year old.

It's tough to get a picture of Jane on these hikes because she is burrowed in next to me and usually asleep. So here is a picture of Ryan and the girls in our little apartment.

Greetings from Chadron

Greetings from the vacation destination of Chadron, Nebraska! What are we doing here you might ask. Was it the proximity to the first State Park in Nebraska? Perhaps it was the restored Fort Robinson where “The World’s Greatest Horsemen Have Passed”? Did we win the lottery and decide to hide in a small corner of the world? Is Michelle comparing the diet of pronghorn antelope with bison? Although all of those are completely reasonable guesses, the truth is Ryan is working at the local hospital for two months, and the girls and I decided to come along to keep him company. It will prevent Ryan from overdosing on sloppy joes and Oreos.

The hospital provided a two bedroom apartment for us and we have the best back yard ever in the front of our house. It is a large city park with lots of lovely trees and more slides and swings than one girl could test with just one visit, although Helen gave it a valiant effort. The girls and I already scoped out the library which is about the size of a postage stamp, but it has a great children’s section and storytime will be a semi-weekly event for us. This weekend we went out to Fort Robinson State Park to relive some of my childhood memories. I have to be totally honest, I don’t remember very much about the last time I was here. I know that Brice and Hannah didn’t exist the last time we came based on my 100% accurate childhood journal. In that particular entry, I wrote about the first backpacks Emily and I used and the “dinky” bags that Amber and Craig used on our first family backpacking trip. I think that was the time that Dad got us ready for backpacking by hiking us down the street with flour or sugar bags in our backpacks.

Pardon the trip down memory lane. Ryan and I learned a lot about experiencing nature with a toddler on this trip. I realized that if grass comes up to my knees, it will hit Helen right in the face, making hiking a possible blinding event. Regardless, she had a great time hiking. We found a little creek off the beaten path and had a great time throwing rocks in and building rock towers.

Jane is getting to be more fun as she grows. Now she will smile and coo for a couple of minutes after nursing and before she tumbles into sleep again. Here she is working on her pushups.

Jam Season

Last week Helen and I picked cherries off a tree in a friend's yard. She had a great time with the branches within her reach. She is not what one would call a picky picker, i.e. if it's round it goes in the bag regardless of color or texture. Luckily, deer do not frequent the area... That night Helen helped us wash and pit the cherries so that we could make some delicious jam.

Here is a picture of the fabulous steal I got at a garage sale. I told the grandma selling the Tupperware that orange was my favorite color and she told me that it was hers as well and pointed to her orange shirt. I assured her that the tangerine colored Tupperware would be treasured at my home.

Helen went to the doctor this week, and here she is demonstrating what doctors do for Ryan. I guess that she felt he could learn from her technique.

Jane is doing well, all of her hair that fell out is growing back in very nicely.

For Father's Day Ryan became the proud owner of a fondue pot. It's hard to tell if Helen or Ryan was more excited. It was one of the other treasures that I got at a garage sale.

We went to the zoo a couple of weeks ago and Helen worked on her animal communication. I think that she is telling the goat that he needs his hair brushed and the bird that she should try the seeds on the popsicle stick.

Helen Turns Two!

It has been a big week for us. Helen turned two on the 31st of May and she requested a "strawberry" cake just like her cousin Hunter. I decided to take a page from Amber's book of life and interpret "strawberry" to mean a chocolate strawberry ice cream cake roll. There will be time enough for strawberry and funfetti cakes when Helen gets older.

This is a video that I took on the sly. I really should have been a spy like Mrs. Pollifax.

Our life is a musical here at the Hackett home. Whenever we see dogs on our walk Helen bursts into "How Much is That Doggie in the Window?" If we hear a train she sings "Little Red Caboose." Any mention of Family Home Evening and she breaks into "Family Night." This week when she didn't make it to the potty she sang "Drip, Drip, Drop Little April Shower." This is only a smattering of her repertoire.

Introducing Little Jane

Jane Hackett was born April 28th - right on her due date - and weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces, 19 inches 1/4 inches. She is a great nurser and gained her birth weight back and then some in 6 days. In fact, her belly got so big that her umbilical cord just popped right out.

She is doing great and we have included a picture of Helen when she was born so that you can decide for yourselves if they look alike. Jane is in the first picture and Helen is in the second. Some people (like Ryan) might argue that nearly all newborns look the same - purple/pink, wrinkly and upset when on the scale.

Mom came and was a huge help for a week. Then Amber and Levi came to keep us company for a few days. It was a little like having twin toddlers. Mostly Helen tried to boss Levi around and Levi just ignored her unless Helen suggested something particularly naughty to do.

Here are the Hackett sisters relaxing on Jane's new quilt that Linda made for her.

New Tote

This week I found some fabulous fabric at the thrift store that I was compelled to purchase. Then I found a pattern on the Internet to make a tote http://mamaspocketbook.com/freebies.htm. I have to admit that a better seamstress than I could have finished this project in a day, but I went ahead and took 5 days. That gave me time to read the instructions 100 times and unstitch half of the seams.

You will note that it is reversible with a pocket on the inside and outside. My plan is to get as many miles on this tote before the new baby comes and I have to carry the baby's weight around in supplies.

Family Fun

We have had a full couple of weeks. While Ryan went to Texas to play soldier, Helen and I went to Iowa to visit Mom and Dad. Helen took it upon herself to organize some of the rocks found in Mom and Dad's backyard. Mom decided that she needed someone to lick the batter for her cake and found a ready helper as you can see below.

Grandma Bee and Nate came for Easter and everyone had a great time reading books, building towers, destroying towers and playing with pretend food. Now it is just Helen and I -- she has made it abundantly clear that I am not as fun as grandparents and uncles.

Jungle Fun

Ryan and Helen started pretending they were elephants marching around the house a few weeks ago. Helen used to ride on Ryan and then she decided that she would rather march with her own teddy bear on her back and let Ryan put her doll on his back so that he wouldn't feel lonely.

Helen also has a unique dance style, looking something like fire ants biting her toes, that was captured in film. Sadly you can't see her dad who is egging her on.

Happy February

We have the smartest teddy bear living at our house. Helen has him on a strict schedule now that Hannah isn't around to boss anymore. The bear colors, does puzzles, stacks blocks, plays the piano, says prayers and sings "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock." On Ryan's day off we decided to can some pulses. I had purchased 75 pounds of black beans, lentils and red lentils that were just laying on the floor of our basement waiting for a flood to come along and ruin them. Luckily the Omaha Home Storage Center had a canner that we could borrow. The work went really fast and I no longer wake up at night afraid that our food storage is going to swim away.

More Snow

Here are a few pictures to brighten your day! In this picture Ryan and Helen are relaxing before church. Well, at least Ryan is relaxing, Helen appears to be working on her flexibility. This weekend we got some more snow, but luckily it has been around 30*F - perfect for making snowmen. In fact Helen can stay outside for a long time when it is this warm. It's practically tropical if we are being totally honest. We decided to make a couple of snowpeople since we had the time and the snow. In case you can't tell, Helen is holding the snowman's hand. That is the only way that we could get her to stand still for the picture. FYI Since we made these snowpeople yesterday they have melted to 1/4 of their size, lost all their features and are leaning precariously to one side. Just a reminder that snow never lasts, even though it feels like it around this time of year.