More than a hundred buffaloes

Ramona told me yesterday that she loves me more than a hundred buffaloes. I think our experience on Saturday may have prompted this expression. We started with a family hike in Lory State Park: Well Gulch Trail.

Then after lunch we drove up to Terry Bison Ranch in Wyoming for Avago's family day. The sky clouded over and started raining as soon as we got there. Ill-prepared as we were for the weather, we met up with Snodgrasses and did the famed train ride tour anyway. Forest and Will tried to shield us from the rain with umbrellas while the girls huddled under a blanket I pulled out from the car.

Paula got her fair share of raindrops but found something to smile about, anyway.

Here is the buffalo part: The tour included a stop to observe the numerous buffalo living on the ranch.  This is when the sun finally came out, the temperature rose, the girls perked up, and we started feeling less like this trip was a horrible mistake.

 Following the train ride, there were face painting stations . . .

 . . . pony rides . . .

. . . bucket rides . . .

 . . . ferris wheel rides . . .

 . . . and barrel rides.

Somehow the two hours we planned to be there turned into four. And somehow most of the household chores did not get done that day. But at least the girls had fun, and are presumably filled with a hundred buffaloes' worth of love.

Y'all Ready For THIS?

We have now joined the ranks of parents with a school-aged child. Ramona is a Kindergartener.

Here she is on her first day. She was so excited to ride the school bus and sit next to our neighbor Megan.

I ended up following her to school so I could help her line up when the bell rang. I found her looking pretty overwhelmed after getting off the bus, almost getting swept away by the current of larger elementary school children. I guess it's not easy being green, even if you're Ramona.

We found Mrs. Eddy's line and before long my little Kindergartener was off to her classroom. I can't say I shed any tears--I don't usually cry about kids growing up. Hopefully Mika and Paula won't cry too much during the mornings while Ramona is gone.

Have fun in school, little Miss!

Summer Bucket List

I am a fairly dedicated to-do list user. But when it comes to bucket lists--I guess not so much. I got this summer bucket list print-out at the beginning of the summer and here it is on the last day of summer break, still completely empty.

If I HAD generated a summer bucket list in a more timely manner, this is what I might have included:
1) Potty-train Mika
I can't check this one off--we tried and failed.
2) Hiking--check
We didn't do as much as we would have liked, but we did make it to Alberta Falls and did part of the Cub Lake trail in Rocky Mountain National Park (back in June).

Alberta Falls:

Cub Lake:

3) Find some fireworks--check
(and look good doing it)

Also, eat fudgsicles while you are waiting for them to start.

4) Take the family to Steamboat Springs and do some hiking there--check
5) Teach Mika to ride her tricycle and take off Ramona's training wheels--didn't happen
6) Plant a garden, harvest, and eat--check

7) Get the girls some inflatable balloon animals (and wait in a long line for them while eating cotton candy)--check

 (Princess Celestia and Princess Luna from My Little Pony)

In addition, do some painting and tour a school bus.

 (Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor from My Little Pony)

 8) Sign Ramona up for swimming lessons--check

9) Do a daddy/daughter campout in the backyard--check

(and enjoy spooky stories told by Mika)

10) Play in a string trio for a wedding in Estes Park--check
(And let Ramona add her own composition to the music)

It seems that my after-the-fact summer bucket list and my actual to-do list have a lot in common: Not everything gets checked off, and a few items (usually the more tedious ones) stay on the list for a long time. Maybe some of these bucket list items belong on my to-do list instead?

List or no list, though, I am more than satisfied with the Dixon Summer of 2014 and all of its fun memories. Bring on the school year!