Last few weeks - Grandpa & the Fair

So, this will be the last post before the Great Northern Migration. The movers come this week and by Friday, we will be living in the Toronto suburb of Oakville. Oakville is a nice suburb very similar to where we live now with a vibrant downtown right on the lake.

As for the family, everyone is well. Shelley is doing great, but she is adjusting to being home with the girls full-time. I think there will be lots of activities, and a gym with child care, when we get to Canada. Finley continues to be both very opinionated and very able to articulate those opinions. She's fully in the terrible twos, but will say the funniest things. You'll see a couple of videos of her below and with all kids, she is quite good at repeating (or singing) things she hears.

Harper is getting very big and all four of her front teeth have broken through. The top two just dropped in this past week, while the bottom two have been through for a couple of weeks. She is "talking" up a storm and is about to crawl any day now. In the coming weeks, I'll post some comparison pictures of the two girls at the same age, as it seem they look a great deal alike, save their coloring.

Here goes with the posting - as always click on the picture to enlarge:

We took Finley and Harper to the Lake County Fair last night. Finley had a great time on the rides, which you'll hear about below, but this was her favorite ride. She really enjoyed driving the purple car, and only the purple car.

You can see her turning the wheel and really focusing on her driving. Lately, when we are in the car, she'll yell at us for not having both hands on the wheel. Tonight, when I told her I did (they were on the bottom), she said they weren't on the right part of the wheel. She's so bossy, but if you've driven with her mother, you'll understand where she gets it!

Looking both ways before making a left turn.

In addition to the car, she got on these bumble bees, which went about 15 feet in the air. She had to sit on my lap and kept saying how high we were in the air.

Yep, back to the car. Only the purple car.

Again, pay attention to the focus. In addition to the rides, she really enjoyed her first corn dog, the corn on the cob (which she's had before), and the funnel cake (which she hadn't).

Monty is doing well, although the thunderstorms we've had lately have played havoc with her storm anxiety. She just shakes during the thunder and lightning, and lately she has taken to hiding under Finley's bed or in one of the closets. We hope that since our house in Canada will have fewer, smaller windows, perhaps the issues will be reduced.

Grandpa Steve came up for a visit this past week while I was in Anaheim. Grandpa and the girls went to Lambs Farm to see the animals and ride the little train around the park. Harper liked her first train ride, it seems.

Finely LOVES this tutu and will literally wear it everyday in a week. You are all (the 6 of you) going to be seeing this in the pictures ahead.

For example, Finely in said tutu with a goat. Shelley said Finley didn't want to leave the petting zoo she was having so much fun.

And a girl in a tutu brushing a lamb. She really is very affectionate with the dogs, esp. Dixie, who she'll walk up and hug up on all the time. Poor dog.

Speaking of dogs, Jack is feeling himself again. As you can see, his wound looks much, much better.

Harper has started eating the puffs and she loves them. They dissolve in her mouth and she just wants to shove them in her mouth. I can't deny paternity a trait like that.

As I mentioned, Finley loves her dogs and her Dixie especially. You will hear a bit below Finley showing her love in song.

Finley is a little sweaty Betty when she sleeps. No matter how hot, she likes to be under all of her covers. This rats nest doesn't represent an atypical morning when she wakes up.

The front view - she's still SO PRETTY.

So these videos below are from my new Blackberry, so there may be some formatting issues, as it appears the videos are very small. This one below requires an explanation. It is Finley singing each dog's "song." Shelley has a song she sings to each dog and Finley sings along with her. In the video below, she tackles her special arrangement of You are my Sunshine for Monty and a compilation of several Dixie's songs - Dixieland Delight, The Dixie Chicken, and If Heaven ain't a Lot Like Dixie. For those wondering, Jack's song is How Much is that Dog in the Window, mixed with Stomping in my Air Force Ones (long story).

Shelley took Finley on a little roller coaster at the Fair. With the video so small, you may not be able to see her, but they are on the back of the car.

This video is Finley describing the Fair last night. When we were trying to shoot the video, she insisted on getting RIGHT UP ON THE CAMERA, which is why she's so close.

Well, that's it for now, but I am sure I'll have some good pictures this week with the move coming. Wish us luck!