On the Snowy Tundra

Kiley has this thing about doing headstands.....

She's really good at it, and as you can see, does them just about anywhere!

(FYI- it was 12 degrees Fahrenheit when this was taken on the snowy tundra behind our house.)

China Cap Excursion

Jon took the girls and dogs on a climbing expedition to "China Cap." Is it a mountain? Or a hill? I don't know, but it is just a hop, skip and a jump from our house and the family loves to go there. What a gorgeous fall day to be out hiking and soaking up some fall sunshine, just look at that view!

I heard all about the fun they had- rolling and running and picking berries when they got back home, but after seeing these gorgeous pictures I wish I could have gone! I think our next sunny day we are heading here to take our next family picture.

The big question is will we make it before the next snowy day?

Spruce Chicken Hunting

Some girls take ballet lessons, learn how to cook, take up knitting or play dolls.

Not the Clouse girls!

Alaska girls learn how to shoot guns- booya baby.

Clouse girls hunt, in Alaska anyway. That's how we roll. We're all about subsistence in this neck of the woods- fish, moose, berries and now SPRUCE CHICKENS!

We have moose hunters and now Spruce Chicken hunters at our house. A Spruce Chicken is a grouse for all you non- Alaskans. Jon was walking around telling everyone he was going to take Kiley grouse hunting.... until Matthew asked him, "Why do you keep calling them Grouse? No one knows what you are talking about! They are Spruce Chicken." There, record set straight.

Kiley shot her first Spruce Chicken this weekend..... she was pretty dog gone excited, and mighty proud of her first hunting success.

See Uncle Will? Right through the head!

That's how it's done boys!

I must say her Dad and I are pretty proud of her too! She looks good with a gun, it matches her.

Daisy Girl Scout Camp Out, 2011

This was supposed to be published about a month ago but traveling and busy summer projects got in the way. I am back and ready to blog now!


We finally did it, after being on weather hold for four days we decided to just go for it and hold our first ever "Daisy Camp Out"- in our back yard. We had about 14 girls come with their tents and sleeping bags and jammies. Despite the wind and rain we survived and had a fabulous time!

Some highlights: a Treasure Hunt, learning how to make a fire WITHOUT matches, playing in the club house, jumping on the trampoline, playing on the play set, learning how to cook a peach cobbler with just coals, singing songs and putting together a photo book of our year together as Daisies.

The troop in their jammies, singing songs (11:00 p.m.)

It was cold, it rained a lot but the kids didn't care one bit. They never complained about being cold or tired. Amazing. They were troopers until about 11:00- I think they finally fell asleep at about 11:30 (of course it is still light out here so it was a bit harder for them to chill out).

Kiley and Paris, tent-mates, around 11:30 p.m.!

Next year will be interesting, we've started some traditions here. I can't wait to see what we do next year!

Kiley in Anchorage!

The plan was for me to take Kiley to Anchorage and she would spend a few days with her Auntie Jeanette while I was at a conference in Girdwood. That was the plan.....until my conference got cancelled.

We didn't think Kiley would want to go into Anchorage by herself.

We were wrong. She told everyone she got to go to Anchorage "all by herself" and even wrote a story about it at school.

Kiley left Sunday morning (I wouldn't let Jon leave the airport until the plane left the ground) and we have barely heard a PEEP out of her this entire time! Kiley do you want to talk to your mom? NOPE Kiley do you want to talk to your Dad? NOPE Kiley do you want to talk to your Sister? NOPE

Hog heaven+being spoiled rotten by her Aunt= no homesickness whatsover and not wanting to talk on the phone for even a second.

Here are a few of their adventures so far.

First stop "Lippa Heaven" aka Wal-Mart

Second stop: Dog Park! (Note the fancy new white shorts)
3-D Movie! With pop and popcorn!

We hope to see her again Wednesday.... if she will get on the airplane that is.

Kindergarten Hot Dog Run, 2011

Try not to listen to the crazy woman screaming too much. No one could contain her.

See how fast she ran? Her shoe came off!

Hot Dog Run!

Kiley ran her very first Hot Dog Run (if you don't know what that is- you run a set distance, and get a hot dog as your reward at the end of the race!) last week. She was so pumped she ran her little heart out, so fast she lost her shoe right at the end! She told me that when she runs "really, really fast" her shoe always comes off.

For some reason I can't get our movie to upload then you can hear my crazy voice-- I was just as pumped as she was. She was a little nervous before the race and told me she didn't think she could run it, I gave her some sound Mom advice but in my head I was thinking, "Really? I've been waiting 6 years for you to run this race."

I couldn't have been prouder, my baby got second place in her class. Go Kiley!

They had so much fun the first race the girls ran again!

Guess who was Student of the Week!?

I never wanted to be one of those parents. I said I never would be. As a teacher, of course before I had my own perfect children, I vowed to never, never do it. I would never be the parent to question why my child hasn't been chosen as Student of the Week. But I did. *Sigh* I think Jon and I were more excited for Kiley to get chosen than she was, we couldn't wait! And she wasn't even sure what it was... or what it meant.

But I have to question no more. My baby was Student of the Week on Friday! She got to stand in front of the elementary school and get a certificate. She really didn't get the whole process, but she thought it was pretty cool to stand up there and get a pencil.


I was as proud of Kiley as if it was me standing up there getting that certificate, I even got a little teary eyed. Her teacher said she was enthusiastic, positive and a big help with the other students in her class. Words that make her parents hearts sing.

Toothless

This is tooth #3 that has gone missing. What a difference one missing tooth makes on this girls face. She looks so much older!

There wasn't too much drama after the first one came out. We got the string tied around that one AND tied to the door. As I was heading to get the camera to document the serious event of losing the first tooth, somehow Kiley "forgot" turned her head and out it came.

I seriously thought she was going to lose it with the second loose tooth. There was much screaming and freaking out , tears beyond anything I could comprehend and even some body shaking. But it came out.

This third tooth, loose on the top, stayed loose for what seemed like months. I think in its final days it was hanging by hope. Jon got it into his mind that it was going to get infected, and convinced Kiley that if she didn't pull it out she was going to have to go to the Dentist and not only get it pulled but get a shot too.

He won (he also threw in there she could go to a movie, get candy AND drink pop if she let him pull it).

Aaah, the bed

The comforter, the sheets, the size. The whole family has fallen in love with Kiley's "new" bed.

Gram and Papa got the new sheets. Kiley, "HOW did Gram know that this is my favoritest colors? (light blue and green)
Auntie Jen got the new comforter. Kiley, "It's so smoooothe!"

For a few days after Christmas even Kalin was sleeping in her sisters bed... but tonight? I'm afraid no one is. I had such high hopes. I guess you can't win every night, right?

Winter Walk

Winter is here-- we've got the snow and ice to prove it.

Kiley and Kalin were bouncing off each other and the walls this afternoon so we set off outside for a little walk down to the creek. It was a little colder than we thought it was, due to the wind, so we didn't stay as long as we had originally planned.

A nice walk that got the yah-yahs out, just what a winter walk needs to do.

It's a Tea Party

Kiley received a late present last weekend for her birthday, it was all she could think and play with for the entire weekend. A beautiful tea set, perfect for little hands and delicious tea.

On Sunday morning she wouldn't stop bugging me for Amma Bossy's phone number. I had to ask what she was calling for and she said, "Mom, Amma Bossy loves tea, so we need to have a tea party with my tea set!"

So by golly that is just what they did!

It's a Daisy

Kiley is the one with the mask on, see her? In the middle?

Our big girl is now an official Daisy Girl Scout.

What ask you does it mean to be a Daisy Girl Scout? Well let me tell you. She must live by the Girl Scout Law... which includes helping others. She must also learn songs, create (as in crafts), eat snacks and play nicely with her friends. Girl Scouts is a wonderful opportunity for her to interact with her peers in a kindly manner--which I love and encourage.

We have our first Girl Scout gathering this Saturday, which is Juliet Lowe's birthday. If you don't know who Juliet Lowe is, she is the founder of Girl Scouts- you learn something new every day. I bet you didn't know that when Juliet was a young girl her name was Daisy? Hence the youngest group of Girl Scouts being "Daisies."

Kalin is loving Girl Scouts too, but more because she gets to go to the "big school" than anything else. She is not loving, however, having to wake up from her nap in a timely manner so we can go and do our C0-Leader duties at the big school. She is in fact, quite the cranky pants. But I know how she feels, I don't like waking up from naps either. Such is life.

Kiley's First Day of Kindergarten

We made it, both of us didn't cry. For one of us it was a little harder than for the other, ahem the taller one in particular. I was thankful Kiley wasn't the child that went limp like a noodle and hid under the tables in the classroom, although that would have made for a good story in a few years. But it would have been nice to have a little emotion that mom was leaving, well I did get about three hugs.

Kiley was so excited she could barely stand it. Excited about her classroom, her friends, her lunch, her clothes, riding the bus... the list just goes on and on.

I asked her what the best part of her day was, and was surprised when she said, "Exercising." Was it naive of me to think it might have been a story or books? Maybe tomorrow....

Blast to the past....

I came across this video I took a while back of Kiley and Kalin playing "Puma." Basically a game Kiley started in which she pretended to be a Puma and scared Kalin into Daddy's arms. Just look how small they look- Kalin has no hair! Kiley still has all her teeth! They grow so fast....

Self Portrait

She gets a hold of the camera and this is what she does.

Pure cuteness.

Kiley in Action!

Kiley and her Preschool Graduation

Camryn did the honors of recording Kiley at her graduation, since Uncle Max said he didn't know how to run that "thing." Jon had to MC the ceremonies and help keep things moving smoothly. Here she is, proud as can be!

Preschool Graduation 2010

Done! She's finally done! My baby has completed two years of preschool and is so excited to start Kindergarten in the fall.

To think we are going to be doing another graduation in about 12 years is just about enough to put me over the edge.... :) My baby, graduating from High School? Eek! I have to admit those twinkling eyes and that smiling face sure add up to a stinkin' cute graduate!

Watch out 2023, here they come!

Bubbles!

It was a hectic last week of April, and it snowed the first three days of May. But bubbles seemed to make all the stress and sickness melt away.

Dad came home early from his trip to Anchorage (thank goodness) since poor Kalin was sick with a nasty virus and a high fever. Kiley also had her bout of being sick, but some medicine, jammies and a good night sleep seemed to do the trick for her.

Anyway, Jon came home with bubbles. Bubble "juice", a gun, wands.... you name it. The sun was out so we hit the deck to try those suckers out. You can just look at Kiley's face and know she was having a blast. Just about every day now Kalin wants to go out on the deck and do "bubbles."