Leila's smile says it all...

Last week Colfax had its annual fair. Besides a carnival, there were 4-H animal displays, musical acts, and food stands sponsored by the FFA and a church group. It was a lot of old-time fun.

Jon's working close to home this summer, so he's been home every night. He took us to the fair on Thursday afternoon.

We bought the kids wrist bands so they could ride as much as they wanted. Right away Michael and Emma paired off with friends. Jon and I walked Leila around to the different little-kid rides, occasionally spotting the older kids as they stepped on or off the ferris wheel or one of those wilder rides that little kids (and old folks like us) had best avoid.






We've taken Leila to carnivals before, but this was the first one where she's been old enough to truly enjoy the rides. We thought maybe she'd be scared or even try to drag me along on with her, but nope. Her smile was so big she shined, fearless and independent. I rode on the ferris wheel and merry-go-round with her once, but that was more for my fun... she could have done without me :).


This has been a year of change for her. She's become more talkative and her active (mischievous) personality has really emerged. She loves animals and the outdoors and getting wet or messy-- sound like Daddy?








Next fall, when the older kids go back to school, Leila will be getting on the school bus with them... as a preschooler.


Colfax has a preschool inside their elementary building. Its program is only half days (mornings). When she starts Leila will have to catch the bus with the big kids at 7 am. It'll be hard at first, but I'm convinced it's a good thing.

It's been wonderful living in the country and Leila and I have been fortunate to stay home together... we've had a quiet, comfy life with lots of quality time together. But realistically she's been rather isolated. She needs interaction with other little kids.

When we lived in Eau Claire I could take Michael and Emma to play groups for social interaction... plus they had each other. But I haven't found something similar for Leila here in Colfax... frankly I don't know anyone nearby with little kids.

So preschool seems like a good opportunity.

The fair was a fun time to see people... and animals. There were rabbits, kittens, chickens, cows, pigs and more. Leila loved this little pony. I thought the "turkin" (turkey-chicken cross) was interesting...


On the way home from the fair we spotted a black bear in a field not far from our house. We stopped the car to watch awhile, and it didn't run off. Jon thought he saw movement in the tree behind it, so suspects it was a mother with cubs.



I wish our camera zoomed in better than this. That black splotch in the field is definitely a bear. We watched it walk closer to the edge of the tree line. I pass by this field every day when I walk.

My parents stopped by a couple of times this weekend... once on their way over to Bill's place in Minneapolis, and once on the way back.

Here's Dad trying out Emma's french horn.

Since Emma's starting 5th grade this year, she was able to join the school band. They like to get the kids used to their instruments over the summer, before the school year starts.




That same day Jon gave Jonathan and Lindsay a surprise phone call to see if he could come pick up Jack. They agreed, so Jon brought Jack to Colfax and he "hung out" with us for a few hours.

What a good baby-! He looked at me strangely for awhile (I guess I don't look anything like his mother) but after a few minutes I was just another lap he accepted. His little face, especially his eyes, are so expressive. His eyebrows are more visible now and his lashes are getting longer. He loves to stretch his legs out and "stand."

It's so interesting to see how the facial features and mannerisms of two individuals merge in their child. He's starting to look more like Jonathan (we think), but he also very definitely resembles his mother.

Jon and Jack catching a few zzz's...

We planted another big garden. Lots of tomatoes, peppers, and beans (green and wax) this year. Also some pumpkins, zucchini, squash, herbs, eggplant, broccoli, and strawberries. No corn this year :(.

So far it's been a very wet summer for us. We had a couple of hot, humid days, but other than that the only remarkable thing has been the RAIN. I wish we could share some of it with the folks up north; I guess the Rhinelander area's pretty dry.

Meanwhile, the flowers and other plants around our house are becoming jungle-like. The chickens would love to forage in it, except they've been in "lock down" for about a month now.


They were becoming unwelcome visitors to our neighbor next door, who didn't appreciate the chicken poop in his neatly manicured lawn-- or all those early morning cock-a-doodle-doo's outside his window. But also they have a history of being bothersome to our garden... last year they ate all the strawberries and half the tomatoes (leaving some for us only because they couldn't reach them all). Also they like to take dirt baths and our garden (along with sand around the foundation of our house) was an ideal place for that. They make little wallows for themselves and uproot vegetables in the process.

And don't forget the foxes!

After the garden season we'll probably let them free-range again, but on a more limited basis. Hopefully we'll get them to not roam as far-- maybe put up a fence.

Emma's in softball this year and had a practice on Father's Day. To make the day fun, they had a game of dads vs. daughters, and Jon participated. It was a lot of fun to watch. The dads weren't real hard on the girls, though the girls reveled in it whenever a dad "missed" the ball.

Emma does well in softball; she hasn't been at it as long as some of the other girls, but she's a natural and more confident and competitive than some.

I'll close with a picture of Leila's new "big girl" bed. No more crib! This little bed (and pretty quilt) was a gift from Grandma Jane, and Leila is very proud of it. I hope Grandma Jane won't feel bad when I mention that Leila hasn't actually slept in the new bed yet. She sits in it to read books and lays on it when she's feeling tired during the day. But at night she's been

following Emma downstairs, sleeping with her in the double-bed.

We've been letting her do it because the plan is to have her moved downstairs by this summer. Michael's been more or less sharing a room with Emma since we moved here (though there is some separation between them), and now that he's twelve years old its time for that to stop. We're going to move him upstairs to what is now Leila's room, and Leila can take over his old bedroom.

But anyway! That's what going on at our house so far this June.