Cookies and Dog Sled Racing

Nice action shot by Andy. These dogs are ready to race at the Dog Sled race in Mancos (not far from Cortez). We came here last year and discovered that "mushing" is really interesting to watch. Of course, we only get to see the start of it, but the dogs get so excited! They are jumping and yelping and pulling until it is time to go. It gets pretty loud!


This race was in three stages of forty miles each. They do it in three days. The youngest musher was a fifteen year old girl! They travel all over the USA to race.



Derek made snow angels while we waited for the dogs to line up. They have them start in five minute intervals or else who knows what the dogs would do to each other! The dirt road leading to the race was a mud hole! Our car is a disgusting shade of light brown and desperately needs to be scrubbed!



Back at home, it was a perfect time to make cookies. Zane was having a fit while Tucker was helping, so I let him come up on a chair and "help." You would have thought I gave him the world!



One of my favorite things to do with my kids is to bake! Their favorite part is to taste test. Derek used to eat the raw flour! Now he prefers to lick his hands after rolling out the dough. (Of course, a large chunck of dough is usually left on his palms.) Tucker has always prefered the chocolate chips. Zane is just happy to be along for the ride (for now!).



Things to look forward to:
1. Chinese New Year Celebration (a tradition in our family)
2. Super Bowl (who would have thought the Cardinals would have made it?)
3. NASCAR begins (I used to think people were crazy for watching NASCAR. I thought it looked so boring. Now I am stuck watching almost every race with a house full of boys who LOVE the races - including Andy! MORAL: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY!)

Tucker vs. The Toy

"The Toy" in this scenario is a solid wooden toy that is shaped like a guy riding a wooden bike. You pull the string as you walk and he pedals his bike behind you. Tucker was laying down in bed and looking at it as he held it above his head. Well, he let go and you know the rest . . . It looked worse in person and kept swelling as the night went on.




I think the toy won!

Blast from the Past

Here is a look back at some funny photos of the Bass boys. Derek is wearing a pair of goggles that kept fogging up on him. He also wanted them very tight so it made him look like his eyes were being squashed together. He thought they would make him swim better, but he didn't realize he still had to move his arms and legs to stay afloat. How's a four-year-old to know? This is in Bayfield right around his fourth birthday.


This is the first time Tucker and these boots were together. At the time, they were Derek's, but now Tucker has grown into them and wears them ALL the time! Now that it is cold and icy, he has started wearing snow boots so he doesn't slip and slide. It is not uncommon for him to wear boots with shorts or, heaven forbid, no socks! We were still in Bayfield for this picture.


Below is Zane's first encounter with fireworks. We were sitting incredibly close and his eyes were as big as saucers the whole time! I thought he would get scared, but it was complete amazement and astonishment. This was in Cortez for July 4th.


This is a very old picture of Andy with his brother Neil in Mesa Verde when Andy was about 3 years old. I think it is cool that years later, he has returned with his kids and actually lives ten miles away! Who would have thought? (Andy is on the left with the blonde hair)


It is fun to look back!