The House Next Door is for Sale!

Dan here: You know you all want to come live next door to us! Get on with it. Colorado is awesome and Castle Rock is awesome - don't you want to be awesome too?

Now's your chance. Bring your libertarian or conservative values, Christian faith, and young children between 1 and 5 and get moved in. No young children? Then you better be my parents. I'll even help you move and I hate moving!*

Smith Family? Greena and Par? Cool people on GCM or CAP or both? Come on. You know you want to. Think of the children?

* by "help you move" I mean, I will stand around and chat with you on the day you move in, offering encouraging words and maybe a beverage. Unless their is a game on.

In the land of make believe

Abby and PJ were playing trapeze artist. In Abby's world, trapeze artists introduce themselves to the audience. So she says, "Hi, my name is Abby, and I'm from California." Then, pointing to PJ, "Oh, and this is my baby. She's from space."

***

Abby and I were playing doctor. I was the patient and was instructed to "be sick with something different." So when she came over, I said, "Doctor, help! I can't feel my feet!"

Abby looks at me, skeptical, then looks at my feet and smiles. "Oh! But guess what? You *do* still have feet!"

"I know I still have them--I just can't feel them."

Frowns. "Hm. Well, let me check your ears."

She shoves the end of a paintbrush in my ear. I squawk in pain. "Well, your ears are okay."

We'll see about that, I think, ear throbbing. "So why can't I feel my feet?"

She stands, looks me over, then gets a look of concern on her face. "Hey--can you really not feel your feet, or are you just pretending?"

I have no idea how to answer this question. Is she talking to her mom, or to her patient? "Um...well, we're playing pretend, so yes, I'm pretending. But the pretend me can't feel my feet."

This is apparently the answer she was looking for. She picks up a play spatula. "Do you know what this is?"

"No."

"It's a special light. So you can look at your bones. And it's also a protector, so if your bones are broken, it will protect them. Lift your foot."

"I can't lift my foot, I can't feel it."

She rolls her eyes and hoists my foot, then promptly drops it down. "Your feet are heavy." She hoists again, taps the spatula over my foot, then the other. "Okay. I'm going to give you pills." She holds up a foam bead. "This is a sucky pill. You suck on it until you can smell the taste, then you swallow it." Holds up another bead. "This is a regular pill. You just swallow it." Another. "This is another sucky pill, sort of--you suck it until you can chew it, then you chew it and swallow." Another, though half the size of the others. "This one is for teething."

"But I'm not teething."

"I know. That's why it's small." She hands me the pills. "You'll feel better tomorrow. Come back last week with your bill. But if you have to come before that, then just give me a call."

So there you go--the future of western medicine is safe, complete with unnecessary tests, a handful of pills, and encouragement to keep coming back for more. Though I do like her payment plan.

Happy Colorado Morrows Day!

One year ago today we moved into our new home here in Castle Rock. I honestly can't believe it's been a whole year already. We've done so much, but at the same time, I remember our move so clearly that it's surprising to realize it was so long ago. We love our home (though Abby often reminds us that she'd rather live in the blue house next door--simply because it is blue), we love Colorado, we're making friends and have learned our way around pretty well. It definitely feels like home. But that's not to say that we've forgotten or don't miss our friends and family back in Cali. We're really hoping to make a trip back sometime this year to visit, and I hope we see you all when we do! And don't forget we've got the best guest bedroom east of the Rockies, so if you're ever looking for a little vacation spot, we can totally hook you up. :)

Let's play "Where's Abby?"

Cars cars cars

One year ago yesterday we piled into the car and waved goodbye to California as we began our three day trek to Colorado. So it was fitting that we celebrated by going to a car show downtown in Castle Rock. Though these cars were a lot cooler than the Odyssey.

In typical Castle Rock fashion, the streets were blocked off, live surf music was playing, and there was fun stuff for the kids--though in a rare fail they were charging waaaaayyy too much for the little games, so we didn't do them. There were about six blocks' worth of cars and a bunch of other random kiosks and tents, so it was fun to walk around and just people (and car) watch.

We went to Siena afterwards for lunch, and in the courtyard outside were all the Ferraris.

Inside they were playing James Bond soundtracks. Totally fit the feel of the day. Abby started in on her first weaving project while we waited, which she really enjoyed until it was time to put on the bands going in the opposite direction and actually start weaving.

On the way back to the car we discovered a cottonwood tree that was absolutely spewing fuzzies.

We see them all over town but I've never actually seen a cottonwood tree anywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if this one was the sole source, given how much was flying around above it.

Overall the show really exceeded our expectations. We thought there'd maybe be on parking lot of cars, or maybe one street's worth. But to have six blocks closed off and tons of cars and people...well, it's another reason why I love Castle Rock.

House guest

Someone came by to drop something off yesterday morning, and when I opened the door she said, "Move slowly--you have a visitor." Then I saw what she was staring at.

To get an idea of this thing's size, check out the nail sticking out of the post below it. Yeah, this sucker's big.

She happened to be an outdoor enthusiast and told me right off, "That's a cecropia moth." I had no idea moths got that big--I thought that size was reserved for butterflies. She pointed out that it was fuzzy, and that moths are fuzzy while butterflies are smooth. The things you learn from random Freecyclers!

There was another one as well, though I didn't get a picture of it, clinging to the rock wall of our porch pillar. I don't know if they were born here or just passing through; one website I found while looking them up said they have one flight from March-July, so it might be they were just resting along the way. Smart little things, traveling with a buddy.

The girls were, as you can imagine, awestruck. PJ repeatedly stuck her finger out to try to get it to climb on--that's her new thing with bugs these days, especially ladybugs. And, apparently, moths larger than her hand.

It was still hanging out on the porch the last time I looked, though it had relocated to a less conspicuous space. It's made me even more eager to go to the Butterfly Pavilion up in Broomfield; my friend Christina lives just minutes from there, so we really need to take the girls up for a playdate there. PJ will be in heaven!