2 Projects: Done! (finally!)

This is one of the projects I have been meaning to do since summer!  Sometimes it seems nearly impossible to get everyone together for a picture.  I'm sure you are sad that you missed seeing Steelhead with a scraggly beard - believe me, he looked like Shaggy from Scooby-doo.  I told the kids Sunday morning to be ready for pictures by 11:45... and Steehead went and shaved.  Maybe I should say those magic words more often!

 The "Silly" picture. (Lemur is "mad")

The SECOND project I have been working on, and we have talked about doing since we moved here:  The girls room!!!  We finally found some cute comforters that both girls like, matched paint, and went to work.  We found some great deals at Burlington Coat Factory - the comforters and the cute curtains. 

Bee and I painted like crazy for 2 days while the critters were out of school for Parent Teacher Conferences.  We got it all done in those 2 days!  Meanwhile... Hunter put together the beds - that took 2 weekends.

Steelhead did a great job putting in the new blinds.

Everyone needs an orange door!  Excuse me, Sherbet orange door.

Bee had a little job this summer/fall working for some neighbors.  She saved all of her money, and then found these beds on sale.  She didn't quite have enough for 2 beds, so Grandma Panda pitched in to help.  The girls are so happy not to be in bunk beds any more!!!

Waaalaaaa... the finished product!  (Penguin still needs to hem the curtain, but it's cute, isn't it?!)  This is Penguin's bed.  Notice the white shelf up there? I found it at the dump when I was about 8 or so.  It had been ugly brown for years and I've kept it all this time.  I spray painted it white and it looks great... still thinking I might like it better if it was pink though.

Bee's bed.

I spray painted some frames that I found at the thrift store with paint to match the comforters.  Then I made a "thing" to hang their hair flower clips on.  (Thank you Mrs. Fox for the idea! She made the hair clip frame in the next picture, I just painted it green and put in new fabric and ribbon.) I also spray painted the old picture frames the girls had in their room.  I love how they all match the color scheme!  Oh yeah, I also spray painted the pink shelf in the picture up there below the clock.  (I found the clock at the thrift store). Daahhhling!

The closet did not have a door on it, so we found these cute curtains at Burlington Coat factory.  You can't really see it from the pictures, but there are beads along the top ruffle - very cute! (Check out the way cute lamp I found at the thrift store (on the dresser).  It has little hangy down beads on it as well.  Some day I hope to find a cute white dresser for them too.

Papa Bear put up draw back bars so the girls can pull the curtains back while they are putting their clothes away.  It's been fun working on this project with the girls.  Now I'm busy making and buying some more things for their room for Christmas!  It was fun going down stairs last weekend and walking in the girls room and seeing them sitting on their cute beds knitting and chatting and listening to Christmas music.

Fall 2010

We have had a really busy fall.  One day I asked Monkey to go out and chop down the sunflowers.  I love the way he always turns his work into something fun.  He took Lemur with him and together they  built this Teepee.  It might be a little breezy in the winter time, but it was fun to play in.

One morning before Bee left for school, she left me this note while I was working.  I found it when I got done and went into the dining room. It was on our dry wipe board so I had to take a picture of it.  It's nice to know I'm cooler than a rock star!! 

I ran a bath for Yak, and before I could get him undressed, he hopped in.  This little boy loves his baths.  I just soaped him up and washed both his PJ's and his little body.

Young Women's is keeping me really busy!!  The Laurel's were in charge of the annual "Senior Thanksgiving Dinner" this year.  This is Bee and her friend Whitney helping measure milk for the mashed potatoes.  40 youth served about 40 Seniors a nice Thanksgiving Dinner.  The kids sat with the Seniors and talked to them about days gone by.  I was really impressed with how well behaved the youth were!

Of course at the end Martin had to be in on a whipped cream eating contest with a friend.

Monkey in a skit for Cub Scouts.

We hadn't been to a Pack Meeting since Monkey turned 10 because of the summer break and because of Football Season.  He had earned a whole bunch of awards!  He almost has his Webelos award.

Martin's Marching Band went to the Junior High to play for the kids there (recruiting band members for next year!)  It was a pretty powerful sound!!  There are about 158 kids in the marching band... put them in a gym... wow!! what a noise!  Martin is the tallest trumpet player... there are 22 of them, and he is a FRESHMAN!!  He just keeps growing and growing, but Steelhead is still taller than he is.

We hosted Thanksgiving this year for some of Zookeeper's Family.  The Frog family was going to come, but the snow kept them home.  So instead, Mama and Papa Bear came along with Cheetah, Chamealon, and her new hubby... uh... let's call him Mr. Chamealon.  Then since the Fox Family live here in our area now and Ma Fox was about to have a baby, they came too.  We had a houseful and had a great day.  We are glad everyone got to come and we missed the Frog family!!

Ma Fox looked SOoooo ready to have her baby!!  We were watching to see if baby would kick the cup over.

Hanging out in the family room playing games. Chamealon and Mr. Chamealon.

Cheetah and Vixen.

Lemur was getting a head rub.  I think he loved it because his eyes were rolling around in his head and he just sat there really still for a long time!

So 2 days after Thanksgiving Ma Fox had her baby!!  Fallon Elizabeth Palmer.  She was born on November 27, 2010.  At first we were hoping to FINALLY have a December birthday in our family, but Ma Fox looked so miserable at Thanksgiving, we were happy she had her early! We got to have Vixen and Todd for a few days while mom was in the hospital.  Lemur and Yak had fun playing with them, and Vixen and Todd think Monkey and Bee are about the coolest people on the planet because they play such fun games with them!  I took some of the critters over to meet Vixen 2 when she was just 1 day old.

Little Vixen 2 liked her binki a lot.  If we took it out she would really holler!

We celebrated Porcupine's birthday a little late because they were with their mom for Thanksgiving.  I can't believe he is 10 years old!

Porcupine was so excited to go to Chuck-A-Rama for his birthday; he talked about it for weeks.  We went Saturday night and then he only at 1 piece of pizza, 1 piece of garlic bread, a little jell-o and a piece of grapefruit.  Then a bowl of ice cream.  The ice cream made him so cold he was shivering, so I got him a cup of hot chocolate and that warmed him up.  Hunter and I made up for what Porcupine didn't eat. :)