Family Mellmann

Dancing, walking, and partying...just a few of the things you will find in the latest update on the Mellmann website . Enjoy the new pictures.

Katherine started taking a dance class in January. It started a little rough - new things are not really her favorites as she is more of a schedule-and-routines kind of girl - but she quickly learned how dance class worked...highly motivated by her love of movement and music. Now she thinks she's the cat's meow out there in her leotard and tights. Shoulders back and head up high she is ready to dance!

While I was working in the kitchen I noticed several deer coming into view from the depths of the forest. By the time they all arrived there were about fifteen of them. They lingered for a while, some even laid down under the trees for a rest. I think we have three or four "families" of deer. There seems to be a family of two, a family of three, and a family of five for sure. I think we also have a family of eight. Most of the time the "families" travel together (I'll see only two, or only three or only five), but seldom do the families travel with each other (like today when I get to see so many deer at once...clearly representing multiple families). I haven't done that much research, but it almost appears that they just "agree" to not visit the same area at the same time. These two seem to be their own family. I often see the two of them here.

I have posted more pictures...ALREADY! I know. I know. You're thinking, "But it hasn't even been two weeks yet!" Crazy, isn't it? Now don't go getting all used to this kind of quick update. I wouldn't want you to get...y'know...spoiled or something. Hey, I even put in some video. So this should hold you until my next update in...say...August. :) Enjoy. " AHHHHHH! Can you believe it? Mama did a web update again?!"

Although our windows are closed up tight and we cannot hear the hammering, I did manage to spot two giant Pileated Woodpeckers in the trees of our back yard. By the time I got the camera out and had the zoom lens attached the second one had disappeared, but I did manage to capture a few pictures of the remaining bird trying to drum up some grub in this tree.

As we often do on Sunday afternoons in the winter months, the four of us went skating. The kids love it and, on these cold winter days, it's a great way to get out of the house and do something fun. Patrick has been skating on his own for two years now (maybe this is his third), but for Katherine this is a new thing - and very exciting. She falls a lot, but it doesn't slow her down. She just hops back up and keeps going. Of course, this is exhausting so she poops out faster than the rest of us, but we have a great time watching them skate.

Patrick received a digital camera (designed for kids) from his Illinois Oma. He's been playing with it for a while now, but apparently had made some mistakes (no pictures ever appeared on the memory card). Well, he must have figured it out because he capture a picture of his aquarium and even managed a video. His aquarium just received an "extreme makeover"; new rocks, new plants, new decorations, and a new "wall of water". Our hope is that this will solve the chemical imbalance that we have been struggling with for the past three months or so. After a few "Katherine episodes" (she dumps an entire fish food container into the water) we suspect that the water just couldn't stabilize. Hopefully this complete tank cleaning will fix the problem and make it possible for us to replace the fish that this process has killed. Enjoy the picture and video on his site .

I hope everyone is enjoying the new year and staying warm in these cold winter days (well, they're cold winter days here in Vermont). I keep thinking that we don't take that many pictures, but when I downloaded the cameras from the last few weeks I discovered that there were several pictures that I had forgotten about. So, for now, I am up-to-date with the pictures from the cameras. If we go ice skating today there may be more, but this kind of reflects what has been going on here since our Christmas Eve celebration. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends, and to those who follow this blog and its related website. We hope that you are enjoying the holiday season and all that comes with it (shopping, family, travels, visitors...). We wish you a blessed, healthy, and prosperous new year. Enjoy the website update at www.mellmann.com .