Halloween=Two Fine Bees

Who Cares About Percentiles?

Ida had her six month check-up today and is doing fine. Healthy and great.



Her head size has grown so it's slightly above 50th percentile:



Her weight is almost 17 pounds (we'd thought twenty), which is, again, just above 50th percentile.



Her height is 27 inches, only 75th percentile (down from 90th; she's shrinking!); though Ella thinks the nurse gave her an extra inch or so...

Party Dress

Ida went to her old friend Madison Jaye's first birthday party today, which enabled her to wear her Party Dress w/tights.

A Hike (stolen photos)

Yesterday while I (Pete) was working like a damn dog, Ella and Ida went on a walk with Elsie, Vidamae and Arthur. Here are a few nice photos that I stole from his more extensive post.




It was reportedly super windy on top:

"Solid Food"

Ida is trying it; so far there's some suspicion that none of this rice cereal is reaching her digestive tract.

Father/Daughter Fridays

Chandler has Fridays off, a well-deserved rest, so on these days Arthur and Elsie often join us on an adventure that usually involves delicious food, afternoon beer-drinking, and sometimes a walk. Here we are today, living it up at Pok Pok. (I brazenly stole several photos from Elsie's blog and updated this post with them after there was some talk of my lissome, delightful niece resembling a "chinless shrew." Never!)

Ida at Chico Hot Springs

Big Sky Country, 4: Bows, Cold, Hot Springs

Okay, we're still in Montana. The bows/no bows vote count is done, and we'll look to respond to that, even if there is some concern of "bow ballot stuffing"; also, I added another Tom Miner dog photo to the previous post. Here goes:

It gets very cold on the clear nights in Montana...



...fortunately there are natural hot springs...



...which Ida enjoys as much as her mother does...



We're here at Chico, which we recommend; our cabin is up on the hill. It's a chalet, actually.



The photos below have been cleavage-cropped:

Big Sky Country, 3: Ida vs. Dogs

Here we are in Tom Miner Basin, Montana...



visiting my friend and ranching mentor Virginia Anderson.



We stayed in the schoolhouse, which kept us warm despite the cold!



Fortunately Ida has a new cold weather suit and a lot of dog friends like Ezra...



and Huey:



But by far her favorite dog was the quick face and hand-licking Bitsy; Ida could not stop laughing when in the presence of this dog.

Big Sky Country, Day Two

While some of us interviewed important informants about the Church Universal and Triumphant, these two swarthies went on a hike:

Big Sky Country, Part One

Okay, we made it; we haven't done much yet except make Ida wear her cousin Bonnie Kate's swimsuit + a shirt on her head...



...and then we descended to the hotel pool...





Now she's rolling around on the king-sized bed. She has a lot to say.

Ida vs. Ichiban, continued yet again + Aurthor!

As you'll soon see, we're on our way to Montana for a few days. Ichi can tell; he's sitting on the suitcases like he always does. Ida is more and more excited by him; one day he might underestimate the shortness of her arms...





and, as a special bonus, some handsome shots of Uncle ARthur!

Some Other Friends

Having a delicious cold one



with Long A, Uncle Arthur, Aurthor Bradford, who says "A one is hardly a one unless it is cold..."



Todd and Sander came all the way from Amsterdam to (successfully) practice their baby whispering:



Todd carried Ida on the steep hike up Dog Mountain (which he renamed "Dogged Mountain"); either he sweated on her, or she sweated on him, or both.




Meanwhile, don't be fooled by her friendly aspect; this little bear is a terror in the backseat!