New Hair!

Yesterday, I decided to get my hair trimmed. Whenever you get a short haircut, it looks like crap for months on end if you don't do anything about it. So I'm back to my short, mushroom cut that I keep coming back to. I took Dottie with me while Elliot and Joe went to Borders.

While I was getting my haircut and Dottie was sitting next to me in one of the twirly chairs, I couldn't help but notice how scraggly her hair is looking these days. Her hair has some natural curl to it, so it doesn't look great when it's down and nothing's done with it.
So I asked her if she wanted her haircut. She said yes, then specified she wanted it short like mommy's. I have hesitated thus far to get her hair cut at a salon because, let's face it, she wiggles a lot. But she was so good, it was amazing! She just sat perfectly still, looking straight at the mirror the entire time. I think she was in awe with how beautiful she is. She is a very vain little girl. So here's the new hair!

Santa's Workshop . . . Again

If you've been following my blog, you'll recall that we once visited Santa's Workshop before. In fact, it was probably around the same time last year. The one difference is Elliot is no longer in my tummy, but out of it.

For those of you who are blog newcomers, let me explain the joys of Santa's Workshop. It is an amusement park in Colorado Springs mostly geared to those under the age of ten. I seriously can't see teenagers coming to Santa's Workshop for kicks. The rides are mostly kiddy rides that you find at your local carnival. However, the thing that makes them exciting is the Christmas theme. How can you not become happy at a place where you can sit on Santa's lap and where Christmas music is blaring everywhere you turn?

So me, Dottie, Elliot, Emily, and Craig visited again on Friday to share the joy once again with Dottie. These pictures are in no particular order.



I'm sorry, but I really think my baby is the cutest baby alive. Isn't he cute?

Dottie's carousel experience: she wouldn't ride on the horses! What's wrong with my kid? She insisted on sitting in the purple seat. Every ride she went on, she had to sit in the purple one.

See? Purple car.

Okay, a red one. But that's because there was no purple.

And Dottie's big head made even bigger . . .

And the treacherous candy cane slide. You go really fast on that thing! At the end, there's a rubber mat to land on, but it's not very padded. My tailbone is still feeling the pain.

Santa's train.

Elliot's best friend became the water bottle.

Santa asked Dottie: "What do you want for Christmas?" Her response: "I'm going to be a witch!" Wrong holiday, Dottie.

My sweet one was enamoured with Santa. So precious.

Back by Popular Demand . . .

So I've received a lot of feedback about Dottie's dinosaur songs. My mom watches the video every day, as does my sister, Carolyn. So I thought I'd share another one of Dottie's favorite songs. She's singing one of her favorite Joy School songs, "I've Got Joy." I'll share the lyrics with you:

Oh, Boy! I've Got Joy! I do, I do.
It starts in my heart, and spreads to my head in a minute or two.
And did you know it can grow on my toes
And make my knees so they don't freeze.
I feel so neat from my head to my feet
When I've got joy.
I've got joy! Oh Boy!

Fun with Grandma Hansen

For about two weeks now we have been lucky to have Grandma Hansen staying with us. This circumstances of her coming were not ideal; she found out from her eye doctor that her retina was detaching, so she made the trip from Gunnison so she could get laser surgery from a specialist here in Colorado Springs.
To keep the retina in place, the doctor inserted a gas bubble. It has gradually absorbed back into her blood stream, but Grandma was unable to travel home as long as the gas bubble was there because a change in elevation could cause the gas bubble to expand, which could make her go blind.
So although it's been hard for her (she's a professor and she had to cancel classes), we've had a really good time with Grandma Hansen. We have a lot of pictures from her visit, with several from various playgrounds:

Grandma also got to be here for Joe's birthday, which was really fun. We went to the temple on Saturday morning and Em and Craig watched the kids. They took them to a carnival that was put on by a business group that Craig's a part of. Dottie loved it! She got a flower "tattoo" (it's really just a stick on).

Later on, Em and Craig drove down and we had lunch with them and Grandma at Red Lobster, followed by cake at our house.

And these are some other random photos of the family. Joe and Elliot were wearing practically the same shirt, so I had to take a picture.

Thanks for coming Grandma! We love you and we had so much fun with you!